Seeing who we are

By ‘C’:

“The sun’s going to come out,” one of our company assured us all.

That was rather a matter of faith, for when we first arrived, it was misty on top of the Chilterns.  Damp too, of course. 

As a passing walker observed, looking at one slippery footpath: “Just starting to get mucky now.”  It will probably stay that way until spring.  No wonder the locals (background of the picture above) were looking at us oddly.

Not only was it murky when we arrived, there was a distinct absence of site warden too.  Apparently it was a CBE problem (“Can’t be everywhere”): there were two working parties on site today, both of whom needed directions at the same time.  But never mind: some of us had been here before, and apparently our remit was to continue the task begun before.

The keenies set off at once: “We’ll give the site warden a surprise – when he turns up at the RV point, there’ll be no-one there.”  When those of us who had waited until all Green-Gymmers were ready to move off, followed down the same path, we found our colleagues apparently engaged in studying the view.  [But it wasn’t a clear day – Ed.]

From the viewing platform, the party at least moved to where the work area was last time:

And then, no word of command, no joint decision on the part of the group, Green-Gymmers started work spontaneously:

The gentle clack-clack-clack of multiple pairs of shears could be clearly heard above the unceasing roar from the motorway below.

When the site manager arrived, some minutes later, he cheerfully directed us to the place where we were supposed to be working.  Our colleagues from another well-known Green Gym had continued from where WGG had left off last time, and done enough for it to be much more worthwhile if we moved on to a neighbouring sector.

So Green-Gymmers set to again.  If some volunteers had been astounded (or at least surprised) to have found they were working in the wrong place, it certainly did not seem to dim enthusiasm for starting afresh:

And the sun came out – a bit, anyway:

Before he left to attend to – I am not sure: the other work-party, office-work, some other work which only site wardens can do? – the site manager also told us a bit more about the ecology of the spot.  This, for instance …

is ash dieback.  What they are finding is that the trees most badly affected are the young ones.  Either there is something about fresh, vigorous growth, which really attracts the fungus; or majestic old trees (some of them anyway) are better at resisting infection.

Left to our own devices, we think we managed to get rather a lot done.  I personally devoted most of my attention (when not being summoned to take photographs) to removing invasive brambles, which were so invasive they frequently wrapped themselves round me.  I had to spend some time extricating myself and my clothing from their grasp.  “You become really attached to your work!” remarked a passing colleague.

At any rate, this is what could be seen of our endeavours today:

Before

After

And, looking in the other direction, a vista which simply wasn’t there before: