How to look like a drowned rat

 Sounds like a round on ‘Just a Minute’ doesn’t it, but today was a perfect example of one of the many ways possible of looking like a rodent that was at least in the throes of going down for the final time. We’re usually quite lucky with the weather for our working parties on the Common, but today was the second time this season when we were let down big-time by the elements. There had been some doubt about whether the session would go ahead due to the risk of overnight freezing locking up the cut material, but that didn’t happen. What did happen however was rain, beginning shortly before our start time, and getting heavy from time to time. One bit of luck was that it didn’t turn to sleet and then heavy snow until we were packing up.

We were a couple of regulars light this time, with Team Leader Margaret and her stalwart husband John having absconded to Sicily: no doubt they were given an offer they couldn’t refuse. That oft-repeated thing about there being “no such thing as bad weather; only inappropriate clothing” was never less true (although granted, some hats were interesting). Nothing daunted, 14 of us turned up, anxious to show off our weather-appropriate clothing. In the confusion of getting dressed in layers of waterproof gear your usual correspondent forgot to bring his phone - so photography today was exclusively courtesy of Team Leader Julie. (You can always spot her photos – they are invariably better than mine anyway.)

No – it’s not how it looks! Because we were once again having to lay a protective yellow sheet over the boardwalk for the drag sheets to slide over, we had to put out our ‘People at Work’ warning signs.

And before you knew it, sheets were laid out and pitchforkers were getting them loaded.

And here’s the winch team heading off to work, whistling a merry tune no doubt.

We had a tight area to work in for the dump site, so plenty of muscle power was required to be able to steer the sheets to the best position for tipping them out.

The vegetation to be handled had been lying on the ground for the last fortnight, and the abnormally wet weather had had its effect – it was mighty heavy. Once again, thank goodness for the winch! Even so, tipping the stuff off the sheets at the dumping site was hard going, with as many mighty men as could be spared turning the sheets over with a lot of grunts, groan and indeed imprecations.

We could have done with the mighty Scotland rugby team to help here, but they were no doubt nursing hangovers. The dump site is of course where the music happens, led this time by Noel invoking Dylan’s A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. We also had from Andrew the Ramones’ Hey ho, let’s go as a motivation to get the job done.

Stick with this short video to the end, for a glimpse of Noel’s impressive dance moves!

There was a certain amount of surreptitious checking of watches, but eventually it was time for a well-earned tea (and Nina’s famous apple cake) break.

Suitably refreshed, despite the now heavy rain people were off to work again!

There were even enough ‘yes’ answers from the winch team and the pitch fork crew at 11.45 to taking another sheet to finish off the clearance.

We had tried to get it all on the previous sheet - probably overloading it …. Leaving the last sheet quite light!!!

Under that stylish hat your correspondent’s expression clearly asks “Really?”

Then all that remained was to load up the tools onto the trolley and wheelbarrows for the trip back to the storage container. See the happy faces!

Here’s how the site (Area E for the connoisseur) looked after our sodden efforts.

Team Leader and photographer Julie walked up the Bradfield Road spur of the boardwalk at the end – it was cold and wet but the little white smiling snowdrops still made her smile.

Here is Team Leader Michelle’s message of thanks:

Hello all

Thank you so much to the 14 volunteers that braved the elements today to clear the cut reeds from  Area E - with the continual wind and rain, it was certainly hard going for both the rakers and the winching team but the end result was an impressively cleared site, amazing work and all done with a smile (or were they grimaces?!).

Thanks also to Linda and Kevin for the much-needed hot drinks and also to Nina who, despite being away at the moment, still provided her delicious apple cake (it was really appreciated today Nina!)..

Hopefully you all got home safely before the snow started and you have all now thawed and dried out.

Thanks again and hopefully see you in 2 weeks in better weather.

Kind regards, Michelle for the TLs

 

On the subject of snowdrops, this seems a particularly good year for them. I was pleased to spot this group recently on School Common. There are also plenty on the Warren Road side of the boardwalk.

It’s been so wet lately that even The Pit is looking fairly full – I wonder how long for?

Despite the erratic weather, there are plenty of signs that Spring is coming. A few days ago I used the excellent Merlin app to record this song thrush, accompanied by a robin and a great tit.

Jubilee Boardwalk 12 Feb 26

15 people went to mow

 Yesterday had been delightfully sunny, and I had enjoyed a symphony of skylarks as I walked Basil. Although yesterday was spring-like, bad weather can soon put that season on pause however. Today the weather was mercifully dry, although dull and windless – unlike the ground, which had been topped up with plenty of rain in the previous fortnight – and 15 volunteers were tempted out for a morning’s fun in the mud on the Common. .

I arrived a few minutes before the official start time, meaning I had missed the preliminary fun: the early arrivals were already pointing out interesting features, and the four drag sheets had been tastefully laid out.

There was already plenty of sodden material lying there from the previous session a fortnight ago, but Team Leader Kevin was also cajoling Grizzly into cutting more.

The only viable dumping site was the other side of the boardwalk (first started last time), so it is important to protect that thoroughfare from damage as the sheets are dragged across it. Protection is provided by spreading a sheet over the boardwalk, carefully lined up of course with the approaching load.

As the dragged load approaches this crossing point, the leading bar is raised so that it doesn’t catch on a board. This is known as “raising the bar” and that’s what makes us such high achievers (ahem).

As can be seen, a certain amount of strenuous steering is often needed: it’s lucky we’re such a fit young crew! We’re always glad to have the winch, as dragging these heavy sheets by hand is no longer an option. Once upon a time the adverts for British Railways urged us to “Let the train take the strain”: our motto (coined today) should be “Let the winch take the pinch”, although that actually doesn’t make a lot of sense. We did muse on how things will work when this is all too much for our ageing bones: perhaps NWT will provide us with all-terrain mobility scooters!

Tipping out can be the hardest part in locations where the winch can’t be used to help with that. Sometimes there are little trip hazards to be aware of.

If you’re a mouse, being mixed up with the material being tipped out is also hazardous. This little one was spotted peering out from the heap. We can report that it safely made its way to relative safety.

It’s not all hard graft of course, and there are plenty of distractions to help us take ad-hoc breaks. Every passing dog (there were many today) needs to be greeted and admired, and today Rita was keeping close tabs on the score from the Australian Grand Slam tennis final. There was a loud cheer when Alcaraz finally won.

After frequent time checks the half-time break finally arrived, featuring Nina’s wonderful apple cake. I described the resulting huddle of refreshment seekers as “a gathering”, but was told that that made them sound dodgy, like “a coven” perhaps.  I think no comment is the safest response...

Noel had been on the sick list last time, but was back with us today. Therefore we had musical accompaniment. At the dumping site it can be hard work, so John Lennon bemoaning the fact the “it ain’t easy” was a good start. Your correspondent was praised for balletically dodging the winch rope, prompting a chorus of “Yes Sir, I can boogie”. This was before I gracefully subsided face-first on a heap, my poise having temporarily deserted me. The penultimate sheet having been dragged, the cry went up that there was only one more to go: cue Bob Dylan’s “One more cup of coffee for the road”, although actually no more cups of coffee were available by that time.

With nothing left to pitchfork onto sheets, the bulk of the assembled company then helped manoeuvre that final sheet. With nine of us on it, tipping out has never been so easy! (I know, there aren't nine people in this photo, but there were eventually!)

Here’s how the site looked after today’s efforts.

Back at the storage container, this fabulous Scarlet Elf Cup fungus was spotted. This image is also the latest addition to our Gallery.

Here is Team Leader Julie’s message of thanks:

Hello all

Huge thanks to the 15 volunteers who turned out today to move more reed from Area E (next to the central area of the common). The material was difficult and heavy to move but everyone stuck at it and the cleared area looks great. Special thanks to those turning the sheets, as the material was heavy.

We managed to do the work in the dry mild weather, finishing just as the rain came.

We will return in two weeks - thankfully the next cut looks a lot lighter!

Have a good few weeks.

Regards, Julie and the TLs

 

Jubilee Boardwalk has been showing some signs of deterioration recently, which is hardly surprising given that part of it sits on very wet ground, and gets a lot of footfall, so it’s good to see that a section has recently been replaced. 

David North worked for Norfolk Wildlife Trust for many years, retiring in 2019 from the post of Head of People and Wildlife. Since then he has been an active volunteer at what I like to think of as our sister reserve – NWT Cley and Salthouse Marshes. (I make that claim because we share warden George.) In addition to leading walks at Cley he often writes articles in the Trust’s Tern magazine, as well as having written four books about North Norfolk’s wildlife. Now he has written Life Changing : Cley and Salthouse Marshes, with profits from the sales of it supporting wildlife conservation at the reserve. It’s a substantial book, profusely illustrated by mostly local artists, and walks us round the reserve month by month. Unusually, the first month is September, because that is when the huge numbers of geese arrive and the autumn migration is at its peak. February is a month of transitions: plants begin to wake up and birdsong increases, while David’s beloved Pink-footed Geese start to make their excuses and drift away to the breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland (let’s hope they will be safe there). As NWT’s President Patrick Barkham says in the book’s Foreword, “If you’ve never visited Cley at all, this book will enable you to inhabit it and understand it as David does… If you already enjoy a relationship with Cley, this book will deepen it and confirm your affection for its skies, marshes and many moods.” For me, one of its most immediate benefits is the explanation of the reserve’s geography, with short descriptions of all the key locations there, alongside a clear map. I was given it for Christmas, and I treasure it.