10 min read

Langdon Nature Discovery Park

Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve and visitor centre at Langdon Hills, near Basildon, Essex, England; the newsletter’s “The Cafe” is its café.

At a glance

SourceAuthorRoleIn one line
#063 Stop and watch and listenDiagram ClubsettingA ranger-led bird walk: stopping to watch and listen.
#065 In case 2009 ever comes around againDiagram ClubsettingTesting a drive-through for people on bicycles.
#066 Selling my bicyclesDiagram ClubbackdropVolunteering at ‘The Cafe’, mostly sitting down with a coffee.
071 Things That Help MeDiagram ClubsettingThe Hub: a room to hire at The Cafe.
072 Introducing Creativity DiagramsDiagram ClubsettingA storytelling walk around the reserve.
#076 I should probably write that downDiagram ClubsettingThe café manager’s career break.
081 the Cafe From a Great HeightDiagram ClubsettingThe Cafe seen from a plane.
#052 Particular responsibility for uneven groundDiagram ClubsettingVolunteer café news; The Cafe named as Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon.
#053 I have significant newsDiagram ClubsettingMilk jugs, A-boards and stacked chairs at The Cafe.
#054 These are my meal-deal choicesDiagram ClubbackdropAn Artisan Market at The Cafe.
#045 The massive hurdleDiagram ClubsettingThe author works from the wildlife cafe at Essex Wildlife Trust’s Langdon Nature Discovery Park; a bird gets into the cafe and staff member Fred shoos it out.
#049 Ethan, do you want a sandwich?Diagram ClubsettingThe cartoonist works from The Cafe at the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Langdon site, where he now has his own desk at set times.
#040 Cascading through the floorboardsDiagram ClubsubjectThe author drew a walking and cycling map showing how to reach the Cafe / Nature Discovery Centre at the Langdon reserve.
#039 Bikes and laddersDiagram ClubsettingThe author, a regular at Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Nature Discovery Centre (his ‘Cafe’), opens with news of the death of Jean, a volunteer and founder of the art group that meets there.
#033 The terrible stain went unnoticedDiagram ClubsettingThe author explains that the cafe at this Essex Wildlife Trust reserve is where he often works and draws, calls himself its most regular customer, and announces he is becoming a volunteer there.
#023 Top cartoons of the yearDave WalkersettingThe author works from this cafe for a couple of hours on many days, drinking coffee.

#063 Stop and watch and listen — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

We (a group of about 8) did see some interesting birds that I hadn’t seen at Langdon before, such as a little grebe.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author joins a ranger-led birdwatching walk on the reserve. It is quiet for birds, but they see a little grebe, new to him at Langdon, and he values stopping in places he usually hurries past on the way to the café.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base, so it reappears in almost every issue.

#065 In case 2009 ever comes around again — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

A bit of fun from The Cafe this week, as we tested the new drive-through service for people on bicycles.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The week’s news from The Cafe is a trial of a drive-through service for people on bicycles, with a video for paid subscribers.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base, so it reappears in almost every issue.

#066 Selling my bicycles — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

Thank you to Charlotte, the ace manager of The Cafe, aka Langdon Nature Discovery Centre.

  • Role: backdrop
  • In the article: The author volunteers at the café he calls The Cafe and here names it as Langdon Nature Discovery Centre, thanking its manager Charlotte. He shares lines from his volunteer appraisal and says most of the work can be done sitting down with a coffee.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base, so it reappears in almost every issue.

#071 Things that help me — Diagram Club (2026)

Source: 071 Things That Help Me · Original · Readwise highlight

The Cafe is, in real life, Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Nature Discovery Park, and I genuinely think the Hub is a great place to hire

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The newsletter shows the author in The Hub, a room for talks and meetings with a small garden beside it, and explains that The Cafe is, in real life, Essex Wildlife Trust’s Langdon Nature Discovery Park; he recommends hiring the Hub.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#072 Introducing Creativity Diagrams — Diagram Club (2026)

Source: 072 Introducing Creativity Diagrams · Original · Readwise highlight

With James outside Langdon Nature Discovery Centre.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The Cafe News covers a storytelling walk round the reserve led by James of Man about Country, with stops at the Plotlands House and at trees near the Centre; the author went as volunteer photographer.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#076 I should probably write that down — Diagram Club (2026)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

As hinted at last week there is big news for us Cafegoers, in that Charlotte, manager of The Cafe / Langdon Nature Discovery Centre, is taking a career break and leaving for six months.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: Big news for ‘Cafegoers’: Charlotte, manager of The Cafe / Langdon Nature Discovery Centre, is leaving for a six-month career break. He credits her with making it a place people enjoy, and adds a diagram of his daily journey there.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#081 The Cafe from a great height — Diagram Club (2026)

Source: 081 the Cafe From a Great Height · Original · Readwise highlight

The main aspect of The Cafe you can actually see in the photo is the car park, but we know the building is there somewhere.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: A photo taken from a plane from Gatwick to Copenhagen shows the car park and the nature reserve; the building, he jokes, is in there somewhere.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#052 Particular responsibility for uneven ground — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

The Cafe, with its brilliant staff and volunteers, is, in real life, Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author, a volunteer steward, writes the week’s café news (the final cup of redbush tea) and explains that The Cafe is, in real life, Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#053 I have significant news — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

The Cafe is, in actual life, Langdon Nature Discovery Park.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author describes helping at The Cafe (carrying milk jugs, bringing in the A-board, stacking chairs) and his mistakes there, then notes that The Cafe is really Langdon Nature Discovery Park.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#054 These are my meal-deal choices — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

We have an Artisan Market, this Sunday 7th September, 11-5, at The Cafe, aka Langdon Nature Discovery Park, SS16 6EJ.

  • Role: backdrop
  • In the article: The author moves surplus wooden furniture to The Cafe and invites readers to an Artisan Market there on Sunday 7 September.
  • Why it matters: The café at the reserve is the newsletter’s recurring home base.

#045 The massive hurdle — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

One of the many plus points about doing my work in a wildlife cafe is that sometimes there is wildlife.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author works from the wildlife cafe at Essex Wildlife Trust’s Langdon Nature Discovery Park; a bird gets into the cafe and staff member Fred shoos it out.
  • Why it matters: A regular working place; the name appears only in a link text.

#049 Ethan, do you want a sandwich? — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

Though for the nomadic cycling cartoonist there is now a slightly greater chance of being disturbed by someone yelling ‘Ethan, do you want a sandwich?’ from the vicinity of the fridges.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The cartoonist works from The Cafe at the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Langdon site, where he now has his own desk at set times. School-holiday crowds make interruptions likelier, such as someone calling out about a sandwich.
  • Why it matters: It is his current working base and the source of the issue’s title.

#040 Cascading through the floorboards — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

It shows how you can walk or cycle to the Cafe / Nature Discovery Centre

  • Role: subject
  • In the article: The author drew a walking and cycling map showing how to reach the Cafe / Nature Discovery Centre at the Langdon reserve. He says people often do not realise they could get there quickly on foot or bike.
  • Why it matters: The map and the cafe are the main thread of the issue; the cafe is also where the cafe news items happen.

#039 Bikes and ladders — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

At the end of last week we heard that Jean, one of the loveliest members of our community, had died.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author, a regular at Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Nature Discovery Centre (his ‘Cafe’), opens with news of the death of Jean, a volunteer and founder of the art group that meets there. Her family visited the centre that morning because of how important the place was to her.
  • Why it matters: The centre is the community the opening tribute is about; the piece would lose its subject if set elsewhere.

#033 The terrible stain went unnoticed — Diagram Club (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

is a number of minutes’ cycle ride from my house, and is where I go often to do work. A lot of the drawings you see are drawn there.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author explains that the cafe at this Essex Wildlife Trust reserve is where he often works and draws, calls himself its most regular customer, and announces he is becoming a volunteer there.
  • Why it matters: The newsletter’s one place of personal significance, and the subject of the Cafe News item.

#023 Top cartoons of the year — Dave Walker (2024)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

It’s where I go for a couple of hours to drink coffee (americano, or redbush tea in the afternoons) and work, on many of the days when I’d otherwise be at home on my own all day.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The author works from this cafe for a couple of hours on many days, drinking coffee. He calls it a welcoming place and a real community, and mentions joining its Lovely Art Group and visiting the staff office.
  • Why it matters: One of ten good things of the year, so it is a real place the author dwells on, though minor to the newsletter. Location (Essex) is from outside knowledge; the text gives only the name.

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