Winter waders and bog snorkellers

Natural England has been asking for some time for work to be done on reducing the extent of the scrub developing at the eastern edge of the section of common off Warren Road known so poetically as Area B. It is very thick and very wet (I’ve known some people like that), and rarely visited (ditto). We normally only venture in there in pursuit of Himalayan Balsam, but today was the day decreed for some serious scrub bashing. Previously, we have had no time to deal with it, as the precious autumn and winter months during which such disruptive work is permissible have been taken up with reedbed and open grass area management. This year of course is different; Natural England wanted the grassy areas cut much earlier than previously, so the opportunity now arose to have a crack at the scrub.

This is very different work to our usual fare, but nonetheless 18 hardy folk turned up, armed with loppers and bow saws.

These turned out to be really challenging conditions: the ground was saturated, and with our disturbance it soon turned into cloying mud, in which were buried numerous trip hazards in the form of tree roots.

Such was the similarity to mangrove swamps (apart from the temperature) that I began to imagine alligators rising up and snatching an unwary worker for lunch. Perhaps I’ve been watching too much Attenborough. There was however an alarming looking garment hanging from a tree, and I began to imagine battling banjo music, but we think we went back with as many volunteers as we started with. 

There actually weren’t any alligators or crocodilians of any sort to be seen, but a couple of frogs and this rather disgruntled toad decided the time had come to move to a quieter neighbourhood.

Nothing daunted, the erstwhile working party became the inaugural meeting of the Southrepps Bog Snorkellers, as volunteer after volunteer either crashed headlong or subsided gently into recumbent positions. Julia led the way, but was up again before your correspondent could do the un-gallant thing and photograph her. As time went on, no sooner had one person picked themselves up, dripping and pungent, than there would be another splash accompanied by an unsympathetic cheer from the unfortunate volunteer’s unfeeling comrades, loud enough to make you think you were at Carrow Road on a rare good day. Dave was particularly active in this regard:

Our own beloved Team Leader John doesn’t fall often, certainly not as frequently as your correspondent, but when he does, it’s a good one. This time he took some rescuing, and I think it’s to our credit we went to so much trouble to extricate him, but then again, Natural England did say they wanted the place cleared.

Not before time, tea break was called, this time with the welcome addition of Sheila’s greatly appreciated buns.

Being of a playful disposition, and desperate not to go back to bog snorkelling too soon, in the tradition of previous working parties another new game was invented: tea cup Jenga.

Our spirits rose even further at the sight of a wine bottle, but on tipping it up it turned out to contain milk. Imagine our distress!

A bright green Shield Bug joined us for tea, sitting on the hot water flask to have its picture taken.

By the end of the highly successful session, the site certainly looked clearer.

All that cut stuff has to go somewhere, so piles were created further back from the area being cleared. This one became known somewhat complicatedly as the Bear Grills heap/den/insect hotel.

At the end of a fruitful couple of hours our weary band trudged back across the boardwalk, to hose themselves down and get treatment for trench foot.

Here are a few more photos to give a fuller impression of the day:

Here is Margaret’s message of thanks:

Thank you is really not enough - I am in awe of you all. Not only did you exceed my expectations today you did it with your usual good spirits and bonhomie. This despite many people ending up sitting in very wet and smelly mud. Cornel your fall was particularly graceful and we trust you have suffered no ill effects. You are all the absolute best volunteers ever.

I hope that those of you who have now received your T-shirts don't find them too small as a result of the rippling muscles you will all have developed today.

We were going to call it a year today, but so many of you have the bit between your teeth or just like having a saw in your hand that we will return to the task in two weeks the 8th of December. Definitely the last one of 2019.This is just an added extra for those who just can't keep away.

Many, many thanks.

Margaret