Glasshouses verge: 28-11-2023

OK NCVs - roll up your sleeves.

It's time for action!! 

 After two days of preparation it was felt that it was finally time to make a start on the actual laying of the Glasshouses verge hedge.

No more prevarication! No more preparation! Let's get the job done!!

Well - at least started......

 

A well prepared hedge and a sunny day.

What more could you possibly need?

 

These 2 NCVs were in deep conversation

 about where to cut the stems. 

 

These 2 were just getting on with the job.

 

Once the pleachers started to be laid....

 

...the job moved on apace. 

 

Hang on David - I think that you are

 becoming part of the hedge!! 

 

Despite all the previous preparation there 

were some additional stems to be removed.

 

These started piling up - as usual. 

 

 No worries - Anita was ready 

to start processing the brash.

 

And then, of course, all of it 

was used to make a dead hedge 

to fill in the gaps. 

 

Now THAT is a nice bit of pleaching Brenda! 

 

You too Ken.

They were all pleaching merrily away

and suddenly it was time for a break.

 

This shot shows just how many turned out this week.

Oooo - what's in the box Julia?

 

Nice one - orange and raisin sponge. 

Thanks Julia.

You can definitely come again.

Back to work - time for some rails.

This is when it really starts

 to look professional.

 

 

By home time a large part of the hedge was completed.

 

Even the stretches of dead hedge looked good.

Hackfall Woods: 21-11-2023

 

Unexpected item in the

 (bagging) work area!

The NCVs ended up doing some unexpected work this week. The task email mentioned clearing culverts and fallen branches. You would expect this, given that now is the time of year  when the beautiful colours of the autumn trees all end up blocking the drainage channels in Hackfall Woods. A visit post storm Debi was bound to have brought down some deadwood. Indeed - the day started with just that kind of thing, as you can see below, although there was an unexpected task for one team up by the ruin.

 

Yes - here's a fallen branch.

David - the saw please!

 

 

Oh, and here's a blocked culvert. 

Just deploy your spade, Julia, will you? 

 

Talking of culverts - this one was a real mess.

Water was going  everywhere,

 apart from where it should have been.

 

This team managed to get it sorted, which was good. 

Water was now spouting down the correct 

channel and not eroding the hilside.

 

However, before they reached the final goal 

Ken stood in a rather ill-advised place 

and got soaked, literally, from head to toe.

 

While Ken was being showered, the team

 up by the ruin dealt with a rotten hand rail

 and some leaf covered steps.  

 

That's it David. 

Bring on the saw again. 

 

And Julia - that spade again please. 

 

Now that looks better ...

 

....and safer without the broken handrail!

The real surprise came when these jobs were finished by coffee time and Liz announced the next job, near the Grewelthorpe entrance to the wood.

 "Now, we just need to take down these holly bushes, dead hedge the brash and clear the area to  see where some new steps have to be constructed" she said - as cool as a cucumber. Needless to say, the NCVs didn't bat an eyelid. They simply picked up their bow saws and loppers and got busy with this unexpected task.

There was rather a lot of encroaching holly...

 

...on both sides of the footpath.

It was making the woodland entrance

 gloomy and spoiling the view..

The holly was cut...

 

 

 

...and dragged...  

 

...and gradually processed into, not just one...

 

...but two, high quality, dead hedges. 

Amazing what can be achieved 

by 8 people in 4.5 hours!

The entrance to the wood has been transformed. 

Now all that has to be decided is 

where best to construct those steps.

NOT a job for today!

Glasshouses and other news:14-11-2023:

 

Might as well finish-

 but mind those thorns!

After making such a good start in preparing the Glasshouses verge hedge 3 weeks ago, it seemed like the obvious thing to continue with the next bit of the job. After all, once a hedge has been prepared as well as this one it will be a doddle to come back and lay. So, after braving the heavy rains and floods brought on by the tail end of Storm Debi - off the majority of the NCVs toddled, clad in their high vis jackets and thick work gloves, ready to lop, saw and dead hedge large quantities of prickly hawthorn, bramble and rose. 

 

This was the section the team started working on.

And boy did they work!

By coffee time it was all but done....

....and the resulting brash beautifully 

fashioned into a state of the art dead hedge.

Definitely time for a shortbread biscuit.

(Andy C won them in a raffle - see later.)

This shot gives you some idea 

about how wet it was!

Then it was time to move onto the next section.

This was not for the faint hearted.

Another dead hedge was started until, at 1:30, 

the rain started to come down again and 

everyone decided enough was enough!!

Hang on - can we just rewind to the start? Why did only 'the majority' work on the hedge??  

Well - a select group had opted to stay at the barn - NOT to sit with their feet up all day (in case that's what you are thinking). Instead they attended a wreath making workshop led by Linsey (Anita's neice).As you can see - they all went home with some excellent wreaths.

 

Now - how much ribbon will I need?

 

Adrian looked very pleased with the 

progress he was making with his. 

 

Anita made some Mince pie flapjack to 

get everyone into the Christmassy mood. 

Here's the recipe if you want to follow suit.

What a line up!

These aren't just wreaths. 

They're M&S wreaths!!

And this is the woman that made

 it all possible - thanks Linsey!!

And finally - in other news.....

On Saturday 11th November a group of NCVs attended the 2023 Yorkshire Hedge Laying Association competition in Nosterfield quarry. Read on to see the results....

 

Three of the group were entering the

 novice class and 6 of the gang were

 there to assist as necessary.

 

Phil and his assistant (another Andy) 

weigh up the 17 year old hedge.

Andy C. and Paul worked all day 

without the assistance of a chain saw.

Liz decided to use stilts to untangle the tree tops.

After a two hour false start on the wrong section 

of hedge (administrator's error), amazingly 

she caught up and did a great job.

Andy came second in class,

AND managed to purchase a winning raffle ticket.

Go Andy!!

And here is the whole crew, worn 

out after a full day's work

 (8:30am start-4pm finish).