PINK GIN ANYONE?
A certain volunteer co-ordinator (who shall remain nameless) suggested that the NCVs may well be able to earn themselves a bit of money on the side from this week's task, in order to to fund a posh Xmas dinner after the winter walk this year. Her idea was based on something that she read online via the 'Craft invaders' website. Apparently the pink flowers of Himalayan balsam (this week's focus of attention between Newhouses and Limley Farm) can be used to make a 'Magical Himalayan Balsam gin'. If that doesn't float your boat then 'delicious balsam curries' were listed as an alternative.
Hmmm. Not sure just how much money we'd make from selling freshly pulled balsam. Starting up a new business during a pandemic is probably not advisable anyway, so, instead, we just got ourselves into three work bubbles and did the usual.
Pull and crush. Pull and crush. Pull and crush.
Bubble B started down at Manchester Hole cave entrance
where the River Nidd was nowhere to be seen.
There was very little balsam to be found at this point either.
Alistair took the high road and met a dead end.
...whilst Tony took the low road and found a patch to pull.
When balsam rookie, Brenda, found her first plant
she attacked it with appropriate gusto.
Little heaps of balsam were left in their wake.
Further upriver Alistair looked on in horror as a wall
of water cascaded towards him.
He got his 25m 'Tadpoles' swimming badge when at school
but, luckily, didn't need to put his aquatic skills to the test .
Bubble A started up at the top end of the stretch at Newhouses.
They were tasked with digressing up steep Foggyshaw Gill
before doing the banks of the Nidd. Not an easy option!
At least there was plenty of room, high up there,
for a socially distanced lunch.
Along the banks of the river the balsam was thin on the ground.
We think that the flood earlier in the year swept away the seed bank in the soil.
That's one way of getting the job done thoroughly!
Bubble C worked on the stretch below Manchester Hole.
Once again the balsam was patchy in its distribution
but Tom managed to find a few juicy stems.
All three bubbles found the terrain
challenging on many occasions.
Ros K. went searching far and wide.
This view of the large area above the barn on the
far side of the valley was a heartening one.
When the NCVs visited it last year it was awash with balsam.
However, this year - none to be seen.
A triumph for both the NCVs and the contractors who worked on it.
Eventually a "Mr. Livingstone I presume?" moment occurred
as Bubble B met up with Bubble A and they knew that
the job was complete.
At various points along the way some none balsam related points of interest turned up:
This one was smelt before it was seen -
a slurry slick draining into the river.
Not good!!
Many of the trees by the river's edge were,
like this one, growing straight out of the rock.
A pot hole entrance was viewed by Bubble C
but no-one ventured down.
Early on, before many cars were about,
this chap was seen down near the road.
Good spot Liz!
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