I think I can safely say that autumn is here: 5C (41F) first thing in the mornings and dropping as we head into November.
Nine hardy heroes turned out this morning, despite the bitterly cold prevailing wind.
Reece, Marcus, Steve, Ian, Andrew, Mark, Dave, Ram, and Paul. It was not a day to be standing around chatting, so we cracked on.
Main Task:
The main task in this section is to get a bit more width and drop the height of the hedge so that people can see what is ahead, and also not feel like they are in a big green tunnel.
People need to be able to walk side-by-side and have a conversation, if they so wish.
Plenty of walkers and cyclists coming past, which is nice to see.
We broke for coffee and cookies at half-time.
We have new mugs!!
We carried on before we all started to get the chills.
It’s so nice to see all the brash raked up and the path clear.
The end result…
It’s open, and people can see over the hedge. This is all that we have to do on this section.
Stumps:
Last week, Monika, one of our blog followers, suggested 5% white vinegar to kill the tree stumps.
So I got some and gave it a try. If this works, it will get rid of all the unwanted trip-hazard stumps without harming any wildlife.
Thanks, Monika.
We also did a quick litter pick.
How a crash helmet came to be in the undergrowth will be one of those forever unsolved mysteries…
The greenway goes towards the old Dunchurch Railway Station in a southward direction.
Dunchurch Bridleway:
Ian, Lorne, Dave, and Paul turned out on a decent morning and did a bit of “above-and-beyond” work.
We have an 80-metre public right of way that is part of a popular walk for people with dogs.
It’s the short section on the left, and we have been meaning to clear it properly for about two years.
Today was the day!
The temporary fencing should come down soon, and it just makes it a really nice 1.3-kilometre walk around and through the fields.
To thank ourselves for our community spirit, we had a bacon roll treat at break time.
It’s been a long time since we had the stove out.
We also strimmed around the benches and made the mature trees pop a bit better.
It was a really good session, and we felt like we had really achieved something.
The bridleway goes to the old Dunchurch Railway Station in a westward direction.
Draycote to Far Popehill Spinney:
This is where the railway path connects to National Cycle Network 41 and goes off towards Leamington.
The path, northwards, is rough, whilst the path southwards has some sort of surface layer.
I managed to strim about 100 metres in about an hour.
It just keeps it open and usable for walkers and cyclists.
There are plenty of signs telling folk what they can and cannot do.
There – we have been told!!
This is the diversion that takes you around the bit that I am working on.
I would rather be off the roads completely.
This part of the path goes towards the old Dunchurch Railway Station in a northward direction, and this gives us the third prong of our three-pronged attack.
Mental Wellbeing:
Christmas is just around the corner, so if you think that loneliness might be creeping in to keep you company, do something now to change things up.
If you do stuff on a regular basis, you will probably see the same people doing their stuff, week in, week out.
Try to strike up a conversation. It takes a long time for an acquaintance to become a bit more familiar, where you can swap phone numbers and stuff, but you have to start somewhere.
I don’t know anyone who gets a text message and is not thankful that they are in the thoughts of someone else.
Anyway, that’s it for this week.
Exciting stuff next week as we share something new, which will be a bit of a hoot.
Until next time!
Paul
