Return of the Bog Snorkellers

There were no distinguished guests at our working party today, but we still had 18 celebrities: the regular volunteers who turned out in very un-promising grey and drizzly weather. It had rained heavily overnight, after what passes for a dry spell in this wet winter, so the ground was back to being a quagmire.

The cut reeds that had been left awaiting our attention a fortnight ago had become as sodden as the ground, and therefore heavy and unwieldy to pitchfork onto the sheets.

Nonetheless, we all seemed to have fun, due I think to that sense of camaraderie that comes from almost drowning together in liquid mud. No falls were reported this time, although your correspondent was close to tipping over face first into the goo as he bent over a sheet. It would have been hilarious to some, but fortunately my almost Olympic-standard sense of balance thwarted their twisted amusement. At the time, I was at the dump site, in the company of the crack winching team. Here we see the long piece of string connecting sheet to winch. So far away were those sheets that we had to make rare use of an extension rope too – very exciting, to winchers at least!

After we had endured some rain, we cheered ourselves up in the usual way - we had some tea (or coffee, for the more on trend people, tea apparently being out of fashion). Here we see John pensively leaning on his pitchfork, casting a wistful glance at the gathering group.

It struck the said John that the piles of material dumped over the last couple of working parties give a graphic representation of the amount of effort required:

By the end of the session, a wide-open vista, cleared of rotting vegetation, had emerged. Spring is not far off, and in no time at all the reeds will have re-grown. This particular area won’t be cut again for another four years.

It’s funny what you learn when you are up to your necks in muck: Noel confessed that his washing machine is called Bert, and Bert gets a lot of hard work to get through:

The splendid number of volunteers we are blessed with lately allows us to carry out more than one task in a session, and this time a group returned to the Bog Snorkelling paradise known so affectionately as Area X, in order to knock back more of the scrub there. Here are some intrepid volunteers trudging off to that benighted spot.

Julie now takes up the story:

Here is what we faced:

 We set to sawing and lopping the branches - and worse still, the brambles.

Everything was stacked and woven together to form a ‘hedge’ for wildlife to utilise. (John has Scottish heritage, and is clearly considering a spot of caber tossing!)

Kevin said to take a picture of John slashing but I think it looks more like he’s playing hockey!!!

Then it was time to pack up and head off back, leaving lots more to do next time…

Here is Margaret’s message of thanks:

Once again, an enormous thank you to all who turned out today. It started off all mizzley and ended up dry and grey.

The reed that had been left was very wet and heavy and not easy to work with but the clearance is fantastic. The winch team has certainly perfected their art. Make the most of the sight as you will not see it again for four years. Thanks to Ken for replacing the broken board and also to the X rated team who were slashing away in area X.

Kevin has the bit between his teeth as is keen to hold another working party in area X in two weeks’ time. There is absolutely no expectation for people to turn up as I think we have said that this, if not the one before, was the last working party of the season... oops!

The main reason for continuing is that it will clear a good area for dumping next winter’s reeds and it is a job easier done now than later.

Thank you.

I can now go and watch the rugby with a clear conscience. (Shame that didn’t go as well as the working party -Ed)

Margaret