St Cuthbert's playing field, Pateley Bridge: 17-04-2018

We haven't done any hedge planting for quite a while - hedge laying has been more the norm over the last couple of years. However, this week the NCVs gave St Cuthbert's school a hand to plant saplings along one side of their playing field in Pateley bridge. As this grows it will become a wonderful haven for wild life - much more so than the fence that is there at the moment.

The field on arrival.

Looking at Osian's report below it is clear that the NCVs were on an efficiency drive.....

How efficient is the NCV union?11 NCVs, 3 students and their 2 TAs and 17 children from St Cuthberts planted just over 400 trees of a wide variety. The NCVs were so efficient that their 370 odd trees were planted by lunchtime. A quick bit of litter picking and some tree guard stripping of an established hedgerow nearby provided more guards for our saplings. 

First up the supporting canes were 
inserted in a double row.

Then the trees were collected...

...as were the tree guards and spades.

 

At last the saplings could be inserted into the ground 
and covered with plastic spirals.
Get through those if you can rabbits!

All the way along the fence trees were 
getting planted, fast and furious.

And then, all of a sudden, there they were.
400 trees turned into one hedge.

The day was sped along with the aid of Laura's cracking banana and walnut cake to celebrate a birthday today. One should not ask a lady her age and she didn't volunteer it. Happy Birthday Laura!

Cake close up - Mmmm. Yummy!

The birthday girl - smiling as usual!

"He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus."

Osian definitely looking like the task leader he is.