So Long Suckers

Despite the forecast threatening snow showers, Gill and Yasin were not going to be put off sorting out some of the trees lining Whitehill Avenue. However what they hadn't allowed for was just how many suckers the worst of the trees, and just how big some of them had got.

Yasin soon got busy with the loppers, while Gill started to cut through some of the volume from the cut pieces to enable her to get them into the wheelbarrow, and so that they would ultimately fit into the builders sack that would be used to transport them to the tip. To warm herself up, she decided on a jogging approach to wheelbarrowing and was soon warmed up having deposited her first load in the sack half way along the road. With the thicker branches, Yasin was soon using the hand saw which we hoped would warm him up, but by the time the tree trunk had been fully denuded he was freezing.

We got a passing dad taking his daughter home from school to take a snap of us, and he was so appreciative. He said he has been dodging the tree suckers 4 times every day on his journeys too and from school, and was really pleased that he can now continue on the pavement with his 5 year old, instead of stepping into the road to avoid being scratched. We were happy to have made an immediate impact.

The light was fading and the temperature was dropping further. It had taken longer than anticipated so there was nothing for it than to retire to one of the residential houses for a well deserved hot cup of tea and biscuits. Fortunately they had their central heating on fully so we were soon defrosted and planning for the next session to tackle one or two of the other trees.

There was one final task: to get the builders sack full of tree bits into the car, and for Gill aided by Tim (not a GoodGymer but one of our official supporters) to get it disposed of at the tip.