Many of our regular visitors will have met Angela Rogers, shop manager at the reserve since 2009. We are desperately sad that Angela passed away on Tuesday.
Angela had been ill for some while, fighting illness in her inimitable way with strength, good humour and a laugh which filled the Visitor Centre. Despite initially professing to know nothing about birds, she quickly discovered the joys of watching the birds in her garden and became passionate about wildlife. I was proud to hear of the knowledgeable way that she answered visitors' questions, based on her first-hand experience at home. She was also proud of her family, and had first discovered RSPB Conwy by bringing her two boys here for an activity day.
Angela was forthright, larger than life – you could not ignore her... and she had a wicked sense of humour. She was full of good ideas and threw herself into life on the reserve, having come from a very different high-street retail career. Having her face painted as a Sumatran tiger during one of our Christmas events illustrates how she got involved with our activities. Having initially threatened to disembowel me if I posted it on Twitter (I risked it and did), she was evidently proud of the photo, as it is still hanging next to her desk.
She is already hugely missed by visitors, volunteers, staff, colleagues and friends. Our thoughts and sympathies are with her family and friends.
The Visitor Centre and Coffee Shop will be closed on Wednesday 8 August from 10.45 am until noon as a mark of respect, and to enable volunteers and staff to attend her funeral. We hope that you'll understand our decision.
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy