It has been one of those weeks... I am sorry to announce the passing of the amazing Grace Salter on Friday 18th March at the ripe old age of 106 years and six months. Grace was still helping in our café clearing tables on her 102nd birthday and was undoubtedly the oldest volunteer on the RSPB books and was still making visits with her family until just after Christmas.

She was passionate about the RSPB, the reserve and her beloved Chelsea and was very proud of her second telegram from the Queen on her 105th birthday.

Just try to imagine the astonishing changes that occurred across the planet in those 106 years...

When Grace was born in 1909...

  • 'Martha' the last Passenger Pigeon still had five years to live.
  • The Wright Brothers had only created the first fixed wing plane six years previously and in 1909 Louis Bleriot became the first man to fly across the English Channel, completing the 22 mile journey from Calais to Dover in 37 minutes. He received a prize of £1,000 for his achievement.
  • The construction of the Titanic began in earnest in this year.
  • The fledgling 20 year old RSPB moved its offices from 3 Hanover Square to 23 Queen Anne's Gate in London.
  • Red-backed Shrikes and Cirl Buntings were still common in the south east but off course there were no Little Egrets, Marsh Harriers or Cetti's Warblers and even Magpies were scarce and confined to woodland edges.

I could go on but suffice to say I loved her loads and I, along with many others will miss her dearly and our thoughts go out to her family and other friends.

H