NCVs save the Nidd!
Ticking Time Bomb defused!
It was an all out push this week. The NCVs (not for the first time) were having to work like fury to pull and slash the balsam, growing on the banks of the Nidd, before it had chance to explode its thousands of seeds everywhere. Having cleared up to Wath last week they still had to check the gill up at Summerstones farm and then go downstream at Limley farm. Time was of the essence and lots of NCVs were otherwise engaged in more holiday like activities. It was clearly going to be a hard day for the small team available.
So - let's crack on up at Sumerstones.....
Right gang - slashers at the ready.
Large swathes of balsam growing
up th gill to the right of the road!
That's it Adrian - a softly, softly
approach then give it a
good back hander.
Mick preferred to keep his
eyes pointing down to
avoid seeing what lay ahead.
Probably just as well
as it was not a pretty sight.
The swarms of man eating midges
made their presence felt,
so nets had to be deployed.
whatever it took to get rid.
Tim emerged triumphant
from the encounter.
Of course - it wasn't just uphill.
Oh no, no, no,
It was growing in abundance
down the gill too.
At first the slope seemed benign and clear.
"Ha ha! Fooled you," yelled the
millions of balsam stems growing
on the seep sides of the gully.
Oh joy. A bumper crop growing
on the face of a vertiginous cliff.
Try as they might
the NCVs could not reach these
stems that gaily wafted around
in the breeze.
Where's Inspector Gadget
when you need him?
After what seemed like years,
the NCVs finally reached the farm.
Too late to move on to Limley Farm,
but maybe that could be done next week?
As expected, the team won the day at Summerstones. If balsam eradication had been an Olympic event, they would have won the gold medal in Paris. As a reward for all their hard work they were treated to an ice cream at the How Stean cafe before wending their way home.
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