After the deluge, another work party

This being the final work party of the year, you might think ‘Office Party’. Think again. At office parties people tend to dress up smart and behave badly. Here however, I hope it’s not too insulting to say that dressing smartly receives low priority (particularly, it has been noted, in the case of your usual correspondent), and behaviour is always exemplary ahem. Yesterday, it rained and rained, and then it rained some more. Which is what it has done pretty much for weeks now. That makes our wet fen a very wet fen indeed, so it was with some trepidation that 18 volunteers arrived on an unusually dry morning for a spot of reed clearing and minced pie consumption.

The weather might have been dry, but the ground was definitely not; “small steps!” was the Health and Safety advice. Despite the rather dodgy conditions, there were no falls, and therefore no embarrassing photos to share.

This little frog even looked as if it wanted somewhere drier to live.

The doughty pre-cut team had done a pre-cut four days earlier, and lived to tell the tale, so there was already a mass of soggy and therefore heavy material to transfer to its final resting place at the edge of the area. The area in question being the smaller reedbed at the Lower Street end of the boardwalk, known so poetically as Area F.

Grillo the mower was brought out of its box to cut yet more, so that after a couple of hours of team effort a whole lot of reeds had been cut and shifted.

In the time-honoured way, some well-disguised people forked cut material onto drag sheets…

     

… while others escorted, and with considerable effort steered, the sheets as they were winched to the dump site.

There, they had the pleasure of tipping the stuff out, otherwise known as a workout.

And here we have a good view of the winch at work, in Noel’s skilful hands.

Here’s the obligatory half-time group photo. They’re happy because the mince pies are about to be distributed.  

The catering department is a wonder, but even with them mistakes are possible. Today’s omission of spoons for stirring the tea and coffee called for creative thinking:

Having eaten the said pies, we then felt constrained to work them off. Tiring stuff, eating.

Much like pressed sailors in times gone by hauling up anchors, those doing hard work of tipping out the drag sheets at the dump sites often break into song; we’ve warned you about Noel’s talents in that department before. This time I think he refrained from giving us a refrain, but John did run a considerable risk when referring to himself as the ‘Grindstone Cowboy’, having just urged us to return our noses to the grindstone after the minced pie break. Perhaps it was out of Noel’s earshot, because no rendition of Glen Campbell’s old hit was forthcoming, for which relief much thanks.

When the winch isn’t winching, and Grillo isn’t mowing it can be quite peaceful; this time all that could be heard was the gentle susurration of pitchforks moving cut vegetation.

At almost the end of the session, Area F now looks like this:

Even so, the long distance that the later sheets had to be pulled across meant that we ran out of time before everything could be disposed of, so a couple of heaps have had to be left for the next session, early in 2024.

Here’s the Team Leaders’ message of thanks:

Hello all

That should probably be 'Ho, Ho, Ho' but my voice isn't really deep enough!

Firstly, a big thank you to the 18 volunteers who turned out today.  The wind had dropped from last night and the rain held off so the weather was okay for the time of year.  We all soon warmed up as the cut reed was fairly heavy to move. However, Grillo soon had to come out to cut more reed as we were steaming through it! The break at half time was improved no end by Linda and Kevin kindly supplying mince pies. That fueled us for the second half and the end result was (as always) amazing.  So thank you for your hard work today.

As it's the last session of 2023, can I just say from NWT and all the team leaders a massive thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers for their support and hard work. You are an incredible team of people and we are very grateful for everything you do.

Have a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all a very happy and healthy new year.

Regards, Julie, Margaret, Kevin, John and Sue

Snowdrop ready

After the recent wet and windy weather, it was some small relief that this morning was dry and calm. It was also however cold and grey, and feet not encased in multiple layers of socks were liable to suffer. Nonetheless, a round dozen of us made it to the first section of the boardwalk (the bit between the car park and the Bradfield Road spur), in order to re-visit some of the overhanging willows, and to cut and clear the grassy section between that spur of the boardwalk and Bradfield Road itself.

The willow trimming had become necessary so soon after the earlier work here because as they age and lean they tend to subside, leaning against their neighbours and generally lowering the tone (I am still talking about trees, not our volunteers). Here’s an example:

It’s a soggy and tangled area, so entering it can be challenging – think Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, or the film Apocalypse Now if you prefer.

We see the gaudily-clad Noel in that picture. One of the joys (or is that hazards?) of working with him is that he’s liable to break into song at the least provocation: any careless remark is liable to include part of the title of a song in his extensive repertoire. He’s been called ‘The Southrepps Matt Monroe’, although admittedly only by your correspondent, today.

This being the season that it is, autumnal nature was much in evidence in this patch of wet woodland, with the highlight being the flushing of a woodcock. As well as the fun guys wielding saws and loppers, there were plenty of fungi to admire too.

Lacking Team Leader Julie’s dead-hedging expertise, the branches and twigs cut down were disposed of in a less impressive fashion than would otherwise have been the case: we hope she doesn’t notice! Here we see our crack team admiring their handiwork.

Meanwhile, round the corner on the Bradfield Road spur of the boardwalk, grass clearing was in full swing (the grass having been mown immediately before the main session began.)

Exactly an hour into the session, half time was declared, and with a rousing chorus of “I like a nice cup of tea in the morning, I like a nice cup of tea with my tea” we trooped off to the storage container for our due rewards, which again included especially good biscuits. Something seems to have particularly amused Margaret and Sheila!

Following that welcome break (although it did allow the cold to creep back into at least one set of toes), work was resumed with a merry whistle on our lips ahem. Tipping loaded drag sheets over is never easy, and it seems harder still after a break.

Meanwhile, Team Leader Kevin was noisily at work operating a brush cutter to good effect.

Our recently restored Grillo mower had been given a run out, but now it was time for it to have the protective cover for its cutting blade to be refitted, before putting it back in its box.

At the end of the session, the area looks like this – all ready for next Spring’s display of Snowdrops.

Here is Team Leader Kevin’s message of thanks: 

Hi all

Judge for yourself if the 12 good men and women who turned out today (on a damp and cold morning) have done a splendid job clearing the Bradfield Road spur, as well as cutting back the overhanging branches along the boardwalk. This means we should now be able to see the first signs of spring when the snowdrops start coming through.

Thank you to all who came and we look forward to seeing you in two weeks’ time which will be the last session before the Christmas break.

Kevin for team leaders

Back to School (Common)

This week’s outing for the hackers and loppers group more formally known as The Southrepps Commons Volunteers was to School Common, which is conveniently and coincidentally located opposite Antingham and Southrepps School. The targets were School Meadow (where the picnic tables are), the main path through the wood, and Jubilee Boardwalk. Twenty of us convened, loosely around 10.00 a.m., on another beautiful autumn morning. The Met. Office had threatened mist and a yellow warning of mellow fruitfulness, but the mist at least was absent. Early arrivals were greeted by hazy sunshine before the work began.

To our great joy, Grillo the mower has been repaired, and yesterday it was put to good use mowing the meadow, accompanied by two men but no dog. It was certainly ready for a trim; here’s what it looked like immediately before its operation.

We are also delighted with our replacement tool trolley – thanks George!

Our forces were divided into those clearing up the arisings from the mowing in the time-honoured fashion using drag sheets to a dumping site…

… whilst others set about cutting back overhanging branches along the main path and Jubilee Boardwalk. The latter thoroughfare was also swept clean of its carpet of leaves.

We have the use of two brush cutters, and both were used to good if noisy effect. One to create the dumping site at the edge of the meadow: here we see Team Leader Kevin setting off with a purpose….possibly still a little grumpy after fellow executive Julie pulled a fully loaded aforementioned trolley over his foot!

The other brush cutter was used beside the Jubilee Boardwalk to give the encroaching nettles and brambles something to think about for a few months.

Meanwhile, at the Lower Street end of that boardwalk ominously overhanging trees were given some significant attention by a crack squad armed with saws and other sharp implements.

It’s alarming how sometimes loppers, in your usual correspondent’s hands, will lop off a twig or even a branch that on falling to earth as per Isaac Newton’s discovery turns out to contain a crop of valuable berries – and they weren’t there before the fatal cut was made. To my mind, it’s either the fault of the loppers, or perhaps incorrectly calibrated spectacles.

Shortly before 11.00 we broke off from our labours and gathered on the meadow for our tea break – but first a two-minutes silence was observed, this being Remembrance Sunday. Happily, unlike at football grounds, it was not followed by wild cheers and self-congratulatory applause for keeping schtum for 120 seconds. It was however followed by warm beverages and particularly yummy biscuits.

Then back to work, thoroughly refreshed.

By the time we finished work, the picnic area on School Meadow was looking its best…

The paths to the picnic area and through school common were all clear…

And jubilee boardwalk clear and swept!

One of the joys of this area is the lichen that coats every individual twig and branch of the trees. Often overlooked, it really is beautiful! 

Here is Team Leader Julie’s message of thanks:

Hello all

Thank you to the twenty volunteers who arrived on School Common today on a lovely sunny morning to rake, lop, saw and brushcut the bracken and scrub.

In the first half tremendous progress was made removing the cut bracken and taking back and removing scrub on the 'picnic bench' area and along the path through school meadow and the jubilee boardwalk (where a hazardous fallen tree was removed).  We then all gathered by the picnic benches in the sunshine for two minutes silence at 11am. The peace and tranquillity was lovely as was the birdsong overhead.  

Following our usual refreshment break, we resumed our work, with the addition of sweeping the leaves off the entire length of the Jubilee Boardwalk.

Once again, an amazing amount of work was completed, and we thank you all for your hard work and enthusiasm.

Regards, Julie and the TLs

Pit stop

 Autumn is well and truly here now: straggling skeins of geese overhead flying between coastal marshes and inland fields; flocks of redwings and fieldfares in the bushes; raucous rooks in their rookery; my neighbour’s numberless leaves in my little garden.

We didn’t get all of Area A finished by the end of September deadline due to a combination of unreliable machinery and all-too-reliable wasps objecting to our presence. Unfortunately, Natural England’s deadline is sacrosanct and no extension was granted, so what remains must carry on remaining until the ‘window’ for fen cutting opens again in August 2024. We can’t allow volunteer hands to remain idle however, so 20 of us convened at Pit Common for a spot of scrub bashing and grass raking on a gorgeous autumn morning, sandwiched between last night’s downpour and this afternoon’s one.

Before the fun begins, preparation is all. Here we see the wheelbarrows lined up ready to go up to the Pit - still no trolley!

Then there’s planning the works and instructing the volunteers.

The site was identified for our dead hedge off the footpath

And the material for it quickly built up.

Your usual correspondent arrived fashionably late (but not too late for tea) to the usual chorus of disapproval, but it’s water off a duck’s back. Already under way was feverish activity: dead hedging, lopping, sawing, brush cutting, and ditch dredging were happening around the Pit and up the footpath so beloved of dog walkers such as myself. It was hard to know which activity would benefit most from my attendance, but I was soon dragooned into hauling spikey cut material from where it lay to form a different pile, to the delight of the dead-hedging crew, who were getting a bit overwhelmed (and not only by my presence). Here are the happy hedgers:

Vegetation has a habit of growing across paths, so where necessary it has to be rebuked – in this case with a saw.

Meanwhile the vicinity of the Pit itself was also a hive of activity, in bright sunshine. Note the splendid wheelbarrow, much admired by the team.

There’s been a lot of rain recently, at least some of which has made its way into the Pit; it’s nice to see it looking like a pond again.

The gullies leading into the pond were in need of clearing out, and Noel in his snazzy dungarees was the man for the job.

When grass and other vegetation gets cut, it needs dumping, so our trusty yellow drag sheet was needed. Also needed were people to drag it, and by the end of the session they were jolly tired!

An hour in (or 15 minutes for tardy correspondents), there was a well-earned half time break.

The dead hedge beside the footpath took a lot of effort from several people, but the end result is worth it. Here it’s having the finishing touches added to it.

Ta-da…. Team Leader Julie thinks she has dead hedge OCD 🤣🤣

She might be right, because she was then involved in the creation of a second one to use the branches from a willow removed from the edge of the pond.

By the end of the session, we had a lovely clear and bright footpath.

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks

Thank you to everyone who came today. 20 wonderful volunteers on a glorious Autumn morning.

Thanks to you all, walkers no longer have to duck when walking up next to the pit and they might even be able to dodge the worst of the mud. The gullies to the pit have been cleared ready for the next downpour and the rough grass cut and cleared. We also have two magnificent dead hedges to admire.

In two weeks’ time we should be working on School Common but we will keep you posted. Thank you all and enjoy the afternoon.

Margaret for the team leaders