Return to Fishpond Wood: 12-09-2016

When asked if we wanted to return to Fishpond Wood, Bewerley today the answer was, of course, a yes. Who wouldn't want to continue working in such lovely surroundings on a hot September day? It's also nice to be involved in the final stages of the wood's renovation having been there from the start. (New readers can see the first, muddy, stages by clicking on this link to a September 2014 entry of the blog.)

 13 NCVs joined one of our new students and his tutor to mark out an audio trail, tidy up some remaining path edges, re-lay path ‘stepping’ stones by the pond, and cut and remove some bracken.  A nice variety of tasks - even the bracken removal didn't sound too bad.

Team "Stepping stones" were faced with a boggy surface to sort out. 
Clag factor 10 on the bog scale.

No problem. We'll just shift a bit of mud 
to the side to level off the track....

.... and go and fetch a few barrow loads of gravel to cover the bog.

Then we'll choose some of the right shaped stone flags...

...and lay them down here.

And there you have it. A brand new M6 
motorway grade path starts to take shape.

Ros E. tried a spray of her Avon Skin So Soft 
(usually used to ward off the midges)
to stop the wheelbarrow making a terrible screaming noise.
However - it had no effect what-so-ever.

Meanwhile at various points around the lake Team "Audio posts" 
dug holes, inserted posts and attached numbers.
Terry seemed to enjoy the ritual sacrifice of Phil with the spike.

While all this was going on Team "Mud shifters" grafted away, 

digging up the soil down below the lake...

...and depositing it along the wooden edge of the path 

to the ice house to prevent gravel from being lost under the boards.

At lunchtime James handed out pieces of his delicious ginger cake (thanks James).
Alistair was concerned that there would be none left by the time it got to him.

Everyone enjoyed the rest in the sun at lunchtime.

Team "Bracken Cutters" (an elite group of 2) made a good 
start before lunch. Anita showed off her raking skills to produce a 
world record beating sized bracken roll.

 This select little team was helped in their task by everyone else 
towards the end of the afternoon.

Sickles and slashers were deployed to good effect.

New NCV, Catherine, practised her signature bake 
'Hand Crafted Bracken Roly Poly' 
for the next season of the Great British Bake Off.

Phil, like Anita, preferred to roll his HCBRP with the hay rake. 
It did give a better texture to the pudding.

Owner of the wood, Peter, collected up the cut bracken rolls 
at the bottom of the slope and zoomed off with them behind his quad bike, 
to be burnt and used as fertiliser.

Cutting and removing the bracken meant that we could 

see a clear hillside at close of play, rather than just the sea 
of bashed bracken that we are normally left with.

Peter took yet another dip in the lake to cool down 
before going off home with minnows in his pockets..

As usual we did well and achieved all of what we set out to do, although there was still more bracken left to clear at the end of the day. But then - what can you expect? It is bracken we're talking about!!

Additionally....

On the evening of Wednesday 7th September a small group of 7 NCVs were able to avail themselves of a wonderful opportunity to have a guided walk around Coldstones Quarry, Greenhow. We really do know how to have a good time!!

Having had advanced notification from Chicken Licken of an 

imminent collapse of the sky everyone donned hard hats.

Quiz question - how much rock has been dug out of this VERY BIG hole?

Quarry Guide: "Right ladies and gentlemen; 

rather than just listening to me talk all evening 

I thought you might like to do something more practical. 

See that VERY BIG hole there?  We'd like you to fill it in again."

Ros E.