Greenhow: 03-05-2016

Oh Calamity! 16 NCVs all ready and waiting to go up the hill from the Council Chambers at Pateley to work on the Scott Gate Ash Quarry footpath - WITH NO TOOLS AVAILABLE!! Someone (nobody knows who - but when they are discovered they will be given a severe wigging) had managed to lock the inner door of the workshop and take the only key home with them. What on earth were we going to do???

Relax. Ideas man extraordinaire, Will, came up with the bright idea of going up to Coldstones Quarry on Greenhow Hill to dismantle the lettering that had been laid out the week before, for the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race. Give that man a medal! All we needed was some plastic bags.

Unpinning and rolling up yards of white fabric sounds simple but in a stiff wind it was not quite so straightforward. The photos below show the task in glorious technicolour.

Ros E.

The NCVs queue up to make use of the 

unexpected facilities before they start work.

"Nidderdale welcomes the T de Y"
 was laid out for all the world to see.

Up close the letters were huge.

 NCVs got busy yanking out the metal pins and bamboo canes.

Fabric was gathered up and stuffed into bin bags.

20 of these were bought and filled but we needed a good 20 more.

Osian lay, exhausted, on the ground. 
At least he stopped the fabric blowing away.

Of course, once everything had been collected, 

it all needed carting off down to the road.

NCVs luxuriated on some of the deconstructed signage - 
worn out after the 'Maid of the Mountain' stretch of the race.
Bananas were the order of the day to restore energy levels.

Now James - just how many tons of fabric, 

metal and bamboo can you fit in your van?

Room for some more?

...what about a bit of yellow for a change?

Let's go in the side door too.

Right - enough's enough. Everything is in. 
No room for James though!

First aid training and Toft Gate: 26-04-2016

Another day of options! Those NCVs who were trained in first aid last year were offered the chance of a half day refresher course, so 8 opted to take up this useful opportunity. 10 other NCVs and students joined James up at Toft Gate lime kiln to continue work on that fence that has been challenging us for the last few weeks. Any super keen NCVs could join the fencers after lunch and 5 did this - in spite of the worsening weather conditions.

First aid training was given by Stephen Smith at the council chambers in Pateley Bridge. Even though it was only a year ago that we were trained (and, again, three years before that) it is important that we are updated. As we seldom have to use our skills (thank goodness) the knowledge soon becomes hazy. The advice of 'use it or lose it' is certainly pertinent here and we do not want to be wishing we'd brought our first aid manual out on a task if a major problem occurs.

Stephen shows us a defibrillator machine. Apparently 

there are a number of these in the dale and we only need 
phone 112 or 999 to find out if there is one nearby.

 Everyone had a go at refreshing their CPR skills, 
singing either 'Nelly the Elephant' or 'I will survive' 
to ensure that we kept to the right rhythm.

Alistair and the CPR model got very friendly during the process.

After Stephen demonstrated how to use the defib machine...

...Jan and Ruth had a go. Unfortunately to no avail. 
This patient was definitely a goner. 
Mind you - what kind of life would he have had if he had survived? Bad enough without arms or legs and only the front part of your torso, but joined to someone else in the same situation is no fun!

Fencing at Toft Gate was far more physically demanding. The underlying bedrock was still there and causing difficulty. However, the day started clear and bright which kept the spirits up and the job went well, with rails starting to be added to those posts that had been inserted. A halt was called at 2:30pm when hail showers made working conditions difficult. Some photos of the task show just how dedicated the NCVs are. (Only afternoon shots are available.) Needless to say - more work lies ahead!!

 Teams spread out along the line of posts and busied 

themselves with spades, spikes, hammers and nails.

Will used a spirit level to ensure that the rail was horizontal.

Yes - nice and straight so far. 
(Although difficult to tell in the dark conditions!)

Josh felt as if he'd done a good job.

Osian, the mighty, took on the challenge of a 
post hole rather than opting for the easier 
task of fixing on the rail  

Oh dear - don't look that way!

The hailstones got bigger and stung our faces. 
At least those of us who had attended first aid training 
earlier would have been able to treat anyone 
with hail related lacerations or hypothermia.

Ros E.

Fishpond Wood and Toft Gate: 19-04-2016

Today was a day when the group had to split in two once again. A group of 12 fencing stalwarts revisited Toft Gate to continue work inserting fencing posts alongside the permissive path from the kiln to the cafe. Another group of 12 went into Fishpond Wood to meet the owner, Peter Brambleby, for a day of cutting back and burning rhododendrons. This needed to be done to enable Peter to drive his quad bike right the way around the pond.  Luckily for everyone it was a sunny, dry day. Hurray!! The photos tell the tale......

At Fishpond Wood:

The lake looked gorgeous in the morning sunshine.

Whilst awaiting Peter's arrival, the NCVs made 
a start by tidying up near the bench.

Don't think that we can't see you both standing around.
Get busy. No shirking!

This was the offending clump - a complete tangle of 
branches that loomed over us.
A seemingly impossible task lay ahead.

Some NCVs attacked it from the back 
and others from the front.

The branches were dragged away...

...to make 2 piles near the lakeside.

Slowly, progress was made. The clump grew smaller....

 ...and smaller.....

..and smaller.....

...and smaller.....

....until it was all gone.

Meanwhile the brash piles grew and grew until, eventually, 
Peter returned with a fire lighting kit. 
Then the brash piles started to disappear!

Three NCVs patiently plugged away at a rhodie 
root whilst the bonfires burned.

 A group from Open Country lent a hand once they finished 

their own task elsewhere in the wood.

 

Burn I say. Burn. or I shall prod you with my pitchfork.

The brash burned well once the fires took hold as the hot weather ensured
 that the brash was dry. It also brought on a few cases of steamy feet for 
the unfortunate NCVs who had worn wellies!!

Yes Peter. I think that you can get your quad bike through there now.

Meanwhile - up at Toft Gate:

It was decidedly better weather up on Greenhow, 
to gather in the car park for a briefing this week!

Stones had to be shifted to allow some posts to be inserted.

Plenty of posts were waiting to be inserted into holes.

Jan demonstrates the strength of his post -
 or is he just holding it up?

Tea break at last.

Just how many NCVs does it take to peer into a hole?

Josh practises his geology and 
finds some fossilised coral.

Meanwhile Julia unearths an old bottle that used to contain 
'Owbridge's Lung Tonic made in Hull (and found in Nidderdale)'
If you want a brief history of this efficacious medicine then click HERE.

Look how many posts have been put in now.