https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/homes-and-gardens/places-to-live/history-of-rspb-minsmere-7017822
This is a brief article published in 2018 about Minsmere in a countryside magazine in 2018 and does include the great Bert Axcell one of the great pioneers during the 1960’s and 1970’s in paticular as Bert Axell was the first full time warden at Minsmere and it was Bert Axell who’s idea about creating the scrape at Minsmere in the early 1960’s he actually received the MBE for his work in conservation. I can remember the days when Minsmere was just open 4 days a week and you had to apply months ahead for a permit and the deadline for applying for a permit wa siix months ahead and you weren’t guaranteed a permit even applying that far ahead as I found when applying well in advance for a permit at a reserve in Wales much more than 6 months ahead as all the permits had been taken up and so I had to try for another day of which I had success at Ynys-Hir in Wales.
I’ve got that book published in 1977 and sadly is long out of print. But it can sometimes be available on websites to buy such as Amazon and Ebay. I will post a photo of that book.
IiIve got the signatures of Bert Axell and Eric Hoskins as I bought book direct from the RSPB in 1977.
Sadly I haven’t I haven’t visited Minsmere since around 1974/1975 and I had to apply for a permit well in advance for myself and my Father and Minsmere was open only Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 11.00pm-5.00pm from April-September and not at any time open during the Autumn and Winter Months. It was the same for lots of other RSPB reserves as well that needed advance permits and only for part of the year. Even some reserves that didn’t need permits where still only open a few days a week, such as the Insh Marshes up in Scotland where no permits where needed, but was only open only 3-4 days a week and again only part of the year and only limited hours. There where some reserves as well open 7 days a week and all year. It all changed in the early 1980’s as in the Birds magazine for members, with a few lines saying that the RSPB council had decided that all reserves would be open 7 days a week, with a lot more reserves open with longer hours and open all year and no permits needed. The first RSPB reserve to have a visitor centre with shop and cafe was Leighton Moss in the early 1980’s.
I forgot to say that at some RSPB reserves, members also had to pay to get into some RSPB reserves including Minsmere. If I can remember, I think RSPB members had to pay half the admission charge, to what non-members paid the full admission to Minsmere with there permit. Again that all changed for RSPB members during the early 1980’s with those few lines in the Birds magazine that RSPB members received and RSPB members then got free admission to all RSPB reserves.
www.worldofbooks.com/.../9780091288402 Anyone that want to buy portrait of a bird reserve by Herbert Axell. It’s now available to buy at the website above. But just one copy available to buy.