At Carrstown Point

I was out with some National Trust volunteers today; and a fine day it turned out too. Some of us met at Mount Stewart estate and we shared a lift to our destination for today's task, an area known as Port Head.

Port Head is near the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula. It lies between Carrstown Point and Dogtail Point; Bar Hall Bay is merely round the corner.

The National Trust owns and protects the shore-line here as well as some land. Our job today was to clear part of a field of gorse. We managed this by cutting the gorse with saws and loppers; then throwing it on to a bonfire. It is a lovely spot - most scenic. Seals, curlews and oystercatchers could be heard close by.

Craig completed our task by smearing some sort of toxic substance over the stumps of the gorse in order to kill it off.

When I got home, the royal Mail had delivered a letter enclosed in a sealed, plastic wrapper, offering sincere apologies for damage. The main contents, an item I'd bought on Ebay, were missing. Now I am obliged to print the Paypal invoice, the Ebay item description; fill in a claim form; and send it to them or take it to the post-office. All for £4.95. Is it all worth it, I ask you? It's probably all more trouble than it is worth. It's the principle, though.