Wed 27th Jan 2016 - Castle Copse, East Cowes. GG # 619.

Sue's Photographs.

A selection of the items found on the litter-pick.

(The watering can and mooring buoy might have

been particularly handy for today's weather!)

This is part of the path we constructed - with the 

white water rapids running alongside.

Just one of the areas cleared.

Children! As if we weren't wet enough already.

Mark's Photographs.

Tending the shrubs we planted last year.

The path before….

and after we had started laying the crushed limestone.

Want a bit of advice for free…..? If you read a weather warning, like the one below, then DO NOT decide to ignore it and go along to a GG session anyway - you will get VERY WET…!!! Just ask the 15 of us who decided to do exactly that on this Wednesday morning.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Met Office Warnings Issued For:Isle of Wight 

1. Yellow warning of rain 

   From: 

   1000 on Wed 27 January

   To: 

   1800 on Wed 27 January

   Updated  2 hours ago Active
   An area of rain will move southeastwards across southern England during Wednesday. Some locally heavy rainfall is possible and with this falling on saturated ground some localised flooding may occur. Southwesterly gales are likely along south coasts for a time.
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   The day had started so well… with the programmed session at One Horse Field being cancelled (again!) we were diverted to Castle Copse in East Cowes. The above mentioned weather warning, plus having the car wipers on high speed, should have alerted us for what was coming next. In a nutshell, it just tipped it down from before we arrived and continued long after we finally gave up and went home.  We did managed to wheelbarrow two tonnes of limestone chippings, some distance up a muddy hill to repair the pathway, cut back some sycamore saplings, attack some bramble and do a litter pick before we gave in. Not bad at all - considering! At one stage, the water running down the hill was almost enough for us to float the empty barrows back down again ( well, a slight exaggeration there - but see the photographs above). 
   

   
   

   An extra special WELL DONE to all those who attended this weeks session!

   
   

   A quick message from Mark….

   
   

   These sessions which are challenging are always the most memorable aren't they.  It did sort of make one feel alive anyway. lol.  That's me looking on the bright side.  Well done to everyone though.  :-)

   
   

   Thanks for the photographs Sue and Mark, I hope the cameras survived?

   
   

Wed 20th Jan 2016 - Little Jane's Quarry, Brading. GG # 618.

A frosty start..

Working on the steep banks.

Glorious views.

A well earned tea break.

Trouble starting but now roaring away.

A much clearer southern bank.

Photographs (below) from when we last visited this site….

TEN years ago! 

(Spot the "Old Timers" who are still attending the GG sessions -

two of which are working in the same spot 10 years on.)

As we assembled in the Downs car park the temperature had only just climbed above the over-night low of -5C….Brrrrr! Wrapped in in at least three layers WITH hats, scarves, gloves, we made our way over the hill and down to Little Jane's Quarry. The clear, blue sky and bright sunshine would have been even better if we had not been working in the shade all the time. The contractors had made a wonderful job of mechanically stripping the vegetation from the bottom of the pit but the steep sides seem to have defeated their efforts. So, bring on Team GG to get the job underway….. they were soon climbing the steep chalk slopes, chopping back the overgrown undergrowth as they went. The task was to clear a very overgrown path on the southern side, then collect all the cuttings before burning them on a fire. The reason for doing all this? Cutting everything back allows the grass and wild flowers to flourish, rather than the undergrowth, encouraging the wildlife to re-establish in the area. The fire proved to be a bit of a struggle to start but, in true GG tradition, they persisted with it until it eventually roared into life - well done the "firemen"! Exceptional progress was made on the clearance but it would be nice to return (perhaps on a warmer day!) to continue the work. Let's hope that it isn't another TEN years before we get a repeat visit….!

Many thanks to Mark for both the recent and historical photographs.

Wed 13th Jan 2016 - Golden Hill Fort, Freshwater. GG # 617.

A rather overgrown pathway..

Hi ho…Hi ho…it's off to work we go…!

Does it stay or shall we saw it down?

Looking clearer.

Burning the "evidence"..!

Now, doesn't that look better?

We were scheduled to be raking at One Horse Field this week but due to a last minute change of plan, it was off to that old GG favourite, Golden Hill Fort. After a record breaking mild winter, suddenly it was important to dig out those "three layers" and rummage in the under-stairs cupboard for the wooly hat - overnight it had suddenly gone quite cold! Having all met up in the public car park, it was a short stroll to the work area and a quick chance to take in the stunning, almost 360 degree, views that this area is famous for. The tasking was simple….. expand the rather grown-in pathways by about one metre either side. This allows the dog walkers good access throughout the summer as the new growth takes over. As per usual, we had a roaring fire to dispose of all the cuttings (and handy to warm the hands on!). The team got stuck in, those three layers soon became two and the wooly hats went into the jacket pockets….  phew, it got quite warm after all. With people working in from either end, the rather closed in paths soon became mini motorways - allowing light in for the growth of plants and easy transit for pedestrians. A job well done everyone….!

Photographs today were take by Sue - many thanks.

Wed 6th Jan 2016 - RSPCA Animal Centre, Godshill. GG # 616.

A rather grown in pond.

"I'm over here…!"

A quick trim around the edges.

"Timber..!"

Anyone seen a Panda to help with all this bamboo?

I hope my wellies don't leak!

Cut it short and pile it high.

The reason we do it - for the dog walkers.

Just a few of the bigger branches that we tackled.

WOW….did we do ALL that..???

With last month having been the wettest, mildest December on record, what was the weather going to do for our first GG session in 2016…??? We needn't have concerned ourselves as it was still very mild, remained dry throughout and we even had a little sunshine, wonderful! Having all met up in the car park and got through all the "Good Christmas?" and "Happy New Year" conversations it was off to the pond and adjacent copse to burn off all those mince pies and turkey. The undergrowth had grown considerably since our last visit here which restricted the views across the water and was choking some of the trees in the old orchard area. With plenty of GGmers in attendance, we were soon hacking in to the offending items and the piles of cut material soon started to grow. The staff at the centre looked after us admirably at tea time, many thanks for those yummy cakes..!

By the end of the session the vista was somewhat improved (see photographs above) and the dog walking pathways through the trees were clear once again.

Mank thanks to Sue and Terry for taking the photographs this week.