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By George! A new walkway is opened
A 99-year-old nature lover was given the honour of opening a new walkway at a reserve he has been visiting for more than 30 years.
Grendon's oldest resident George Crawford joined 50 walkers at Quarry Walk, in Pastures Farm, Grendon, yesterday for the opening of a 80-metre wooden board walk.
George, of Main Street, has been visiting the nature reserve – which has one of the largest reed beds in Northamptonshire – since he retired to the village with wife Dorothy 33 years ago, when the reserve was still a sand and gravel pit.
One of five children, George grew up in Wandsworth, south London, but chose to move to Grendon as his wife grew up in Broughton.
He said: "When I was young and hearty – about 60 or 70 years old – I would walk up there about once or twice a week. So I knew that area very well at one stage.
"It has changed quite a lot, it's more overgrown with reeds and rushes now."
George, who worked for what was the Ministry of Education and Sound, has three children, 13 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and an older sister Margaret who is 105.
When asked if his love for the great outdoors was the secret to a long life, George said: "I don't think it did me any harm, it probably helped a bit.
"I think the love of the outdoors was born in me. Photos of me as a small boy show me with my bottom in the air while I'm looking at some plant or animal on the ground.
"But the true secret is all my mother's family lived to a great age."
George, who will be 100 next June, was a member of the Nature Conservation Group for Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and was pleased to open the new walkway.
He said: "It was a very good day, I enjoyed myself very much and came home very tired.
"I think it's very important for people to recognise the countryside."
Natural England's Environmental Stewardship scheme funded the construction of the 900-metre circular walk, which included clearing hundreds of self-set willow trees which were gradually drying up the reed bed.
John Skinner, farmer at Pastures Farm, Grendon, said: "It has been a enjoyable and rewarding experience working with Natural England to create such a wonderful habitat for creatures great and small."
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Weather for Kettering
Saturday 04 February 2012
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Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
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