Fencing at Bosley Cloud on Sunday 27th January 2019

It was a cold and very blustery day for our second visit to Bosley Cloud this year.  Once again our planned worktask changed due to there being just three hardy volunteers - well that was two plus myself!  This worked out well for Tim (Ranger) as it enabled him to complete a job started last year but not finished ... something more important kept cropping up.

We met Tim a little later than usual (at 10 o'clock) to enable him to collect required materials then went in his pickup to Red Lane.  Here there are two footpaths to the Cloud and we were working on the lower path.  Our task was to take out old fencing, move one of the new posts to a better position and replace with new cleft fencing.  Whilst David and myself started on this, Andy dug a hole for a new National Trust sign at the stile entrance.  Tim had to cut the notches in the posts using drill and chisel plus shape the rails using his chainsaw.  

Team work prevailed and we just managed to get it all completed in time.  We met several walkers checking on the best route to use but didn't get anyone to volunteer to help. 

Christine

Litter picking at Styal on Sunday 20th January 2019

Colin had to change today's work task from his original plan of footpath edging to litter picking due to wet ground conditions.  Six of us met in the carpark above Quarry Bank Mill and split in to two groups of three.  Colin provided us with a map of the estate with our individual areas highlighted for us and we left the car park in opposite directions with plenty of bags and a litter picker each.

We met back up at the car park for a slightly later brew.  Is the first time MNTV have had their brew in a bus shelter?  Colin was there to meet us with the next phase lined up for us.

After our brew, four of us jumped in with Colin whilst Adrian and Issy followed in Adrian's car.  We went down the airport road, debunked and proceeded to clear the meadows and pathways leading up to the viewpoint overlooking the runway and then worked our way along the airport road.  It was at this point we found the most interesting item, an old bike that had been there so long a silver birch had grown through the spokes of the wheel.

All I can say is why are people so unthoughtful about our environment?  Apart from the bike there was clothing, an umbrella, glass bottles, tin cans, plastic items of all sorts, crisp/sweet packages plus the inevitable poo bags... oh, and not forgetting two tyres.

Rant over, thanks to my colleagues for a great day and thanks to Colin for sharing his ideas/plans for the estate which includes the planting of thousands of trees including some rare black poplar.

Christine

Task change at Lyme Park on Sunday 13th January 2019

Today we were due to have a Rhodi bash and fire to burn the rhododendron in Lantern Wood, but the weather forecast was predicting rain, wind and gusts of up to 46mph so, erring on the side of caution, we were asked to neaten up the edges along the drive from the Stables to the East Lodge holiday cottage instead, so that the vehicles that used that road didn't damage the edges any further.
The weather didn't put off our enthusiastic volunteers as 16 turned up today:-)
We worked mainly away from the tree's, which was good, and close enough to the Stables to be able to use the Rangers room for our break and lunchtime, plus we had the luxury of being able to use a flushing toilet!!

We spent most of the day cutting back the edges and putting the surplus into barrows before they were tipped into the tractor for disposal. Jenny also got the opportunity to use the leaf blower to blow the leaves and mud off the drive.

We'd finished by lunchtime and so, after lunch, we did the same around the front of the Stables, before the rain came down quite heavily around 3pm.
We were pleased that we'd managed to make it all look a lot tidier:-)

 Photo's courtesy of Adrian.

Construction & destruction at Bosley Cloud on Sunday 6th January 2019

Ten MNTV members plus Josh who is doing his Duke of Edinburgh award came out for our first workday of 2019 to blow away the cobwebs and work off the mince pies.  They still managed to eat lots of cake!

As there were so many of us we split into two groups.  The first group stayed with Tim (Ranger) and his truck and erected a sturdy gate and fencing.

The other group grabbed some tools and walked up the hill to the open heathland for a spot of destruction.  We pulled up saplings so visitors and wildlife can continue to enjoy the open aspects of this part of the hill.  Pulling up the birch saplings was hard work (even the smallest saplings held on by long roots) but we persevered.  We carried the saplings to the forest on the other side of the track to rot down and provide a wildlife habitat.

Bosley Cloud was true to its name.  At the top of the hill we were mostly in cloud but the ground was nice and dry.

Jenny

(Photos: Jenny and Karin)