It's now been six weeks since the tragic loss of our colleague and friend Nick Quintrell. We are still coming to terms with his sudden loss and his absence is still very much felt down here on the Weymouth Wetlands. The Weymouth blogging team have also lost our finest blogger. Nick's brilliant blogs were legendary and much talked about.
The Weymouth Wetlands Blog has very much lain dormant since the shock announcement of Nick's passing. To help the staff and volunteers come to terms with Nick's loss and move forward, this tribute blog has been compiled of Nick's time with the RSPB. What follows is a collection of happy memories from people in their own words with a liberal sprinkling of photos of Nick doing the job he loved so much. There have been many smiles and much laughter as people remembered the good times with our chum Nick and his English Bull Terrier Mazie.
Though I have put this blog together, most of it has not been written by me. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to send me their special memories; if you would like your special memory to be added then please contact me or post a comment.
Details of the memorial event being held are at the foot of this blog. We will post another blog reporting on this event. The Weymouth bloggers intend to resume blogging activities after the memorial report has been posted - I'm sure this is what Nick would have wanted.
Memories from RSPB staff past and present
Nick's first associations with Radipole Lake began in 2002.
As David Flumm, Site Manager of The Cornwall Reseves writes:
"Although I knew Nick quite well as part of the Radipole-Lodmoor team during the early 2000s, I didn’t really get to know him until Keith Ballard’s departure as the Site Manager there in 2004 which left the team temporarily without any support. I stepped in to help for a few months in early 2005, travelling up from my own work base in Cornwall each week to spend a few days with Nick et al and we quickly became good friends. We had kept in contact ever since and always enjoyed his visits to us – and the stories he would recount of his travels and ongoing work in Dorset for the Society. He was passionate about conservation and enthusiastic about natural history, birds in particular. I was looking forward to sharing stories about Australia, a country we had both visited but it wasn’t until attending his funeral that I learnt he had also been to Broome in WA, a place I had only just visited (for my RSPB sabbatical) in April this year. I would have loved to share experiences of that place with him but sadly, it was not to be. I also learnt at the funeral that I hadn’t really known Nick after all, such were the tributes bravely spoken by his many friends there; it was an education. He was clearly more modest about his achievements than even I appreciated. I left Radipole in May 2005 handing over the keys to Nick Tomlinson, surely another of the best site managers we’ve had the privilege to work with, and I know it was only because of the hard work and dedication by the two Nicks that the two reserves excelled so well - after I left! Nick Q was never one to boast about his achievements but the legacy he has left behind speaks volumes and future visitors to Radipole and Lodmoor should appreciate this. I wrote to him in July following his incredible efforts to save the terns at Lodmoor - by swimming out to them for goodness sakes! Who else would have done that?! For that alone, he will always be our hero and we are indebted to him and proud to have known him.
After the arrival of Site Manager Nick Tomlinson, the 'two Nicks' became affectionaly known to staff and volunteers as 'Nick T' and 'Nick Q'.
Nick Tomlinson, former Site Manager of the Weymouth Wetlands writes:
I knew Nick for around ten years, and was lucky enough to work closely with him for seven of those years. He was an inspirational colleague, friendly, supportive and encouraging, always ready to help, regularly and often, unselfishly putting others before himself, quietly getting on with things despite hardships and setbacks. There are hundreds of stories that could be told about Nick but below are just a handful that, to me, demonstrate the quality of the man...A few years ago, when the Napoli went aground in Lyme Bay, and a wildlife tragedy was unfolding on our doorstep, Nick played a role that did not get much publicity, but was vital to the success of the rescue effort on the beach. We were alerted to the problem quite quickly, but there was still much confusion as to exactly what had happened. Whilst other decisions were being made, and discussions had, Nick jumped into action, organising teams of volunteers and labouring from dawn to dusk, in very difficult conditions, to resuce the huge number of birds that began to be washed up, oiled, on the beach. It is a while ago now and the exact numbers have begun to fade, but having spent many, many hours, from dawn to dusk, over the course of those few days, tramping along the beach for miles, often having to run to catch oiled birds before they could make it back to the sea - and what would have been almost certain death - Nick and his team rescued a sizable proportion of those birds. Now the recovery rate for oiled birds has increased in recent years, with many more surviving and returning to their colonies to breed, and many of the birds that were rescued over those few days came from colonies hundreds of miles away, so it is kind of comforting to think that, in the summers since the accident, people far afield from Dorset have been enjoying watching birds flying in and out of seabird colonies, birds that would not have been there if it was not for the actions of a dedicated RSPB 'rescue team', led and motivated by Nick Quintrell.Many, many times over the course of a year, someone will come into the centre at Radipole with a sick and/or injured bird, looking for advice and help for the creature. There are no facilities there to take care of such creatures, and the staff do not have the expertise to do so if there were, but, fortunately, there is one lovely local lady who does, and she has been supporting the reserve for years by taking these waifs and strays into her home and caring for them until they can be released, restored and revitalised. A couple of years ago she told us that the cages in which she kept the birds were beginning to fall apart and she was worried that she would no longer be able to carry on. Understanding the importance of her work, not just for the birds, but for the public who cared enough to bring them in and for the reserves and the RSPB, Nick designed a replacement, sorted out the materials and 'managed' a team of us over the course of a weekend to build a new, and improved, holding pen so that she could continue to carry on her sterling work. It was a fantastic day, not just because under Nick's direction, we had helped someone who had, behind the scenes, been helping us for years, but also, sitting in her front room half way through the day, eating a well deserved meal of egg and chips with Nick and the team was a fantastic luxury, and a wonderful memory, one I will treasure for ever.
One of the largest pieces of work undertaken at Radipole in recent times, indeed one of the largest the RSPB has ever undertaken there, was the restoration that took place just a few years ago and which saw the creation of a wonderful mosaic of pools, reed fringed ditches, fen and re-vitalised reedbeds. In fact so succesful was this work that the formal status of these nationally important reserves was changed from the worst that they could be to the best, and Nick's role in this change was instrumental. He managed the team that undertook months of preparatory work each year, be it scrub clearing, reed cutting or moving fences, work that enabled the diggers to get on and do their work unhindered and without which the task would have been so much harder. This work was in addition to that needed for the year on year management of the reserve, a large enough task in itself; yet Nick simply took it all in his stride, cheerfully getting on with it. Nick also played a huge role in the design and execution of the works. I remember he and I spending many, many hours discussing what we might do, how it might work, and many, many more hours walking round the site, trying to visualise what it might look like when it was complete and how we could manage it to keep it in tip top condition - I miss those walks and those talks so very much. Marsh Harrier has bred in the restored area every year since, and the ducks and grebes revel in the new, rich feeding and breeding areas, whilst dragonflies patrol the ditches and frogs take to the new pools with gusto, a fitting wildlife memorial to the man who was a key part of the realisation of the dream of a restored Radipole!A theme running through everything Nick did was his overwhelming passion for the natural world - it was plain to anyone who met him. It was not just part of his life, but a central tenet by which he lived and he had a wonderful way of sharing it, and I remember a wonderfully graphic example. I was sat at home, catching up with some paperwork, when the 'phone rang and a whispering voice said 'it's me'. 'What's up', says I. 'You won't believe it' says he, and so the conversation went on for a second or two until Nick said 'I'm watching an otter!'. He had been walking up to close the hide when he had noticed a football in the river, behaving in a way a football should not have been. Looking a little closer he realised there was an otter playing with it, spinning it slowly as it moved it up the river and he had called me to share the moment, talking me through it in hushed tones, describing the animal's playful antics like the natural broadcaster he was. I may have been sat a few miles away but I was transported to his side, sharing in his joy and pleasure at the scene - what a talent!Nick Quintrell was one of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever had the pleasure to work with and his contribution to the work of the RSPB in Dorset, and beyond, cannot be underestimated. It was a true privelege to have known him and an honour to have worked with him and I miss him.
Danny Bartlett, Senior Visitor Centre Assisitant recalls;
"For most of the time I knew Nick he struck me as a man who was in harmony with his surroundings, which was Radipole and Lodmoor. Apart from some great nights out most of my memories of Nick are on the reserves. He was always out there, through all sorts of weather and usually the first to notice what the wildlife was doing. I worked with Nick for about 5 years, and knew him before that as a committed member of staff who automatically got your respect. This was because he was someone who obviously knew the land he worked on intimately. If we needed to know anything at all about the reserves from the hydrology, to the wildlife, the latin names, to the history of the area, where a certain plant was growing, how to fix a problem, rescue a bird or mend a piece of kit, through to the questionable memories of fish, Nick knew the answer.
A born grafter, I will always remember him in action around the place, strimming paths, cutting reeds, driving the tractor somewhere, but always willing to switch off for a while and have a chat, and he would always make time for people no matter how busy he was, even the ones that annoyed him. Winter days reed cutting with Nick and others could always break out into spontaneous quizzes with pop/film/sport/wildlife/comedy legends being the usual topics while we raked. He got me into comedy shows like The Inbetweeners and bands like Elbow. Even in times of illness Nick still displayed a genuine concern for the welfare of us, his colleagues. My wife Jane said recently that the thing she liked about him was that he always said hello to her and remembered what they had last talked about, which may have been months ago. This was a man of more than average intelligence and compassion.
I mourn the loss of Nick also as a fellow music fan, as a fellow pub quizzer, a champion for humanity as well as wildlife and someone who made me laugh out loud. I thought I knew a lot of pop trivia and liked cool music, but he was far cooler. Lunch times at Goldcroft were often enlivened by Nick retelling some Reeves and Mortimer sketch, discussing the works of Echo and the Bunnymen or verbally roasting a politician on the telly. His Christmas quizzes were legendarily hard and he liked to get people scratching their heads. He could be a grumpy devil at times and was no saint, but he was angry about what was happening to the world and wanted to save it now. At quiz nights there was never any question who was captain, he had this air of control except when drunk when the puns and jokes would flow. I had one of my best ever nights out with Nick this year when a load of us went to a club in Poole to see one of his heroes, Miles Hunt from the Wonderstuff. He was happy, relaxed, chatty and cool as ever that night, whilst the rest of us got embarressingly drunk and fell in love with the female fiddler. There weren't enough nights like that which I regret, and he has gone just when we needed him most. So rest in peace Nick, Radipole won't be the same with out our main man".
Luke Phillips, Weymouth Wetlands Information Officer writes:
"I have many great memories as a result of working with Nick and house sharing with him for over two years. It’s very hard to find a particular moment to focus on. There were several memorable birding trips, slightly drunken nights out in Weymouth, evenings walking Mazie around Radipole and a couple of rather exciting otter encounters. However there’s one moment that amongst these sad times still puts a smile on my face. Nick and I often visited the North hide during the evening; usually to see if we could locate an otter or to see the latest developments with the marsh harriers. However one evening saw us focussing on teal, literally. I had recently discovered a video setting on my camera and the following clip quickly resulted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hivjbsQGjDA OK, it might be a bit childish but Nick and I found this hilarious and the amount of time we spent laughing at it probably amounts to several hours. Even watching it back after locating the youtube link produced a few loud laughs. You’ll be greatly missed my friend for so many reasons but at least yours and my contribution to youtube will be there forever (unless youtube thinks it’s ridiculous and deletes it!)".
Lexi Hollinshead, Public Affairs Officer at the South West Regional Office also writes:
"I always loved the way Nick signed off his emails to me, with a 'toodaloo' or a 'toodle pip', it always made me smile. I will really miss not seeing him on my trips down to Weymouth, with his signature cap and sunglasses, armed with a large tool in the reedbed, with a grin and a cheery "Hello Lexi". He really was one of nature’s heroes and such a lovely person, I’ll always remember him for that."
Lynne Burningham, Membership Development Officer recalls:
"My memories of Nick are many and varied, but one of the things that will always stay with me is our shared love of music. We would discuss the latest albums we had purchased and then lend them to each other and analyse what we thought of them. There would always be a lot of reminiscing about amazing gigs we had attended over the years, but despite Nick’s passion for music he would always re-tune the works van radio to the cricket. Then I would go out in the van cursing Nick, as I could not figure out how to re-tune it! I would like to thank you Nick for introducing me to Nick Cave and The Inbetweeners, both of which give me great pleasure and I think of you every time I listen to or watch them. I miss our ‘putting the worlds to right’ sessions at lunchtime, but most of all I miss your lovely smile, infectious giggle and big hugs!"
Jenny Goy, Dorset Administrator, remembers:
"Nick was a passionate environmental campainer. When the conflict between a group of Scottish homeowners and American tycoon Donald Trump arose as he tried to build a large golf resort on an environmentally protected site in Aberdeenshire was broadcast, I remember Nick sending me countless emails asking me to sign petitions.... "
Memories from volunteers:
The Weymouth Wetlands has a very stong team of volunteers. According to Nick Tomlinson's calculations in 2010, the volunteers' hours of input represents 3.5 additional members of staff. Over the past 10 years Nick has worked with nearly 100 volunteers and directly managed approximately 40.
Chris Emblem-English, current residential volunteer recalls:
"Nick was by his own admission of a “fishy disposition”, no doubt borne of his childhood rock-pooling adventures, an unwavering fascination that I’ve shared since pond-dipping times in my own formative years. A lasting memory I have is a time when Nick and I ventured up river last winter armed with the underwater video camera kit and the ambition of recording some of Radipole’s elusive sub-aquatic action. Our combined excitement at what our foray might yield was off the scale as we stalked along the bank scanning the water for fishy activity, occasionally distracted to examine signs that otters were similarly motivated the night before. Fortunately, the water was clear-ish and we soon spotted a surprisingly big shoal of fish in mid-stream, tightly-packed but very active, so we got cracking. We furtively pursued our subject – Nick carefully wielding the waterproof camera on the end of a pole, me giving directions and relaying the spectacular images I could see on the monitor screen. Somehow the fish weren’t spooked by our intrusion and we were sure that we’d produce the kind of footage that Autumnwatch would stop at nothing to get their hands on. What could go wrong? Technology can go wrong, or our expectations of it can be a bit off the mark. And so it was that when we stopped to check the recording after the fish had dispersed, instead of lengthy, breathtaking views of massed ranks of roach, rudd and dace parading through the beautifully illuminated depths, we had captured only four seconds of action before a blank screen showed that Mr Cock-Up had come to play. Another perspective on “The one that got away” I guess. Irritating as this was, to put it mildly, it couldn’t diminish our shared thrill of peering into that fishy realm and being rewarded with a special view of what goes on down there, and I’ll remember my friend Nick and his “piscatorial bent” any time there’s serious fish-watching to be done, or even if it’s done frivolously - either of which he'd heartily approve of."
Sarah Cookson, Volunteer WeBs and Butterfly Surveyor remembers:
"I'll remember Nick Q as a beautiful, gentle man, with a brilliant line in blogs and equally brilliant bear-hugs!"
Allan Neilson, also a Volunteer WeBs and Butterfly Surveyor remembers:
"Nick had a quirky sense of humour: I remember a lot of laughter in the office – and not just hysterical when a glitch in the world’s worst computer network lost a morning’s work! Nick had a huge pride in the work that he, Nick T, Anne and other “groundstaff” / volunteers did in hauling Radipole from the lowest to the top SSSI rating – and huge disappointment that it wasn’t better recognised. Nick also had a genuine delight in finding or hearing of new things on the reserves: otter spraints confirming their use of Radipole is particularly memorable, but other lesser examples from insects. He was definitely a “hands-on” person: much preferred being outside on the reserves or in the workshop than at a desk. Nick always led by example: the weekend hedge-trimming at Lodmoor in Jan 2011, setting CCTV cameras for otters etc, and most recently towing the tern mattresses into position. He had a real dedication to the job – reed-beds and grassland aren’t the best places for someone who suffered so badly from hay-fever throughout the entire summer season: hand-trimming paths to display particular plants to their advantage, and not just orchids but comfrey, meadowsweet etc, and some excellent and informative ad-hoc info boards to place next to them. I think he was surprised that many people visited the reserves in summer to see the flowers – he tended to be off-path so often that he didn’t meet as many as I did during the butterfly counts. During his regime I can’t imagine finding a dead calf in the river while doing the mid-September WeBS or a lost one in October – he made so many regular checks on the cattle. Nick put in a lot of out-of-hours work after he moved from Frampton to Goldcroft - virtually all his interesting and informative blog were written in the evenings and an evening or weekend walk with him on Radipole or Lodmoor always involved some bit of “gardening”. Nick was a very good people-person, patient with the volunteers and tradesmen. Nick was very well-informed about a range of subjects – quizmaster at the Xmas bash."
Frank Peach, also a Volunteer WeBs Surveyor writes:
"I’ve known Nick for a few years now; from when I first joined the Volunteers (when he was an extremely capable and hard-working ally to the then Manager, Nick Tomlinson) until his untimely death. His hard work and diligence during those few years helped to shape and transform our two Reserves into the gems they are today. He seemed to relish his involvement in re-invigorating the flora and fauna habitats and took just as much satisfaction in putting up fences or digging out trenches as he did to admiring the fruits of his handy work. He seemed to be forever in his wellies and was never happier than when he was stuck in to some practical project with his team of capable and equally hard-working colleagues.
One recent incident that I recall was his immediate reaction to the heavy rains we witnessed back in July and the danger of rising waters to our newly hatched Tern chicks. Nick was the one to wade in with two life-saving air beds to provide resting platforms for them from the rising waters. This unselfish and concerned reaction was typical of his hands-on, no nonsense approach to nature. I have to mention his dog Mazie too. She was ever present on my visits to Goldcroft but has now gone on to be cared for by Nick's sister Tammy. They became a team of ever-presents and I miss them both. Those were happy times I’m sure for him, very productive times for Radipole and Lodmoor and his legacy is there for all to see.
When we went out socially his wit and intelligence were good companions and I always enjoyed his company. I like to remember him fondly as a man of substance and integrity who earned my respect through his dedication, knowledge and hard work. As a friend and colleague he will be greatly missed. Goodbye Nick".
Naomi Bailey, Volunteer Botanical Survey (aka Angelica) remembers:
"Nick was always keen to learn about the plants on the reserve. We had many walks together, often litter picking along the way, where I told him the names of the plants and on subsequent walks, I would test his memory which rarely let him down. I also remember his amusement at some of the names of the flowers. Nipplewort in particular amused him. Nick also made sure I was kept informed of any plants that appeared in the hedgerows and always kept a count of the our various orchids in my absence and let me know where they were. On one occasion this year, Nick, Luke, Chris and I decided to have a walk around the reserve. Nick tweeted from his iphone: "Walking with a botanist, an entomologist and an ornithologist. We're hardly moving...". I also remember another afternoon at Lodmoor when we were ragwort pulling, we came across a large plant of the Golden Dock (Rumex maritima). This plant is a Dorset rarity, there are only two sites in the county where it is found - Radipole and Lodmoor. Needless to say the event later appears on one of Nick's blogs together with a picture he had taken of me and the Dock. I always brought a jumbone with me on my volunteer day for his dog Mazie. The last time I saw Nick I gave Mazie her bone as usual and delighted Nick by giving him his own chocolate bone to cheer him up as he had been unwell. In return I had a huge grin and one of his famous bear hugs. I miss Nick very much."
Brian Woods, Rethink, Weymouth and Portland Community Resource Team writes:
"I used to liaise with Nick when organising tasks for the Rethink Conservation Group at Radipole, he was well liked by the group. More recently he had moved on to work at Arne ,so we did not see him so much. Nick was always keen to offer the group work at the reserve through autumn and winter . I always experienced him as a caring person, relating well to the group as individuals. Quite often he acknowledged our work on the RSPB wetlands blog, he will be missed by all who knew him".
Penny Ovenden, Visitor centre volunteer remembers:
"Nick has figured in my life since the day I started as a volunteer with the RSPB at the Weymouth Visitor Centre in the summer of 2004. He was employed in the centre at that time. My experience of him has remained as a constant for all the years since. He was welcoming, warm, kind, good at teaching me how to do the job, encouraging, amusing, sensitive and understanding, non-judgemental, knowledgeable of all things conservation and wildlife with not a trace of arrogance, modest and utterly charming. Although I regret that I did not see him so often in recent years, there are two especially vivid memories. Firstly, sometimes walking up the Radipole Lake paths, I would see him, with Maisie at his side, coming towards me, always with a broad smile and then a warm bear hug and a genuine enquiry as to how I was. He’ll always be part of Radipole Lake for me. Secondly, those Christmas parties for volunteers and THE QUIZ! Questions usually far too challenging for me but, with the group, they were fun, interesting and brought us together. Surely one of the gifts he gave us all. It was a privilege and a great delight to have known Nick. He enriched my life and I will always treasure his friendship and my many memories of him".
Memorable Events:
In February 2011, the Biking Birder visited Radipole and Lodmoor in search of the Long Billed Dowitcher. The visit is recorded on the Biking Birder's own blog where Nick and volunteer Will are mentioned.:
http://bikingbirder2010.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/fabulous-sunday-birding-radipole-rspb.html
In compiling this blog I have spoken to many staff and volunteers. There are three common themes that were talked about the most. Nick's fondness for giving bear hugs, his fiendishly difficult quizzes and the most talked about of all was Nick's heroics in saving the tern colony over on Lodmoor.
Who can forget the famous "Great Flood of 2012" where our new refurbished Visitor Centre nearly disappeared underwater one weekend in July, shortly before the Olympics?
These photos of Nick taking a walk wading down the path around Radipole Lake speak volumes...
The full story of Nick's efforts to save the Common Tern colony at Lodmoor using inflatable mattresses is on the Daily Mail website:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2171983/One-good-tern-deserves-Bedraggled-birds-inflatable-mattresses-nest-breeding-grounds-flooded.html
Mazie memories
This blog would not be complete without mentioning Nick's faithful canine companion Mazie - another very much missed member of the Weymouth team. Equally as liberal wth her hugs as her owner, Mazie has sat on my lap many times when I was on the computer which was rather awkward at times! She was always very pleased to see me; methinks though it was more to do with the chewy bone in my bag that I brought for her on my volunteer day...
I remember one occasion when Nick, Mazie and I went over to Lodmoor to do the Friday litter pick and to do some botanising. Mazie had a great time rolling in the puddles on the paths. After our walk we were driving back to Radipole when a rather pungent odour engulfed the car permeating from the back seat, where Mazie was innocently resting, towards the front. As some of you know Mazie's 'odours' were legendary in themselves! Cue expletives from Nick while driving and furiously winding down the window and listening to the all important latest cricket score on the radio. I will miss Mazie very much. But not the odours....!
You will be pleased to know that Mazie is still very much part of the Quintrell family and now lives with Nick's sister Tammy and her family in Southampton.
Nick Quintrell
1973 - 2012
The Nick Quintrell Memorial Evening
The RSPB Dorset team would like to invite you to join us to remember our friend and colleague Nick Quintrell. The evening will be a chance to share fond memories of Nick and to celebrate his life and his contribution to the nature reserves in Weymouth.
At Nick’s funeral a memory book was opened which contains tributes from friends and family. Tammy, Nick’s sister, would like to extend the invitation to friends who could not make the funeral, to add written memories and photos to this book. These can be brought along on the evening.
The date for the event is Tuesday 30th October at the Weymouth Discovery Centre, please drop in between 5pm and 7:30pm. Please also bring along some food and drink to share.
Would you kindly contact charlotte.storey@rspb.org.uk, 01305 773519, to acknowledge your attendance.
I only met Nick a few times, and he was always cheery & friendly. This is what you want as an office based colleague from Exeter who rarely has chance to see our reserves. I wish I'd had chance to know him better as all the great stories here & what I've heard show he was a top bloke in lots of ways. I'm looking forward to hearing more on Tuesday evening. The world needs more dedicated & enthusiastic conservationists like Nick & I'm proud to have met him.