The Christmas Walk: 13-12-2022

 

No Work Today!!

😀

As was mentioned in last week's blog - today was to be the NCV's annual Christmas walk and lunch. There would be no filthy clothes to wash when they arrived home. No need for them to sink, exhausted, into a seat by the fire or soak in a long hot bath. Just some gentle exercise, chats, a general feeling of 'bon homie' and some tasty scran. What better way to finish off the 2022 NCV calendar?

Here are some photos of the day..... 

 

All aboard!! 

Liz, fresh from her mini-bus driving training

drove 16 up to Lofthouse. 

(Ros E. followed up in the rear with 3 more.)

 

 

Hoi! You lot at the back. Behave yourselves! 

 

Then they were off - 

Christmas hats bobbing merrily along. 

Talking of christmas hats - who's this? 

On route there were glimpses of 

How Stean Gorge.

There were stiles to negotiate, which 

created bottlenecks.

 

Tree cover as we climbed higher 

was rather sparse. 

 

Although there was some nice

 streamside woodland in the valley bottom.

 

Here the surface of the water was freezing over....

 

...and care had to be taken crossing to the opposite side.

 

That's the way to do it Jan!! 

 

Once over the beck it was up the hill to Low Riggs, 

the home of 'Stonebeck cheese'.

Goodness - this lot look enthralled.

No wonder! It was farmer Andrew Hattan who started 

to tell us all about cheese making.

He's a hardy lad is Andrew - just a jumper 

with rolled up sleeves! Brrrrrr!

 

We then repaired to the slightly warmer 

confines of the milking parlour...

 

...where we were plied with xmas biscuits (thanks Liz)

and Stonebeck Cheese (thanks Andrew and Sally)

 

 

Andrew kept everyone entertained

with his talk about how the cheese is made

and the farming system he and his wife Sally use.

  

These little cuties are just two of the herd of Northern dairy shorthorn cattle that provide the milk for the 2.5 tons of cheese that is made here each year. They are a rare breed and stay out all year round, grazing on the restored hay meadows on the farm. Andrew and Sally use the same way of farming that would have been used in the area 80 years ago.

Then it was back down the valley on a different path,

passing an area of tree tubes we were very familiar with!

 

The majority walked straight up to the 

Crown Pub at Middlesmoor.

 

An elite group needed to go downstream to

 Lofthouse to collect the vehicles. 

Here are a couple of views you missed folks!

 

 Inside the Crown the wonderful Angie made us 

all very welcome and served up an excellent 

lunch. Thanks Angie!! 

 

Everyone enjoyed the repast

and the repartee....

...before emerging, replete, and finishing off 

over in the churchyard to admire the view.

The NCVs have racked up no fewer than 2708 hours of work this year. 

Well done folks!!

 

Just before we finish - 

 

First a bit of good news....

NCV Adrian, who has been so ill this year, is now back home and looking much better. Ken joined him for lunch one day last week and has sent this picture of him to share. 

Adrian - it is so lovely to see you smiling and having an outing. Pity you couldn't join us for lunch today, but we hope to see you in 2023, if only for you to join us for a chat at coffee time!

 

And now the bit you have all been waiting for....

Days from a bygone age number 6 - NCV revealed

Cast your mind back to last week's challenge. Did you guess the NCV correctly? It was, of course our excellent hedgelayer, Phil!

 

Then...

...and now.

  Bye for now. Have a lovely festive season. See you in January 2023!!  

 

 

 

Glasshouses: 06-12-2022

  

The Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; 

All mimsy were the borogoves, 

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabber......

No! Stop it! Enough of this Jabberwocky gobbledygook! What Lewis Carroll meant to say (before he got carried away on a whim) was:

T'was Tuesday and the sturdy NCVs

Did  lop and saw beside the woods,

All muddy were the footpaths round,

And the branches did  protrude.

That's better. Now - what he was actually describing was the final task day of the year (next week the NCVs are out for their Xmas walk) and they were tasked with pruning the overhanging branches by a good 6' - right back to the boundary of the SSSI Guisecliff Wood.This would then allow landowners Fee and Mark to replace the rotten fence, thereby keeping a flock of swaledale  sheep out of the woodland.

 

The path up to the worksite was very muddy 

but tools could be transported in Liz's trailer.

 

Right - so this is the fence that needs revealing.

More so in some places than others

 

There was a lot of sawing needed.

Ditto lopping of the thinner stuff.

At both the top of the hill...

 

...and at the bottom.

 

Graham and Osian got busy lighting

 a fire to burn the small stuff.

This grew taller as the day wore on.

 

As did the log pile of all the big pieces....

 

...that just kept on....

 

...coming.

 

 

Everyone was very glad of our breaks in the sun...

 

...especially when Graham revealed a tin of 

 absolutely delicious mince pies 

(made by wife Jane - thanks Jane!!)

 

The loneliness of the long distance dragster.

Go on Tom - you can do it.

Don't let that holly get you down!!

 

 Oh no - Lewis Carroll was right! 

There really WAS a Jabberwocky.  

It reared over the fence and roared at us.

 

Luckily we had 'Will the brave'...

 

 

...and 'Mighty Andy' who were fearless.

 

They managed to lasso the beast...

 

 

...which meant that Liz could tow it out of its lair. 

 

It was FURIOUS!!

Everyone had to then set to with anti-Jabberwocky equipment

to deal with the monster.
 

The battle was long and arduous but, 

finally, the beast was overcome.

The Slithy Toves of Guisecliff can now rest safe in their beds!

 

 

By close of play the fence was clear....

 

...and the NCVs could wend their way home

carrying the resources for holly wreathes!

Days from a bygone age number 6.

Now which NCV is being featured this week? He is looking very happy and has a fine head of wavy hair. Take a guess and check next week's blog to see if you were right.