Finally getting to Cumbria - MNTV Christmas weekend at High Wray, 2nd-4th December 2016

This was our first proper Christmas weekend for two years: Storm Desmond wreaked havoc in 2015, the high winds causing the cancellation of our weekend, with the rain and consequent flooding taking the national headlines. This year Cumbria was in a much calmer state, and we enjoyed good weather throughout the weekend.

We were eleven strong in all, with nine arriving on Friday evening (most having met for a meal at the pub on the way) and two joining us at the worksite on Saturday morning. Having metaphorically shuffled our feet and looked askance when offered some hedge laying (a larger group isn’t ideal for the task, and several people usually end up getting cold – see ‘Alderley Edge Jan 3rd 2016’) our task would be pulling up an unwelcome encroachment of spruce next to a SSSI area of bogland above Windermere. This would be a much more energetic task and make sure we would all keep warm and supple all day.

Pip shows how it's done while Tim and Ranger Matt look on.

After Ranger Matt had shown us the technique for using a mattock and loppers to manoeuvre the spruce out of the ground (cunningly using a noticeably small specimen for his demonstration) we split into four groups to have a go ourselves. Some of the trees were between twenty and thirty feet tall, and tested our arms, backs, and other obscure muscles that only get woken up about once a year.

One for each of the twelve days of Christmas. All eleven of us now on the worksite, plus Ranger Matt.

Morning break saw us joined by Louise and Lyn (a small search party helped them to find their way across the bog to the worksite) and woodland ranger Richard, who had seen movement among the trees while out walking, and came to check that nothing untoward was going on. He was accompanied by both his dog and his son, who was magnificently attired in a tiny dragon suit. The dragon was particularly fond of chocolate brownies, which was handy, as we had plenty of them to go round.

Lisa demonstrates 'the death of Christmas' in tree form ...

... and hides among the debris. Note the fine badger bobble hat.

The heave-ho then continued, and a large pile of vanquished spruce began to accumulate, before we took lunch. Matt and Lisa headed off to start cooking Christmas dinner, taking two trees with them: a five foot spruce to use as the basecamp Christmas tree; and a one-footer to plant up at home. The rest of the gang continued to work throughout the afternoon, finishing up at 3pm to return to the basecamp. Two more spruces also made the journey back, to be taken home by Louise and Lyn.

Christmas dinner went like clockwork, and was served up at 6.30 bob on, with a strange absence of panic (I even had time to leave the oven for 20 minutes to get a shower), and there was just enough to go round with a small amount of leftovers. Dessert stole the show though, with the sticky toffee pudding (accompanied by a choice of toffee sauce, cream or fancy vanilla custard) going down particularly well. Louise warned us she might have to take hers to the dorm so we wouldn’t hear the rude noises she’d be making while eating it!

Back at the basecamp, enjoying the Christmas roast

After the traditional Secret Santa (no-one seemed upset by what they got, and some seemed positively delighted), Ally organised a couple of games which involved lots of names, lots of guesswork, the odd moment of confusion and lots of people on one sofa. For those present, a certain Irish musician will now forever be known as ‘Delivery’ Van Morrison and the Cluedo character Reverend Green will be associated with rap. After so much hard work and excitement in one day, it was no surprise that everyone was ready for bed by 10.30.

Sunday began with a steady trickle of people into the lounge/kitchen at regular intervals from 8am onwards. There was enough food for breakfast without adding a fry-up into the mix, so we decided the keep the bacon, sausages and eggs for lunch, and go for a walk by Windermere instead. Clear skies and a crisp frost made for a perfect winter morning in the Lake District, and we wandered along the shore to Wray Castle to enjoy great views of the Langdale Pikes, Fairfield and the low-lying countryside in between.

We set off on Sunday's walk with a spectacular backdrop of the Fairfield horseshoe.

The chill in the air made the lunchtime fry-up all the more welcome, and then before we knew it, it was time to clean up, divvy up the leftover food and head back down the M6. It was a very successful and enjoyable return to a beautiful part of the world. We’ll be back up here in August 2017, but in the meantime we have one more workday left this year – hopefully Mick & Pip won’t be left laying hedges on their own next week!