Grand picnic on Balmedie Dunes

Maidenstone · Grand picnic on Balmedie Dunes

The Tripping Up Trump group are planning a big picnic on the dunes just north of the Balmedie Country Park car park near Balmedie on Sunday, 26th July 2009 from 12 noon to 4.00 pm. If the Trump development goes ahead, this may be the last summer we will have the chance to walk and play on the Menie Dunes. If that is not bad enough, some families face being turfed out of their homes to make way for the golf course and housing estate. To show your objection to the development, join us in a peaceful, happy picnic so we can all enjoy the dunes while we can. Children's activities are being arranged, including a sandcastle competition (not JUST for children!!), a treasure hunt, and we want folk to bring musical instruments so we can form a band and have music. Come whatever the weather!!!

gussyboy

Will be there with as many anarchic hippy friends as possible.

see you there,
Gus

wildgarlic

Sounds good to me!

Smooth Hound

wildgarlic

We should try to organise a lift share where possible - can we camp?

Julie

The word Anarchy has completely changed my perception of this event - it sounded appealing until then.....................is it a family picnic or a protest event that may end up with a police presence?
In the current climate, it might be prudent to be clear about this.

Smooth Hound

i think it was just a bit of a jest, a freindly picnic i would hope,

and dont walk on the maram grass, keep to the paths to the beech

Maidenstone

It is a family picnic, and certainly not a protest. It is to prove that we want to continue to be able to use the dunes, that we hope Donald Trump does not build the golf course and the housing estate, and show support for the families who are under the threat of compulsory purchase orders from Aberdeenshire Council. The idea is very positive, not at all negative, and we plan to have a really fun afternoon and enjoy ourselves on the dunes.

earthroots

Are people planning to camp for the night? - I'm just curious really as I will only stay for the day. Is it still the case that we can wildcamp anywhere in Scotland for one night? Hoping we get the fine weather for it.

Liftshare is a great idea too - although we generally don't have room for more by the time we get the kids and the dog in!

Maria

I've never visited. If the worste should happen i'd better get my skates on and spend a little time...sounds like a wonderful place. What better excuse to meet up with friends to-be?

I'll check and see if i can join you all. If so, is there anything that i can bring along? I can bring a couple of drums...and might even be able to play them after the drumming workshop with Gus.

DiddleDeDum

I think that there are all sorts of worries about the development but think there is very little chance that the beach will be closed off. The access laws, trespass legislation and the ownership of the coast by the Crown really puts paid to any ideas they may have to shut it off.

I have walked on the beach a number of times over the years because it is incredibly quiet - you're lucky of you see one other person there, it's amazing that everybody suddenly wants to go there now! To me that's a bigger shame - a wonderful silent place suddenly becomes popular!

Maidenstone

The beach isn't going to be closed off, but Trump stated at the public inquiry that he will not have members of the public walking across his golf course (i.e. the dunes) and distracting the players! You are right that the rights of access laws might put paid to this, but once he has his henchmen (sorry, security) and fences who are we to argue with him?

The automatic counters at the Balmedie Country Park visitor centre puts annual visitor numbers to the dunes and the beach at around 250,000. Fortunately it is a large enough area to never appear crowded. Imagine if they are all forced to walk on the beach instead of walking amongst the dunes - then it could be horrific!!

wildgarlic

Is anyone from Neeps going along to this? We aren't able to go ourselves as we've got both cars off the road.

Julie

Can he lawfully fence it off with the right to roam laws in place?
I'm also wondering if he might fall foul of the disability discrimination laws too, as these folks wouldn't be able to climb over his fences.
I can't imagine he would be permitted to fence off the dunes etc.
Anyway, enjoy your picnic whoever goes

Maria

I've swung from oh-goody 'a gathering in the name of a good cause' to 'oh no! does this gathering have the potential to spoil what's good there?'

I had a chin wag with SH about the maran(?) grasses there, and intended to ask other folks too, and read a little a more so i understood the area. Sometimes, there is too much to learn, and too little day to fit it all into.

Maidenstone

I went for a walk in the dunes yesterday afternoon, and it is easy to walk on little paths through the marram grass without walking on it. It is really essential that it is not trampled, but it is so spiky it is really difficult to walk on it if anyone wanted to! It is also important that we don't trample on dune slack - the flat bits, with lots of species of plants growing in it. But there are acres of lovely sandy bits, especially the huge sand dome not far from the visitor centre - yesterday it was just like the Sahara desert with sand blowing and forming ripples. There are plenty of sheltered areas for picnic-ing. The dune sand is no good for sandcastles, it is much too fine - these will have to be made on the beach.
As long as people don't trample the marram grass there is no other damage we could do - apart from litter (and if any is left the organisers will collect it all at the end) - these are dynamic dunes, always moving and will cover up our traces.

Smooth Hound

Smooth Hound

i was just pointing out how counter productive it would be if people did roll on the dunes etc,
ive ssen it done, and to be fair if you didnt know about dunes it would be an innocent act, and damned good fun,
which is why i was pointing it out.

JoH

Against the whole golf course idea but at the same time concious of the recent 'happenings' with unannounced police presences at seemingly innocent 'events' publicised on the internet (as this one is all over the place!).

If we were to lose access completely then fine, protest away but what are the protests against here? We still have access apparently, and will continue to have so even if it is confined to a lesser area so people who are turning up are protesting against a non-event and therefore doesn't any large scale gathering (with its publicised reasoning) then potentially fall into the remit of Breach of the Peace? I'd certainly not be taking any of my kids. Just in case.

Maidenstone

We have been in constant touch with the police all along - they are more concerned with the usual problems like lost children or accidents as they realise it is NOT a protest, they want to know that if something should happen they could get an ambulance in etc. - just as they would with any large gathering of people. It is a family picnic, after all, and doesn't come under the heading of Breach of the Peace!
The local police officer from Ellon is going to come along at some time in the afternoon, which is fine, and we will have the numbers of other police if we need them, but there is no reason why we should.
We are showing support for the residents who face losing their homes through possible compulsory purchase - I for one can't imagine what they are feeling like, knowing they could be evicted, and all for landscaping a golf course. We are also enjoying the dunes while we can - Trump stated categorically at the public inquiry that he had no intention of allowing people to walk on his land - and after all, it is going to be a gated community there.
I hope no-one else worries unnecessarily about the picnic because of the last post - it is a shame words and phrases like protest, seemingly innocent 'events', police presences, breach of the police were used. I do hope to see lots of Neeps and their families there to enjoy an afternoon of fun. So if you feel like supporting the families who may lose their homes, come and show it by your presence. The children will have fun!

JoH

Let me rephrase that using non-aggressive wording then. Family picnic or protest or walk along the beach or supporting-by-having-a-picnic? whatever you want to call it, one whiff of trouble and they will be down on you like a ton of bricks.

Smooth Hound

my opinion is, is that itll be a really nice day there,
but i wouldnt guarantee it,

DiddleDeDum

Surely this picnic is going to be in Balmedie Country Park rather than on Menie as I don't suppose for a minute that lots of people will walk with their picnics along to the Trump land?

earthroots

http://www.trippinguptrump.com/picnic.htm

Maidenstone

Trump land begins at the fence beside the Balmedie Visitor Centre car park, so we only have to go on the dunes just to the north of the car park to be on his land. There are lots of nice places to sit and picnic without trampling on the plants there, and it is still within reach of the loos at the visitor centre ... important for the children.
The organisers of the picnic are not planning a protest or any trouble, just games, perhaps a few musicians playing if anyone wants to join in. It's intended that we all have a lovely afternoon in the dunes, and a good get together.
Look forward to seeing a lot of you there - please try and make a Neep badge so we recognise each other!

earthroots

It has been revealed
that Donald Trump sneakily approached the Aberdeenshire Council to push them to use their power of compulsory purchase on the land that he can’t obtain. This effectively means that Trump wants to clear local people from their homes that don’t wish to sell, for a private housing and golf development.

see:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1318569?UserKey=

IainC

Yup... TBH, regardless of how you felt one way or other about the golf course, the fact that someone (anyone) would try and use compulsory purchase to force you off your land so they could have a private development (ie not for the common good) is repulsive to me... and TBH, I have to say I wasn't overly fussed about his golf course in the first place one way or the other.

Smooth Hound

this is the way he behaves though, have a look at his history, its not good reading, ill add quickly,

thats just my opinion. i said this from the beginning

Maidenstone

After a dreadful wet start to the morning, the rain cleared just as people started arriving for the picnic and we headed up into the dunes. The children played together with kites, and running up and down the dunes while us grown-ups sat and chatted. Someone brought an accordion, another bongos, and we sang two Trump songs - quite funny. The rain earlier had made the sand nice and damp so no-one had to go down onto the beach to build their sandcastles, and there were some great ones - the best getting prizes. Considering the terrible forecast and the heavy rain all morning, I'm surprised anyone came, and although there must have been about 60 people there was no doubt the rain put lots of people off - quite understandably! It was a lovely gathering, very friendly, and just shows how folk are starting to see through Trump's business practices and turn against this development.

Smooth Hound

glad it went well

earthroots

my plans to go were foiled - but heard all about it from a friend who went along - sounded like a grand day - well worthwhile too since it seems few people are aware of how much land is taken up with Trumps proposal and how close it comes to Balmedie visitor centre - to have the boundary marked out was a great idea. Glad for you all that there was a break in the weather.

wildgarlic

Sorry we couldn't make it - the car just isn't ready for a longer journey - did get it back and took it to Alford this afternoon but really wasn't impressed with the brakes. I don't want to drive it again until mechanic has it sorted - the handbrake doesn't work either.

Maidenstone

No - you shouldn't go far with brakes you are not happy with, that's a bit scary.

I was surprised we got as many people as we did considering the weather. We'll probably have another picnic some time.

lor138

wildgarlic

were you on your bike? Hope you didn't see my pensive face as I was driving very slowly and carefully

lor138

gussyboy

Excellent day on the dunes! Did some good networking and looking forward to events in the future. Watch out for a documentary coming out sometime soon...independent film maker based in Aberdeen doing a thing on Trump for BBC Scotland.

Gussyboy

Maidenstone

Don't forget the next picnic on the dunes - Sunday 30th August. Should be a good afternoon - same time and place as last time - 12 noon - 4.30pm just north of the visitor centre, Balmedie Country Park. There is a LOT of opposition to the possibility of compulsory purchase, even folk who agreed with the golf resort originally. Let us show our support by being there. Remember, it is NOT a protest, just a family picnic. Bring all your friends!!

There will be a quiet protest outside the council chamber at Woodhill House, Aberdeen, on 1st October when the council debates whether to employ compulsory purchase or not. We must encourage ALL the councillors to vote and not to abstain, and to vote against CP being used to benefit a foreign property developer!!