Tucked away at the end of Sawyers Hall Lane in Brentwood is the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, which gives final and forever homes to all kinds of creatures of have been abandoned, cast aside, or handed over with great sadness by their owners. This serene collection of sheds and stables, cages and fields is a wonderful place to take the children, or just to go and reflect on nature in the sunshine. I visited Hopefield during the summer to meet some of the staff and volunteers. Amongst them were a group of youngsters on National Citizen Service who had discovered that a handsome cockatoo, called Tiki, liked nothing more than a bit of a boogie with visitors. And, of course, I had to join in...
So, as the cool winds of impending autumn blow across Brentwood and Ongar, and we start another busy week, please enjoy Tiki the Dancing Bird!