Slow long, slow worm - sleep well!

Another double task group run and at the start it looked a straight forward choice - cake or leg ache. The shorter option to Redcliffe was made doubly attractive by the opportunity to join Growing Support's end of project celebration and indulge in a little refreshment after a spot of gardening.

As it turned out though, our Redcliff group (with Deb as official photographer - thanks Deb!) had to work hard for their cake, being asked to rotate compost piles and shift a fair amount of the stuff in the process. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves though and the later option to pick lavender must have made a welcome aromatic alternative to the compost!

Group 'leg ache' included our two new runners, Elen and Camilla who showed their early Goodgym steel by passing up the option to stop at Redcliffe and continue on one of our longest runs to the Malago Valley. There, we were met by Martin who dished out shears and croppers so we could continue cutting paths into the bramble strewn space and allow access to the apple trees which were fully laden with fruit. Apparently, no one is completely sure how the trees came to be there - one theory is that they were the result of discarded apple cores from the lunch boxes of workers at the brick work that used to be there - another is that they were part of a wartime effort to grow more food.

While most of us worked on path cutting, David and Liam shifted some of the previous cuttings into a tidy pile and Paul and Fi harvested some of the apples for a bring and trade event at Zion.

Before we left, Martin took us to see a slow worm hibernarium that had been created to host a (bed?) of worms that had been transferred to benefit from the ideal local habitat. To a casual observer it may look like a mound of earth but this structure is underpinned by a ditch of timber and works out as a mound of Marriott-style luxury for slow worms over the winter months.

Our work done, we headed back to base, completed our stretches and enjoyed a bite to eat at Roll for the Soul. Thanks to Paul for back marking today!