The CPRE Countryside Medal is the highest honour that a CPRE Branch can award volunteers who’ve shown outstanding dedication to protecting the countryside. 

 CPRE Bedfordshire chair Gerry Sansom presented the award to Thurstan who has volunteered for CPRE Bedfordshire for 20 years, and said:

“Thurstan quickly established himself as a vigorous and dedicated campaigner with what has become his trade mark - his great attention to detail. His reports and submissions to local planning applications, Local Authority Strategic Plans and his addresses at public enquiries - reflecting his love of the Bedfordshire countryside - are well thought through and always supported by top quality analysis and evidence.

It’s impossible to list all of Thurstan’s achievements this evening but suffice it to say that he has been a hugely effective champion of the South Bedfordshire countryside.” 

CPRE Bedfordshire's AGM was held this year at Redborne School in Ampthill on 22nd April 2015, and we were pleased to welcome the sixty people who joined us.

The evening started with the disappointing news that our speaker and CPRE President Sir Andrew Motion would not be able to join us due to disruption on the train line between London and Flitwick. However, we are grateful to James Collett-White who instead gave an impromptu talk about the history of land use in Bedfordshire. This was followed by contributions from the floor about some of the issues facing the countryside in Bedfordshire.

Sir Andrew Motion sent a note of apology and regret for not being able to attend the AGM. In it he said that he had been greatly looking forward to meeting us all, and to having the chance to say how grateful he is for all the work we do on behalf of CPRE.