THE GRAND OPENING OF BARNFIELD SANDBEDS
Friday 2nd July 2010

 We were invited by Councillor Mrs Joan Williams, Deputy Leader of Enviromental Services to join her and several other Dignitaries for the official opening of Barnfield Sandbeds.

It was one of those fabulous summer days with the sun shining and the warm air alive with the sound of birdsong and the noise of insects going about their business.

We all met at the Horsebrook Lane end by the car park at 11 am and several photographs were taken before and during the cutting of the ribbon by Councillor Joan Williams to officially declare that the Sandbeds were now open to the public.

A short walk was taken to the new area of Deacon’s Meadow where Mrs. Anderson the daughter of the former owner cut the ribbon on Deacon’s Oak, a tree planted to commemorate her father who owned the site before it was sold to South Staffordshire District Council long after his death.

We all went for a leisurely stroll – some with Pat Davies and some with Howard Medlicott and Hayden Baugh-Jones from SSDC around the beautiful much improved site thanks to their hard work and planning.

Then onto the Jubilee Hall for a slap up lunch and a chance to chat with people who had contributed to the development of the site. Some of these were two gentlemen from the Forest of Mercia, Robert Cox who has done some wonderful carvings on  the oak arches at both entrances to the site, Mrs Anderson with her memories of the history of the site and with various members of the Friends of Barnfield Sandbeds who have planted wildflower seeds and plugs and have litter picked their way through several hundred bin bags of rubbish!.
The site welcomes all visitors and asks them just to respect the lovely countryside and take away all rubbish and use bags when walking your dogs and enjoy this wonderful local area.