On a May workday we decided to make a difference to the end of the path created on the make a difference day. This had been a bone of contention with us since the path was completed as the water pooled at the end and made it very dirty and muddy.On the way to the site we took a few pictures of the woods to show what happens when you let light into them. The Bluebells are out in such profusion that it is now possible to call them the 'Bluebell Woods' for the first time in 30 years. (Click on the thumbnails to see the full size pics.)
Also on the way we encountered a lovely piece of mindless vandalism where someone had set fire to the table on the edge of Clears Croft.
This kind of thing makes the work we do seem almost pointless.
To the work. We were to dig a trench and two soak holes to encourage the water to traverse the path end and continue down the path so that the end of the path would remain firm underfoot. The soil was London clay and the work proved tiring but we proceeded apace. A band of eight working with pick, shovels, mattocks trenching tool etc. The infill for the sink holes was to be large pieces of clinker from the Green Pond and the rest of the pipe was to be covered with the finer filling dumped in there by the council many years ago.
Whilst walking around there my daughter, Katherine who was helping us shot a few views of the area including a new seat we put in last year.
The views up and down the path show how clear everything is.
We make sure that when we are working people are aware of us and know to take care.
More views of the wonderful profusion of bluebells
these are so scented that the whole woods smell of them.
The next series of pictures show the people at work. No names are given so as to protect the guilty.
The person weilding the sledgehammer is of course the youngest of our group at 17 and is also a female so if you wondered if we were equal opportunity - we are. Everyone can work themselves to death if they want to.
And to end, the work is done and we leave the site as you can see.
No different than when we started. As if we weren't even there. Does the drainage work? I hear you ask, ( I have very good hearing). We shall have to wait because of course we have had no significant rain to demonstrate it.
