Holy Trinity Churchyard, Dacre Banks: 26-09-2023

 

WOT - MORE GRASS CUTTING

 AND SEED PLANTING??!

Just as the NCVs had started to gear up to autumn focused tasks, so they were informed that there was one more churchyard (Holy Trinity in Dacre Banks) to seed with yellow rattle. This, of course, firstly meant more grass removal. Luckily, this time the grass did not need to be taken off site. It was to be piled up in a compost heap. Phew!! Anyone who had a strimmer and protective gear was encouraged to bring it along so that the grass around the gravestones could be cut more easily than using a scythe. 

 

There was plenty of long grass to deal with,

not having been cut for 2 years.

 

Unfortunately, it masked numerous

 stone slabs and edgings. 

 

Undaunted, Andrew got stuck in with his scythe.

 

Brenda followed suit and 

started cutting a swathe. 

 

New volunteer, Micha, was a trooper and 

scythed all day (never having scythed before!!) 

 

Paul and Ruth did a double act with 

Paul on scythe and Ruth on rake. 

Very melodic it was too. 

 

Not to be outdone, Dave snatched up a rake 

and tried to get a tune out of it.

 

Unfortunately it didn't sound nearly as good,

so he threw the grass into a barrow in disgust 

and trundled off to the compost heap. 

Anita decided that more grass could be

 transported on the tarpaulin.

But of course, more grass meant more weight.

"Osian - HELP!!"

"OK - now - HEAVE!!"

To prevent the grass heap over-topping the

 wall, frequent bouncing was required.

Ros E. leant a hand returning the empty 

tarp only to be stopped dead in her tracks.

Upon looking around she saw why."OSIAN! 

This is not the time or place to take a nap!!"

He was sent off to do strimmer duty as a penance.

Three other bods were also strimming.

This ensured the scythe blades remained 

undamaged and allowed the scythed 

areas to be cut even lower.

 

This was one of a number of little froggies

 that narrowly missed decapitation.

 

Once the grass from one half of the graveyard 

had been removed...

 

... patches could be scarifed to expose the 

soil and yellow rattle seed could be sown.

Friedy and Dave did their cow impersonations

to make sure that the seeds were trampled into the soil.

 

At last, the front half of the graveyard was completed

and the graves were clearly visible.

Everyone went home knowing that 

they had done a hard day's work!

Hackfall Woods: 19-09-2023

 No scything? No sowing? 

No plug planting? No balsam pulling?

NO! It's now autumn!!

Yes - it's true. Summer jobs are finished. The autumn jobs have begun and this week they began in Hackfall Woods, when an elite corps of just 4 vols donned their waterproofs to join Liz and new member of AONB staff, Martha, to work on a waterlogged path problem. The rain was heavy and the ground was muddy. It was LUVERLY!!

 

Parents of children who learned to read in the 1980 and 90s

may recall 'The Village With 3 Corners'..

Well, today we were joined by Billy Blue Hat (BBH),

 Roger Red Hat (RRH) and Johnny Yellow Hat (JYH).

 

Good job they turned up, because there was

 a good deal of heavy wood to transport

 down to the work site, well below Alum Springs. 

Everyone toddled off carrying

 various bits of timber and tools.

JYH was a star carrying a particularly

 heavy bundle of stakes.

 

Once at the work site, the job became clear.

A previously dug trench needed lining

to prevent overflow onto the path.

 

Immediately JYH and RRH started 

digging out the channel to board depth.

 

Liz and BBH started pegging in the boards.

 

JYH used his saw to get rid of an

 intrusive tree root that threatened 

to impede water flow.

BBH magically produced an electric 

screwdriver from his pocket which 

he deployed to secure the boards 

(nails being thin on the ground). 

 

By lunchtime this horrible mess ....

 

...had been transformed into

something more akin to the Suez Canal.

 

All that remained was for Gladys Grey Hat (GGH)

to unleash the full flow of water that had, 

up to that point, been held back by this dam.

 

To whoops and cheers, GGH  inserted 

her spade and removed the blockage. 

The job was complete.

 

The workers moved up to Alum Springs for 

tool washing and lunch. However,

 first they had to divert water, found streaming

 over the pathway, back into the water course below.

 And in other news this week....

...there were piles of fun (?) to be had on Monday! 

It was no good ignoring them any longer. 23 stacks of (soggy) grass were not going to shift themselves. Some serious effort was needed to move all the piles of grass from the recent verge scything at Glasshouses to the Harrogate recycling centre. Transport was arranged and an all points bulletin put out to the NCVs. It was time to get going before the grass piles turned into compost heaps.  Luckily a couple of hardy souls were free and together with Liz and Andy (Liz's husband, aka 'The Mighty Heap Shifter), 11 of the heaps were shifted.Thanks Andy!!!

 

When Friedy started the sun was peeping out from

 the clouds but things changed fairly soon after 

and by coffee time the rains were lashing down.

 

In order to make the most of each of the two trips 

to the tip (1.5 hours per trip), Liz did her best 

to ensure the grass was rammed in tight. 

Not easy when working under an 

immovable net covering!!

By close of play her jeans were badly

 in need of a bit of a wash!!

St Saviour's Church, Padside: 12-09-2023

   Farewell summertime  

                                                  

 

 

As the rains arrived and everyone waved goodbye to the September heatwave, so the NCVs picked up their scythes once more, this time to cut the grass in an area of the churchyard at St Saviour's Church, Padside. It was time to plant some yellow rattle seed.  As you should all know by now - yellow rattle acts as a parasite on the grass and reduces its vigour, so allowing wild flowers to grow. The NCVs needed to scarify patches of ground before sowing the seed to give it the best chance of success. Here they are in action....

 

The area to be mown and sown was

 at the far side of the churchyard.

Unfortunately heavy rain storms

had beaten the grass down. 

It was not ging to be an easy job! 

Tools were dutifully carried across in the rain....

 

...and the scythes assembled ready for action.

 

Then they were off, Paul leading the way...

 

...closely followed by four others.

 

Some overhanging branches needed cutting back

to allow the scythers to cut under a tree.

 

Ruth carted them away to add to an existing brash pile.

 

Other members of the gang were set to work with

 slashers, tidying up this very untidy corner.

 

Come on ladies - less chat, more action!!

 

Now that's starting to look better.

 

This little vole ....

...and this little toad were discovered in the process.

 

A hooded man started raking up the cut grass...

 

....to form perfect little sausage shapes....

 

...each of which suddenly grew legs...

 

and walked off to the compost heap.

 

Others joined in the fun and soon grass 

sausages were to be seen everywhere. 

 

Eventually the grass was cut.

 

All that remained was for the NCVs to kick

 back patches of turf to expose the soil below...

 

...so that ratttle seed could be sprinkled in

 and then forked over or trampled.

 

Hopefully these signs will help 

explain to visitors why this area

 of the churchyard may not be as neat 

and tidy as everywhere else.

 

The church gave sanctury for coffee and lunch

 breaks; very welcome in the wet conditions.

 

Also very welcome was Friedy's 'Celebration Brownies'. 

Happy Birthday Friedy - and thank you!

 

They were exceptionally good brownies and I

 strongly recommend that, if making brownies

 in the future, you use the same recipe.

(The chocolate sauce is not needed!!)

 

Finally...

If you are beyond Pately Bridge this coming Saturday

 (16th September) and fancy an interesting nosey 

around Wath Mill then drop in to their open day - 

free of course!!