Mad dogs and Englishmen...

 

Now that the birds’ breeding season has all but finished, the need for singing has been overtaken by the need for rest and recuperation, including the replacement of worn-out feathers. I love birdsong: I do most of my birdwatching with my ears, so the lack of it can feel sad – as though Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring has moved on a season. However, a walk in the Quiet Lanes of Southrepps yesterday was indeed deliciously quiet: no warplanes; no helicopters; no tractors or microlights – just the occasional manic wren or an inevitable woodpigeon. (If pigeons ganged together and attempted to take over the country, would it be reported on The News as a coup? Just asking.)

Be that as it may, a not particularly Dirty Dozen volunteers convened this morning for the second instalment in the current series of Cutting the Common. It was a relief to all concerned that the fierce temperatures earlier in the week had abated to a degree, or indeed several degrees. Unlike the previous Monday, when in the searing heat of that afternoon four English persons, minus their dogs (there’s a laboured Noel Coward reference there if you can spot it) spent an exhausting hour labouring on Pit Common. A few days previously the mower had been at work, including over the wildflower patch, and after a decent interval for any seeds to drop, the ‘arisings’ had to be cleared away. Here’s a picture of the resulting scene.

The mower had also been out on Area G on The Common on another hot day (Thursday), and our task today was to clear the arisings from that session. At least they were light and dry, making the work much easier than it sometimes is. Several key personnel being absent, Team Leader Kevin promoted your correspondent to the role of winch man’s wing man – the winch man in question being the redoubtable Noel, whose delight was well disguised. Learning the dark arts of winching was an eye-opener for me, which is good, as being around the winch with closed eyes is way too risky. Down in the lonely depths of the dump sites, where the winch is operated, if you do have your eyes open the view out is like this:

It’s like being way up in the Gods at the 02 arena I imagine, with only slightly less noise.

Before we got that far, we stepped out onto the fen with a song in our hearts. (More on songs later.) The work of transferring cut material to the drag sheets proceeded apace. The beauty of working in this area at this time of the year is that the stuff is very dry and light.

Still time for a chat though.

Mowing duties were divided between Team Leaders Kevin and Michelle:

Here’s a short sequence showing Michelle’s mastery of the beast.

Meanwhile, Team Leader Julie was plucking reeds out by hand from the section…

… that is being especially protected as it houses the rather rare and important Marsh Lousewort

The regular catering department was missing in action today, so those duties were performed by Kevin and Linda. The usual stampede took place at 11.00 a.m. precisely.

Apparently, Kevin bought the excellent dark chocolate digestives himself. Does that explain his reluctance to allow your correspondent to pounce like a striking cobra? Just asking.

I teased above that there would be more about songs. Talk at the winch site inevitably took in pretty much the full range of popular music over the past many decades. Initiating this, as so often before, was winch man Noel, the context being a chance remark from one of the sheet haulers that the job of the winch crew seemed pretty blooming easy. Noel’s retort was that it might be fairly light now, but wait for the muck and mire of January. This seamlessly led to a brief rendition of the song bearing that month’s name as its title, by Pilot, which is (or was) a beat combo m’lud.

We are blessed with a plethora of Andrews in our group, one of which offered up The Damned as the finest beat combo ever to have twanged a guitar. His credibility was reduced when he then waxed lyrical about Captain Sensible, and then Captain Beaky and His Band (Not Forgetting Hissing Sid!!!). Actor Keith Michell was mentioned in this context, and Wikipedia reveals that he sang this on the Captain Beaky record:

“The bravest animals in the land are Captain Beaky and his band

That's Timid Toad, Reckless Rat, Artful Owl and Batty Bat

They march through the woodlands singing songs

That tell how they have righted wrongs.”

That led to some lively discussion, as might be imagined, about how these characters related to our own band of brothers.

But I digress. We were mainly there to cut, rake, pitchfork and haul. The resulting heaps were described by a different Andrew as “quite the neatest piles I have seen”. And he’s not even a doctor.

With delight, I noticed my first Grass of Parnassus of the season, bravely flowering in defiance of the mower.

With excellent timing, for which our Team Leaders must be commended, we packed up at noon, with all that remained to be done being putting the gear away. Kevin can just be made out here, demonstrating his prowess with parking Grillo back in its box, to the acclaim of the assembled company.

And then we dispersed. As your correspondent was heard to remark, without the slightest hint of irony, in summary, it had been a joy to be there.

Here’s how the area looked after our exertions.

And here is Team Leader Michelle’s message of thanks:

Thank you to the 12 volunteers today  - the area opposite the Chadwick bench is looking really good at the moment.  I overheard a few positive comments from passers-by this morning, so your efforts are certainly appreciated!

Thank you also to Kevin and Linda who spent a few hours on a hot Thursday morning preparing the site.

Hope you all have a restful Sunday and hopefully see you on our next meet-up on 31st August.

Kind regards

Michelle (for the Team Leaders)