Every year we team up with Falcon Canoe Club for a spring litter pick during OxClean weeks. This year we couldn't get out on the water because the river is still very high and fast after the soggy winter we've just endured, so we set off to clear the areas along the river bank instead. Starting strong by filling a whole sack of litter in the Falcon Canoe Club car park, we then set off along Meadow Lane and through Aston's Eyot.

Unusual objects;
* a whole pile of bent tent pegs
* some sort of pagan circle, complete with scattered herbs and clay faces stuck to the trees
* full and opened bottle of rose wine
* socks

Same again next year?

MY GOODNESS WHAT WAS THAT WEATHER?!?!?!?

Extra kudos, pats on the back and gold stars to all who came to Hogacre this evening.

This evening moved boxes of manure over that railway bridge, spread the aforementioned manure in various fruit and veg beds, ferried hay from the recently mown meadow, picked apples, and tackled brambles. ALL IN THE HAMMERING RAIN.

No one drowned.....

Well done everyone, and welcome to Goodgym Alice and Jen!! We hope the next session you come to will be a tad drier.....

The answer: lots of regular scything.

Last night we returned to Aston's Eyot to try to get some nettles under control. An area that we've worked on previously has been earmarked as a picnic/play/chill-out space. Unfortunately it is currently covered in nettles. To ready it for the council's tractor we scythed and cleared lots of nettles, sawed some low hanging branches - Joe discovering some pole-sawing skills - and collected the inevitable litter.

Another team were sent a little further along the river to deal with a fallen tree. A tree surgeon had done the heavy work but we needed to clear branches from a river-side flower area. Sawing up branches is quite the workout but chats about books was a good distraction!

Well done team! We'll be back in September for another go!

Botley School had 3 more bags of shingle that needed transferring to the school quad. We helped shovel, wheelbarrow and rake the shingle, which was very satisfying! We then had some time left over so we helped with weeding too. The quad will have a grand reopening in a couple of weeks so it was nice to help get it looking smart!