A blusterous day

Not for the first time in the history of Wallingford Green Gym, plans for an autumn session of woodland management were disrupted by a forecast of high winds and heavy rain.

In short, we had to go elsewhere, and do something else.

Gales tend to make site wardens nervous, with good reason.  Working underneath willow in a strong wind, especially if it is the first high wind of the season, is not a good combo.  And the word from the Met Office was for: ‘gales, locally severe’.  That’s 9 on the Beaufort Scale.

Unfortunately, also not for the first time, the timescale for the severe-weather warning kept shifting.  At the point when decisions had to be made, 24 hours ahead, the Chief Forecaster’s assessment stated airily:

There remains a good deal of uncertainty in the evolution and particularly the location of the strongest winds …

Even the car park at our scheduled venue, Withymead, is overhung by tall trees covered in ivy.  Reluctantly, staff there had to cancel – which left ‘C’ scurrying around trying to find an alternative, so that we would not be deprived of our weekly green work-out.  [Ed: also to obviate a barney between Green-Gym leaders, hardy volunteers, and necessarily cautious site-staff about whether it was or was not the right thing to do, to chuck on account of a weather event called ‘Barney’.  (Sic: a name put forward by members of the public.)  Now we know why storms are now called ‘weather events’: it’s because they pose a dilemma to organizers of outdoor events about whether to proceed.]

The solution to this dilemma proved to be to swap sessions in the programme, and bring forward next week’s date at Ewelme.  Our thanks to Tom for hosting us at short notice!  Of course, by Tuesday morning the Met Office had decided their original forecast was right as to the events, but not on timing.  The rain was to come by 12 noon, wind later in the afternoon.

When we arrived at Ewelme, we were greeted by dull, but reasonable weather, and an unusual vehicle that could have cleared the cress a lot faster than us:

Another group had made a paltry start, leaving the bulk of the work for us:

WGG is very experienced in clearing watercress channels, so we soon set to.  To begin with, we were a little crowded:

Three wheel-barrows and drivers were soon kept busy, however, carting cut vegetation to compost heaps.

One of our strongest members, who had escaped to France, was welcomed back for a visit.  He may have wondered why he was singled out for the toughest job:

(Airfield windsock in the background shows that the wind was picking up.)

Unusually heavily-rooted cress was blocking a side channel, and he had to dig it out, roots and all.  It resisted vehemently, as its roots were way down into the gravel.  The Green-Gymmer, however, won – and was consoled by today’s leader for having been sent to work by himself:

Strange things turn up in unexpected places.  This was today’s Green-Gym ‘archaeological find’:

? ancient perfume bottle

True to the revised forecast, the heavy rain started at quarter to twelve.  By quarter past, we were getting soaked – and decided to have an early finish.

To check how things were going in his absence, our French member came to the pub.  He decided that all was still well in England, so may come back and visit again at Christmas.