Help needed at short notice

Hello All

 

John D. and I have cleared the space for Summer Fayre, on the previously ignored land at Warren Road in front of Beck Cottages, which is actually Common land.

It’s going to be even better than I dared hope, with some fourteen stalls arranged in two sweeping curves.

 

Today (Thursday) we cut the rough scrub and raked it up into heaps in time-honoured fashion.  On Saturday morning I would like to move the heaps to a dumping site at the edge of our clearing and need help so to do.  This need not be particularly heavy work as the distance is small and all the raking up done.  Six of us will easily manage in an hour, more in less, and  I would really appreciate any help you can give, starting at 09:00am.  Sorry about the short notice, but without any precedent for anything like this to rely on, I am having to make it up as I go along, and so far it’s looking alright, fingers crossed.  Please let me know if you can help, I really hope you can.

 

Regards

John

All done for now

Well done everybody.  I suppose having a working party on Mothers’ Day was perhaps a bit insensitive, or at  least unaware, but anyway a good job was done and The Pit now reflects great credit on SCT.  That’s it for now; a great season with more done, quicker and with defective machinery.  Apart from a few ad hoc jobs to get us spick and span for the summer, the next thing to note is our Volunteers’ party on 3rd May, followed by the midsummer bash on 21st June.

 

Regards and best wishes

John

Cold work, but worth it

Although the sun was out, the wind was strong, and the water in The Pit still very cold indeed. Undaunted, two of our number ventured into the freezing waters, suitably attired in waders and warm clothing. While Brian went out to the depths, attached by a rope to a fellow-volunteer on the bank, Noel stood ready to haul back the bulrushes (or more properly, Greater Reedmace) that Brian pulled out. This is an annual task, to prevent The Pit from becoming choked, but we usually do it in the Autumn, when it is perhaps not quite so cold.

Here is Chairman John's message of thanks:

Hello All

 

To all who participated at The Pit today, thank you very much for a typically successful  morning.  Judging by the smiles on everyone’s face, you got well-deserved satisfaction from what was achieved, and I guarantee your efforts will be noticed by the community at large.  I don’t usually single out individuals  but I think you’ll agree that Brian and Noel, who spent a full two hours in zero degrees water, do deserve special praise.   My feeling is that we should repeat the exercise in two weeks time, tidying round the edges and knocking back a bit more bulrush, but I’ll be in touch later about that.

 

Thanks again and well done

John

Final cut of the season (and far too much dog mess)

Despite the lack of our usual leader this time, a group of 11 volunteers gathered for the final cut of the current season. We wanted to have another crack at the central area, which is cut every year to encourage the growth of orchids, bogbean, grass of parnassus and a wealth of moss species. It had been cut at last October, but not finished as Grizzly's cutter bar was blunt. We've been waiting ever since for the right part to be delivered from Germany, but still no luck. Nothing daunted, we resolved to try to re-do some of the least well cut vegetation, and to finish off what had been abandoned. We succeeded, but only by going over everything twice.

Low point of the session: clearing three spade-loads of dog mess. Why, oh why, do some people think that the basic good manners of clearing up after their pets don't apply to them? Most of us do, but some seem to think they're exempt. I accept that I should clear up after my own dog, but I do take exception to doing it for other people.

High point of the session: a Jack Snipe was flushed when Grizzly got too close. That's the first one seen here this winter - we usually get a few sightings each year.

Chairman John being away, this working party was led by another John. Here is his message of thanks:

Another excellent morning on the Common - a hearty thanks to you all for your efforts which have enabled us to complete all the cutting and clearing scheduled for this winter, with time in hand.

This is down to your dedication, hard work and cheerful go-for-it attitude whatever the weather or the appeal of the Sunday morning lie-in!

We still have some booked winter sessions (the next being Sunday 1st March) which we will use for various other small works and maintenance tasks. Details will be sent to you nearer the time.

It's all kicking off now

I took the time to have a proper walk round all the five Southrepps Commons this morning, clocking up a very decent 27 bird species, and a muntjac. Now is the season for snowdrops, and not to be outdone we have a few ourselves, on the "Bradfield Road spur" of the boardwalk.

Walking along Bradfield Road, I noticed quite a few more growing in the woods.

Highlights amongst the birds were a heron at Scouts' Pond (both on my way out, and still there on my way back two hours later), a buzzard soaring effortlessly despite being harassed by gulls above The Pit, 3 siskins in Bradfield Road woods (I found them because one was singing), and best of all, a woodcock flushed from the trees opposite the area where the orchids and cotton grass grow. It was noticeable that large numbers of blue tits have moved into the woods; perhaps from nearby gardens, or perhaps from further afield.

The place was getting pretty noisy too: as well as the singing siskins, I counted four song thrushes living up to their names in a big way, a couple of skylarks, and loads of great tits, robins and chaffinches in good voice.

I think we can say that spring is under way - let's hope it keeps it up!

Big turnout on cold morning

The night before had been atrocious: driving rain, sleet and some snow in a howling wind. The early morning didn't seem much better, but once we arrived at area B (Warren Road end of the boardwalk) to do our work, it started to brighten up.

We thought numbers might be down, but in the event 17 volunteers turned up - it seems the nastier the weather prospects, the more some people like it! Such was the turnout that the area was quickly cut and cleared, and we all packed up half an hour early.

Here is Chairman John's message of thanks:

Hello All

Today’s thank you is especially well earned.  The Common was not the most uplifting thing when the alarm went off this morning, and finding the most believable excuse for staying put was much more fun to do.  I  am ashamed to say that I really didn’t expect the large turn-out and wondered if we would struggle to achieve my objective.  As we all know, I need not have worried and once again a truly splendid job was done, reflecting great credit on the SCT Volunteers, and appreciated by all the village.  And on that latter point, you don’t have to take my word for it, we receive a generous donation with the note, “Just to thank you for the pleasure the common gives us.”  I have passed it to the Catering Department with instructions for extra chocolate biscuits.

Next working party is on Sunday 15th February when we shall go back to Central Area.  That will complete this year’s cutting programme with time in hand to do some other important jobs which so often get neglected.  And now that you can take bookings for 2015, please note our big anniversary celebration, a village fete with a Merrie England twist, on June 21st in the afternoon.

Kind regards

John

Cold start, warm finish

Today's working party got off to a very cold start, after a heavy overnight frost.

Fourteen hardy volunteers turned out despite the cold, and by the mid-session tea break they had all warmed up through the effort involved. But also, the mist cleared and the sun came brightly through.

All our volunteers look the part:

After two hours hard graft, more than half of the area was cut - we should easily finish next time, by which time Grizzly should be back to full working order.

Here is Chairman John's message of thanks:

Thanks very much for a really impressive and rewarding effort today.  If anyone says getting up to this morning’s hard frost and grey sky was easy, they are either lying or bonkers.  But once again the sun shone on the righteous and we were blessed.  For those who didn’t hear me, the new cutter bar for Grizzly arrived at Randall’s on Friday and WILL be fitted by our next outing, so look forward to a razor-cut finish with the land shaved to within an inch of its life!  Next time is two weeks from today, 1st February, at same time and place, when the long dry reeds will make for easier and more satisfying work.  Goodbye for now and thanks again.

 

Kind regards

John