Diary page 8: August - December 2008

A photographic diary of our volunteering activities

CNTV spent a splendidly frosty New Year working at Stourhead (National Trust) on the Wilts/Somerset border. The work was to chop invasive holly and laurel down to chest height (assuming an average height across the group of 5ft 2ins). The aim was to open up the views out into the parkland from the woodland walk by the house. The task was accomplished with the help of some sharp tools, cheap manual labour and two roaring bonfires.

(Photos: Lop) Left: Alison gets to work - yep the same Alison seen sleeping at Ilam (below!!!).... Right: getting the bonfire started

(Photos: Lop) Left: New Years eve (smile for the camera!).... Right: a refreshing New Year walk.....brrrrrrrr

Ilam Hall Weekend - 14th September 2008
[Article by "scribe" Neil...who advised me this is the summary edition!!]

This was it, an opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the wonderful Derbyshire countryside, working in the Manifold valley of the Peak District. As with all weekends away, the first evening started with that good old British favourite, rain! . . . . . still at least we had a musical welcome to the basecamp as the last night of the proms from PJ's car stereo helped serenade us into our quarters for the weekend. Full of anticipation, and like children at Christmas, we retreated to our bunks, eager for what the next day would bring. . .

Day 1: Waking to find the rain had stopped and the sun was actually shining we consumed a hearty breakfast prepared by Roger, before we saddled up our rides and made our way to the work site, somewhere in deepest darkest Hampshire. The day started well; we met Simon the Warden who proceeded to take us on a visit of the public car park, followed swiftly by a venture to the local tea room - sadly without the refreshment as it was only 9.45am - before finally settling in the public car park next to the river. We plotted our course, and headed across the bog on foot, hoping that we would all reach our destination intact.

(Photos: Roger) Left: scrub to be cleared.... Mid: the Team getting instructions....Right: Neil and Simon directing the work....maybe?

We had been told by Simon the Warden that our task for the weekend was the clearing of scrub on the valley slope on which the farmers cows would roam. En route evidence was present that the cows had been within the vicinity, though the trail had gone cold (and a little crusty round the edges) though the signs were clearly there. Armed with our weapons of destruction, including pitch forks, bow saws, loppers and a little box of matches to help sustain life, we headed to higher ground and set up camp for the day. A quick briefing of the troops followed and we quickly identified our first target, a small bush in a clearing which Simon had singled out to stack the cut scrub against.

What followed was utter carnage, as battle after battle took place with the scrub on the hillside. Joan and Roger adopted the 'double team' approach where Roger would wrestle the leafy growth to one side, exposing the plants stem growth just above the ground. Here Joan would step in and launch her attack, slashing, cutting and chopping like a crazed Tasmanian Devil until all links with the plants life source were severed.

Wounds were common place, and blood trickled, sorry I mean flowed. As each bush was slain, it was dragged or carried unceremoniously to the heap, propped against the lone bush before finally being offered to the Gods as the pyre was set alight. PJ led from the front and attacked the growth from the top flank, thereby limiting the chances of escape as an area of no-mans land was created. At one stage it was almost as though he was down the local bowling alley as he unleashed a venomous delivery from the top of the hill that saw his victim cavort like tumble weed in the wild west down the hill side before ending up smack bang in the centre of the fire . . . . . 'STRIKE!' With deliveries like that the scrub stood no chance, and within minutes all that was left were ashes and a memory . . . . .

(Photos: Roger) Left: Betty getting to the root of the problem... Mid: Joan posing for the camera... Right: Mark feeding the fire

Whilst we ate our lunch, the vultures circled menacingly overhead (though Betty thought they may have been buzzards.) They were clearly hungry, waiting for the weakest volunteer to fall by the wayside, when they would drop . . . . and carry their prize to their nest.

Having allowed the fire to burn down during lunch, Roger bravely set forth to try and get the fire going again. After a lot of flacking with the side of a 'Brake Brothers' box the flames re-ignited, like a phoenix, rising from the glowing embers.

The squeals and cracks of the slain vegetation as it was reduced to ash could be heard over the course of the afternoon, the scrub standing no chance of avoiding its ultimate peril. Having completed the first days battle, our wounds tended, we headed on back to the layby where our steeds were waiting.

At this point Simon offered to take us on a quick walk to see where the water of the nearby river had scoured its way into the rock like a drill, grinding away at the rock face, before disappearing beneath the earth. Part of the walk saw us having to negotiate a shallow, boulder strewn, stretch of the river (it also gave us the chance to wash our boots).

Negotiating the crossing proved trickier than we first thought, as the algae across the ford (sorry the shallow, boulder strewn crossing) very nearly saw a number of the volunteers lose their footing and get washed away into the depths, Mark being the one that came closest to disappearing, though he managed to escape just with wet trousers and shirt. Phew!

(Photos: Roger) Left: View from Ilam basecamp... Right: The days work was just too much for our Alison..

Day 2: Once again Roger did us proud with a fantastic breakfast as we entered the banqueting hall. Rations packed, our rides suitably rested and watered, we commenced our trek out to the wilds again, hopeful that the remaining vegetation would have taken flight under the cover of darkness, but sadly this was not to be.

Battle recommenced and before long, the freshly slain vegetation was piling up, almost as if it were in a queue, each waiting their turn to be tossed onto the flames which would warm, dry and ultimately reduce them to a pile of black nothingness…. Unlike the previous day, the fire proved troublesome to start and the question soon became apparent, exactly how were we going to deal with this decaying matter? A lot of frantic flacking followed over the course of the morning as the flames would emerge from their hiding place in the embers, licking their way across the skeletal frame of the slain scrub, before retreating once more into the security of the glowing embers.

(Photos: Roger) Left: Neil finally got round to some real work today...Mid: PJ attacking from the top...Right: The work party

With the help of some prehistoric scrub (it really was bone dry!) located by PJ, we finally managed to get the flames to catch. But then Simon signalled the retreat as time had beaten us!

Reluctantly, a final search of our battle field was made to ensure all signs of our presence were removed, and our supplies were gathered together. With a last glance over our shoulders - our bodies aching and our hands bloodied - we left the site as the hiss and crackle of the fire began to consume the remains.

(Photo: Roger) Above: Three bats (possibly Pipistrelle?) found sleeping in the base camp. The previous day, there was a long eared bat resting here but alas had gone by the time I'd got my camera.

Our work was done. Thanks go to Roger, Joan, Mark, PJ, Alison W and Betty for their efforts over the weekend.

Anglesey - 19th October 2008
[Thanks to 'bubbles' Burling for this article]

Today's task was certainly different! We were working at Hoe Fen by the pond dipping platform. One of the tasks was to finish nailing all the boards onto the platform and the other was to dig out areas around this, in the pond, to create 'pools' of differing widths/depths for the children to do their dipping.

In theory this didn't sound too bad - Iwan sketched out a plan of what he would like us to do and it sounded quite manageable: Separate 'bubbles' of differing sizes, interlinking in with each other, and each one having 'steps' to alter the depth.

So on with wellies and waders and into the pond. The water level was quite shallow and digging commenced with a vengeance. However as we progressed digging in the murky water it became obvious that we couldn't actually see what we were doing! The mud was very sticky clay and extremely difficult to get out. Perseverance paid off, and holes of varying depth were created. I can confirm this, because not once, but twice, I managed to step back into one of the deep holes that had been created thus ensuring two slimy wet muddy feet! [I think secretly Alison enjoyed her mud bath....ed!]

By the end of the day our 'bubbles' had been created although it was difficult to see this. Broken up concrete was placed in the pools to provide escape routes for wildlife and hopefully once the silt has cleared/settled it will be seen that we achieved what was intended.

As Iwan had predicted it did prove to be a very messy but fun task!

(Photo: Alison) Left: getting started....(Photo: Alison) Right: Digging holes in the pond....hmmm visibility looks poor.

(Photo: Alison) Left: Nailing down the decking.... (Photo: Alison) Right: dig that mud....

It was a very wet day when we set off for our first task at a new property near Oundle. When we got there Mark, the property manager, said he hadn’t liked to ring and cancel [due to the very very wet weather!] since it was our first visit there, but that he had baked a cake for us! Once everyone had arrived, we set off for a tour of the property in every item of clothing and every waterproof we had. We had an interesting tour but we got so wet. Lyveden was acquired by the Trust in the 1920s; the building is a banqueting lodge and just a shell, but not a ruin – it was never completed. It dates from the 1500s and was started by Sir Thomas Tresham, a Catholic who spent much time in prison – hence the incomplete building. (His son seemed to inherit the tyranny – he was part of the gun powder plot.) There is a spiral mount enabling ladies in farthingale dresses to get a good view of the surroundings without having to climb steps, a restored orchard and canal system – all part of the pleasure grounds for the property. Once the tour was finished we had an early lunch in the car park warden’s shed and then set out for the woods where we were due to do coppicing work – clearing and sorting out whips and stakes suitable for hedge laying. The corner of one field we went round was flooded and people without wellies got even wetter feet. Fortunately it finally stopped raining at about 2 o’clock so we started to steam gently and dry out. Mark and his family (Angela, Olivia and Tom) came to help us towards the end of the afternoon, and we got the area cleared and piles of whips and stakes made. Finally, we were asked back to Mark and Angela’s cottage for a very welcome slice of homemade cake and a warming cup of tea. Let’s hope that we have many future trips out there - hopefully in slightly better weather!

(Photos: Val) Left/Right: clearing. Good hazel was trimmed and cut to make stakes and bindings for fences on the estate. The remaining material was used to create habitat piles to encourage insects and provide homes small creatures.

(Photo: Roger) Left: View of Lyveden New Bield.... (Photo: Val) Right: Work party behind the newly created habitat pile.

The task this Sunday was digging holes to put in 5 posts so that a fenced area could be extended.

Digging went well despite the concreted area beneath the paving and roots nearer the hedge. By 16:00 we had concreted the 5 posts needed to extend the area, just in time for tea at the tea shop.

(Photo: Tom) 5 fence posts concreted in, from left to right Lop, Martin, Phil (Property Manager), Alison and Joan

Wimpole Midsummers Nights Dream - 23rd August 2008

A change from our typical tasks, this one involved stewarding for Wimpole's open air theatre event – the Shakespeare classic "A Midsummer Nights Dream", performed by Heartbreak Theatre Company in the atmospheric setting of the Old Rectory Garden.

(Photo: Val) Left: Sarah doing ...something?....(Photo: Val) Right: the stage and settings.

(Photo: Val) Left: Betty checks tickets.... (Photo: Val) Right: View of rectory gardens, stage is to the back and left.