GREENHOW BUGLE
FURTHER PATH REVELATIONS AT TOFT GATE LIME KILN!
This week, amid much speculation about whether or not there actually was more path under the grass at Toft Gate, an AONB insider let it slip that there was indeed reason to continue edging, lifting and rolling the turf (a job started last week).
An anonymous spokesperson from the AONB told our reporter - "We have it on good authority that, as long as we have willing NCVs who are not too badly affected by chocolate over-dosing during the Easter weekend, further excavations WILL bring to light the ancient gravel bed, laid down for wheelchair use so long ago."
As it turned out there were no fewer than 13 willing NCVs who had steadfastly refused the Easter bunny's tempting offer of chocolate eggs, knowing the task that lay ahead of them this Tuesday. One said "Chocolate eggs? Which chocolate eggs? All I had was a free range omlette. Wheel-barrowing turf is not for chocolate junkies."
Once gathered at the car park spirits drooped somewhat due to the onset of heavy snow. In spite of this, 10 of the team braved the arctic conditions (-1 degree in the shade) and numb fingers in order to work for an hour, during which short time they made good progress.
The remaining three NCVs absented themselves before the start of the task and were later reported to have gone, instead, to a Pateley bridge tea room. One of the NCV group leaders commented "This disappointing behaviour on the part of these three particular members has been noted and we will make sure that they do not get employment as NCVs in any other British AONB."
What two of this splinter group did not realise is that all the hard working stalwarts were given a very warm welcome Chez Tony with a good deal of cake (baked by master baker Julia) at 11:15am. This allowed them all to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Dave and restore feeling into their extremities.
Further reports from Toft Gate will be available in this newspaper as soon as work resumes.
Heroic NCVs shelter in the lea of the kiln in order
to listen to Leader Osian's instructions.
Conditions did not look promising -
but it's hard to keep a good NCV down.
The team got busy searching for the line of the path.
Just snow covered grass?
Not if you investigate a bit.
Now that's a wheel chair path for sure.
Wheelbarrows were filled with turf....
...and wheeled down the hill....
....and then returned for re-filling.
As they left there was little sign that anyone had
been there at all, thanks to the snow.
The remaining three NCVs absented themselves before the start of the task and were later reported to have gone, instead, to a Pateley bridge tea room. One of the NCV group leaders commented "This disappointing behaviour on the part of these three particular members has been noted and we will make sure that they do not get employment as NCVs in any other British AONB."
Mouthwatering treats galore...
... all in honour of the birthday boy (21 today).
(His rather smug smile is due to the fact that he did not do
any work at all and opted to stay in the warm car to
"look after the cake and everyone else's cars".)
Further reports from Toft Gate will be available in this newspaper as soon as work resumes.
Reporter: Ros E.
No comments:
Post a Comment