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 20th of September
Details to follow.
Monday 8th of September - reed reduction
A successful afternoon in warm and bright sunshine where 5 volunteers cleared more reeds from the Philberds Manor’s side of the Brook that were hindering the flow of water around the oxbow that is forming here. Thank you to Keith C, Mick M, Keith R, Alistair J and Clive M.
Substantial progress has been made these past few weeks with working parties attempting to remove the vegetation that may have been responsible for some of the water backing up by Lower Mill Bridge.
Friday 5th of September - reed reduction
Another successful morning in warm and bright sunshine, where 5 volunteers cleared a large area of reeds from the Philberds Manor side of the Brook that were hindering the flow of water around the oxbow that is forming here. As well as reducing the weeds the Brook bank was cut back as best we could to increase the width of the Brook here where it narrows significantly and is very deep in places as Stewart can testify. Really substantial progress has been made these past few weeks with four working parties attempting to remove the vegetation that may have been responsible for water backing up by Lower Mill Bridge.
Thank you to Richard C, Stewart S, Keith R, Alistair J and Clive M.
Friday 29th of August - reed reduction
Again, seven of us continued the task of reducing the encroaching reeds below Lower Mill Bridge progressing the work started in the Brook below the sewage pipe and in the first narrow section. Some of the team removed some fallen branches further upstream and a number of overhanging branches as well as removing more reeds. We toiled for 2.5 hours getting this far and the task ahead remains huge. We plan to have another session on the next stretch on Thursday 4th September, weather and water levels permitting.
So huge thanks to Keith C, Meryl C, Alistair J, Stewart S, Mick M, Phil M and Clive M. Special thanks to for Mick who kindly towed the trailer.
Friday 22nd of August - reed reduction
Seven of us made a start on reducing the encroaching reeds below Lower Mill Bridge getting as far as the first narrows. We toiled for 2.5 hours getting this far and the task ahead is huge. Consequently, we plan to have another session on the next stretch on Friday 29th August, weather permitting.
So huge thanks to Peter M-S, Alistair J, Keith R, Stewart S, Mick M, Richard C and Clive M. Please note this footpath is too narrow for our trolleys and doubtless other perambulators.
Whilst we were doing that Phil M was removing more HB from behind Brookside where several clumps were found on both banks. There is more by Lower Mill Cottage but we could not access them at the time.
Saturday 16th of August
We had a good turnout of 15 volunteers to pull all the remaining Himalayan Balsam on the stretch of the Brook just north of the sewage pipe as far as the end of Philberds Manors meadows; all that we could reach that is. Much of it was multi-stemmed, 50mm thick, two metres high and seeding. Other HB was removed by Paul Sayers well to the south of the village beyond the sewage outfall in Grove, thank you Paul. Thank you also to this months volunteers David S, Peter M-S, Daniel C, Bob P, Peter M, Keith R, Keith C, Meryl C, Alastair J, Ian G, Dickon G, Lamorna Z, Mick M, Phil M, Clive M and Helen S for the Vicarage Fruit Cake. Thanks also to the 10 volunteers who let me know that they could not turn out this month.
Phil and Clive waded south in the Brook from Weir Farm last weekend as far as the sewage outfall and removed three or four HB hot spots including a plantation just south of the Dandridge Mill bypass off-take where it was prolific but localised on the far bank. It was good to see the significant reduction of HB year on year but a clear reminder that it must be regularly removed where it does continue to germinate. The condition of the Brook south of the village is mostly one of clear water and with the gravel and sand riverbed visible.
Next month we will need to progress clearing the weeds and reeds which have flourished this summer, especially in the stretch below Lower Mill Bridge. The Brook has narrowed very significantly here and elsewhere north and south of Lower Mill. We could make a start before then if some volunteers are able to put in an extra shift or two.
Saturday 19th of July
Twelve volunteers tackled the large clumps of Himalayan Balsam on both banks of Letcombe Brook to the north of East Hanney. Many thanks to Paul Dyer for organising access across the paddocks to reach the problem areas, which we have visited for several years now. Although there was less on the east bank than in the past the west bank was as bad as ever. So, we had plenty to do with several volunteers in the water and a number very busy on the east bank too. A number of fallen branches and other blockages were removed as we made progress northward reaching the boundary with the next landowner just after twelve-fifteen, when we stopped. We endured early drizzle and then worked mostly in damp conditions with the heavens opening after we had finished cleaning, drying and oiling the tools.
Many thanks to Helen for some tasty walnut and coffee cupcake and muffins, David for towing the trailer and to the volunteers Roger F, Paul S, Peter M, Owen M, Mick M, Alastair J, Bob P, Duncan M, Ian G, Dickon G, David S and Clive M.
Saturday 28th of June
A lot of challenging work in fine and dry conditions pulling Himalayan Balsam from both banks of Letcombe Brook starting at Lower Mill Bridge and working downstream as far as time allowed. A number of tree obstructions were also removed as was a considerable amount of rubbish and other unsavoury litter including a ladder and two scaffolding planks.
We were sustained by slices of Helens flapjacks; thank you. Thanks also to Ian and Dickon for towing the trailer and working the banks with Mick along with Alistair, Phil, David B, Chris, Keith C and Clive M in the water. Plenty of Himalayan Balsam was removed.
Saturday 21st of June
Cancelled.
Saturday 17th of May
We had a good tidy up of the Hut and its contents were cleaned, oiled, sharpened and dusted as appropriate. The trailer, wheelbarrow and sack truck tyres were checked and pumped up. Peter cleaned several kilos of mud from the hand cart tyres. David ran up the generator as a training session for the people unfamiliar with its working and we tested lighting looms, flood lights and other accessories. One or two problems were identified and have now been fixed.
Phil did a huge amount of dusting, hoovering and tiding after showing people how to check the lifejackets. Special thanks to Ian and Paul for leading tool sharpening sessions which means many more people can undertake to do these on a regular basis. Effective use was made of Pauls cobweb brush too. We are creating a skills matrix to record who has been shown specific equipment and knows how to use it safely and how to maintain and clean it.
Only one life jacket is missing the annual check. The Hut inventory was checked and adjusted.
Thank you to Helen for the red velvet cupcakes which were much enjoyed by the team of Ian, Paul S, Phil M, David S, Roger F, Peter M-S and Clive M
June is the annual footy tournament so we will need to be aware of that next month.
We also watered the plants in the bund this weekend too. Many thanks to those that have been watering them throughout the drought, they have perked up.
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 Vicarage fruit cake made by Helen.
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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