This week the NCVs returned to Clifton Village Hall to continue with the laying of the hedge that was started last week. We had another good turn out with 20 NCVs joining Paul. The promise of yet another lovely hedge layers' lunch provided by Hannah was obviously too good an opportunity to miss. It was superb. Chunky veg soup with crusty bread and no fewer than three different fruit crumbles to choose from for dessert - WITH CUSTARD!!! (my favourite thing to eat). Thank you Hannah - you are a star.
I suppose I should mention at least a little of what went on apart from eating.
It was more of the same as last week. The morning was spent clearing out all the unwanted material and pleaching each remaining stem ready for laying. The wonderful sunny day made the job a pleasure, even though it was a cold and frosty start.
The job ahead.
The brash pile grew ever larger. Tony (the new) took over Alistair's hazel stem sharpening job from last week and prepared dozens of poles ready for the afternoon.
All the brash being loaded onto the magic
carpet ready for transportation to the pile.
Tony (the new) busy with his axe.
So many poles to sharpen.......
There was a certain amount of bill hook envy as these essential tools were in short supply (and were rather blunt from last week's pleaching - we must remember to sharpen them before using them again!) My team of three worked well together, taking it in turns to pleach, saw or hold stems. By lunchtime the 5m stretch was ready for laying flat.
NCVs busy (and happy) in their work.
After lunch things became a little more difficult as those who were ready to lay were starting to impinge on the next door team's stretch. Some NCVs took to doing some ad hoc sculpting whilst waiting for some space to continue their work.
This effort is entitled 'The happy hedge layer'.
In the end my trio decided to leave the laying and go over to last week's effort to tidy it up a little. It needed more careful weaving, trimming and pushing down lower. This sometimes entailed having to stand on top of the hedge and use the extra weight of the fruit crumble and custard to force the stems down.
As the sun started to disappear behind the distant hills we gave in and tidied up. The job was not completed but is well on the way. One more week's work for a small band of NCVs should see it laid and tidied up.
So far, so good. Neat and tidy; tightly woven.
Not too much more to do.
Below you will see a number of photos that were obviously taken on a different day. They show a group of NCVs at work when the hedge was planted in 2004. I wonder if they had custard for lunch?
Ros (E)
A wall of plastic tubes and bamboo canes was planted
- oh yes, and a few hedge plants as well.
Hannah and Dave looking almost as
young as they do now.
Judith demonstrates her stick standing prowess.
Barry and Audrey practise their yoga postures.
A job well done - little did they think that it would only be 9 years
before it would almost be destroyed in the hedge laying process!!
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