Tuesday 26 January 2016

Fishpond Woods once more: 26-01-2016

NCV turn out this week could have been affected by the bad weather forecast. Two emailed and confessed that they had decided to "wimp out" after they saw what was coming. However, in spite of waking to wind and rain, 10 NCVs and a Heritage Skills team of three turned up for duty. 


(Note to NCVs: Any hint of wimpishness is frowned upon by the management and a strong comment would normally be added to end of term reports. However, in these two particular cases the comment will be tempered by their honesty, which must be applauded. Excuses such as 'having a doctor's appointment' or 'unable to find my wellies' are always viewed with suspicion during inclement weather.)


There were two tasks to choose from today:
  • Further work on creating 2 drainage channels - one in the path by the lake and one up at the ice house.
Brave troops head off to the front.


Work begins on the first channel by the lake.


Tony attempting to make Nick's hands an 
integral part of the drainage system.

Drainage workers enjoying a coffee break, admiring their handy-work, 
while a wheel barrow slowly sinks into the mire.


Next - the ice house area. Here the drain workers are once again 
admiring their handy-work (under the watchful eye of the 
drainage technical consultant Nick).


Ice house entrance with newly installed under-path drainage.

  • Another onslaught on the rhododendron. Yes - there are still plenty of those left! 
(Here you will notice that the quality of the photographs plummets. I think that this could have something to do with the wind factor and the camera being covered in a good deal of mud and rain. Apologies!) 
Terry was put in charge of building the all important bonfire. He was 
given a new packet of fire lighters, a dry box of matches, some dry 
card and even some nice, dry kindling from the barn. We were all hopeful.


Things did not go well.


Dave got involved (as did all of us from time to time) - all to no avail. 
The weather conditions were against us and the fire failed to do 
more than tease us occasionally with a little burst of life.


Everyone got busy sawing and lopping and dragging. Can you guess who is who?





 Lunch was eaten under the relative cover of the rhodies...

...which provided seating and aerial flask support facilities.

By 1:15pm we had created a number of piles of brash that are now ready 
to put on the fire, once conditions allow. At that point everyone decided 
that enough was enough. Rain running down the back of your 
neck is not pleasant!!


Not so much an ice queen - more a waterlogged NCV.

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Fishpond Wood paths and tool sharpening in the barn: 19-01-2016

In spite of the cold and dank conditions no fewer than 19 NCVs turned up for today's tasks. Numbers grew half way through the morning when a team of 9 joined us from Open Country. 

There were a variety of things to choose from:

  • A half day of training on tool sharpening in the barn. This session was expertly led by master tool sharpeners Jan and Phil. In the event there were 8 takers: four in the morning and four after lunch. During this workshop we were taught how to use files to hone secateurs, loppers and chisels, a saw tooth setting tool to bend saw teeth in opposite directions and a grinder to grind axe heads. By the time we had all finished there wasn't a blunt tool in the barn. Osian reported as follows from the morning session....

It was noticeable that it was darned cold in that barn, so thanks to Tony for starting the fire so quickly. The fire, in turn, precipitated a bit of a militant streak in our group, with steadfast adherence to coffee break and even the suggestion of a second 'official union' coffee break that led to seditious talk of NCV holiday and pay increases! However all was calmed when Colin almost burned his backside on the brazier.

 A hive of industry.

Anita sets a saw's teeth and Laura times 
her to see if she is ready for the world championships.

Those in the barn have a cosy place to lunch and are enthralled 
by Anita's tales of saw tooth setting adventures from times past.

Lunch in the Woods is less warm, but pleasant never-the-less.

This group are enjoying the yummy cake made by 
Osian to celebrate his birthday.
Thanks - and Happy Birthday Osian!!

  • Creating drainage channels along the path in Fishpond Wood. This task involved lots of digging out of heavy clay and rocks and re-filling with gravel and perforated pipe. The photos below show the process....
 Will practises on his flugel horn.


Not managing to obtain a sound from the instrument he 
decides to use it as a drainage channel resource.

 Sally complains that Nick hasn't filled his wheelbarrow enough.

 The channel diggers get dig...

... dig...

...digging.

John and Will wrestle with a giant millipede....

 ...which is then cut into sections and sunk 
into the drainage channels, within a bed of gravel.

The millipede tries to escape from the channels.
  • Top dressing the wheelchair path to the ice house with fine gravel. Lot of shovelling, wheel-barrowing and raking here. The Open Country team worked on this...
A better surface for wheelchair users is 
gradually being established.

There was a lot of gravel to be shifted....


...but by close of play it was all used.
  • Clearing the iron fence and steps at the wood entrance and painting the railings. Angela, Colin and Anita did a grand job here....
The steps - now all spick and span instead of a 
muddy health and safety hazard.

The back of the railings - now clear of ivy and rubble....

.....and shiny in their new coat of Hammerite 
(Other brands of metal paint are available)

Ros E.

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Return to Hackfall - for work and a lunch!! 12-01-2016

Today was a special day - just a morning's work in Hackfall woods, carrying out maintenance on the footpath down to the Rustic Temple by Fountains pond. (Click HERE to find out more about this particular folly.) 

The reason for the part-time nature of the job was that the NCVs were invited to join Tom Ramsden and Alison Brayshaw, of The Hackfall Trust, at the Black Sheep Bistro in Masham for lunch. This was a 'thank you' for all the work we have done in the woods in recent years. How nice was that? Mind you - I did wonder quite what state we would all arrive in after a morning's work sliding around on the muddy paths.

In the event 25 NCVs managed, not only to achieve a good deal in terms of path maintenance, but also turn up looking reasonably clean and tidy for our treat. Photos of the day can be seen below.

Thanks Tom and Alison - we really appreciated your generous offer. Thanks also to the Black Sheep Bistro - the food was delicious and we strongly recommend it to all our readers.

Ros E.
The NCVs arrived - eager to start work (and for their treat!)

Alistair practised for his up-coming audition 
for the Snow White and the 7 dwarves pantomime.


Hey ho, hey ho. It's off to work we go.


Everyone spread out along the path and started 
to cut back the encroaching mud and vegetation.


Down and down we went.


NCVs leapfrogged over each other as they moved 
on to the next section of path, leaving 
behind a nice, wide footpath


Work was progressing so well that Jan felt he could 
take an early coffee break.


Laura moved away a small tree that was obstructing the path.


 The Rustic temple and pond were the points to aim for.

Everyone started to pile up at the bottom of the hill 
as the end of the path was reached.


Osian's shiny new Christmas wellies were soon muddied up...


...but a quick dip in the stream at the bottom restored them 
to their former glory. 

(Now all he needed to do was walk back to the CP without touching the ground!)

Ros K. also sported new wellies. Black?


No, definitely not. A shocking pink - to make the boys wink.

(At least she will be easy to find in all the mud! Apparently there were reports from overhead satellites to the MOD of a UWO (unidentified walking object) in the Hackfall area.)


The NCVs enjoyed their lunch*
After that feast there was no way anyone was walking back 
down into the woods to wield a spade!


(* cottage pie, macaroni cheese or vegetarian curry followed 
by apple crumble and custard. Yum!)