A variety of tasks: 01-07-2025

 

You're joking!

I say, I say, I  say.

What kind of pony can you ride on all day without going anywhere?

Answer? A peening pony!

As the month of June rolled over into July the NCVs celebrated International Joke day (yes - there really is an international joke day on the 1st of July each year) either by sitting on a peening pony, or running around doing a variety of tasks. As a result, there was little time for joking. Everyone was just too busy.

So - first of all - those ponies....

Meet Trigger - the peening pony. A headless 

species that only has three legs and no tail.

Ride 'em cowboy.

Yee Hah!!

Trigger had been bought at the local

equestrian mart. Four more ponies were 

required so the NCVs made them, 

using Trigger as a template.

Once the herd was ready for use

the tool sharpeners climbed onto their 

mounts and got to work.

Grassland officer Joe

gave them a training session on

how to 'peen' the scythe blades.

(i.e. remove the nicks in the cutting edge.)

At the end of the session the new ponies were

led into the stable for a rest.

Whilst all this was going on the rest of the team

carried out job number one, which involved

tree tube tidying.

Then it was on to Millenium Green and job 

number 2 - dealing with a fallen tree branch 

which had squashed the caterpillar tunnel.

Branches were lopped and sawn.

(Note the new 'bump caps' being modelled 

by Tom and Ken. These stylish, lightweight

hard hats are great for keeping noddles safe.)

The branches were then collected up...

...and brash piled.

Once the tree was removed,

the caterpillar tunnel miraculously 

bounced back up, though not quite to its former glory.

However, with a bit of renovation

involving willow wands from another 

structure...

...it looked as good as new.

Time for a coffee break...

...then it was on to job number 3;

clearing the bridleway at Glasshouses verge.

Osian and Liz got busy on job number 4, 

which meant them  having to power up 

the strimmers to cut some grass.

They were focusing just on the area of verge

near the picnic benches, where

the yellow rattle seeds planted last year

have failed to grow.

In most other parts of the verge

the rattle has proliferated

and suppressed the grass.

In these areas there are large 

quantities of various wild flowers, 

including an extensive patch

of common spotted orchids.

Cut grass was raked...

...and transported to a compost pile.

By two o'clock everyone was plum tuckered out and needed to call time. Not a single joke had been told but everyone had enjoyed the day never-the-less.

Special note - 

Thanks must go to Amy who has made a whole pile of safety goggles bags out of old pillow cases. These will prevent the new glasses from getting scratched.

Hackfall Woods: 24-06-2025

Good Fairies 

Hackfall Woods benefitted from International Fairies Day this Tuesday as a group of good fairies fluttered in and did a number of jobs that needed doing. They were dressed in navy blue outfits - probably trying to hide the fact that they had wings. A member of public managed to capture these shy, magical creatures on camera, so read on if you don't believe me....

Now. You will need to look carefully in this

 fairy dell to see if you can spot 

those fairy folk at work.

A-Ha! There's two of them.

Wielding their magic wands

to clear a water course.

This one has swapped his wand 

for a smaller one especially 

designed to magic up steps in rock.

Tinkerbell Tim continued the heavy

duty approach at the Sandbeds steps 

where much TLC was required.

Gradually the steps were brought back

to their former glory.

Puck meanwhile, got busy

making sure water didn't wash down a path.

He was assisted by a very 

shy fairy who retracted his head

whenever the camera was about.

Even fairies need to take a break

 now and then. I wonder if they 

had fairy cakes for lunch?

Throughout the day they not only worked on

steps and drains but cleared trees that

had fallen across paths or were 

intruding across vistas.

See? I told you there were fairies in Hackfall Woods! Now you have seen the proof!

First aid training: 17-06-2025

 

Time for training!!

There comes a time, every so often in an NCV's life, when they are given the opportunity to do first aid training. This week was one of those times and this was why a group of us turned up at the council offices in Pateley Bridge, clutching our notebooks. So - a day of staying clean and not needing tools or wellies lay ahead. Take a look below to see what went on.....

Things started off gently with British Red Cross 

First Aid volunteer, Tracey, introducing the session.

Then a post-it note activity got everyone 

thinking and talking.

What may stop people getting

involved if they came across Helena laying on the floor?

Answer? All kinds of reasons!

Scenarios were acted out - poor Phil had 

apparently given his head a bad whack.

What should Helena do to help out?

The scenarios got more and more

serious until we reached the 

heart attack stage, at which point Annie 

joined us. 

Not only had Annie had a heart attack and needed 

CPR, but she was also missing all four of her limbs!

By 12:30 everyone felt much more able to cope than they did before. The key thing to remember was that we were not meant to be giving any kind of diagnosis, just helping keep the patient safe and comfortable until the professionals arrive.

An excellent session - thanks to Tracey Dawson and the Red Cross.

Anyone who couldn't attend should download the free British Red Cross First Aid training app.

Millennium Green and the workshop: 10-06-2025

PRIORITISE!

Most urgent?

Quite important?

Reasonably in need of doing?

Can wait for now?

There were a number of possible tasks for Liz to chose from this week. It was a case of deciding which had to be/could be done first. In the end there were two jobs that were felt to be rather important: tool sharpening and balsam pulling from Millennium Green to Pateley bridge. 13 signed up, but the question was - who opted for what? Let's take a peep shall we?

An 8 strong balsam pulling group got off to a late start 

due to the code for the gate having been changed. 

Ken made himself comfortable on his squeeze 

box stool whilst he waited.

Problem with that was he was unable to 

return to a vertical position once Liz arrived 

with the tools.

Helena was a balsam virgin and

needed a quick tutorial.

However, after this she cleared

the HB like a pro. Nothing escaped

her beady eye.

Brenda - a seasoned HB puller - 

could spot the stuff from 20 paces.

Dave tried out the new safety caps and 

found them to be better than the full helmets.

Hmmm. Post storm conglomeration?

By coffee time, both sides of the river 

above Millennium Bridge

towards Wath, were completed.

Friedy gave the Bewerley side down

to Pateley Bridge a good going over, 

but was pleased that there didn't seem to

 be much balsam around, compared

 to previous years.

The bandstand provided some

 nice lunchtime seating.

On the way back up river from Pateley

Andrew made sure 

that the water's edge was checked.

A successful day's work was somewhat marred 

when it was discovered that a large tree 

had fallen right on top of the willow caterpillar

 we made two or three years ago. It will be 

another day's task to move it and 

see if the willow tunnel can be rescued.

Meanwhile, along in the workshop, 

5 vols were busy with the tools

until 3pm.

Removal of some shelving on the back 

wall will allow additional space 

for parking the rather large new trailer. 

One or two additional items:

NCV Amy is opening her wonderful garden in Dacre Banks, in aid of charity, on 22nd June. It is well worth a visit. Not only is there an extensive, beautifully kept, garden to wander through, but there is also a sculpture exhibition and cream teas. See the details on the poster below.

Finally - for anyone who is interested -  David M. sent in this photo showing what Bark Cabin looked like in 2013, on the day the trees that we were de-tubing last week were planted.

What a difference 12 years makes!!

Then (looking downhill):

Now (looking uphill):