Outstanding jobs - please queue here
It was a return visit to the Pateley Bridge Scout hut at Millenium Green for the NCVs this Tuesday. If you remember - there were some unfinished jobs from 2 weeks ago to be tackled. First there was a little matter of an unlaid hedge and then there were a lot of young trees, all waiting paitiently to be planted. Luckily the day was due to be dry (unlike last week!!) so - how did the gang get on? Read on to find out.
Upon arrival, the trees were all found queuing expectantly,
some in need of water.Thanks Andrew!
Liz acted as a queue sign -
"This way NCvs please!"
First in the job queue was the rest
of the fence wire that needed removal.
That was a HORRIBLE job - as the
look on Dave's face indicates.
Once the fence was down there was the little
matter of the heap of 'stuff' that had collected
behind it over the years.
Rocks, tarmac, plastic (e.g.a frisbee), vegetation -
YUCK!!
Now - that's looking better!
Once the area was clear, Phil, fresh from
his experience of hedgelaying in last week's
competition, stepped up to the plate and
started pleaching the stems.
Will did the valuable job of brash piling the
vegetation that needed removing.
Nice one Will.
Now then. What job was next in line in that queue?
Ah - yet another horrible mess that needed clearing.
Not to worry - ace clearers Brenda
and Anita were on the case in a trice.
Once that job had been done the next one
of planting those trees could commence.
The trees were very excited about being
planted and grateful to finally be in the ground.
Not all were lucky enough to get that
far this week and started complaining
when they got put back in their holding pen.
Further down the job queue there
was more hedgelaying going on.
Luckily they didn't get carried away and
lay the lampost on the left.
One particular stem was completely
tangled up and needed special attention.
Andrew did his best to get the
rope over the branch - with no luck.
Tim was queuing up behind and tried next.
Still no luck.
It took Liz, with much courage, ingenuity
and determination (photos censored)
to sort the problem out so that the chaps
could drag it free. HEAVE!!
The newly laid hedge looks a bit
brutalised at the moment but, come spring,
will grow up beautifully.
Shame about the concrete posts, but
their removal is beyond the paygrade
of a lowly NCV!
All the brash from this part of the hedge
was used to make this deadhedge, the final
job in the queue. It's only a temorary structure
until it decays but invaluable habitat
in the meantime.
At coffee time the NCVs queued up for
a sitting speck - this quartet were at the head
of the queue and bagged the bench.
No wonder they are looking so smug.
The quintet at the back had to make do
with a very wet log. Liz looked longingly
at the bench .......
Days of a bygone age no.5....
Now here's someone who is weighing up the pros and cons of going for a swim at the lido. Who on earth can it be? Take a guess and check it out next week.
