Bryan's Wood: 4-12-12

The day started bright and sunny. Tony and Ros were at the Barn for 9:00am. Also there were Julia and Dave, two newcomers to the group. They picked up the necessary equipment and headed for Bryan’s Wood for 9:30 where they met with Anita, Colin, John and Jan.

Meanwhile Dave was leaning on the new five barred gate outside Kettlesing school admiring the new fences that had been erected by the group a couple of weeks ago. He was expecting Graham who, he understood, would meet him there with equipment from the barn so they could erect a stile over the post and rail fence.

The gang of eight wheeled their wheelbarrows through tracks broad and narrow carrying the equipment to the point where they were to construct a barbed wire fence. This was required to keep the cattle in the neighbouring field from becoming tourists in the wood.

After 15 minutes Dave decided he had waited long enough. He rang the office to ask for Graham’s phone number but there was no reply. So he phoned Tony who suggested that he joined the group in Bryan’s Wood. Here the first task was to erect three straining posts to take the strain when the wire was stretched between them. That took us until lunchtime when Colin had to leave us. 

The remaining eight had their pack ups and then enjoyed some flapjack which had kindly been left on Tony’s doorstep by Audrey.

Thus fortified we dragged ourselves back to work but quickly found our rhythm and amazingly we completed the fence with two strands of wire by the time the light began to fade at 3:30pm. 

Whilst John attacked an intruding holly bush with a bow saw ...

....others got to grips with fence post knockers

We dragged our wheelbarrows and other equipment out of the wood feeling very satisfied. We had made a very presentable fence that would keep out potential tourists for a good number of years to come. 

Hopefully Julia and Dave enjoyed their day and will join us again in weeks to come.

Dave (B)