The idea for this site came from a conversation over dinner and some remarks and suggestion from a lovely friend called Rhys. A keen bike rider he had accidentally discovered one of the many gems of Surreys countryside and was surprised that I would know it and even more surprised at what he could have found in the place if he had more time. He suggested a website exploring some of the nooks and crannies of surrey and celebrating some of the wonderful wildlife that resides here. I hope to go a little further and develop 3 main topic areas of this site and include contributions from some good friends who write well, photograph well and are familiar with some of the areas of Surrey that I am not.
Who am I and why am I doing this?
My name is Stephen Fry and I was born in a house on Chobham Road in Knaphill, an increasingly large village found in north west Surrey. I have spent very nearly all my life as a Surrey resident and most of my work has been in the county.
After a mixed variety of jobs, from banking and finance to concrete drilling and car sales, I returned to college to study conservation management. I was then fortunate to be employed by Surrey County Council as an assistant countryside ranger working on the Surrey heaths and subsequently as a site ranger when the SCC estate and all staff were transferred to Surrey Wildlife Trust. After a total of nearly 26 years service, latterly as Senior ranger at Chobham common I was made redundant (with several colleagues) in April 2017.
Passionately interested in all wildlife from a young age I remain a believer that there is inexhaustible pleasure in the small things in life and that a naturally induced WOW factor still dwarfs that generated by technology or drugs.
Why?
Well I have always enjoyed writing and I really do hope that this inspires a couple of people to go and have a look at what is on their doorstep. There is also no point in denying that the threats to the natural world in Surrey are not just factors like climate change and atmospheric pollution (over which we can all have only a limited affect) but are also the impacts of our, the residents of Surrey, direct actions. It is the intention to promote examination of policies and attitudes that influence Surreys countryside and to encourage a wider base of the public to at least consider some of the more difficult issues which have traditionally been the stamping ground of specialists.
Lastly this site allows me to be utterly self-indulgent and recount the story of my relationship with my home and the wildlife which has shared it with me over the last 24 years.
As you can probably gather the above is an attempt to justify 3 parts of secretsurrey! “Wildlife Wanderings”; “Policies Politics and Winges” and lastly “A Tiny Corner.”
If this site is at all critical or rude then it will not personalise an argument. I do not believe in personalising a discussion, criticism should be about the policy or activity and not the person. I will do my best to present facts as facts and truths as truths. I have no problem with being corrected or admitting I am wrong if evidence is provided. By all means agree to differ but if you wish to challenge, agree or add to this site please use the email address.