Old reserve sign

I was doing some tidying up at our Volunteers' Centre at Dancersend Nature Reserve this afternoon and came across a couple of old signs that I rescued from the undergrowth about 25 years ago. They are from the time when the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (SPNR) owned and managed this 'Rothschild reserve' as one of a little cluster of 'demonstration reserves' to promote the whole idea of nature reserves, a completely new concept in 1912 when Charles Rothschild founded the movement that would eventually become the Wildlife Trusts.

From 1940 to 1968, when BBOWT took over management at this reserve, the indomitable Dame Miriam Rothschild, Charles' daughter, chaired the management committee. These signs date from 1964/5, when Miriam was starting work on a conservation project to restore species-rich chalk grassland in extensive areas of scrub. She paid for four signs to be made by the Chromographic Co. in Wolverhampton at a cost of 10/6d each. When they were delivered another committee member pointed out that Miriam's handwriting had been misunderstood and the signs were headed 'Danger's End' rather than Dancers End. Undaunted, Miriam is reported as saying "No problem - that will help to keep the buggers away!". They served this function for about 10 years, but did suffer from the impact of many shotgun pellets.