Bag It, Bin It...

The EVRA-organised litter picks have made a big impact on the state of the verges and footpaths leading into and around the village, and with a new size selection of high visibility vests on their way,

there's now no excuse to get out there and start reaching for those hidden crisp packets in the grass...

But we still need to do more. The area around Biggin Bank is often badly affected by people throwing empty bottles, cans and plastic packets out of cars, made worse by long grass and untidy verges. EVRA has been working with the Parish Council and the Highways Agency to make sure that the village benefits from its quota of public grass cutting and verge maintenance, and the Neighbourhood Protection Team have been increasing their presence across the county, issuing a number of fixed penalty notices for littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling. Next month marks the beginning of Durham's Big Spring Clean 2014, 7th April-11th May, an initiative run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the County Council, and Darlington Borough Council. There are lots of ways to get involved, so do have a look at their website or come along to the next EVRA litter pick.

Litter makes our village look ugly and reduces the quality of life for everyone who has to live, work, or travel through it. Keep your eyes peeled for the date and time of the next litter-picking mission - or be a rebel and organise your own!
For anyone out litterpicking, please do wear brightly coloured clothing (preferably a high visibility jacket or vest) and stay safe. The traffic speeding through the village is quite a problem... but that's for another day!

Nature Watch, Esh-style

We've barely had a winter and it's already feeling like spring (not that I'm quite ready to turn the thermostat down yet), and with it the warmer weather is bringing out the first glimpses of wildlife for Esh is locally so well known. We've had early sightings of young deer over towards Hag Wood, the squirrels are well and truly out of hibernation, and rumour has it that hares are to be spotted boxing in the fields to the south of the village - a sure sign that spring has sprung, surely?

We're thinking of setting up a 'Nature Watch' page on the blog for residents and visitors to post photos and sightings of wildlife in and around the village - what do you think? Do get in touch and let us know at eshresidentsassociation@gmail.com. The longer days mean lots of opportunities to get out and about, and don't forget your camera... the 2014 Photography Competition is just around the corner, never mind the 2015 calendar...