April 2014 - week 7: Dame Helen Ghosh (Director General, National Trust) in the New Forest

On a very, very, very wet April Friday, Dame Helen Ghosh (Director General, National Trust) came along to visit Stockbridge Down and New Forest. And I must say, it was a complete pleasure hosting her. She was superb company all day and was so interested in everything our countryside team are doing.

After a brief tour around Stockbridge Down to see the views through the drizzle, the Iron Age barrows and our in-hand Wiltshire Horn sheep, we went onto Foxbury (....where I did take some pictures!)

As it was so wet, we viewed most of Foxbury from the estate vehicles and the engagement trailer, affectionately known as "The Caravan of Love!" (....don't ask!) Laura, Lee and Dylan chatted about everything from Nightjars to Capability Brown to 40mph fungal spores! I know....Helen's quite an all- rounder!

Then onto Lyndhurst (....a few brief & nervous moments as I confused Lymington with Lynhurst, but we did go to the right place and I appear to be still employed 24 hours later...although it is a Saturday, so let's give it until Monday!)

Dame Helen then presented to a packed house in the New Forest visitor centre, hosted by Alison Barnes, CEO of New Forest National Park.

It was a really enjoyable and interesting talk, followed by a lively debate (...passionate parties in the New Forest never miss an opportunity!)

After a New Forest Mark lunch, it was off to Hurst Spit to look at proposals for the wind turbine development off Isle of Wight:

And then finally onto Beaulieu, where we saw Dan Snow filming a WW2 documentary piece with Ian Lavender for ITV Meridian. I tried to get a walk on part as an extra, but they said that I was too wet and too short (....Dan Snow is really tall...you could see him from space, I reckon!) 

With my TV debut on hold, we decided to cut our loses and head for the dry indoors and a well-earned cuppa.

I hope that Dame Helen enjoyed herself. It was lovely to meet her and we enjoyed showing off our work in New Forest and Stockbridge. Although only in the job for a year, she described her feeling working at National Trust as ".....emerging from a chrysalis." I know how she feels.