Honorary Friends of the Peak District
The Friends of the Peak District (FPD) (which is run by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Peak District & South Yorkshire) is the recognised voluntary society for the Peak District National Park and also looks after the Derbyshire High Peak and the six parishes of North East Derbyshire (Eckington, Unstone, Holmesfield, Killamarsh, Dronfield, Barlow).
FPD was officially launched on Saturday 27th April 2002 at a special rally to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout.We are and welcome all to support our work. The very first Honorary Friends, Sir Chris Bonington and Mike Harding were recruited on that day and others have joined our growing team of Honorary Friends of the Peak District including Michael Palin, Tony Robinson; Tim Brooke-Taylor & Brian Blessed.
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Above left and middle: The celebrated mountaineer and and explorer, Sir Chris Bonington and well-known writer, broadcaster, comedian and musician, Mike Harding were both "delighted and honoured" to become Honorary Friends of the Peak District when they attended the Mass Trespass Anniversary celebrations. Sir Chris supports many initiatives to protect the world's precious landscapes and environment and Mike, a committed campaigner, has been associated with the rambling and Open Access movements for many years.
Above right: Britain's most famous international traveller, Michael Palin, lent his support to a landscape a little closer to home when he became a Friend of the Peak District in 2002. Hailing from Sheffield, Michael holds a strong affection for the National Park. "I am interested in supporting those who want to see responsible development of the Peak District and it seems to me that Friends of the Peak District are committed to the life of the National Park as well as preserving its landscapes", he commented. "The real challenge must be to keep the balance right and try to preserve the beauty of the Peak District and the idea that it is lived in and that people who live here make their living from it."
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Above left: Friends of the Peak District were delighted to welcome the support of presenter, actor, author and campaigner Tony Robinson as an Honorary Friend. Famous for his role as Edmund Blackadder's stinking side-kick Baldrick and for bringing the hidden secrets of archaeology to a wider audience as the presenter of Channel 4's 'Time Team', Tony Robinson has a passion for the past and for understanding the history of our landscapes.
Above middle: Buxton born Friend of the Peak - former 'Goodie', actor and comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor lent his support to our work to protect and enhance the unique landscapes of the Peak District National Park. In June (2003) Tim returned to his native Buxton to record two editions of the hugely popular BBC Radio 4 panel game 'I'm sorry I haven't a Clue' and spoke about his love for the area. We were very pleased to welcome him on board.
Above right: Born just forty miles from the heart of the Peak District, Brian Blessed (President of the Council for National Parks (CNP) 2001 to 2007) holds the National Park landscapes very dear. In July 2004 he was welcomed by Friends' Director, Dot McGahan, as an Honorary Friend of the Peak District. "It's all so beautiful", he eulogised when asked if he had a particularly favourite place in the National Park. "Kinder Scout I think is my absolute favourite. It was a revelation to me coming out here as a child. For me the beautific landscapes of the Peak District are the centre of the Earth."
Picture top left: Rocking Stone, Kinder Scout - Gordon Robson (Photo Competition Winning Entry 2003)