Keeping in Touch - edition 11 - Christmas Special

Seasons Greetings One and All

I started typing this as I sat watching the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 Final.  This means it's nearly the end of the year and the next day was our final workday for 2021 at Lyme Park.  MNTV’s 2021 season began after the second nationwide lockdown on 18th April with a workday at Formby and although we have had a couple of cancelled workdays and a few changed venues we have worked pretty much every Sunday since then.

MNTV have worked so hard during the 2020-21 season.  Between September and December 2020 for workdays and May 2020 and March 2021 for the Committee the group managed a total of 683.25 hours of which 133.50 were Committee hours.  This may have been our shortest year ever but with 2022 just around the corner to finish off the MNTV year I’m hopeful that there will be a full year of volunteering for you to come.

With Covid restrictions having eased but people still hesitant about travelling and sharing a dormitory I wanted to let you know that there will be no weekends in 2022.  My plan is to bring weekends back to you with a bang in 2023 with our annual Christmas weekend hopefully making it a big celebration of all we have been through since Covid-19 appeared.  Where this will be I’m not sure but once I have some more firmed up plans I will of course let you know.

It’s 27th December now and I have found some time to finish this edition of Keeping in Touch - Christmas Special.  I emailed your worksite leaders two days ago with the programme so they could sign up to what they wanted to lead.  Yes, I was working on Christmas Day, all in the name of MNTV!  The 2022 program has taken some planning and it’s not totally confirmed but I wanted to give you an idea of what we have in store.  Here are some of the highlights:

Your first workday of 2022 is on 9th January at Alderley Edge and Daniel is already planning his bake for the day.  We will be back at Alderley a further three times during 2022.  Our first longer distance workday is at Formby on 27th February.  The task is not confirmed but I have been informed there’s plenty to do.  On 20th March my hope is to set up a workday with the Ranger Team at either Marsden Moor or on the Stubbins Estate.  If not I have other options.  On 3rd April we travel to Erddig to join forces with our friends from Merseyside.  We will be over there again with Merseyside in July.  At the end of May Merseyside join us at Dunham and we will see them again in July at Dunham.  On 5th June although a Bank Holiday Gardener Paul at Biddulph Grange Gardens has requested our company to help with the annual task on Dahlia Walk.  We will be back at Biddulph at the end of October.  On 12th June we again join Merseyside on their patch at Chirk Castle to see what's been going on since we were last there in September 2019.  Also in June we have the first of three visits to Hardcastle Crags.  We will be there in July and August too.  The 3rd July brings us the second of three visits to Speke Hall to help Head Ranger Ian with tasks across the estate.  We will be there again for the final time in August. 14th August brings us our late summer visit to Hayfield to help the guys there with many different tasks that will no doubt need doing after so long a break with no volunteers.  11th September brings us one of many visits to Formby.  Chris and the rest of the team at Formby is delighted to have our help as there is always so much to do.  On 2nd October we will be at Lyme Park.  They love having our help and can't wait to see us.  We will first be there on 23rd January.  Dunham Massey, one of our most popular worksites, is included in the 2022 programme many times with and without Merseyside and we will be there without Merseyside on 27th November for, at the time of writing, some plantation thinning in the parkland.  This will be our last visit to Dunham in 2022.  We end 2022 on 18th December with a visit to another of our favourite worksites, which is again included many times in the 2022 programme, The Styal Estate.  The team there always enjoy having us and provide a variety of tasks.

Your worksite leaders are eager to get back baking and out there volunteering.  If you would like to have a go at leading then please let one of the Committee know or just send me a quick email.  My thanks go to my worksite leaders for agreeing to lead.  

So that is the programme out of the way.  Now for the fun stuff.

A little bit of news from Hayfield:

I had an email recently from Iain Thistlethwaite who some of you may have met to say he is leaving the National Trust on 2nd January for pastures new.  He asked me to pass on this message: "Thanks to you for organising the planned workdays and the group for all their hard work on our sites.  It's been a pleasure to work with them on the occasions I have been out."  I wished him the best of luck from us all.

Pictures of workdays since September ... I think they can be summed up by saying we work in all weathers!

Tooled up for bracken bashing at Hardcastle Crags, 22 August

Lunch in the sun during the bracken bash at Hardcastle Crags, 22 August

Clearing 'grits' on the old Edale Road on 5 December

How to recycle or reuse Christmas cards:

I get very few Christmas cards but my Mum and Dad get a lot and although they do recycle the majority there are some that they are able to make into gift tags.  As well as gift tags, below are a couple of ideas that you could use your Christmas cards to make

Further details of ideas can be found at https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/craft/a3005/recycling-christmas-cards/

1. Decorations

There's no need for Christmas cards to only be useful at Christmas.  Turn them into stylish New Year's Eve decorations.  Cut them up, stick pieces together to make decorative garlands and bunting.

2. Place Settings 

If you have an intimate dinner party planned for New Year's Day or any other time of the year for that matter you could upcycle your Christmas cards into lovely table place tags.  Cut squares, rectangles or a shape of your choice from your festive cards.  The white back section is particularly useful as you can paint or ink your guests names onto this. 

3. Next year's Christmas decorations

If you are guilty of being a bit of a sentimental hoarder then this one is perfect for you.  It means that you can hold onto your greetings cards from loved ones for another year.  By the time next Christmas comes around you'll be ready to upcycle them into some amazing Christmas decorations, like the ones below, including tree hangings, wreaths and shelf ornaments.  Put the most beautiful ones in a frame.

And my favourite ... 4. Gift tags

In keeping with the Christmas theme old greetings cards also make great upcycled gift tags.  Cut out the central motifs from the cards then write your message on the back.

Now there's no need to wonder what to do with Christmas cards once the festive season is over.  It's time to get creative!

For those of you who like a little treat then the below recipe is for Truffles.  They were a big hit with my friends and colleagues who get lumbered with my creations.

Simple Chocolate Truffles

You will need two baking trays, baking paper, food processor and heatproof bowl

Ingredients:

300g Oreo biscuits

150g Cream cheese

300g Milk or dark chocolate - you could use half and half like I did

Method:

1. Line two baking trays with baking paper

2. Grind Oreos into crumbs

3. Add cream cheese and mix until mixture reaches a stiff consistency

4. Take teaspoons of mix and roll into balls and place on tray 

5. Place truffles in fridge to chill for an hour

6. Melt chocolate

7. Dip each truffle in chocolate and carefully lift it out with a fork, tap on side of bowl to remove excess

8. Place covered truffles back on to tray and before the chocolate sets sprinkle with a little bit of what you fancy - I used Sugar Strands

9. Return trays to fridge to let the chocolate set

10. Enjoy!

I think that is everything I need to say apart from I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and if you were able to see family then that is all the better.  I on behalf of the Committee would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year or Hogmanay.

I hope to see you some time in 2022.

Ally

Rodybash at Lyme Park on Sunday 19th December 2021

Today's workday was at Lyme Park.  It was our fourth visit this year and our 31st workday of 2021.

Eight of us assembled in the staff car park behind the house and then walked with ranger Izzy to the worksite in Coal Pit Clough.  The view on the walk was spectacular with a clear blue sky and mist on the Cheshire plain with the tallest buildings in Manchester and the Pennine hills all poking above it.

Contractors with remote-controlled rhody bashers and caterpillar-tracked excavators have been in the clough clearing rhody and building leaky dams.  An ongoing job for human rhodybashers (us and the Tuesday and Thursday groups) is to clear rhody from the steep ground that the machines cannot reach.  The leaky dams reduce the rate at which water flows down the clough and should reduce the chances of flooding in Disley following heavy downpours.

Worksite on steep ground and leaky dam

Neil and Andy set to work and despite still air soon got a bonfire going.  The rest of us chopped up rhody and dragged it to the fire.  From time to time we heard brass band carols drifting up from Disley and for a while saw beautiful sunbeams in mist sinking into the clough.

Coffee break was called at 11:15 and we demolished the Christmas Tree cake that Daniel had baked.

Christmas tree cake makes its annual appearance!

During the afternoon the fire got wider and wider and taller and taller and we stopped loading it at 2:30.

We finished soon after 3pm and made our way back to the carpark.  Izzy remained at the worksite to make the fire safe once it had burned down sufficiently.

Thank you Lyme and Izzy for having us today and to my colleagues for their hard work and making the day such fun.

Wishing all members and their families a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.  

Daniel

Work at Yew Tree Farm, Dunham Massey, on Sunday 12th December 2021

Seven of us met up with Natalie at the car park kiosk on a grey Sunday morning, which should originally have been the Christmas weekend away.  We put all the tools into the van and set off walking to the worksite.

This was a new worksite for MNTV as we had to walk back down the road to near the Vine Pub.  Yew Tree Farm has been returned to National Trust care after having been extensively farmed.  Natalie explained how they had been awarded £500,000 as part of the green recovery scheme and what we were tasked with doing today was part of that project.  The scheme ends in March so all works must be completed by then.

Whilst this was taking place the sun came out which was a very pleasant surprise.

We split into 2 groups. The first group were to remove fencing along the public footpath that divides two fields.  This was to enable the Dunham rangers to lay the hawthorn hedge that was growing all around the fencing.  So it was a case of cutting a way into the hedge to get the bolt cutters on the 3 rows of barbed wire and try to pull it out from all the entangled branches and then remove the posts.  Martin had his own challenge - there was an old wooden gate also with the hawthorn growing around it at the entrance to the field.  He managed with great perseverance to cut it up and get it out.

Before ...

... and after

The second group were given the task of removing posts clearing rubbish as well as ground clearance.  This is in an area that will become a walkers rest area with picnic benches so people can sit looking over an area of water which is slowly becoming a bird haven.  With visitors in mind this group also built natural barriers with brash and cut back bushes to hopefully stop anyone falling into the water.

After lunch we all worked in the walkers rest area, some clearing brambles etc from around fruit trees and bushes as part of it was and will continue to be an orchard.  There are apple trees, raspberry and gooseberry bushes, rhubarb as well as things like bay trees.  All of these they want to keep as well as adding to and they will encourage visitors to take any fruit they want.

Before ...

... and after

It was a very enjoyable day with a wide variety of tasks.  Thanks to Natalie for providing us with this interesting job and thanks to my colleagues for their hard work.

Christine 

A long awaited social ... The Tenant of Wildfell Hall at MADS theatre on Thursday 9th December 2021

Well, the evening finally came ... our first face to face social since the pub quiz at The Hesketh on 9th March 2020.  Four of us (Christine & Andy, Jenny & Ian) had dinner at Kandy in Macclesfield and then another four of us (Christine & Andy, Daniel & Megan) went on to MADS theatre and saw their production of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - a stage adaptation of Anne Bronte's novel:

“My life, these past six years or more, and my inmost thoughts, and once you know its contents we must part forever”

When the beautiful and secretive young Helen Graham moves into nearby Wildfell Hall, Gilbert Markham becomes swiftly intrigued and offers his friendship.  But as her brusque reclusive behaviour increasingly becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced.  Can Helen escape the disastrous life she has left behind, or will the scandalous details condemn her forever?  A literary classic that still packs an emotional punch for a modern audience.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the play.  Kudos to Jenny and her wardrobe team for all the costumes.

Here's hoping that omicron notwithstanding we won't have to wait another 21 months to socialise in the same room together!

Daniel

Drainage work near South Head Farm on Sunday 5th December 2021

Seven of us met ranger Mark at 9:30 in the Sett Valley car park for our first Hayfield workday since 10th October.  We then travelled in convoy to South Head Farm - a journey not without incident with three of our six cars taking a wrong turn that required Mark to drive back from the farm, round them up and shepherd them back!

The task for the morning was to clear silted up grips (drainage channels) on the old Edale Road.  Long since impassable to cars this road is now passable by walkers, mountain bikers and Landrovers.  During the morning several mountain bikers came past pushing their bikes, a few walkers came past too and two fell runners sped past us downhill.  It's a beautiful worksite, ringed by South Head, Mount Famine and Kinderlow End.

We used mattocks and spades to clear the channels and drainage ditch running beside the track and despite there being no rain the water soon began to trickle down.  Coffee break was called at 11 and we tucked into the chocolate fudge cake that Daniel had baked.

Lunch was taken indoors at South Head Farm (welcome respite from the biting wind) and then in small groups we unblocked a drain on the farm approach road and unblocked the drains outside the farm itself.  They unblocked quickly and the over flowing water level quickly dropped.  With all drains unblocked we finished work at 14:30 and Mark then took us on a short walk down to the valley floor to show us the ruins of the 19th century bakery!

Thanks to Mark and my fellow volunteers for such an enjoyable day.

Daniel

Fencing at Styal on Sunday 28th November 2021

Seven of us met up with Craig on a crisp winter's morning for a task that was hopefully going to keep us warm.

Our worksite was only a very short walk from the car park on the path leading to the steps down to the mill.  A cleft fence had been started by another group and unfortunately it wasn't as level as Craig would have liked, so our first job was to take part of it out and put it back deeper in the ground so it was all of the same height.  Once this was done we continued erecting the fence going away from the car park towards the steps.

It did at times prove quite a hard task as we were having to dig into sandstone  this meant in a few cases the posts had to be shortened. None of this was made any easier by the snow that started to fall late morning.

Just as we were packing up we had a visit from Craig's family whose two daughters went home very happily with the four remaining cup cakes.

Thanks to Craig and my colleagues for a very productive workday.

Andy Hill

Rhody bashing at Lyme Park on Sunday 21st Nov 2021

Fourteen of us (including 2 newbies) met Ranger Claire in the main car park at Lyme Park, to go rhody bashing in Coal Pit Clough.

We walked from the car park, though the deer enclosure and stood on the slope down to the stream while Claire gave a tools talk and explained that we'd be working on both sides of the stream. She suggested that we had a fire on each side to burn the rhody so we didn't have to keep crossing the stream. Unfortunately it was very muddy and, with working on a steep slope, we had to move quite slowly and carefully so we didn't slip and fall in the mud!

Both fires were slow to ignite as we were in quite a deep ravine and there was little wind to help the fires get going.

Fire's on either side of the stream

Some of the group did however find some very large trunks and roots of rhody, that they just 'had' to remove!

The really big rhody root that was removed

We also saw Sue D, who is a MNTV volunteer as well as being a volunteer at Lyme Park. Even though she was Rangering at Lyme today, she managed to take some time out to come and find us and say hello.

working hard!

Although it was a dank day, we still got a lot done and Claire seemed delighted with what we'd achieved by the end:-)  

Break for lunch

Photo's from Adrian and Sue

Removing fencing at Styal on Sunday 14th November 2021

On a beautiful morning,  caught out by the surprise ice on the car, 6 on us met up with Stuart in the car park at Styal.

From there we had a shortish walk to our work site for the day to continue with a job we started three weeks previously of removing fencing from around ponds in a field that is used for cattle.  Luckily they had moved the cattle for us but left plenty of cow pats.

We set to and cleared a fair section before stopping to observe the 2 minutes' silence at 11:00 and then have our brew.  By lunchtime we had almost finished the pond area that had been allocated but Stuart, once that had been completed, pointed us in the direction of the next fenced area to be cleared.

It was a good day and Stuart was more than made up with what we had achieved.  Thanks to everyone who turned up for all the hard work and to Stuart for having us.

Before ...

... and after

Christine

Tree thinning at Alderley Edge on Sunday 7th November 2021

11 of us met today at Alderley Edge to continue the job we began on 17th October - digging up and cutting down birch saplings in an area of woodland across the road from the Wizard Car Park.  Removal of the saplings will allow bilberry and heather to re-establish beneath the native trees.

Unusually we were unsupervised (the ranger does not work weekends), but we knew what we were doing from our visit last month.  Tree poppers were an excellent tool to pull up the small saplings and proved that the right tool for the job makes things so much easier (and enjoyable!).

In the morning, half the group worked in the same area as on 17th October and the other half worked in a new area across the lane.  All morning, both groups struggled to get a bonfire going despite valiant efforts!

We took cake and coffee at 11:00, lunch at 1 and called it a day at 3.  Three people had to leave after lunch so at close of play eight of us remained to make the fire safe and return the tools to the rangers' toolshed.

Daniel

Workday fencing at Styal on Sunday 31st October 2021

Seven of us met ranger Vicky in the car park at 09:30 to continue tasks funded by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Vicky was a few minutes late due to the weather so we all huddled in the Outdoor Education Centre to escape the torrential rain.

The work site was just a five minutes walk to a field used by the Bollin Valley Partnership to graze longhorn cattle, the job - taking out an old barbed wire fence in preparation for contractors coming in to erect a new stock fence. We had also worked in the same field in August, planting wildflower plugs.

We used loppers and bowsaws to clear the scrub away, took off the wire using fencing pliers and claw hammers

then dug out the fence posts.

Barbed wire fence has to be carefully rolled to stop it springing apart when laid flat.

We finished the day tidying up the edges of the popular walking path that skirts the field.

There’s nothing to show for all the hard work - but that’s the point!

The product of our labours, ready for disposal.

A very enjoyable day, especially as the rain stopped soon after we started work and held off until we were back in the car park.

Text and photo's from Jean

Rhody bash at Lyme Park on Sunday 24th Oct 2021

Thirteen of us arrived in the main car park to meet Ranger Flo before walking up to the Stables block, where Ranger Issy welcomed us and we all walked to where we'd be working, at Coal Clough Pit, by the side of the Deer Sanctuary.

Safety talk before we got started

The weather was a bit mixed and it rained on us a little on occasion,

but it was a great day, we cut down and burnt lots of rhododendron ponticum (the common, invasive variety) on not just one, but two fires!! - although it was nearly three when we noticed some embers had landed on a nearby rotten trunk which was smouldering!

A roaring fire:-) 

It was a lovely workday - we had a new volunteer and some established members who'd not been out with us for a while joined us, including Sue who is also a Lyme Park Ranger, and who popped over to say hello.

It was great to catch up with Ranger Issy and also Ranger Flo, who'd only been at Lyme Park for a couple of weeks. 

By the end of the afternoon we let the fires die down, but continued cutting the rhody so it was ready for another time, or for another group to burn if they got there first.

Lunchtime

Photo's from Sue and Adrian

Tree thinning at Alderley Edge on Sunday 17th October 2021

Ten of us met up at the carpark at Alderley Edge in the drizzle for our first workday here since June last year.  After collecting tools we crossed the road to an area closed to the public which has been cleared of big trees but where birch trees have self seeded.  Our task was to remove the birch saplings some of which were 4m high.  The Alderley Edge mid-week group had already cleared part of the area and left plenty of wood to burn.  Despite the drizzle we managed to light a roaring fire.

The rain soon eased off and left us with a dry spot for the morning break (vegan choc cake and ginger cake).  Some of the small saplings could be pulled up by hand, others needed a bit more equipment.  We had mattocks and two “tree poppers” to use for the smaller stuff and the bigger stumps were pulled out with a hand winch attached to one of the mature trees.

By mid-afternoon we had cleared the patch of saplings so we put rope round the fire and headed back to the carpark having done a good day's work.  Local Granellis ice cream van was there for refreshments.  I know it’s good ice cream because I used to live 12 doors down from the factory shop!

Jenny

Zoom quiz on Thursday 13th October 2021

After the success and enjoyment of our first zoom quiz on 9th April, tonight we held our second.

Nine of us took part and between us set seven rounds of 10 questions.

First round was band/singer 'say what you see' followed by NT properties, natural history, GK, 80s music, GK and films/sequences.  None of the rounds were too easy and some very were difficult with half marks being a good score.  The top three were Andy S with 36 points out 60, then with Megan 35 and Daniel with 34.

Thanks for Sue and Ally for organising the evening, to all the question setters and everyone who took part.

At the end we talked about organising a Christmas zoom quiz in December with Christmas attire mandatory!  Details TBC.

Daniel Black

Rhodybashing at Hayfield on Sunday 10th October 2021

We arrived at the station Carpark at Sett Valley, Hayfield to meet Mark, one of the Hayfield Rangers. Mark was keen to pass out the flyer about Tinsle Tales- Benniebee/Walliewasp. This was one of the six books that he has written during furlough.

From the Sett Valley car park, we drove to Park Hall in convoy. We all managed to park, when Adrian said that he was stopped on the way up by a neighbour asking what we were doing. Once Adrian explained, she was then happy with all the convoy. As we were getting ready, another car arrived and it was Martin who joined us.  After a head count and me not realising that the Hills were two! We then took the tools, which we had enough of, and went up the hill and climbed the banking.

The Rhodies were quite established and there were quite a few regrowth’s, which someone said was more like pruning than removing. Dave led the way and started pulling up, roots and all, which seemed a good way to go.

At the 11 o’clock bell we returned to base where Esther did a fine job of cutting up the cakes for us.

It was decided by Mark that he wanted us to cut down rather than burn, so some of the excitement and enjoyment went from the day! At the 1 o’clock bell, we went back to the base camp for lunch. After lunch we went on to further decimation of the Rhodies.

Victor went upwards, over the wall and was destroying there, whilst leaving the coppice of 15 footers for another day. Anna, Christine and Esther went down the hill and continued on down there. David and Martin disappeared to the left while the four older men scrabbled up just below the wall to the right below Victor.

We waited for the 3 o’clock bell before Andy used his melodic shout to call everyone back to the base camp.

We then left at 3.30 pm to make our own ways back to Manchester.

Neil Bonner

Thanks to Andy H and Adrian for the photos.