With eleven members today we were able to accomplish four tasks.
Five of us stayed in the Barn area and at the request of the Golf Course Groundsman pruned some tree branches at the back of the Barn that were overhanging the Drive and being hit by lorries; and cleared a ditch below the Middle Pond to allow free flowing water.
Two members went to the Nettle Patch and worked along the path at the back of the Hall, trimming overhead branches, concentrating on the area of the Nettle Patch as it really was quite narrow.
Two others cut back vegetation encroaching on the path through the rhododendrons behind Beauchief Hall and then the path around the Hall estate, up to the Nettle Patch near the Ladies Spring Wood end. A full bin liner was removed from near the entrance to the Hall and its contents disposed of appropriately. We got several complimentary comments from passers-by.
The remaining four began the job of replacing Ray Morris’s Bench in the Nature Park flower meadow, by preparing he ground for a replacement seat. New supports were cut to size from recycled railway sleepers and transported to site. After a little hard graft and a lot of grunting, the old stumps were lifted and the new ones installed – remarkably easily, to our surprise and delight! With luck the new top, which has been treated in readiness, can be fixed in place next week.