New Year Ditching and Spreading

It looked as if this first work party of 2025 might have to be called off when our venerable leader announced the night before that he had suffered both a car breakdown and a bruised arm and was unable to come; and, more important, was unable to collect the addictive doughnuts from a Cromer supermarket. However, John stepped up to lead the work party and Peter made a diversion in order to collect our morning snap. Val and Nick also pulled out at the last minute – a daughter in labour - but Bev rose from her sick bed and made a very welcome appearance, joining John, Peter, Sean, Andrew, Elizabeth and Sophia.

When we arrived, John was standing, rake in hand, surveying a large plie of road planings, which had been delivered before Christmas – a delivery that involved the truck getting stuck in the soft ground and a rescue operation involving a knight in a shining 4-wheel drive. Our first task – much needed as we stood in a rather chilly wind – was to shift the planings and spread them in front of the shed and further into the car parking area, so as to provide a firmer surface for parking.

That done, we all progressed round to the back of the site to examine the exit ditch – the slow trickle that enables the ponds to slowly drain into a ditch leading away southwards from the allotment. Having satisfied our curiosity, we traipsed back to the shed for coffee – this was very much post-holiday pace for our first work party of the year. But, by now, the sun was out and sitting around for 15 minutes was actually very pleasant, especially because of the usual excellent craic.

Afterwards, we trooped back to the exit ditch, carefully circumnavigating the ponds, as we all had in mind the total immersion of November 21st (see blog on that date). While John and Bev cleared the ditch, Andrew, Sean, Peter, Sophia and Elizabeth moved the precarious breeze blocks that formed part of the bridge and began clearing some of the ditch on the other side of the bridge.

Around 10.45, John announced an end to proceedings and we all drove home, glowing from the hard work and basking in the pleasure of work well done on what might well have been a very cold and wet morning.

Our next work party is on Thursday January 16th – either at Sustead or Hindolveston. Details to be confirmed nearer the time.

Peter Maingay

January 2nd 2025