Woodland work at Alderley Edge on Sunday 7th December 2025

Organising this Sunday was a breeze because the Ranger at Alderley was so organised she sent us photos of the work she wanted doing two weeks before the workday! She did think the workday was a week earlier, but still it’s the first time I’ve had photo instructions. Video next time?

Here is a sample of the photos:

So we started by collecting the tools from the shed. Luckily Jenny, our MNTV leader for the start of the day, had been at Alderley Edge during the week and had had training on how to use the winch. A big tree had come down across a path near the Wizard Tea Rooms so we used the winch to stabilise the tree whilst it was cut and to drag it off the path.

We drove round to the quarry off Mottram Road and had a look at the different tasks that needed to be done. In the (almost) dry weather we decided to start by cutting back the brambles to make a good path to the upper quarry field. We then moved the piles of brash that had been left (by us) last year to further under the trees, leaving the meadow more open.  It was good to see that not many new birch seedlings had appeared since last year.

We paused briefly for a drink and cake. The cake was loosely based on a bread pudding and incorporated some of the leftovers from last weekend at Calke Abbey (using up cheerios, fruit and fibre, bread rolls, milk, cream, apples and a bit of butter from the weekend all mixed with a jar of Christmas mince meat). It was delicious and has been christened “MNTV cake”.

The other nibble made from bacon covered in dark chocolate was deemed “edible but strange” and christened “Dead rats”. You can see why below - so not one to repeat.

We then moved swiftly on in the drizzle to the lower meadow and had to cut our way through brambles just to reach the worksite. The alternative path was too steep and slippery for us to carry the heavy equipment down. Once through to the meadow we headed for the patch of trees we had been asked to clear.

There was a sturdy tree nearby to anchor the winch to. A couple of people went round trimming the tops off the trees, leaving a waist high stump, ready to be winched.

The winch was time consuming to get set up but once it was all in place it made light work of pulling the trees up with hopefully enough root to stop regrowth.

Our intrepid leader and dubious culinary delights provider left early claiming she had to go and  sing at the Macclesfield Hospice "Light up a Life" service. Nothing to do with the rain I’m sure! Everyone else worked through lunch break as it was so wet - sustained by the chocolate bacon perhaps? We  packed up a little earlier than normal to go home, have some food and get warm and dry, returning the tools to the shed on the way.

Jenny

Christmas at Calke Abbey - 28th November - 1st December

The day is over, it's time to head to bed, it's been a long 5 days and an age since my last lot of annual leave. The holiday is here finally, my alarm is off as tomorrow it's baking and packing as I head to the Lake District on Friday for MNTV’s annual Christmas weekend, is what my Facebook tells in memories of 7 years ago.

It's Friday and you find me having done my baking and packing on a train heading for Derby as I travel to MNTV’s Christmas weekend at Calke Abbey. When first advertised it was a winter weekend but after a vote it was decided that it would be our Christmas Weekend, very early I know, but the members spoke! With a long train journey ahead of me and not sleeping to well I'm gonna kick back and relax maybe have a nap and I'll come back to You later…

4 hours and 20 mins later I reached Derby where I was met by Jenny who had picked up the shopping on route to meet Me. Once I had found her and put my bags into the car we made our way to Calke Abbey. The basecamp is at the end of the one way system through the park, so we had to tell the kiosk we were going to the Basecamp so we didn't have to show our volunteer cards. Upon arrival at the Basecamp we discovered Mary, her luggage and her 6 bottles of wine had just arrived. The Basecamp is basic with bunkbeds but with the number of people we had staying we all had bottom bunks. Upon arrival we discovered many flys in the ladies dormitory, they were everywhere, on the floor, the beds, the curtains, light fittings so we got the hoover out and started cleaning them up alive and dead ones….after settling in we awaited for the arrival of Jack, Sarah and Denise. Andy and Clare who were staying nearby in a NT Cottage, joined us to put up the tinsel and fairy lights. Sarah arrived at just before 6.30pm and shortly afterwards Sarah, Jenny, Mary and Myself headed by car to the local watering hole, The Milking Parlour. Andy, Clare and Jack had set off before us to walk. Once there we awaited for the arrival of Denise who had got caught in traffic. We hadn't just gone to the Milking Parlour for a drink, on a previous visit to Calke we had visited it and seen they cooked pizzas so we partook in the consumption of pizza, there were unusual flavours, Greek Lamb, Feta and Hot Honey was a winner as was Seasonal Roast Veggies and Herb Creamed “Cheese”, an interesting choice and very much enjoyed was Salt and Pepper Chinese Beef after the delicious food we headed back to base this time we all got a lift as we now had 2 cars with us. Upon return to basecamp we slowly headed to bed.

Saturday dawned wet, we breakfasted and prepared ourselves for the day ahead. Just before 10am Ranger Paul and Apprentice Ranger Holly joined us in the basecamp to introduce themselves and tell us a bit about the task. Jenny unfortunately wasn't able to join us, she was looking after a knee injury that had flared up, perhaps unfortunately isn't the right word with the weather we were going out into. 

Our worksite for the weekend was Staunton Harold Reservoir, willow coppicing, with some blackthorn thrashing thrown in for good measure. The bits of willow that we had coppiced were either to be made into 6-7 ft sticks for den building and the other was meant to be chipped but as the ground was so wet and not being able to get the chipper in position, Paul and the Team had to rethink, a dead fence to pretty up an old fence. It was a wet morning and we enjoyed our coffee and lunch break in the cafe which had very kindly said we could sit in there as it was so wet, it felt a bit odd eating cake we had made in a cafe that some very tasty cakes on offer, there were also real toilets which was a bonus. Having spent the morning working away, Denise and Sarah headed back to help Jenny with preparations for our dinner that evening. The rest of us carried on working and by the time we finished our days work at 4pm it had stopped raining, the sun made a brief appearance and we had seen a rainbow but it had turned colder.

Upon arrival back at Base I discovered that Sarah and Denise had made their way to the Christmas fair and lights trail which was located by the house so I decided a shower was needed and then I headed off to the festivities. Having a quick look round the Christmas Fair I found Denise and we went round the lights trail and watched the house lit up in many different colours. We also went under the house through the tunnels that were built for the servants to move goods around unseen, they were decorated for Christmas.

We found Sarah and headed back to  Basecamp, where we found Andy and Clare had joined us. Christmas Dinner had been expertly cooked by Jenny, we had Chicken, Pigs in Blankets, Roast Potatoes, Roast Parsnips, Carrots, Peas, Sweetcorn and Gravy, followed by Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce. We chatted and then went to bed as we were tired after a long day.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny, we all left Base at 9.45 as we were due to meet Paul and Holly at Staunton Harold Reservoir Car Park at 10am, to carry on the day befores task, but today was extra special as we had Shropshire and Staffordshire NTV Group joining us. They had bought 12 volunteers with them, more volunteers means more work gets done, well that was the plan and it worked. When breaktime was called we produced our cakes and they produced their cakes. There were many different kinds, Victoria Sponge Cake, Orange and Sultana Cake, Banana, Date and Walnut Cake, Chocolate Brownies, Chilli Chocolate Brownies and Rice Crispie Mars Bar Cake. There were lots of whooping with the number of cakes available to try.

There was no room to sit in the cafe so we commandeered the picnic tables outside for our breaks. Mary left us after lunch to head home as she had plans for early Monday morning. The day was a day of blue skies, laughter, hard work and chatter. As the day drew to a close it was great to see the amount of willow we had coppiced, we hope the resident bird watcher is pleased. 

We said goodbye to SSNTV and headed for base where we dined on Chicken Curry, Rice and Naan, Sarah and Denise left us after dinner to head home and after washing up the evenings pans and crockery Andy and Clare left us too. That left Jenny, Jack and Myself, it had been a busy day, so the three of us headed to bed to relax get some kip.

On Monday morning we made sure we hoovered the basecamp, swept the floor, took down the Christmas Decs and packed up the food then headed for home. Jack left first, Jenny and I left shortly afterwards and called in at Kedleston Hall to see it decked out for Christmas. As we were heading in the hall we met Andy and Clare who had had the same idea as us. We very much liked the decorated Christmas Trees. My particular favourite was turquoise and blue ribbons.

It was a long journey home for me, I travelled in style having upgraded myself to First Class and got back to Edinburgh at 8pm.

It was a fantastic weekend with great chat, fabulous banter and great food. I’m very glad I had an extra day at home today as it is now Tuesday night and all the washing is done and I’m back to work tomorrow.

It was great to meet another group like ours, we hope this will be an ongoing arrangement going forwards. We hope to join SSNTV at Shugborough Hall this Summer.

Removal of red osier dogwood at Quarry Bank Mill on Sunday 23rd November 2025

Nine of us met up with Ceara before walking to South Wood to begin the task of cutting down and stacking red osier dogwood.  No, I  didn't know what it was either and had to ask good old Google!  It is a non-native species that grows prolifically and seems, once established, like rhodi to tangle itself.

We started around the mill pond, disturbing a heron that was stood minding its own business, stacking all the cut shoots by a tree that had come down in storm Claudia.  Ceara asked if we could help to move the tree, so once brew finished we set to loading up the trailer using straps to help carry the big pieces, between four people, as well as cutting some into more manageable sizes and dragging as much as we could out of the pond.

That was hard work not made any easier by the downpours that kept up all day.  There is still some to move because they need a chainsaw on them.

Finally back to the dogwood which was further down the woods along the riverbank.

Thank you to Ceara for a good workday and especially thanks to my colleagues for all their hard work in the most inclement weather.

Christine

Birch clearing and rhodybashing at Lyme Park on Sunday 9th November 2025

We had a great day at Lyme Park today working on two tasks in Lantern Wood.

The first was clearing birch in a sight line from the Lantern in a roughly southerly direction which was completed.

The second task was rhodybashing and burning, where the area we were working on was a good bit up the hill from the Lantern.

There is still however a few years left of bashing required to clear the wood of rhody.  The rangers were very happy with all our efforts.

Martin

Halloween at Biddulph Grange Gardens

You find me on my way home to Edinburgh I'm currently on train bound for York as with the West Coast Main Line is closed between Preston and Carlisle due to a train derailment at Shap, in the early hours of this morning I'm heading for the East Coast Line.

I was in Manchester to join the group for a workday at Biddulph Grange Gardens. I was joined by 8 others on a chilly but sunny Sunday morning, for our annual task for taking out the Daliahs. This task involves cutting down the Daliahs, taking out the stakes which we had put in earlier in the year, making sure to keep a hold of the labels so that they can be tied on to the tubular and then put in a crate with other plants of the same name. There were names such as Boom Boom Yellow, Edinburgh, Purple Gem and Golden Sceptre. Some of the Dahlias were still looking good but it was time for all of them to come out.

Before we started we were asked if anyone wanted to cut a bunch of Daliahs for the cafe so I offered…you can see my arrangement below.

We had our coffee break at outside tables that belonged to the cafe and although it was in the shade and a little chilly it was great to be able to enjoy being outside with nature, Robin Redbreast joined us in the hope of getting some crumbs leftover from our Mr Kipling cakes Sue had provided. 

Work carried on and some of the daliah beds were in sunshine which was actually quite warm and others were in the shade and coats were needed. But we worked away at our different tasks wherever we were. Lunch was eaten near to the worksite some of us in the sunshine others not. It did make me smile that out side the gardens was a sign that said no picnics and there we were eating our picnics. Whilst working we had been passed by many visitors asking for advice about Daliahs also saying how much they had enjoyed seeing them on previous visits. We even got asked about the group, hopefully they will join us on future workdays. 

Many of the visitors to the gardens were families on the look out for Halloween related objects, we found this chap working hard near the truck and trailer where we were putting the cut off dahlias, he was dead pleased to see us as his heart was no longer in it. His name badge told us he was called Albert Spinestein....

We finished our day at about 3.15pm we didn't quite manage to take out all the Daliahs but Gardeners Holly and Jack were delighted with what we had got done.

Afterwards Sue, Jean and I went in search of a Red Maple Tree in the China Garden, Sue had been told about. It was fabulous to see, particularly with the colours of the Chinese Garden.  

Sue and I also followed a sign I had seen on the way in, it was an arrow with Kitchen Garden painted on so we went exploring....

Thanks to everyone who joined Me we had a great day...and yes I made it back to Edinburgh

Putting up bird boxes and bashing rhody and birch at Alderley Edge on Sunday 26th October 2025

We got an extra hour in bed this morning because it was clock change day.  Is this why we got ten people meeting up at Alderley Edge on a damp Sunday?

The rain was intermittent all day.  It was one of those days when if you’d been inside you would have thought the weather was horrible, but it wasn’t so bad being out.  We managed to find a dryish spot for lunch.

 

We had a variety of tasks to do in the same area, so plenty of choice.  Two pairs went off putting up bird boxes that had been made by local school children in the summer.

Two others went off to hunt down and destroy any rhody they could find in “Rhody wood”.  Others went off in search of birch to pull up with tree poppers or by hand.

Any oak saplings they found were carefully dug up to preserve the roots and transplanted to the new tree nursery.

 

It has been a fabulous year for fungi - and since it’s Halloween I have included a disembodied hand for scale ;-)

We had a good day, removing unwanted vegetation - to keep the habitat as heathland.  Hopefully some birds will find the nest boxes in the spring.

Jenny

Cancelled - workday at Bickerton Hill on Sunday 19th October 2025

Due to lack of volunteers and looking at the weather forecast we have decided to cancel today's workday.

Our next workday is on 26th October at Alderley Edge.  Jenny is leading and will be in touch this week with all the details.

Ally
MNTV Chair