By some of the party-goers from WGG:
A very
different session for our Green Gym! On a Thursday not Tuesday; not one of our
usual sites; and a joint session with five other Green Gym groups. The occasion: the 20th anniversary
of Sonning Common Green Gym, therefore the 20th anniversary of the
whole Green-Gym movement.
The site was
on the National Trust property at Watlington Hill. A 10-minute walk from the car park at the top
of the hill to open grass land with spectacular views:
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GG20, Watlington Hill Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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It was two
valleys over from our normal Aston Rowant site beside the M40, and much quieter
too.
The (work)party
was organized by SCGG (Sonning Common Green Gym) to celebrate their
birthday. Invitations were despatched to
neighbouring Green Gyms and our umbrella organization, The Conservation Volunteers.
So a team of WGG volunteers joined representatives of all the Oxon GGs
and TCV for a mass scrub bash: fifty workers all told! Guests of honour included Dr William Bird,
who started Green Gym when he was just a junior GP at a nearby practice; and the
present senior partner of the practice.
Both had fond memories of tools in the early days being kept at the
surgery – axes and saws maybe not the best way to impress patients coming to
the surgery!
This,
however, is just the story of our small part in the party. The task was clearing hawthorn bushes
which were taking over what should be open grassland. Caterpillar-track mechanical diggers could
have been used, but the soil is shallow, and heavy machinery would have torn it
away leaving the underlying chalk bare. Our
group decided to tackle a freestanding group of established hawthorn above the
bonfire area …
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GG20: the WGG contingent Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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cutting it
down and dragging it to one of the two bonfires:
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GG20: wood to the fire Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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Having set
ourselves a target, we were determined to finish (off) our clump …
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GG20: (some of) WGG at work Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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watched by the
local inhabitants:
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GG20: Red Kite over Watlington Hill Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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Bitterly
cold it may have been, but some of the gorse was left, and gave good colour to
the day:
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GG20: gorse on Watlington Hill Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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One way of
working to avoid the trip hazards is of course to get on your hands and knees:
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GG20: WGG closing in on the target Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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Gradually, our
clump was shrinking:
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GG20: warning signs Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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One tree (I can’t
tell which one it is in this photo!) was decided to be a chain saw job and had
to be left.
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GG20: WGG assessing the situation Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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Meanwhile, one
of us was determined to clear even the smallest scrub, which was in his way:
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GG20: WGG putting in finishing touches Image © 2018 National Trust / Hugh Mothersole
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What is not
shown in the photos is the splendid spread laid on for us by the SCGG at tea-break
with more than enough tea, coffee and cakes for all. As if that were not enough, at the end of the
session they produced beautifully cooked jacket-potatoes from the bonfire with
cheese and coleslaw accompaniments.
A very
worthwhile day (“We had a great time”), good but cold weather, good company,
and we gathered a deal of info from the other groups for us to think about.
It was an uplifting experience to be involved with this special get together – long may it continue!
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