Log splitting and other tasks at Formby on Sunday 28th April 2024

Today seven of us had a ride out to the seaside where we met up with eleven of our Merseyside colleagues whose original worksite had been cancelled.

Ranger Chris had a number of jobs he needed doing:

1. Build a work bench

2. Cut and split tree trunks

3. Bag up dried logs (after testing moisture content) and move bagged logs to storage shed

4. Re-stack empty shelves with logs cut and split today

5. A bit of litter picking on the beach

I forgot one important task which was carried out by Jenny and Denise.  They prepared everything for our pizzas for lunch.  Chris and his colleagues had built a pizza oven and last time we were there they promised us pizzas if they got the oven going, so we went armed with toppings and dough to add to what Chris had very kindly supplied.

It was interesting to see the shelving that we had helped to make now in use.  Also, I haven't seen a log splitter before that cut the logs prior to splitting them.

It was nice to meet up with our Merseyside friends again and we look forward to working with them again soon.

Thank you to my colleagues for their hard work and a big thank you to Chris for such a varied workday but especially for providing us with pizzas.

Christine

Ten Pin Bowling at Parrs Wood - Thursday 18th April 2024

Seven of us attended the much awaited social event at Parrs Wood Bowling Alley on Thursday 18th April.  Can it really be 12 years since we last went bowling in 2012!

Despite the venue undergoing major renovations it was a good evening and a great atmosphere... only half the lanes were open so it was busy.

Two games of bowling and a drink for £10, not bad value in the current climate.

The bowling alley still had its perspex screens sectioning off each lane and because we had just gone over the six people allowed per lane we were allocated two lanes.  We decided to have a girls versus boys event.  Four girls against three boys... it was a nail biting second game but the girls were the winners with 610 points and the boys trailed behind at 421.

After the bowling we spent a short time in the amusement arcade.

Despite the renovations and the building not being fully operational it was a lovely evening catching up with people I had not seen in a long time.

Denise 

Sunday 14th April - Lyme Park

 There were nine of us plus Rangers Issy her last Sunday at Lyme before moving to Alderley Edge later this month. We were working in calves Croft (formerly the fallow deer sanctuary) removing fencing, taking down the netting having removed staples and then taking out fence posts & strainers. We left the large corner posts and we took the fence posts & rolled up netting to the gate on the edge of Drinkwater meadow.

There were highland cattle alongside us with young calves so Issy took one or two people over to see them at close quarters

                 

Sunday 7th April - Hardcastle Crags

Looking at the Blog, it's 3 years ago since MNTV helped Ranger Alice sort out the wood piles in the compound and the woodstore :https://mntv.blogspot.com/2021/05/various-tasks-at-hardcastle-crags-on.html

Today was a very similar day. 

Five of us met in the main car park and Alice ferried 3 of us to the wood store and outdoor wood storage compound, which are close to Gibson Mill. Andy and Christine drove their own car so we had some transport in case Alice was called away.

We joined the Hardcastle Crags volunteers who work 2 Sundays a month, so there were about a dozen of us tackling the jobs in hand, which was to move the drying wood from the tarpaulin covered wood piles via the NT vehicle and unload it into the wood store, where it could fully drive before being used for heating and powering the Mill.

We then re-stacked and re-covered these wood piles to protect the remaining wood and there were now empty lengths where the new wood, being cut during the week, could be stored.

Over to the side of the outdoor compound there were smaller wood piles which hadn't been touched for a while. They were on uneven ground so the wood was piled on individual pallets instead of runs of 3 or 4 pallets, and stabilised underneath. We found some of the pallets had rotted away in places. We decided to use the spare pallets to create new small wood piles to carry this wood and cover with the taup. While we were throwing the wood from the rotting pallets over to the newly-sited pallets, Sue shouted to stop - she'd seen that some leaves had blown off a small pile of leaves and thought she could see the spines of a hedgehog close to where we were throwing the wood over. On closer inspection, it was a hog, having a sleep, and fortunately our antics hadn't disturbed it. We covered it with more leaves and moved away from the area. It seemed to be fine, even popping its nose out after to have a sniff around before going back to sleep. 

Later on, while moving another batch of wood, we came across a big Toad, who moved himself to a safe area once he'd been disturbed.

Some of the Hardcastle Crags volunteers left around lunchtime, so then we were then a much smaller group. After lunch, Alice suggested that a few of us took loppers to cut back the beech 'whips' re-growing across from the Mill.

We had a great day, got a lot done and it was really lovely working with Alice again,

Sue B