Wed 16th Oct 2019 - Pan Mill Meadows, Newport. GG # 806.

Terry's Photographs.

A rather "damp" start to the session.

Grab a few tools...

..and get started..!

Lots and lots of bag dragging..!

The tea break team chat.

Above and below...before and after shots of the 

work done on the northern approach path.

A beautifully "manicured" meadow - all ready for

next year's growth.

A common frog found on the pathway.

We always seem to get an end of season visit to this venue...to rake up the cut meadow and give the whole area a makeover before winter sets in. We have had more than our fair share of rain in October this year but the overnight rain petered out as we started work...yay..! The majority of the task was to rake-up all the cut area and drag it off to for composting. Because the cuttings were wet, and therefore heavy, it made the task particularly hard going. The trees that were in the centre of the meadow had a light prune to remove the lower branches and trees/shrubs that were around the periphery were trimmed where needed. The entrance path to the north of the site was given particular attention (see the before and after photos above). This was a well attended session with all the given tasks being completed - well done everyone..!

Many thanks to Terry for taking the photographs this week.

Wed 9th Oct 2019 - Flowers Brook, Ventnor. GG # 805.

Terry's Photographs.

The pre-session brief...

How it looked on our arrival.

Getting to work on the cascade.

Working along the banks of the stream.

The tea break chat.

It helps if you are half mountain goat when at GG sessions 😁

How it looked as we left... a big improvement!

This week's nature shot - a European Cross Spider.

For most of the GGmers attending this week, it was a case of going "all the way to Ventnor" - why does it seem so distant..? Flowers Brook has become one of our Top Ten favourite sites to work at, it has that certain charm and tranquility about it and beautiful sea views. After a quick brief to inform us of the tasks that required our attention it was straight into the work. Most of the effort was around the stream and pond area and the water cascade - this involved cutting back some serious summer growth to a manageable level. A quick glance at the first and last photographs above will show how much was actually achieved.... well done all..! We did have a short rain shower during the morning but the heavy rain from the night before held off until later in the day. It was nice to see new faces in the crowd today, I hope that you enjoyed your first GG session and that we will be seeing you again soon.

Many thanks to Terry for the photographs this week.

Wed 2nd Oct 2019. Community Orchard/Wetland Walk, Lake. GG # 804.

Alison's Photographs.

The ancient sport of "giant fruit rolling"...!

All that effort needs a rest.

Repairing the steps.

Wrestling with rotten trees.

Rescued wild life.

Mark's Photographs.

Bob's Photographs.

The steps before (above) and after repair (below).

The wood carvings that were so difficult to move...

I have just glanced at Mark's notes and see that Green Gym has been working at this site for the past 18 years... you would think we would have got it all finished by now! (worse than Island Roads...😏) With autumn now with us, it was time to give the whole area an end of summer make-over. The first job was to rake up all the cut grass, leaves etc and to do a good litter pick. The steps we put in many years ago were showing signs of decay so the sides we dug out, the rotten timbers removed and replaced with new treated material to make them good again. The large carved apple and pear sculptures had been rolled down towards the stream so...with a lot of manpower and some grunt, we managed to get them back up to high ground before the floods come. Numerous "tidy-up" jobs were tackled and the whole area was looking spick and span by the end of the session. Numbers attending this week were down a bit on the norm, which was surprising as the weather was dry and sunny..!

Many thanks to Alison & Mark for snapping the photos this week.