Visit to awareness day at Ark on the Edge

The G'n'T Show find out about the work of a local animal sanctuary

The G’n'T Show – June 11th

Gary and Terry the intrepid and witty presenters of the popular Saturday lunch time G’n’T show, trekked into unknown and distant territories to bring you a live broadcast from the ARK ON THE EDGE animal sanctuary.

The ARK is situated high on the beautiful and isolated Durham Dales; with a drop back of rolling and stark heather clad moor land, the hills silence being punctuated only by the odd bleat of a lamb calling to its mother, and the distinctive cry of the curlews as they wheel and dance in the sky.

Our mission was to help PAT KINGSNORTH owner and manger of the ARK with her awareness day by having a live outside broadcast direct from centre and of course to entertain our listeners. PAT with help from CHRIS and her team of volunteers had worked tirelessly preparing for the day by erecting things like the trampoline, bouncy castle and the various gazebos. We arrived amidst a flurry of activity and soon joined in fun and started to set up our equipment, the internet signal was weak but Gary applied his vast knowledge of all things technical and internety and saved the day.

The awareness day was all about having fun for the guests and raising cash for the ARK to help offset the rising vet’s bills and the animal food costs, and in terms of fun and visitors it was a big success. BishopFM provided the music and the interviews, and the visitors helped themselves to the trampoline, bouncing around on the castle, eating hamburgers and hotdogs, stroking the kittens, photographing the wild fox, admiring the owls, chasing ballons etc.

 

The main attraction had to be JAY who had worked at Edinburgh zoo and now has his own reptile and animal collection, and who amazed everyone with a whole range of exotic and wild creatures.
A giant and dangerous TOAD sat alongside a massive PYTHON, BLACK SCORPIONS crawled over children’s hands, the DRAGON LIZARD commanded attention, the MONGOOSE was interesting, but what really stole the show was the cutest little MEERCAT without cravat and jacket of course. The children in particular queued to hold and stroke the friendliest of animals, and ooh and aah’d at its inquisitive antics, at the other end of the size scale, were the three giant ABERDEEN ANGUS cattle jostling for the pieces of cabbage eagerly fed to them bu adults and children alike

 

All in all a good day for the G’n;T show, plenty of interest and loads of fresh air, we’ll be back there again soon for more of the same.

 

Terry Ferdinand