Another reason why it’s called Green Gym

By ‘C’:

When you get home again, and peel off outer layers of clothing, to find they have been re-designed by Mother Nature with her own range of green beading – that is when you know you have been at Green Gym:

Our gym-site today was one we had visited before.  Last time, we were clearing vegetation from the fence-line – rather a lot of small trees, as I recall, and branches overhanging from bigger trees nearby.  That had allowed site staff to examine the fence more closely, and determine its condition.  Not good was the verdict: too many places where wire was holding up posts.  (In most fencing systems, it is the other way round!)

So at session-start we looked once more, for the last time at this stretch of fence:

Our task: to remove it – “no 5-minute job” – ahead of a sparkly new fence being put in.

Hunters, armed with shears and slashers, went out to cull the vegetation which had in places started to make a come-back along the fence-line:

Staples were then removed.  Where possible, with fencing-plier and hammer:

  Otherwise, fence and layers of wire were separated by wire-cutters:

The first strands of wire to be removed were the barbed wire, to obviate any injury from a worker falling on to it by slipping, tripping, or simply losing balance:

Then the stock- and rabbit-wire could safely be removed:

Thankfully, the very warm weather of the previous few days was over.  The odd spot of rain landed from almost as soon as we had got together at the start of the session.  Mid-morning, sporadic precipitation developed into definite warm drizzle:

This reminds me of summer camping holidays with the kids.

– You’re having that good a time?

By tea-break, the experienced Green-Gymmers had to admit that what was falling out of the sky could reasonably be described as “rain”.  Some even experimented with seeing if there was any spot in the vicinity which was a tad drier, while others just wondered who’d stop the rain:

Actually the rain did stop for several breaks during the second half.  Which gave more opportunity to appreciate what a lovely spot today’s gym-site is:

Another TREEmendous Session

By the Session Leader:

A warm muggy summer’s day today, and a good turn-out of 14 gymmers.  Not all pictured below:

But a good few preparing smiles befitting country-folk: “When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an unimportant distance of his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks, and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun.”  [Which we now all know is the opening sentence of Far from the Madding Crowd, thanks to a bonus-point supplementary answer to the day’s in-house quiz: see below. – Ed.]

Our work-task (before the fun & games at lunchtime) was to clear the brambles and nettles along the Green Lane at the bottom of Wittenham Clumps, so that walkers, their dogs, and their families can enjoy it without use of a machete.

The lane starts with a beautiful example of a Midland-style hedge, laid by the Earth Trust experts.  One side is boarder, backed with brush to keep the cattle at bay.  [Which is presumably why this type of hedging is also called ‘bullock style’. – Ed.]  The other side is neater to border the arable land – or in our case, the path.  This hedge was laid a year ago and looks very healthy and attractive:

’Tis not the season of mellow fruitfulness yet, but there are signs of what's in store: sloes, apples, and loads of blackberry flowers.

Toiling workers had, in either direction, glimpses of views of iconic landmarks.  On one side of the lane, the Clumps …

On the other, the distinctive outline of Didcot power station:

By way of further delightful distraction, the skylarks’ song:

And do you know what this butterfly is?  Probably not the Meadow Brown?

A Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)?

We followed with what we call our AGM, a pub lunch, and a very amusing (if groan-worthy in places) arboreal quiz.  Thank you, Jennifer, and for the responsibility and care you take to keep our gym sessions running so happily.  [My pleasure!  Green-Gymmers are up for trying new things, but as is well known, they – or at least the Wallingford sub-species – eat cake at tea-break and take lunch with their AGM, just like bears eat marmalade.  That’s marmalade, not marmite.  – J.]