Thursday 28 March 2013

Pie Night in Wilmslow - 27th March 2013

This month's social was at the Coach & Four pub in Wilmslow.  Wednesday night there is Pie Night and ten of us tucked into a selection of delicious pies (Steak & Ale, Gammon & Mustard, Chicken & Leek, Chicken & Mushroom, Cheese & Onion and Seafood) with vegetables and chips/mashed potatoes.  The pie slices were generous and the food was excellent value at £8.95 per plate.  It was nice to catch up with people, a couple of whom I'd not seen for a long time, and hear what they've been up to recently when they've not been MNTVing.  Denise joined us at 9pm after we'd eaten.  Topics of conversation included people's summer holiday plans (one of our number is cruising in Alaska!), Gawsworth concerts, Ashes cricket and electric cars.  We even had a demonstration by Tim of how to 'Eskimo roll' a kayak with or without a paddle!!  All told, a very enjoyable evening.


Date for your diaries: the April social is a pub quiz at The Plough in Heaton Moor on Monday 15th April at 8:30pm.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Rhodi bashing in Stockton Wood at Speke Hall 24 March 2013

I took the day off to catch up on some much needed sleep - thanks to "Mick" for the text and photos... 

'Digging and burning were the order of the day at Speke today. We were working alongside the Merseyside volunteers again, removing rhododendron ponticum from Stockton Wood (on the left as you drive into the estate). As you can see from the photos the groups have worked here many times before and the rhody is getting very sparse.
This meant the volunteers (eight from Manchester and seven from Merseyside) were spread out through the woods and two fires were lit to avoid dragging the rhody a long way to be burnt. There were also piles of brash and some felled birch trees which went onto the fires as well.
The Head Ranger at Speke prefers the roots of the rhododendron to be dug up rather than spraying the stumps. The digging turns the soil and long-dormant wildflower seeds wake up and germinate in the clearings. The birch is being thinned to allow more light and space to help the process. We finished a little early to enjoy a tour of the Tudor hall in the afternoon sunshine.'

Sunday 17 March 2013

Thurstaston Common 17th March 2013

Bramble and sapling removal from an area of wet lowland heath on Thurstaston common.

Five volunteers from Manchester tuned out, met up with a somewhat reduced team from the Merseyside volunteers and the local ranger.

We spent the day removing brambles, and saplings that were two well established for the grazing animals to control.  Cutting them down and then digging out the bramble roots were possible.  There was a heavy slow moving shower of cold rain / hail around midday that didn't look like it was clearing - so we packed up early and left.

Sunday 10 March 2013

Rhodybashing at Dunham Massey on 10th March


Eleven of us including Sue Bonner’s nephew Joe spent the day in Headman’s Covert at Dunham Massey having a good old rhodybash and bonfire.  Was the excellent turnout partly explained, I wonder, by the looming year end (31st March) and people topping up their hours to get their 50-hour cards?  Obviously the promise of a tasty cake was a factor!  It’s months since Daniel was last at Dunham and in the interim they have begun construction of the new Visitors’ Centre/Restaurant near the car park ticket office – due to open in August.

We worked in the middle of the wood to take shelter from the bitter easterly wind.  Over the years we have removed the majority of the rhody in the wood and today eradicated a fair bit more.  Gordon kindled the fire and he and Mick stoked it all day while the rest of us cut and bashed.  Daniel’s Jaffa Drizzle Loaf proved a hit at elevenses and lunchtime.  Ranger John Mann missed out on a slice because once he’d set us going he left and didn’t reappear until we’d finished for the day!

There goes the rhody...!
Sue and Joe left after lunch because Joe was off to the Man Utd - Chelsea FA Cup quarter final.  He will have been happy with United’s first twenty minutes’ play but not the 2-2 scoreline.  At 14:30 we let the fire die down and left the worksite at 15:00 with the fire turned in and the leftover cuttings piled neatly to one side.

Today’s rhodybash was our last at Dunham this winter because the bird nesting season is imminent. When we next visit Dunham in the summer we will be edging Charcoal Drive.