Rivers Training: 03-09-2019

Pateley Pigeon Post         

HEADLINE NEWS!

NIDDERDALE AONB USES CHILD LABOUR.

SOCIAL SERVICES GET INVOLVED.

Our roving reporter A.N.Other just happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture these shocking images on Monday morning. When he questioned the adult who appeared to be in charge of this small band of hard working children (NCV co-ordinator Ms Milner - aged 21 and a bit) she seemed to have no shame in admitting that the Nidderdale AONB was, indeed, using child labourers to complete the clearing of the cut vegetation from Glasshouses verge. He immediately went to the nearest telephone box and contacted social services to alert the authorities. 

It is not yet clear what the outcome of this outrageous behaviour will be.

Ms Milner tried to make it look as if she was doing all the work....

 ...but it was clear that this was not the case.

This particular child was ordered to goose step with gusto

 in order to fit the grass into the trailer.

The child was left so exhausted by the experience 

Ms Milner had to support her to remain upright.

"I'm glad to be going back to school tomorrow" the child was heard to say.

News round up from other parts of Nidderdale....

Now then - what appears to be the problem?

The NCVs weren't quite sure what to bring with them this week. Did they need a stethoscope? A blood pressure monitor? A thermometer? 

The reason for this musing arose when the email went around announcing that they were to have 'Healthy Rivers Training' this week. Now, whilst the equipment listed above may well be handy for a human health check it may be less so when it comes to rivers. So - in the end they just decided to take a packed lunch and a pair of wellies. If a river was involved then wellies were bound to come in useful.

A morning spent with trainer Jackie Smith in the Pateley Bridge Council Chambers classroom soon ensured that they were well up to speed with all the necessary facts, acronyms and sampling techniques to allow them to go forth in the afternoon to practise their newly acquired medical skills on their patient - namely the River Laver at Laverton. 

Some highlights from the NCV HRMS (Healthy Rivers Medical School) were reported by the group leader as follows:

Ros K. found a piece of grass but was sure it was a Crayfish. Perhaps some further work needed here Ros?

Sally tried to sit in the white sample trays herself. Whether or not this was by accident or design it is not clear but she then made up for her error by catching two eels. Well done Sally!

Ken caught  a Bullhead fish. (See bottom left of picture below.)The details of how this was done were not forthcoming. He could have been using a fishing rod, a net or simply tickling the fish's belly but, however he did it - impressive. He won't go hungry on a desert island!

Liz rescued a tiny toad from some large boots - Good work that woman!

Lots of Mayfly nymphs were found by everyone. 

Glasshouses verge update:27-08-2019

THIS AT THE BARN ....

OR THIS AT THE VERGE?

Anyone who was on duty the day when the barn was first taken over by the NCVs (pre-blog days) would have viewed this week's alternative job to further work on the verge at Glasshouses with absolute horror. 

Why? Because the alternative was dusting off all the cobwebs from the roof and shelving of the barn - that's why!

"Not likely - it was bad enough first time", they would have thought.

"I came home with dirt in every nook and cranny of my body - including my mouth, nose, ears and other areas that can't be mentioned", they would have remembered. 

"It's definitely the scythe or the rake for me", they would have decided.

In the event nobody got around to doing any dusting. There was too much grass control to do and too few NCVs to do it.

So - did they finish the scything job? Let's see....

The day started with a knobbly knees competition due
 to the hot weather conditions.
What a pretty sight!

Trailer man Andy once again was on duty and no sooner
 did the trailer arrive at the verge than it was full of grass cut last week.

 The scythes were all sharpened and ready to use so...

....4 scythers got busy scything.

...and the remaining 3 other NCVs got busy pitch-forking and raking.

The grass was - of course - added to the ever growing heap behind the barn.
"Any room for another fork full?"

All of this activity, it must be remembered, took place in the blazing sunshine which beat down mercilessly on the toiling workers. Sun cream was applied. Water was drunk.

And once or twice NCVs were seen taking a moment to stop and have a chin wag. 
The combined movement of three chins created a cooling breeze which swept 
around the bare knees and lowered body temperature nicely.

The verge stretched out, ready and waiting into the distance.

But any NCVs looking back could take heart from how far away 
they were from the starting point at the picnic tables.

Talking of which - these tables offered a welcome bit of shade for coffee and lunch.

They also offered a good crop of juicy blackberries that were 
added to yogurt to enhance a lunchtime dessert.

Tony managed to snap this dragon fly up close on an ash twig. 
What a pity that the tree looks as if it might have ash die-back.

Eventually the scything was complete and everyone then lent a hand with the grass gathering.

6 trailer loads were transported but 0.1 mile of the verge 
(that's about 3/4 of the second half) still needs the roadside heaps clearing.

This large swathe of lovely Bird's-foot-trefoil was spared the scyther'sblade
It still needs to set seed before mowing.

By 2:30pm the team were just too hot and tired to rake another wisp of grass. 

So - it was back to the barn with the final load.
My goodness - that compost heap has certainly grown since last week!!

Tools were put away and scythes were dismantled.
No more scything until next August!

Glasshouses verge and the NCV barn: 20-08-2019

Although volunteer co-ordinator Liz was unable to be on duty this week the NCVs were left in no uncertain terms about what had to be done. A list of no fewer than 7 jobs had been sent out for tasks to be done, both at the barn and along at the verge near Glasshouses. Whether they could all be achieved in one day was very much a moot point, but the NCVs are never ones to shirk a hard day's work so jobs were shared out and everyone got busy. 

Liz - here is a summary of how we got on.....

JOB 1 - Clear away the heaps of cut grass on the verge and add them to the new compost heap behind the barn.

Luckily Andy brought his car with a tow ball so could spend the day being 'Trailer Man'.

Just how many men does it take to join one trailer and one car together?

Once the trailer was joined up the job could begin.

The week old piles of grass gradually got shifted to their final resting place.

There were occasions when those below the wall felt overwhelmed.

By the end of the afternoon the compost heap had reached 
proportions that were visible from outer space...

...and grass shifting NCVs were keeling over with exhaustion.

Overall Result - Some piles of old grass were still on the verge by home-time so:

JOB NOT COMPLETED. X

JOB 2 - Complete scything the first half of the verge.

The scything team quickly got onto this.
All except for Alistair who spent the first half of the morning 
contemplating the nature of life.
(He claims this caption should read:
 'Alistair took a short, well earned rest after working very hard'.)

By coffee time the scything of the first half of the verge 
was complete and ready for raking.

Overall Result: Job done. a

JOB 3. Make a start scything the second half of the verge.

This job got started after lunch when the raking was complete.

Overall Result: Job done (well started anyway). a

 Talking of lunchtime - guess who aired their socks?

There was a very amusing lunch time discussion which was toilet focused. This resulted from the NCVs discussing the pros and cons of losing their Portaloo by the barn. As a result of this one NCV has sent this link that you may find helpful in the future:

Five leaves you can use at a pinch.

Phil issued a special warning based on experience - ON NO ACCOUNT USE A FIG LEAF. The resulting discomfort makes you wonder what on earth Adam and Eve were thinking.

JOB 4. Store the wood and drainage pipes around the back of the barn.

OK - that should be a straightforward job.

Ah - perhaps not so easy - this lot needed sorting out first.
Will decided that this was NOT a one man job!

Eventually the back of the barn got tidied by Will and Stan...

...and the wood and pipes were able to be shifted to their new home
 - leaving the way clear for job 5.

Overall Result: Job done. a

JOB 5. Spread the bag of sand near the barn to make a path round to the back.

Before the job could be started the water bowser needed shifting.

To make this possible it first had to have some water emptied out.

(When Ros E. attempted to fill two water bottles from this bowser the whole tap unit came off in her hand and yet more water issued forth all over her feet. Luckily Trailer Man leapt to her aid before she was washed out to sea.)

Now that's out of the way - here's the sand...

 ...and here's a man with a wheelbarrow.

Fling it around over there....

...and the job's a good un.

Overall Result: Job done. a

JOB 6. Sand down the barn's external paintwork ready for painting.

Yes - we can see why that job was added to the list.

Overall Result: JOB NOT EVEN STARTED - NO TIME. X

JOB 7. Sweep up leaves at the front of the barn and clear moss out of the grids.

Yes - brushing up needed but Will reported that the grids were OK.

Will is a very good brusher upper.

Overall Result: Job done.a

So Liz - not all the jobs got finished but it was not a bad effort. We now know what we'll need to be doing next week!!

One extra job had, unfortunately, to be done. Thanks to some mindless vandals some of the signs in Old Spring Wood have been damaged....

 The interpretation panel was in pieces...

...this entrance sign was ripped apart and a second has disappeared altogether.

So - before setting off for home - Phil and Jan kindly helped Ros E. rescue the interpretation board ready for repair.

Thanks lads!