Longside Farm: 28-01-2020

WILL WE? WON'T WE?

These were the questions on everyone's minds this week as the NCVs revisited Longside Farm to see if they could, finally, finish laying that hedge. They were very close to the end last time (just 30 'Tom Strides' short). So - was this week going to to be THE week? Was there going to be a loud shout of HURRAY! at the end of the day? Would there be the popping of champagne corks at home time? 

Let's see shall we?....

A day's hedge laying always begins with a van filled 

to bursting point with all kinds of tools.

So - this is the stretch of hedge that was still needing to be laid.

Six NCVs worked in pairs to do the actual laying. 

 Some were working at the 'lay down' end 

(note the proximity of the tree at the start of the work)...

...others worked further along preparing the stems in advance.

The remaining four NCVs had to be deployed 
in getting rid of the brash that had built up over the last few weeks.
Oodles of it stretched in both directions from the base camp set up in the centre.

 Graham got busy at one end of the site making fire A.

Whilst Osian got busy at the other end with fire B.
Whose fire would burn more brightly?
Whose fire would clear more brash?

By morning coffee time the hedge was coming on well.
(See how far along they got from that tree.)

At coffee time the base camp tarpaulins were nice 
and dry to sit on in the pleasant sunshine. 

By lunchtime things had gone downhill with the a change in the weather.
The tarps were starting to look like muddy swimming pools 
and nearly everyone remained standing.

By mid morning fire A was crackling and burning well....

...unlike fire B, which was still a bit on the weedy side.
Luckily things picked up after a while and it became 
a worthy opponent in the brash burning stakes.

Unfortunately, as time went by the ground around 
each fire got muddier and muddier.
Likewise the NCVs tending the conflagrations.

Liz kept her hedging team supplied with rails, occasionally losing one along the way.

Team hedge was cracking on well. The end was in sight.

Soon (1:30pm) this was all that remained to be laid.
Could they do it? Dare they hope?

Of course they could.
This one was almost the last one - but a real awkward customer. 

And then - the very last one was put to rest.

TA DA!!

And there it was. 
Finished.
HURRAY, HURRAY, HUUURRRAAAYYY!

Oh - hang on - what about the brash piles?

All clear at the fire A end of the site.

And good progress had been made at the other end of the site with fire B.
Still some to burn - but then there was twice the amount up here.
The NCVs can finish the burning on the day they return 
to fill in the hedge gaps with saplings.

All in all a job well done. 

Oh - hang on - what about all those (now wet and muddy) tools?

 Well - first they all had to be sprayed clean...

...then they had to be dried off and sprayed with WD40.
Another hour's work.
Time to go home.

Wood Hill Farm, Clifton: 21-01-2020

Maintaining themes....

Regular readers of this blog will know that 2020's NCV tasks have, so far this year, followed two basic themes that were established in the last two months of 2019 - namely:

• Removal of unwanted vegetation
• Working with hedges

This week was no exception. The workers were back at Wood Hill Farm, Clifton to carry on where they had to leave off last March. The start of the nesting season had then prevented them taking out the last section of old and unwieldy hedge to allow the planting up of a new one. Well - the birdies are all out of the way at the moment so, while the bird's away the NCVs will play......

There was no doubt about it - the hedge was one that loomed, 

covering a good part of the field.

And when a hedge looms then you just need to sort it out.

No matter how thick the stems.

Of course - no de-looming can take place unless 

there is a good fire to get rid of the result.

Andy got one going asap.

Brash piles sprang up all around the fire, 

awaiting their turn to be sacrificed.

Copious amounts of prickly holly, blackthorn and hawthorn 

had to be penetrated before the large stems could be reached.

Once cleared Liz and her chain saw were able to get 

cracking and the job sped up.

Not sure if this NCV is flinging brash or beating the fire into submission.

Towards the end of the day's work the fire needed a bit of tidying up.

Andy came and got busy with his fire tending equipment.

At lunchtime Ken was in a relaxed frame of mind...

...whilst a trio of absolute beauties sat nice and tall to aid digestion.

At one point in proceedings a little chap came to join in the task.

Or was he just trying to wangle a piece of cake, 

kindly provided by farmer Miles and his wife?

As the day wore on the hedge retreated.

By close of play there was still a lot of loom about,

 but a good deal had been achieved by a small group of just 7 NCVs. 

One last thing to do - walk up the long steep hill to the cars.

Well done gang!

Ellington Banks: 14-01-2020

😀
A new kid on the block!

This week the NCVs were at Ellington Banks, where they were greeted by a new face. John Black, the ecology officer for the MOD, introduced us to his successor, Karen Fisher, who was ready and waiting with a welcoming smile. After introductions were over we started on the business of the day - scrub clearance. Nothing new there then! That magnesian limestone grassland can't keep itself clear of encroaching alder and birch, so off to work we went. It seems a shame to be cutting down trees at this time but apparently the rare moths that live at Ellington Banks had filed a complaint to say there were just TOO MANY!

Yes - you can see the moths' point of view. 
This dense alder growth would shade out the other vegetation that they need for survival.

OK NCVs - do your stuff.

Nice bit of knee bending there to protect your back Andy.

Meanwhile, over on the muddy track, Graham, 
fire-maker extraordinaire, was struggling to light a damp match.

Osian took over. He, too had problems.

 Unlike the fire lighters, the alder cutters had no problems at all. 
Brash was being produced at a rapid rate of knots.

Ken did a peacock impersonation, dragging his colourful tail behind him.

Any good long straight poles were kept to one side, 
ready to take out for use by local primary schools.

A pole pile was established...

...which came in handy at coffee time, as the ground was VERY BOGGY.

Not much chance for conversation between these two NCVs,
who chose perching on some remaining stumps, 
rather than getting their rear ends damp.

Andy was very smug having taken possession 
of the only stone in the area.

By coffee time a backlog of brash had built up.
Any sign of that fire yet lads?

Well - there is some smoke.
Osian blew and blew but the brash was very sloooooow to ignite.

Then, miraculously, a roaring fire got going 
and the brash started to disappear in a puff of smoke. 
Hurray!

By 1:30pm all the alders growing in the area had been cut down....

...and just about every stick of brash had been put onto the fire.

Oh come on fellas - just how many men does it take to keep an eye on a fire?
There are still sticks to be picked up!

Having been caught in the act of doing nothing, Osian and Dave L. were galvanised into action and demonstrated how to safely constrain a spreading inferno.

OK - time to go home now, you wet and muddy trio.