ST NICHOLAS Fields has a certain ring to it and as one of York’s best places to spot water voles and kingfishers it is a delightful place to spend an hour or so. That wasn’t always the case, though.

Once a brick works dotted with hollows and hillocks, St Nicks fell even further from grace when the city council turned it into a rubbish tip.

Now, thanks to a team of volunteers, St Nicholas Fields has been transformed into a nature reserve and is about to mark its tenth anniversary. Staff call it the green heart of York; we call it an amazing achievement.

Well done to all who have been involved in the project.