The Hedge Working Party (HWP) will meet for the first time this season on Wednesday 20th November at 9am (or later if convenient for you) at the Shed. Whilst we have some volunteers with hedge laying experience, everyone is welcome to either learn how to lay and/or help out, for example, by carting excess growth away to the bonfire site.
The HWP will meet every Wednesday at 9am throughout the winter except on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (we are not obsessive!) unless prevented by bad weather. If it is very wet, snowing or frostbound then its off – if you are unsure ring Ian on 078121 970595. For those of you who have to work during the ‘working week’ the HWP will meet on the first Saturday of each month at 9am, i.e. 7th December, 4th January, and 1st February (lets leave 1st March as an option for now).
The HWP will work for a ‘long morning’ from 9am up to about 2pm but do start and depart at your convenience, pleasure or exhaustion level!
The task of the HWP is to manage hedges and trees around the Fairfield ‘estate’. Specifically this winter we aim to lay sections of the hedge between the Orchard and the Pads footpath, trim back the sides of the hedge to keep the Pads footpath clear, lay the western hedge of the Flora ‘West Field’ and pollard, coppice or fell trees within the Orchard as agreed by the Flora and Orchard Group (FOG). So, there is plenty to do.
Any queries contact Ian on 07811 970595 or at
Do come along if you can.
Ian Procter, Volunteer Organsier
20th November 2013
The first meeting this winter of the Hedge Working Party saw 6 volunteers gather in the Orchard. As chain saws were to be employed a Site Specific Risk Assessment was undertaken. We:
1. Coppiced two large hazels, cutting the results into hedging stakes, Fencing strips and brash.
2. Felled a substantial sycamore in the Orchard hedge adjoining Pads footpath.
3. Layed a section of hedge at the northern end of the Pads footpath.
4. Carted away (most of) the debris from the above to Fraser’s bonfire site (with permission). Exhaustion set in before we had quite completed.