A soggy start

 “Mud, mud, glorious mud” sang Flanders and Swann, but unlike their Hippopotami, the Southrepps Commons Volunteers feel that there is a limit to how much mud is enjoyable, and currently that limit has been exceeded. The Common acts as a massive sponge, for which we Southrepps folk must be very grateful, but there’s still plenty of water available in the surrounding district. The fields are waterlogged, the footpaths are quagmires, and the lanes are filthy, due in part to the churning up of the road edges by vehicles too wide for our Quiet Lanes. When you have a dog as absorbent as ours, it can become a little trying.

A couple of days ago, Jubilee Boardwalk was as flooded as I can remember it; towards the Lower Street end the water was almost level with the top of the boards.

And at the bridge over Fox’s Beck the usually clear stream was full of the mud that should be in the fields, and flowing fast.

So it was that this morning 22 volunteers arrived to do their bit for their local nature reserve. We’re always encouraged to dress for the conditions, but why nobody thought to bring a snorkel was disappointing. Your usual correspondent unwisely chose not to bring warm headgear either, but finding the nip in the air too much for his rather reduced locks to be able to provide adequate insulation, on came a particularly stylish hat intended for rainier conditions. This excited some comment: it seemed that all 21 of my fellow volunteers found it unaccountably risible. Only the wetness of the ground prevented many of them from rolling around clutching their aching sides. Their names have been noted, and retribution will surely follow in this blog…

On arrival, the first sight that greeted us was not encouraging: a short-cut pathway between the storage container and the area we were working in was particularly sodden, and a yellow tarpaulin did little to inspire confidence.

Further in, it was no better. Movement was fraught with jeopardy, but standing still brought on a sinking feeling.

Having negotiated the first deadly bog, laid out before us was the sight of material cut a few days earlier by the ‘pre-cut’ team. We could make a joke here about being half-cut, but perhaps not.

The previous working party was four weeks ago, and with the prospect of minced pies and other Christmas goodies on our minds we had left two fully loaded sheets there. They had waited patiently, absorbing vast quantities of the rain that fell unceasingly in that intervening period, and were of course particularly heavy to shift. Thank goodness for our splendid winch (and winch operators of course)!

With so many hands at work, it was tempting to load the sheets well, as each pull and tipping out took some time across a significant distance. Even so, there was ample opportunity for people to catch up with news of each other’s festive breaks – running the risk of cold feet however.

Along the way, Team Leader Margaret found time to replace two broken board on the boardwalk – an all-too-frequently required task these days.

The half-time break came, on possibly the only fairly dry spot of that soggy area. A matter in common for many of us was whether are hands had thawed out yet.

Having drained their cups, the assembled multitude attempted a world-record tower of cups, reminiscent of the ‘beer snakes’ at rowdy cricket grounds. (Ours wasn’t rowdy of course.)

As is customary, Noel found a comfy seat.

As we have frequently discussed, the said Noel is prone to bursting into song at the slightest provocation. This time someone must have mentioned this was a suitable place for the likes of us, and blow me if Noel was immediately giving us his rendering of “Somewhere (There’s a place for us)” from West Side Story. Perhaps by way of distracting him, I tried to remember who had had a hit with it in 1964, with a very exaggerated delivery. Long John Baldry was my guess, but it was actually P J Proby – look it up on Youtube. Noel favoured the Tom Waits version – look that up too. They put Noel’s performance into perspective, it’s fair to say.

As ever, tipping the loaded sheets out is hard work, although it’s far easier when the winch is used.

After two hours, we stopped. Team leader Julie also tends to be involved in the folding up of the drag sheets at the end of the session. Here she is clutching one. They’re quite heavy, so it was entertaining to see if the extra weight would cause her to sink in the mire. Happily, it didn’t, but it was interesting to see if it would.

Once we had finished it looks like this…

… but there’s enough left to take another couple of sessions before we’re completely finished.

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks:

A very Happy  New Year  to you all.

What a cracking start we have got off to. 22 of us turned out this morning. As usual the amount we achieved surpassed expectations. The cut area looks magnificent. Despite very wet conditions underfoot everyone managed just to stay upright.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the maintenance of the Commons and hopefully we will see you in two weeks’ time. Do feel free to join us just for coffee and a chat at 11.00. We are always pleased to see old faces and new ones.

Margaret (on behalf of the team leaders)

And finally, it’s customary to wallow in statistics as well as mud at this time of year, so fill your boots:

As for our volunteering activities in 2023, 38 of us collectively put in 800 hours. There were 21 working parties, with an average attendance of 15. By far the biggest recipient of our efforts was the SSSI (i.e. the main common), clocking up just under 560 hours. The next most worked on area was Pit Common, receiving 74.5 hours of our attention. The summertime activity of removing Himalayan Balsam took up a further 69.5 hours.

We reported exactly 500 sightings of plants and wildlife to NWT in 2023, mostly via the whiteboard at the Lower Street entrance to the boardwalk. 177 species were represented, including 68 flowering plants, 63 birds, 15 butterflies, and 11 mammals.

The other day I heard a Mistle thrush singing. That’s not unusual at this time of year, but it was still a pleasure to hear an early portent of Spring. Unlike most mornings recently, it was gloriously sunny and there was hardly any wind. Mistle thrushes also go by the name ‘Stormcock’ to their friends, due to their tendency to sing in loud and wild weather. On this occasion I had just endured the paralysing din of circling warplanes, so I wondered if that might be what triggered the thrush into shouting back. The couple of thousand geese I saw flying overhead the day before might perhaps have been disturbed in the same way.

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