Replacing a fence at Formby on Sunday 28th June 2026

Eight of us met ranger Bree and five members of the Merseyside group at 10 o’clock on a warm and breezy morning.  After Gaynor sampled the ice cream from the kiosk already in full swing, we had a 10 mins walk to the work site, the play area near St Luke’s church.

The job was to dismantle the existing stock fencing and replace it with a more ecofriendly dead hedge.  The wood was rotten in places but the fence was overgrown with vegetation and still pretty sturdy.

All the material used to make the dead hedge was locally ‘produced’ by cutting down sycamore saplings growing close by.  The wonky stakes were a bit difficult to hammer into the ground but they give a real rustic feel suitable for a woodland.

Then the cut branches were piled up between the stakes with some of the outside ones woven round them to make it more stable.

We had an enjoyable day working with Merseyside.  We used a full range of tools - loppers, bowsaws, fencing pliers, wire cutters, hand axes, small hammers and big ones - so thank you to the National Trust for a tool refresher training day.

Jean

Balsam bashing at Dunham Massey on Sunday 21st June 2026

Another summer's day, another Himalayan balsam bash.

There was plenty of balsam for the ten of us to have a go at beside the north carpark at Dunham.  Luckily a lot of it was in the shade and plenty tall enough to pull without bending down.  We did however have to battle nettles and brambles.  A few of the plants were starting to flower, so we did try and get those first.

We found a picnic bench in the shade for the cake  and lunch breaks, and we were close enough to the Visitor Centre to keep our water bottles topped up.

 
We are back at Dunham on 5th July and may be pulling balsam then too.  Hopefully it won’t flower before then.

We posed for a photo by the picnic area on the way back to the cars.

Jenny

MNTV turns 40 - Saturday 13th June 2026 - Lyme Park

Organising a celebration for such a big event takes time, the date was sorted and a room was needed - of the 3 properties we contacted(in 2024!), Lyme Park came up trumps and the room was booked.

‘Suddenly’ it was 2026 and next to sort were the speakers, Tim Jarvis (ex-Chairperson for MNTV, currently living in Essex) said he’d be honoured, but wasn't sure he could make it in person. Hazel Pryor and Charlie Spiller (both joined MNTV in the early days) would be delighted to, so that was sorted. 

Roll forwards to Thursday 11th July and, after a little persuasion, I set off driving in the pouring rain from my home in Edinburgh for Manchester with my parents with home made cakes in the boot of the car and my speech in my laptop case as that was coming too.

Friday arrived and it was raining again, I iced my cakes and practiced my speech that I had spent weeks perfecting, it still wasn’t perfect - it was still raining!

Saturday dawned and after a poor night's sleep the car was packed with cake and party paraphernalia. Jenny arrived at Lyme Park just ahead of me and my family. Party Paraphernalia and Me dropped off. It was time to start setting up - we had given ourselves 2 hours to get everything ready before our guests arrived. Bunting was put up and cakes were arranged on our wooden cake stand. It was then that someone asked where the plastic glasses for the bubbly were? After a couple of words not to be repeated, I raced across the carpark to see if our car was still there. It was, but Mum and Dad were nowhere to be seen. Managing to track them down, there were no glasses in the boot, but they’d definitely come in the car from Edinburgh! Oh why had I unpacked them when we got to our accommodation, Mum and Dad very kindly said they would return to our accommodation and locate them in the cupboard I thought they were in. Thanks Mum and Dad.

Having got that under control there was another more fun problem, Daniel had been detailed to get two helium balloons, a 4 and a 0. Neil opened the bag they were in and the 0 came out perfectly attached to its ribbons and weight. The 4 however had different ideas and wasn't attached to its ribbons and weight and went sailing up to the ceiling, thus proceeded a game of ‘how many people does it take to get a helium balloon down’, the answer is 3! After trying this pole and that rod plus some sellotape it was finally retrieved but it was a bit deflated and would no longer stand proud, never mind. Thanks to Rangers Chris and Claire plus estate worker Jason for their expertise. 

With Bunting inside and outside, banners put up, care of Jenny, the tables and chairs were set up as was the laptop with pictures from the last 40 years projected onto a big screen - we were ready to go, just! By this time it was 2pm and our guests were arriving, still no glasses…they arrived at about 2.30pm (my thanks must go to my Mum and Dad for that and also for driving with me down for the event). With guests arriving it was time to start mingling…now you’ve heard about the set up I’ve asked Sue B to tell you about how the party went…..

Gosh - what can I say?! - apart from it being a lovely, happy and sociable afternoon; a gathering of current and ex-volunteers from our group, all  together to celebrate an amazing achievement - 40 years of volunteering on Sundays on National Trust properties mainly in the North West, with some weekends at further afield NT properties too.

The committee, led by Ally as our most recent Chairperson, had done a fantastic job in organising today: plenty of nibbles, drinks and cake; lovely decorations and bunting; a fabulous slide show of photos from past workdays and social events as a reminder of what we’ve done over the last 40 years, and of the people we’ve done it with; as well as organising an MNTV ‘40th’ Tote bag, designed with the names of the properties we volunteer at, as a lovely memento of the occasion.

As well as past and current volunteers, and a couple of their dogs, we also had support from the Lyme Park Rangers who came along for the afternoon (some even on their days off) and formerly thanked us for all the volunteering hours we’ve put in at Lyme Park, as well as National Trust properties generally, over the past 40 years.

A National Trust photographer circulated during the afternoon taking photos while we were catching up with people we may not have seen for a while then, a little after 3pm, Ally gathered us together for the speeches. 

It started with Ally’s speech, written and read with the usual flair and enthusiasm that we would expect from Ally! 

As Chairperson (and also the program organiser for our workdays), Ally is immensely proud of everything that MNTV has already achieved, and is continuing to achieve, and this was reflected in her speech - it was not only informative but funny and uplifting, a speech with a sparkle, just like Ally:-) 

We then heard from our 3 guest speakers, Hazels in person was witty and full of stories,  Tim and Charlie hadn’t actually been able to join us themselves, both had sent their thoughts to Ally and these were read out by Daniel and Denise, two of our committee members. 

In particular Charlie, who lives in the Lakes and was so looking forward to being with us, but due to a last minute staffing issue at work couldn’t be here, was particularly upset at missing our 40th party. 

Afterwards five long-service awards were presented by Chris, Lyme Park, Lead Ranger, these were David and Jenny who both received 10 years, Neil who received 15 years, Denise achieved 20 years and Adrian who has done a whopping 35 years. Also receiving long service awards but unable to be at the party were Martin with 10 years and Sue D with 15 years.

After the cakes had been eaten, or boxed up for tomorrow's workday at Lyme which I was leading, we took down the bunting and the fairy lights, the projector was turned off, and everyone made their way home. 

Neil gave Ally a lift to her accommodation, as the cottage where she was staying with her family was a few mins walk away from Boarfold Scout Camp where Neil is a Warden and where he was staying the night. We squeezed the balloons in the car for Ally’s 3 year old Niece, apparently she loved them!

 

It was a wonderful afternoon - a joyous celebration as well as a time of reflection for what we’ve already achieved - we’re certainly looking forward to getting back out there and doing much more volunteering.

Balsam bashing at Lyme Park on Sunday 14th June 2026

Seven of us met Ranger Jason in the main car park and, as we were working down Red Lane which is near the entrance kiosk, Jason had arranged for the Lyme Park minibus to give us a lift back down the drive near to Red Lane.

We then walked part way up Red Lane and into a field on the left, over a stile.

As we walked towards the back of the field (which we'd removed Balsam from last year), we spotted some rogue plants, but the majority were down towards the railway line.

We found a convenient base to leave our rucksacks and the all-important cakes for elevenses, under the trees, and then we got to work.

The Balsam was still quite young, only David spotted a few plants during the day that would be flowering soon, the rest were fairly small (so lots of bending over required to get to them) and sometimes mixed in with nettles or brambles, but they usually pulled out quite easily without breaking the stems, so we got the roots out as well.

Part way through the morning, Ranger Claire arrived to help, bringing two youth volunteers with her.

At 11am we had our 'coffee break' and everyone gathered back under the trees. Usually the worksite leader provides cake by buying some or baking some, today was a bit more unusual because yesterday, at Lyme, MNTV had celebrated 40 years of volunteering - a massive achievement. A party was planned and a fabulous get-together of current and old members gathered to celebrate (see details in our 40th Blog). 

Ally, our Chairperson, and Jenny, one of the committee members, had baked various delicious flavours of cupcakes, many with 40 MNTV toppers on them, and I'd been able to bring some of the ones that weren't eaten with me today - a real treat!!

After our break, we resumed our quest to find and destroy more Himalayan Balsam. The aim is to prevent them spreading further when the flowers turn to seed heads, because the seed heads burst spreading hundreds of seeds over a large area, ready to grow next year

After lunch we continued again, moving to different areas of the field and, even as we left to go home, we were still spotting more to destroy.

We made a huge difference to the amount of Balsam in the field, but there is still more. Hopefully we'll get another go at it when we return to Lyme next month.

It was a great day - it didn't rain and in fact the sun came out in the afternoon. We welcomed newbie James, and also Emma who'd only been out with us once before. We had some interesting chats on our breaks and it was a very relaxed and sociable day,

Sue B (Worksite Leader)

Balsam bashing with West Yorkshire NTV at Hardcastle Crags on Sunday 7th June 2026

Two of us met 10 West Yorkshire NT volunteers at Hardcastle Crags for a job you either love or hate - balsam bashing. It was a Goldilocks day, not too hot and not too cold. And we worked near the river bank so it was even (comparatively) flat.

It’s quite early in the season, the balsam isn’t in flower yet, so we were met with just a mass of green.

After a full days work, it’s still a mass of green! But it’s the green of wood rush not balsam.

It may not look very interesting but wood rush provides a home and food for the Woodrush Moth. It’s also a natural way to control erosion as the shallow roots bind the soil together.

It was a good day made even better by the flapjack provided by West Yorkshire at lunch break, secret ingredient - peanut butter!

Joint workday with Shropshire & Staffordshire NTV at Biddulph on Sunday 31st May 2026

It is now an established tradition that MNTV visit Biddulph at least twice a year to put in and then remove the stakes along the iconic Dahlia Walk.

This year to make things a little different we met up with our sister group SSNTV (Shropshire & Staffordshire group).  This is where our territories overlap and we have worked with them on our weekend away at Calke Abbey.  So there were a total of 25 willing volunteers descending on Biddulph Gardens at 10am.  They had arranged a few tasks to keep us all occupied: 

1. Planting ivy - a few in the group thought this was a rather alien concept, as they spend a lot of time in their own gardens removing ivy. 
2. Putting in the dahlia stakes and forking over ready for planting. 
3. Clearing the banks of the ”long walk” so they remain bluebell banks and not choked with other things.

We split into three teams, the larger team doing the most urgent task of dalhia stakes.  We gathered together for elevenses and lunch on the old croquet lawn in the private garden.  A setting a little grander than we are used to!

After lunch we all went up to the “long walk” which is an avenue of Giant Redwood trees planted only 30 years ago.  They grow about a metre per year.  We all worked removing vegetation from the steep banks.

Between us we cleared around 200m of bank, which is about half of the work needed, removing small and large saplings with tree poppers and brambles and other “weeds” with forks and spades.

On the way back to the cars I admired the rhododendrons around the fishpond.  Nice to see some in flower that we haven’t demolished!

We left tired but happy to have done a good job, spent time with our friends in SSNTV and eaten lots of delicious cake :-)

Jenny

Sunday 24th May 2026 - Spring Bank Holiday weekend - no workday

Balsam bashing at Styal on Sunday 17th May 2026

Eight MNTV volunteers met with Ranger Stu in the Quarry Bank Mill car park at 9.30am before piling into Stu’s vehicle and one of our cars and driving to near Manchester Airport’s runway which was close to where we’d be working.

The task had changed from pulling weeds that were growing around the base of a hedgerow to, instead, doing some early balsam bashing around a little used path, fields and wooded area near a steep slope.  The idea was to pull and snap/crush the stalks of the balsam plants in these areas before they flowered and burst, spreading their seeds far and wide, and potentially up the slope, making it very difficult to get to the new plants that would grow there next year.

We spread ourselves out over the first area, a small wood with a slope at one side, and got that cleared before our coffee and cake break (thanks to Jean for bringing such delicious cake for us all).

After our break we moved along a path into a large field and started pulling up the balsam there.  We stopped for lunch around 1pm, just as the skies went grey and the rain fell but, by the time I’d got my waterproof trousers on, it had stopped (!) and we had glorious sunshine for the rest of the afternoon.

After lunch some of us stayed in the field to finish off and the rest moved along towards two large oak trees on the far side of the field where more balsam was found.  By 3pm, this area had been cleared, so we all got together for a group photo by the Rangers truck.

It was a great day, and we managed to get a lot done but sadly not all of it so we may be back again this season to pull some more balsam.

Sue B

Brash bashing at Alderley Edge on Sunday 10th May 2026

Today's workday had been planned for Lyme Park but was changed to Alderley Edge the day before as Lyme's entrance was closed due to roadworks on the A6.  So, the lucky 13 met in the car park at Alderley Edge and after picking up tools carpooled to the start of a footpath near Squirrels Jump.

Even though it’s close to the road the path was difficult to see so we worked with loppers and silkys (pruning saws) to clear the overgrowth.  We even brushed away the leaves!  This was the only task Ranger Izzy had for us at short notice and as we were such a big group we made short work of it.

We’ve worked at Alderley a few times this year so knew a meadow area just a couple of minutes drive away that could do with a bit of TLC.  But the first priority was lunch and relaxation in the sunshine.

We had made a pathway through the brambles at the entrance eighteen months beforehand but it was already starting to disappear and because it's a popular area for dog walkers we cut back the new growth.

We also dug up brambles in the middle of the meadow.

And cut down the last of the encroaching birch saplings.

Many thanks to Jenny for all the time she spent talking to Ranger Izzy to arrange the day at Alderley Edge.  It was really enjoyable with lots of variety and the opportunity to complete some work we had started on previous visits.

Jean

Sunday 3rd May 2026 - Early May Bank Holiday weekend - no workday

Various jobs at Formby on Sunday 26th April 2026

Seven of us met up with nine from the Merseyside group to spend a sunny day at the seaside in Formby.  Ranger Chris explained the jobs and gave us the option of driving round to the new car park on Victoria Road.  With it being such a nice day and it being only a 15 minute walk through the woods and sand dunes we opted to walk.

Task 1: 400 saplings required tree guards

They already had the plastic guards around them but the winds proved these were not sufficient protection, so it was a case of inserting a stick at the side and, using cable ties, fastening them to the guards.

Task 2: Planting a bench

This was not just any bench. It had been made by one of Formby's volunteers out of pine that had been chopped down to make way for the new car park.

Task 3: Putting up a new sign at the exit to the site

We had our combined brew/lunch break in a new picnic area where again the benches and tables had all been made with local timber and built by volunteers.

We had a great day working with our Merseyside colleagues, made all the more pleasant by lovely weather.

Thanks to Chris for his help and guidance and to everyone for their hard work and great company.

Christine

Dead hedging and other jobs at Alderley Edge on Sunday 12th April 2026

Well they do say “April showers” and that’s just what we got today, sunshine and occasional hail.

We started off with a long list of jobs. First up - clearing mud from the field entrance ready for the cavers next week.  Here is our newest member getting stuck in. She enjoyed her taster session so much she joined the group.

We planted some “sticks dipped in honey” (yes - really!) in the tree nursery. It  reminded me of that playground joke “what's brown and sticky?” The honey promotes root growth and is an anti-bacterial.  It was pure local honey and tasted great as well.

We were going to build a cold frame cover but didn’t find any screws so instead we went to fill the gap in the dead hedge nearby. The hedge had been laid by a corporate group in the winter and walkers had destroyed a bit of it to use a path through the woods.

We collected more brash from the surroundings and added some taller stakes then filled the gap with some bigger logs and made the whole hedge a bit taller. To finish it off we planted some of the honey-dipped twigs to create a bit of life in the dead hedge.

All in all a nice way to spend an April Sunday. Meeting new people and improving the environment.

Jenny

Sunday 5th April 2026 - Easter Sunday - no workday

Cancelled - workday at Hayfield on Sunday 29th March 2026

Due to lack of volunteers (the ranger asked for a minimum of six) today's rhodybash on Park Hall Moor near Hayfield was cancelled.

MNTV Committee

A trip to Wales, Chirk Castle - Sunday 22nd March 2026

Five of us met members of Merseyside NT volunteers and ranger Keith in the car park at Chirk on a bright and sunny morning.

Chirk is a small property but the whole estate is a SSSI so is of particular conservation importance.

The rangers have been felling trees that were encroaching on a species rich meadow that’s important for fungi such as waxcaps.  Brash, mainly laurel, needed clearing away, but what’s normally straightforward can be difficult in a protected area.  It couldn’t just be left to biodegrade or provide habitat as laurel is poisonous (it contains cyanide!) and it couldn’t be burnt due to the fungi.  An added complication was the brash was in an area boggy due to recent rain.  So the main job of the day was dragging brash from one end of the field to a firmer section for disposal.

Keith brought a wood chipper to chop up the brash and throw the chips into neighbouring woodland.

But it’s a small machine and only two or three people could work safely with it at any one time. So there’s still a job for the ranger to do in the coming weeks.

The last hour of the day was spent taking down fencing from around some saplings.

The area had been used temporarily for grazing but as the sheep had moved on to pastures new (literally!) the fencing was no longer needed.

The sun shone and the job gave us time to catch up with the Merseyside group.  And working at Chirk is always interesting due to the ecological diversity of the site.  A good day all round.

Jean

Rhodybash in Lantern Wood, Lyme Park, on Sunday 15th March 2026

Eight from MNTV met Chris, Lead Ranger at Lyme Park, in the main car park at 9:30 for a chat about what we’d be doing today then in two cars we drove to the accessible car park and walked round to the Stables where we met Ranger Jason and collected the tools for the day.

After loading the Lyme vehicle with the tools and our rucksacks, two of our group got a lift up to the stile over the dry stone wall by Lantern Wood, while the rest of us walked.  We climbed over the dry stone wall and then carried the tools and our bags further up the hill to where there were multiple piles of pre-cut rhody waiting to be burned before the start of bird-nesting season.

A couple of fire sites near the piles of rhody were selected and two fires were started.  By then two Lyme Youth volunteers joined us to help.  We had a productive morning.  The weather was dry and we got the fires started by morning break and we were pleased with our progress.

After lunch was a different story because the rain started and it turned much colder.  We struggled to stay close to the fires for warmth because the wind would erratically change direction, blowing smoke into our faces, so we kept a reasonable distance.

By the time we finished we had managed to clear a few of the piles of rhody so were pleased by what we’d done, but we were all feeling very tired, cold and wet.

Despite this, we enjoyed the day and ate lots of cake 

Sue B