All of us have an opportunity to make a mark in this world before we die. Few of us do. This point struck me when I decided to try and sketch out what a nature village might look like. Nobody really knows what such a village would look like because no such place exists; it is a new idea However, I live in Highcliffe, Dorset and I recalled a book written some years ago. The author gave Ann and I a copy in 2015 and signed it, to my running friends. I was touched by that; I still am. Having just moved back to Highcliffe, and recycled so much, did we still have the book? After emptying numerous boxes of books, Ann spotted it. It was a ray of sunshine, emblazoned across the front, Highcliffe’s Pot of Gold.

Age and loss

Joy Shellard wrote that book and, I think, funded its production. No mean cost because it described and photographed 120 plants on the seafront. A record of what she saw, what it meant to her and how it fitted into her past. She even included a photo of her beloved dog, a Dulux dog, as we then called it. This is a book, a solid thing that can be held in the hand and not one to disappear into the ether, as this post will. However, the book is out of print and only exists where people, like me, retain a copy. As I approach 80, I will disappear so how do I protect this book. Well, I can write about it, praise it, and commemorate Joy, who is now in a local grave.

Highcliffe’s Pot of Gold

My intention is to integrate Highcliffe’s various nature areas into a whole, so they can be protected and valued. However, with six areas to consider, only one has a meaningful description, the one that an aged woman took the trouble to record. She had no formal training, just a desire, firstly, to understand and, secondly, to record what nature was doing out on the coast. What it was doing was forcing plants to struggle, to survive, and to put up a flower. All these years later, she left me a record and I can understand far more because of her work. I commend you Joy, rest easy in your grave aware that we appreciate what you did, and you should be proud. Few of us will leave a mark on this world; you did.