On 7th August 2013 the sale of Liddells was completed. On 13th August 2013 we became the registered owners, Traditionally a fifth anniversary is marked with a gift of wood. What better excuse for a party and to light the huge bonfire Clare had built a while ago.
As the dry weather continued and as we heard about more wildfires, we decided to create a Plan B and invited friends to share a picnic on the Meadow instead. As soon as we had made that decision, it rained! However, discretion being the better part of Valerie, we stuck with Plan B.
A meadow awaiting a party
No sooner had guests arrived than we sent them off with a map to have a walk around and see what we've been up to, and an I-spy test to keep their attention on the job in hand.
Everyone took this very seriously and almost left no time for their picnic! Several reported seeing deer in the Scrub and on the Top Grazing. We saw bats for the first time, which was exciting. We'd wondered if there were resident bats but had never seen any. New task for winter - make bat boxes. A Tawny owl hooted in the background late on in the evening and we were relieved that the rain held off till after 10. No spirits were dampened and our stalwart friends stayed on in spite of the weather.
Clare had been doing her accounts and shared the following:
5 Years’ worth:
Added -
425 yards of fencing
1700 yards of paths - chipped, strimmed, cleared
30 yards roadway
80 yards land drains
3 gateways
Built -
13 stiles
1 hurdle
1 gate
5 sheds
⅔ shepherd’s hut
36 bird boxes
Made -
24 bales + 8 dumpies of hay
200 bags of chip for paths
Planted -
155 hedging plants
260 trees
1000 bulbs
A meadow’s worth and more, wildflower plugs
Sown -
c 1 kg wildflower seeds
Felled -
40 trees
Removed -
4500 Creeping thistles
Been gifted -
26 trees
1 song
1 booklet of poems
2 Gaelic blessings
Cared for -
9 ponies
85 sheep
c 1000,000 honey bees
Seen -
Roe deer
Hares
Rabbits
Voles
Badgers
Foxes
Mice
Grey squirrels
Stoats
Frogs
Newts
Recorded -
29 Tree species
126 Wildflowers species
53 bird species
19 Butterfly species
Hosted -
15 Green Gym Days (the first pretty much 4 years ago to the day)
Lit -
6 bonfires (1 still to come)
Celebrated/acknowledged -
1 Naming
4 Fire Festivals
1 birth
4 marriages
2 deaths
1 Doctorate
1 5 year anniversary
Suffered -
1 fall; many cuts, bruises, scratches, prickles, bites, stings, sprains and strains
Read or read from -
41 relevant books
Innumerable websites
Attended -
2 conferences
1 advisory meeting
2 specialised talks
Applied for -
1 Forestry Commission grant
Developed -
1 website
Published -
70 blog posts
1 article on bee-keeping
Purchased -
I small trailer
1 flat bed trailer
Several power tools
Many hand tools
2 Riding hats, 1 pair breeches, 1 pair riding boots
2 sets of tack for ponies plus associated pony care products
1 set horse-logging equipment
Fence posts
Strainers
Wood for shuttering sheds
Wood for railings
Wire - barbed, high tensile, chicken, sheep proof, rabbit proof
Corrugated sheeting
Nails, screws, staples, nuts, bolts, hinges, locks, door furniture
1 bowser
Foraged -
Wild fruit for 60 jars of hedgerow and rowan jelly
Collected -
12 jars of honey with more to come this year
Received - advice or practical help from -
29 people who are experts, proficient or working in relevant areas
Welcomed - the physical labour from -
17 friends (and a son of one of said friends) and two (not our) grandchildren
Many in those last two categories are here this evening, however I want to mention Mel, Sally and Tim, who have each put in huge numbers of hours and who can’t be with us
And it all amounts to, at a very conservative estimate, at least 6000 hours of work
Thank you all for your support
John told the story of The Braunspath and held his audience entranced.
Entranced audience