2005 has been a busy year for The Friends of Pickerings Pasture and The Hale Duck Decoy Steering Committee. Many new members of the public have been introduced to the Hale Duck Decoy, through guided walks and through presentations, delivered by the Ranger, Rob Smith, using the projector, laptop and powerpoint, which our grant allowed us to purchase. We have also used the grant to make two other invaluable purchases, of a digital camera and audio recording equipment, which have enabled us to start collecting oral memories of the decoy and keep a photographic record of our progress.

Planning the project and being awarded the grant were exciting. This was followed by a sense of panic as we realised the talk was over and we had to action our plans. Panic quickly turned to excitement again, as we learnt how to work with the project ideas and we grew to really understand the actions we must take to develop and realise the project.

One of our first practical actions was for a group of us to travel to the North West Sound Archive, at Clitheroe Castle, for training in using recording equipment and interview techniques. We arrived on a cold, snowy day in January, to a warm greeting and a very helpful and informative meeting with the sound archive staff. Based on their advice we have purchased recording equipment and have started recording memories of visits to and activities on the decoy, in the past.

The support and work of the Ranger at Pickerings Pasture has been invaluable. He has produced a presentation on the history of duck decoys, using Powerpoint, which has been delivered ten times already this year, at the Visitors Centre and at other venues. He has also lead many guided walks around the decoy at Hale. We often support him on the guided walks, getting to meet and talk to the public about our project.

The assistance of The Nature Conservation Officer, from Halton Borough Council, has been instrumental in drawing together the project ideas and putting together our original bid to LHI. He has continued to offer us sound advice and practical help.

In this first year we have, unexpectedly, found the contingencies part of the grant to be the most useful to us. Many unforeseen requirements have arisen as the project has evolved. The Local Heritage Initiative Advisor has helped us to understand the practicalities of administering the funding and has guided us in its best use. It is good to Know that a phone call or e-mail will always put you in touch with someone who can quickly tell you if you're proceeding along the right lines.

On the very practical and mucky side of things, we have cleaned out the cottage, in preparation for painting it. We are working on getting it in a good state for displaying the artifacts, information boards and information folders it will hold, in order to better inform visitors to the decoy.

In many ways, we have just been clearing the ground and planting the seeds of our project. Next year will see it bloom, as we pull together our preparation work and see more and more of our planned outcomes come to fruition.