Maxfield Plain: 28-01-2025

PATELEY PIGEON POST

Sports page

Place your bets!!

A Tuesday without hedge planting? Well, as far as the NCVs were concerned,  that wasn't going to happen was it?  Not at this time of the year anyway. No - it was back to Maxfield Plain to continue the job started last week.  685 trees were queuing up, waiting to be inserted into the ground, so the gang had their work cut out to get the job done. However, when they arrived on site the gang discovered that they had been entered into the first round of the National Hedge Planting Championship.

Liz announced that "... because you were able to plant trees at an amazing rate of 5 trees per minute last week, you met the criteria for entry into this new sport. I have, therefore, invited Sir Reginald Montague Smythe (one of the competition's adjudicators) to join us in order to verify that you can, indeed, maintain this planting speed."

At this point Sir Reginald ("Just call me Reggie") stepped forward and laid out a few ground rules. The NCVs were told that they would need to match or improve on last week's rate in order to qualify for the next round of the competition. He then blew his whistle and started his timer. 

The NCVs sprang into action - 

eager to prove their incredible 

planting abilities.

Over the fence ...

...where a line of canes lay waiting.

Trees were doled out...

...and NCVs got down to business

whilst Will kept up a steady stream 

of trees and spirals.

The spirals just wouldn't fit 

around the dogwood saplings.

At coffee time there was an 

'us and them' situation.

The second class NCVs sat 

on the concrete floor...

whilst three NCVs sat on their 

first class stools.

Andrew plied everyone with

Lorraine's delicious cakes...

...and the tub of Heroes from the 
Christmas walk was passed around.

After coffee the hedge planting was

 finished off and a start was made on

 the planting of some field trees.

At noon Reggie blew his whistle and announced the result. Not only had 540 hedge trees been planted, so too had the first batch of 25 field trees. i.e. 565 trees inserted in 2 hours giving a planting rate of 4.7 trees per min. 

"Impressive or what 

Reggie?" shouted Julia.

Everyone cheered and turned to Reggie awaiting acclaim. However, smiles turned to frowns as Sir Reginald declared the round null and void due to the fact that there was one extra person out working this week. Needless to say 'Just call me Reggie' was booed off the farm as the NVCs continued with their day.

60 more trees were planted in a gully.

These required sturdy posts to 

withstand the attentions of 

the grazing sheep.

Superman Tim worked single 

handedly with his post knocker.

Gully complete, another 20 trees 

were planted in each of three more field corners.

The final corner was on the far

side of this VERY wet bog.

Oh Joy!!

In other news:

NCV Paul was grieving the loss of his allotment shed - a victim of Storm Eowyn. No tree planting for him this week; only clearing up the mess.