IF YOU haven't already been asked by a Dean by Definition researcher just what makes the Forest special, now's the time to say before this massive project draws to a close.

With 1,000 completed interviews, miles of video tape and a mass of photographs already gathered, a fully trained interview team has been out and about in the Dean and the rest of the district since early spring.

Its task has been collecting personal feelings about the area which will hopefully inform everyone of our hopes, likes and even hates and perhaps influence policy-makers.

The job has been a delicate one, pitching questions in a way that doesn't lead the interviewees into giving the answers everyone expects to hear, says project coordinator Rich Daniels.

This weekend the team targets Newent Onion Fayre, and members are well aware the component parishes of the district as a whole, stretching all the way from the Severn and Wye banks up to Upleadon and Pauntley, can be as different as chalk and cheese.

"We have tried to make our project as wide and as representative as possible," says Rich, adding that the 'Forest 41 Photographic Project' part of the programme would still like participation from Littledean, Upleadon, Corse, Drybrook, Blaisdon and Pauntley parishes – if not from the parish councils, then someone willing to act on their behalf.

The project also still wants upwards of 200 questionnaire replies to make its research complete – an on-line version is available on www. bydefinition.net and Rich is urging everyone who wants to have a say to fill it in.

The team can be contacted on 01594 544951.

"I think most people know in their hearts the answers to all of the questions," he says.

"Our team gets answers from simple 'yes' and 'no' to people who take the time to really try and tell what they feel, and with passion."

The 'top four' questions posed are:

•What do you think is special about the Forest of Dean?

•Please give details of particular sites, places, seasons, events, things or ways of life you think make the Forest of Dean special.

•Following on from what is special or precious to you about the Forest of Dean, please tell us what you dislike about the Forest of Dean.

•Still on the theme of what is special about the Forest of Dean, if you had a magic wand what one thing would you change?

When the interactive part of the project closes at the end of this month a period of evaluation follows before the final report at the end of October.