Wed 10th May 2017 - Bodster Equine Assisted Learning CIC, Godshill. GG # 684.

Terry's Photographs.

Team GG start to arrive and take in the wonderful views.

A walk around the work areas.

The pile of limestone had become rather consolidated!

Back to the van for more tools.

Starting the top layer of the pathway.

Cutting back the overgrown areas.

Meanwhile, up in the barn...

the bench-makers practise their skills.

Number one completed and on test…!

The finished benches installed.

Wow….where did all that bramble go???

The completed pathway.

A visiting starling…

plus a Great Tit and….

a Blue Tit.

Giles's Photographs.

Wow, yet another new venue for us GGmers to attend on a Wednesday morning! Most of us arrived without too much of a navigational issue and were directed to the parking area. A tour of the facilities and a detailed explanation of the proposed work package led us to believe that we would be hard pushed to get everything done on this first visit…! It is well established that Team GG are never daunted by hard work so it was go…go…go. With part of the team building a new pathway and others clearing a rather overgrown area plus various other tasks being undertaken, it was a good job that we had such a good turnout. If you did manage to take a quick workbreak then it was hard not to look around at the stunning views over Godshill and the surrounding farmland. Although that cool easterly wind was still present, the top layers of clothing were soon discarded due to the pleasant sunshine and hard graft. Many thanks for allowing us to use the classroom and facilities for the tea break.
Rather than try and describe the work in detail, I invite you to view the photographs above which show most aspects of the tasks undertaken.

Many thanks to Terry and Giles for taking the excellent photographs.

Wed 3rd May 2017 - Northwood House, Cowes. GG # 683.

Alison's Photographs.

Has anyone noticed that we seem to get far more easterly winds nowadays? We certainly had one for our Wednesday morning session this week and it was distinctly chilly. Having met up in the Rotunda car park we seemed to go to all four points of the compass to tackled the tasks we had been set. One team continued with work we had started last time - clearing the grass from the foot paths around the tennis courts - while two other teams tackled piles of leaves on the main car park boundary and down by the children's play area. Some of these were loaded into large bags with others being wheelbarrowed all the way up to the main composting area. Other members of the group were working at trimming back overgrown areas throughout the grounds - so, all in all a very diverse workforce..! With the adjacent church clock striking 11 times, it was off to the communal hall for a well earned cup of tea and a biscuit. After refreshments, work continued although the weather took a bit of a turn for the worse when we had a light shower. After the session was completed eleven members attended the IoW GG AGM, held at the communal hall.

Many thanks to Alison for taking the photographs this week.

Wed 26th April 2017 - West Wight Sports Centre, Freshwater. GG # 682.

Terry's Photographs.

This week it was time for Green Gym to give the West Wight Sports Centre gardens a makeover. First problem (for most of us) is actually getting there…… the West Wight area is rather remote…so best to pack sandwiches and a flask for the long journey ahead..! Having driven out there the next problem is to try and find street parking or pay up for parking fees at the centre. The parking attendant was not too happy about our coned-off work area but, once assembled, we were given our task for the day which was so very simple "Just do what you do every year!" The team were soon spread around the whole site in an attempt to make the whole place look like Kew Gardens in about three hours. The pictures above show beautifully the scope of the work we undertake here and the results can be really appreciated (well done Terry!) The catering staff supplied us with tea and biscuits for our break so a big THANK YOU to them. Although the weather remained dry, the northerly wind was rather chilly. Fortunately the rain, hail, snow, thunderstorms as predicted by the weather forecasters failed to materialise (although there was a flurry of snow flakes in the West Wight during the afternoon!). 

Wed 19th April 2017 - Bully's Pit, Brading. GG # 681.

Terry's Photographs.

Pre-session briefing.

Off we go….

Clearing the new Downs "motorway"

Tumbling tumble weed?

Dealing with some of the more troublesome growth.

Perhaps we will be building steeps here soon?

All ready for pedestrian traffic.

Tea break (the seated guy, centre rear, had an extra long break!)

Working in the old chalk pit.

Wall Brown butterfly

Holly Blue butterfly.

Mark's Photographs (of the walk)

A new venue for Team Green Gym this week, the old chalk pit, known as Bully's Pit, Brading. After a bit of a problem with the access gate (two lock but only one key…!) we were soon tackling the jobs that had been assigned. The main job of the day was to rake-up all the cuttings where a new footpath had been cut through from the pit to the downs. This had been mechanically flailed which leaves all the arising scattered everywhere. I think that the photographs above will show the improvement we made there…! Opening this up will make access to this pit, from the downs, much safer - the alternative is to walk down the main road which has no footpaths. Those Team GG members who were unable, or unwilling, to tackle the steep approach to the new path were gainfully employed working in the main chalk pit. As this area will occasionally have the grass cut now, it is important that all the large chalk lumps are moved to the side. As per usual there was a litter pick with particular attention being paid to the considerable amounts of broken glass. The weather was pleasantly sunny but with a keen easterly wind blowing.

On completion of the session, a number of GGmers went off on a circular walk around Brading, taking in the wonderful views.

Many thanks to Terry and Mark for taking the photographs this week (like the butterfly ones Terry!).