The window is opening soon
As July came to an end this week the NCVs were preparing for the next window of tree tube recycling. It made a welcome relief from balsam pulling and was a job that they were well used to, having carried out this task earlier in spring on a number of occasions.
Yates House was a new venue - always interesting to see - and the job mainly involved the removal of hedging spirals rather than many of the usual tubes.
Ok - the scene is set - let's look at this week's pictures to see how well they got on....
This was the first hedge
encountered. 300m of spirals
to be removed.
Below it was the plantation.
Here the majority of trees
were still too small for tube
removal. Only the
dead trees were detubed.
Everyone needed to get down
on their kneelers to work the hedge.
Before...
...and after.
Often the tubes ended up like this.
Not good!
Others behaved themselves
and lay quietly awaiting collection.
Paul and Will were collecting
the discarded spirals and canes.
Occasionally there was
a surprise to be found.
Here was a new species of hawthorn.
Crataegus twirlywhirlycus.
And the odd petrified frog.
Crisp anyone?
Now and again we came
across tree cages. Osian
made short work of these.
Oh heck - these three trees
don't look in peak condition!
By coffeetime the first
hedge was done...
...and everyone was delighted
by the array of cakes that were
supplied by landowners Sue and Andy.
Thanks both - MUCH appreciated.
A small team was then left
to deal with any tube removal
in the plantation whilst the
rest marched up the hill
with the the Grand Ol'
Duke of York.
Here they started wok
on the 100m of more
restricted hedge.
It was at this point that Will
was given the bad news that
this little chap had got into
his rucksack and eaten his
lunchtime pork pie.
Oh deary me. Naughty boy!!!!
Slowly but surely the
spirals succumbed...
...to allow the gang to once more
get behind the Grand Ol' Duke
as he led them down again.
The bags of collected material
were loaded into Liz's trailer...
...and then everyone went and
had lunch in a beautiful garden.
What's not to like about volunteering?!
And some other walling news that we have been waiting for the go-ahead from Menwith Hill to publish from 3rd June....
Wallers' update
by Graham
Following on from three weeks ago, when the wallers prepared the Menwith Hill wall for this year's Earth Day rebuild on the 3rd June. The group welcomed five volunteers from the base in the morning and another seven in the afternoon to have a go at walling. As in previous years, the volunteers were an enthusiastic bunch who picked up the basics very quickly and produced a very respectable bit of walling .
Overall we worked in five groups over 25 yards or so of wall, topping off 5 yards and adding several courses beyond. This was despite some heavy rain at times, although never persistent enough to curtail the event. The hosts had kindly laid on pizzas for lunch, which was very much welcomed together with a visit and personal thankyou from the RAF Cdr, a personal note of thanks from the Base Director and an inscribed celebratory walling hammer which has now been incorporated into the wall (see photo). Our thanks to all the team at Menwith Hill for their hospitality and for another successful walling day.
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