Wed 13th Dec 2006 - Shide Quarry

The job this week was the continued brush clearance at Shide chalk quarry. Like Munn's at Brading, this had been allowed to become very overgrown and has needed a huge amount of effort to get it back to chalkland once again. This is also the venue for the Green Gym Christmas party - some of which can be seen in the adjacent picture. This year we decided to have a silly hat competition and the number of people turning up in their festive headgear was amazing... well done to all...! And a big thankyou to all those who supplied the excellent food and beverages.
This is the 3rd year that the GG have held the party here and it is astounding to think back to what this place was like at the first one. The whole of the bottom of the pit has now been cleared and the majority of the sides are now shrub & weed free. Hopefully in 2007 we will be able to stay on top of the yearly growth and continue to attack the remainder of the overgrown areas.
As the 2006 Green Gym working year draws to a close, I would like to wish everyone a
VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.....!