Let’s twist again

While the Great Talks to Save the Planet embarked on their second week, fuelled no doubt by Glasgow’s famous breakfast delicacy of deep-fried Mars bars (other confectionary may be available, but perhaps not so toothsome), 18 volunteers converged on School Common to have another crack at managing land for the benefit of nature. The focus of activity having moved from the fen, today’s work was all about clearing up School Meadow after it had been cut a few days previously, and cutting back some overhanging branches on the main path. Our forces were therefore divided.

With two others, your correspondent wandered off with bow saws and loppers to deal with the overhanging branches from some gently subsiding trees which were beginning to cause hazards for users of the main footpath through School Common.

A survey of Jubilee Boardwalk then revealed very little more needing surgical attention, but we were at least able to sweep the leaves off it. The first to have the privilege of walking along the newly cleared boardwalk were our old friends the Alpacas. One in particular gave your correspondent a very steady look.

The path leading to School Meadow is quite narrow, and tends to get overgrown quite easily.

Step forward the brush cutters to clear the way:

These chaps are cut from a special cloth. We’re not sure who Noel is addressing here…

… but here he is on the cat walk displaying his recently cut flowing locks under his helmet.

It’s possibly not well known, but the boardwalk itself is in need of increasing attention, as boards which have been there for many years begin to fail. Two more were replaced today, to add to the 16 already done this year; another of those unseen tasks that we volunteers do on NWT’s behalf.

The majority of today’s volunteers were employed on School Meadow itself, clearing away the grass, nettles and bracken which had been cut a few days earlier. Here they are at work removing grass by the picnic tables - the team removing the bracken further down are lost in the haze.

Break time came, and so engrossed were the main path trio that they had to be summoned by a phone call; thank goodness there was just enough signal, as the break is sacrosanct.

Students of body language might like to interpret the folded arms of the two team leaders... 

During the break, in a completely non-competitive way of course, it was established that, probably for the first time ever, volunteers living in Upper Southrepps outnumbered the Lower Street residents by 9 to 6 – with three others from outside the village. The volunteers refreshed, the work continued. The distances involved did not require the use of the winch and its twisty rope, so there was a return to much earlier ways of working, with the slightly lighter old yellow drag sheets hauled by hand. The cleared dump site should keep us going for years!

When all was finished, here’s how the meadow now looks.

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks:

Hello all,

Weren't we lucky with the weather today? Thank you so much for your help. We can now walk safely through school common without ducking under low branches or losing an eye to low hanging brambles.

School meadow looks great. We may consider cutting it again in the spring when the grass is drier and just as the bracken starts to grow to try and control it.  We will be sending an e-mail to the school to remind them of the excellent facilities on their doorstep.

Thank you once again.

Margaret and the team leaders.

At this point an apology seems in order. The title of this posting is ‘Let’s twist again’, which might imply to the casual reader that there is something about twisting to be included here. In fact, the reverse is true: it’s about un-twisting, but that doesn’t have the right ring to it. In light of this I have considered my position; it’s in my favourite armchair, and I’m quite happy about that. Anyway, the last posting described the problems being caused to the winching operation because the newly bought rope insists on contorting itself each time it is used to haul a sheet-full of cut vegetation. Three of the most rope-aware (is that really a thing?) volunteers took it upon themselves to convene after that troublesome time with the intention of sorting it all out, once and for all. Nine more volunteer hours were clocked up doing so, along with testing the winch and doing various other things far too technical for exposition here. The extent of their success can only be gauged when the winch is next used – so look forward to further exciting updates here!