WORKING SESSIONS 2025
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WORKING SESSIONS
We are again planning to carry out some regular maintenance in and around East and West Hanney this year.
We plan to work from 09:00 until noon, and as usual, the location will depend upon what needs to be done. Please add these dates to your diaries. It would be great if everyone could do at least one session during the year as it then spreads the load out.
*** Venue and work details will be advised each month by email to subscribers of our E-newsletter ***
We are looking for volunteers to organise each weekend, so please contact us via the contact form or email Clive Manvell: clivemanvell664@gmail.com or call 01235 868216; 0796 4144 109.
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Saturday 17th of May
Details to follow nearer the date.
Saturday 19th of April
Despite the weather forecast we had a very pleasant dry and comfortable temperature to shift 20 wheelbarrow loads of ex-MUGA soil to reinforce the failing bank just upstream of the Iron Bridge. Interestingly the woven willow branches have in some cases sprouted new growth and needed a trim. Additional stakes were inserted to reinforce the lattice work and plug some gaps. Further work may be needed as well as regular pruning in the months ahead. The opportunity was taken to clean the depth gauge and to water the plants in the bund. Next month we hope to be able to plant grass seed mixed with topsoil in these areas.
Thank you to all those who let us know they were unable to make it and to those who did. Many thanks also to those that stood down from originally volunteering as this made the numbers match the task, (Paul S, Mick M, Peter M-S, Lamorna Z and Phil M). We welcomed Roger F for the first time, joining Bob P, Ian and Dickon G, David S and Clive M. We were able to enjoy another slice of Helen’s Vicarage Fruit Cake.
Saturday 15th of March
We split into several teams this morning to open up the stream that flows from Sunset Strip under the road and between the first few houses on Main Street and those on the Dews Meadow plot.
One small team started in the stream behind Lieder working towards the Summertown Road where other teams initially drain rodded the culvert running east- west under the road and cleared the grill and stream in front of Eastways and Sunset Strip. After that, the stream behind the houses was cleared from behind Moreton joining the team behind Lieder.
All these areas have a great deal of silt as well as broken branches, brambles and other vegetation after the winter storms. By the time we finished the water levels had fallen several inches and a steady flow re-established.
Special thanks to Helen for the north country version of hot-cross buns, Ian and Dickon for their traffic control and management keeping people safe on this dodgy corner, Phil for washing the Hi-Viz vests and to volunteers Tim G, Lamorna Z, David S, Peter M, Ian G, Dickon G, Keith R, Alastair J, Phil M and Clive M.
Saturday 15th of February
A very good turnout this morning of 15 volunteers who managed to complete all the tasks set, despite the weather being overcast with neither rain nor mist falling although something in between occurring, which made for a rather damp morning.
The team split into two halves, one tackling the tree branch blockages in three separate locations at the far end of Charlotte’s, bottom field, which would most certainly have resulted in a blockage and a restricted flow during heavy rain periods both in the brook and supporting ‘feed in’ ditch from the farm fields to the west. The removal of several tree branches and brambles and the usual large bag of litter resulted in a clear flow of both brook and ditch.
The other half of the team removed all the willow that had fallen into the brook between the fish bypass entrance and Lower Mill and embarked on an experimental engineering bank reinforcement project next to the iron bridge. The aim was to reduce the erosion impact of the water flow on the west bank of the brook, next to the iron bridge footpath. As a result, the team reinforced the bank with left over trimmed Christmas trees, suitably staked into the brook bed, interwoven with willow (previously brought from the Lower Mill work) and back filled with soil from the large mound of earth by the allotments. Adaptions had to be made during construction and it was deemed necessary to reinforce the willow and tree stakes with approx. 30 sandbags from the nearby store. All appeared to be working well on completion of the task and all looked most natural being made of recycled wood. Its robustness and ability to withstand the strong current and different water height levels will be monitored over the coming months.
A big thank you to all the volunteers today; Lamorna Z, Stewart S, Chris Osborne (welcome as this was his inaugural exposure to flood group), Jason K, Keith C, Keith R, Paul S, David S, Bob P, Richard C, Tim G, Peter M and Adrian B. An extra thank you Dickon and Ian for preparing and transporting the trees to site and of course to Helen S who yet again maintained moral with the provision of some lovely gingerbread cake which was very well received at half time. Thank you to all on what was a reasonably heavy green gym session on a rather damp day.
Saturday 18th of January
We had the perfect numbers to finish the first phase of the EHPC brookside bank improvements near the Iron Bridge where the coir matting was fixed in place over the soil bund and more than 300 plant plugs distributed along its length. When this has settled down and the weather has warmed up a bit grass seed, distributed in topsoil, may be spread along its length to further bind this structure together.
[VIEW bund plant list]
Thank you to those who turned out this weekend, and some of you last weekend as well. Thanks also to Steve for the bacon butties and Helen for the nutty slag, warmly received and a welcome energy boost to complete the tasks.
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