'Muck and bullets' just about sums up April's weather and the same pattern seems set to plague May as well. So we were particularly lucky on Wednesday 9th May to be complaining about the heat and removing winter layers as the Sparrowhawk wall grew by a course or three.
I was joined by Graham, Catriona, Roger, both Richards and newbie Tony who finally got to bang a few stones together after his taster day experience of grovelling around in mud and, as we have since discovered, the ever-present sheep muck. Clearly the man is not easily put off and will be a great asset to the team. Mind you, he did say that he wasn't sure when we would see him again!
Kit joined us briefly ... just long enough to deliver delicious apple pie and Victoria sponge. Faced with the dilemma of which to choose, your chairman naturally chose both without a trace of shame or embarrassment.
At close of play the day's efforts were clearly visible, though not to blog readers as, once again, I forgot my camera. Sorreee! Next Tuesday we have our Taster Day for the other AONB volunteers. They will have a range of courses to have a go at, so there should be something for everyone. Any NAWG member who feels like turning up for an extra day's walling would be more than welcome.
See you next week?
Friday, 11 May 2012
Friday, 4 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
The finer things in life
It has to be said that there is really not much to beat being up at Sparrowhawk Farm in good weather, we could see the mist clinging to Greenhow but we were spared and even treated to a burst of sunshine later in the afternoon.
The good weather has a remarkable effect on a days walling and we surged on until 3pm this week, largely helped on by a tasty dose of scones and jam from lovely Kit and Meg at the Farm. Really there can be nothing better!
Down to business...
We had a healthy turnout again this week, I was joined by Chris, 2 Grahams, Richard, Catriona, Roger, Phillip and Tony.
Between us we managed to haul some more stones out of the old wall and completed the foundations by lunchtime (ish). We also made a brave start on two wall ends and despite the swearing they are looking good. Now we just have to see if we can wall uphill and round in a circle without losing our sanity! The outcome will be anything but guaranteed, I'm not sure that we are all sane to begin with but heyho.
I'm afraid that I was too busy enjoying myself to take pictures this week but Tony was seen with his camera so with a bit of luck he'll add them later.
See you next week, hopefully with some more lovely weather, Em.
The good weather has a remarkable effect on a days walling and we surged on until 3pm this week, largely helped on by a tasty dose of scones and jam from lovely Kit and Meg at the Farm. Really there can be nothing better!
Down to business...
We had a healthy turnout again this week, I was joined by Chris, 2 Grahams, Richard, Catriona, Roger, Phillip and Tony.
Between us we managed to haul some more stones out of the old wall and completed the foundations by lunchtime (ish). We also made a brave start on two wall ends and despite the swearing they are looking good. Now we just have to see if we can wall uphill and round in a circle without losing our sanity! The outcome will be anything but guaranteed, I'm not sure that we are all sane to begin with but heyho.
I'm afraid that I was too busy enjoying myself to take pictures this week but Tony was seen with his camera so with a bit of luck he'll add them later.
See you next week, hopefully with some more lovely weather, Em.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Special hats and wet weather
So...
It would seem that we are destined to struggle on through the finest weather that Nidderdale has to offer!
We returned to Sparrowhawk Farm this week and to be fair we had a cracking morning, the weather kept at bay and we finished preparing the foundations and digging out useful stone in time for our coffee break (with cake supplied!).
After our break we set about the foundations in three teams, we slogged on until lunch time when the deluge began in earnest. The site quickly turned from pleasant to mud fest and none of us could muster the will to carry on and called it a day.
Here's hoping that next week we get a good clear day and lots of walling done!
I was joined by Richard, Phillip, Tony, a couple of Graham's, Roger and David Leonard (who once employed us for a job at Thornthwaite!)
I only managed to get one picture done today, so here it is in all it's glory... Graham and the special hat
It would seem that we are destined to struggle on through the finest weather that Nidderdale has to offer!
We returned to Sparrowhawk Farm this week and to be fair we had a cracking morning, the weather kept at bay and we finished preparing the foundations and digging out useful stone in time for our coffee break (with cake supplied!).
After our break we set about the foundations in three teams, we slogged on until lunch time when the deluge began in earnest. The site quickly turned from pleasant to mud fest and none of us could muster the will to carry on and called it a day.
Here's hoping that next week we get a good clear day and lots of walling done!
I was joined by Richard, Phillip, Tony, a couple of Graham's, Roger and David Leonard (who once employed us for a job at Thornthwaite!)
I only managed to get one picture done today, so here it is in all it's glory... Graham and the special hat
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Sparrowhawks and Amazons Forever!!
This week sees us trekking up above Pateley Bridge to Sparrowhawk Farm to start work on another curvy project - we just can't get enough of them!
We were joined by Catriona, Roger, Paul, Phillip, Em, Graham, David, me and Taster Tony (our taster session volunteer for the day!).
Sparrowhawk Farm is a regular haunt for AONB volunteers and some of us have been here before, the owner Kit is establishing wildflower meadows and planning to keep bees and it's the bees we are here to help with. As we discovered today the site has beautiful views, when they emerge from the mist but not a lot of shelter from the elements - something that the bees are going to need! To give the bees a good chance at surviving the wind we've been asked to construct a semi-circular fold (does this sound familiar to anyone else!) which when finished will stand at approx 5' and hopefully provide enough shelter.
The weather was not kind to us and by lunch I was on my third pair of gloves and we were all beginning to resemble drowned rats. We cracked on though and got most of the foundation trench dug and hefted plenty of stone out of the ground to be getting along with. Everybody threw themselves into the task with a zeal that even the weather could not dampen! However, by 2 o'clock we were drenched and really had had enough so called time for this week.
We'll be back again next week, with a bit of luck we'll get some sunshine and get the chance to admire this stunning location.
What photo's we managed to take before the mud set in are below.
Cheers, Em
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| Buried treasure |
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| If a job's worth doing |
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| Lets's do it properly |
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| This was after the mud was washed away by the rain! |
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Pinfolded - 11th April 2012
The walling fairy evidently called by last week despite the forecast snows and left the wall in really good shape for Roger, the Richards, the Grahams and myself to finish off and clear the site.
Richard the Younger will be posting some of his time-lapse photos and I hope you'll agree the results are well up to standard. The photos aren't bad either! The weather was kind and didn't hail on us until we'd finished and were headed home. We have much to be grateful for.
We have a taster day next week and I will let you know where our next project will be as soon as ... I've actually found somewhere! watch for Wally-Mail and if you know of a site where we could start more or less immediately, please let me know.
Richard the Younger will be posting some of his time-lapse photos and I hope you'll agree the results are well up to standard. The photos aren't bad either! The weather was kind and didn't hail on us until we'd finished and were headed home. We have much to be grateful for.
We have a taster day next week and I will let you know where our next project will be as soon as ... I've actually found somewhere! watch for Wally-Mail and if you know of a site where we could start more or less immediately, please let me know.
Good job no-one knows who he's calling a fairy.
UPDATE! A selection of Daguerreotypes
As promised here are some photos of the finished pinfold - and a few snaps of how we got there.
Before we got our hands on it.
After we'd finished messing about (At least I hope I've got them in the right order)
DEMOLITION!
REBUILD!
Richard
P.S. I'll attempt to make some sort of video out of the photo's I have taken. Don't hold your breath though. It may take me some time.
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