Hackfall Woods: 05-01-2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS. 

Welcome to the 2016 NCV blog.

We start the new year with a short poem, penned by this week's contributor, Tony K. I think that it gives a good flavour of today's weather conditions.

I drove my way through flood and fog

To join our motley crew.

I’d promised I would write the blog

Supplying photos too.

It mattered not, full well I knew,

That travel could be tempest tossed.

No matter if I’m maimed or lost

No matter what the human cost,

The flapjacks must get through!

Fourteen NCVs, two heritage skills students and their two tutors joined James at Hackfall. Full marks for everyone who refused to be cowed by the road conditions to get there, including at least two who wisely decided not to risk the flood water but found an alternative route.

The NCVs started to get through the floods to the car park, 

eager to work off the Christmas mince pie excesses.

Footpaths in Hackfall had been affected by the rain and in some places by the swollen River Ure. Gullies were clogged by mud and fallen leaves; branches, and in one case a tree, had fallen across the tracks and brambles needed cutting back. 

 The swollen River Ure

Alum Spring to Fisher Hall cascade 

was looking impressive.

The weeping rock was weeping away...

...but, as always, Jo saw to it that standards 

were maintained at coffee time.

Ros K. managed to find a perch above

the muddy ground.

 Brambles were clipped...

... and Julia single handedly removed a fallen tree.

There it was - gone!

Meanwhile, Anita got busy with a spade in a culvert.

Three teams tackled different areas and by lunch time most of the immediate work had been completed.

Lunchtime at Fisher Hall - Ros K. less cheery now as she 

realised that there was no flapjack left for her!

Post lunch planning session led by our glorious leader.

After lunch a couple of jobs remained, neither of which took long, so we finished early. James has promised us more work in the wood next week before a special pub lunch and the afternoon off. We established that the dress code will be casual, tiaras can stay unpolished and DJs unpressed. What a relief!

Thanks, as always, to Audrey for the flapjacks.

Tony K.