Post and rail fencing at Styal 25 March 2012

The sun shone brightly and it felt like a summers day in March - so we got quite hot digging....

Eight volunteers turned out for the task which was to remove a section of wire fencing and replace it with post and rail. This is a task where it is difficult to keep people busy so 3 volunteers moved off to do other work on the estate (which will be recorded here if they email me and tell me about it!), and Ian straightened the gate posts on the track and adjusted their hinges so that they now actually swing freely and close together.

We took down half the old fence, and removed the intermediate posts quite easily but the straining post at the end next to the field gate was a bit stubborn - we got it out eventually and started on the new fence.


We got the first "bay" in - 2 posts and the rails between them and stood back to admire our work - at which point we realised it didn't look right - the holes needed to be deeper. So after consulting the warden / ranger Tim we dug up the first posts and started again!

By lunch time we were starting to get going...

We stopped at three having got very hot and drunk a lot of water - completing 4 bays (a little under half the section) and reinstating the stock netting before we left.
The last fence post was a bit of a banana - I think there is an optical illusion in the last photo that makes it look like it is leaning more than it was - either that or the sun was getting to us by the time we put it in!

"We did that!"

The group spent a Sunday in October, dealing with the last of a patch of Rhododendron beside the car park at Hare Hill gardens and planting bulbs in the resulting bare ground - see this post "Hare Hill on Sunday 16th Oct 2011"

Karin was walking there this week and has sent me these photos

Thurstaston Common 18 March 2012

Five volunteers from MNTV met up at Styal and shared cars to get to the meeting point at Royden Park from where we walked with representatives of both Chester and Merseyside National Trust Volunteers and the trust itself on to the common.

We spent the day cutting / pulling up scots pine and birch saplings. The scots pine were removed by the trust while the birch were stacked on site for later collection by Chester Zoo, where (I am told) they will be fed to the Giraffs and Elephants!

Alderley Edge on 11 March 2012

Thanks to Daniel for the text and photos - I took a weekend off....
Five of us spent today hedge laying at Alderley Edge. We laid 20 yards of hedge, continuing a section that the Congleton and Sale volunteers began last Sunday. The hedge was at the far end of the Wizard car park and as the day wore on more and more people parked near by, had a look at what we were doing and even asked questions! The weather was perfect and at times the sunshine was warm. This felt like the first workday of spring! More than once we heard the pecking of a woodpecker and from the worksite had good views over to Lyme Park, White Nancy and Shining Tor. This is the last hedge laying we will do until after the nesting season.

Ten Pin Bowling at Parrs Wood - Tues 6th March

Half a dozen MNTVers met at Parrs Wood Ten Pin Bowling for one of their 'TenPin Tuesdays' evenings where the bowling and drinks are half price.

It was good that we'd pre-booked as the whole place was wedged, music was playing and there was lots of chatter, howls of laughter and a great party atmosphere.

We played a couple of games - some of us were better than others, some were very consistent with their scoring whilst others (including me) got a 'strike' one minute but missed all the pins the next!! The star of the show, even though she gave lots of tips to the rest of us, was Charlie who was streaks ahead and won both games comfortably:-)

Unfortunately, we couldn't get the flash working on Sue's mobile quickly enough, so there are no photos!

"Rhodi Bash" Dunham Massey 4 March 2012

Nine volunteers turned out and continued the ongoing war with Rhodi at Dunham, in one of the areas of woodland just outside the park.
We made good progress and a large controlled fire