The autumn meeting is getting organised, and I thought of sharing some information to help everybody prepare their trip. I am also putting together the programme for the paper reading session – the session does not have a specific theme and if you would like to present something, whether finished work, plans or bouncing some ideas, please let me know (ambroise.baker@gmail.com) so that I can include you in the programme. The only criteria is a full focus on our bryophyte friends!

Locations:

On Friday and on Saturday, all indoor meetings will be held on Teesside University’s Middlesbrough Campus, located in Middleborough town centre, 10-15 min walk from the coach and the train station. There are regular train connections to Darlington, York, Manchester, New Castle and even! a few direct to London.

On Sunday, the field site, South Gare, is 20 mins drive from Middlesbrough town centre and 10 mins drive from Redcar town central. The site basically forms the NE tip of NE Yorks VC 62. We can organise lifts to and back from South Gare.

Accommodation:

There is accommodation in the Tees Valley as well as further afield in more tourist areas such as the North York Moors. Although the Tees Valley is very industrial and has experienced economic depression for several decades, there are many lovely areas to stay, for example, the Lindthorp area of Middlesbrough, the small towns of Guisborough, Saltburn, Markse, etc. Middlesbrough town centre has plenty of generic budget hotels. See links below for accommodation ideas.

Bring the family along for a great weekend:

Enjoy Tees Valley – https://www.enjoyteesvalley.com/

This is Middlesbrough – http://www.thisismiddlesbrough.com/accommodation/

https://www.roughguides.com/articles/things-to-do-in-teesside/

Nature around Teesside:

North Yorkshire Coast

North York Moors National Park

Howardian Hills AONB

Nidderdale AONB

Yorkshire Dales National Park

North Pennine AONB

Northumberland National Park

Northumberland Coast AONB

And finally, a word about our host, Teesside University:

“Teesside University generates and applies knowledge that contributes to the economic, social and cultural success of students, partners and the communities we serve. Through education enriched by research, innovation, and engagement with business and the professions, we transform lives and economies” https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/about/ If you have not heard much about Teesside University before, this is probably because we are a post-1992 university with no history of teaching or researching botany, ecology or natural history.

Ambroise

Published: 14 June 2022