WBOA and West Beckham Green Work Parties

Ten people (two work parties) met at West Beckham Old Allotments on Thursday May 6th – our last Covid-restricted gathering for this lockdown – to do some work both at WBOA and at West Beckham Village Green. We were accompanied by one of our trustees, Nick Acheson, who was taking his first expert look at the two sites and filming some of the work we were doing. Garlic Mustard (which is a caterpillar food plant for both orange-tip and green-veined white butterflies) and Red Campion were spotted

One party spent a couple of hours spreading some road planings that had been delivered the day before on the track leading to the site, to help even out some of the bumps in the track. Road planings (for those of us who don’t know!) are an aggregate produced by a cold milling machine, which removes the surface layer of a tarmacked highway or footpath. The resulting waste is loaded into a lorry and is officially known as Road Planings although many refer to them as Road Scalpings or Road Scrapings.

Another party spent the whole morning clearing the grass around the hedge plants which line the right-hand (east) side of the site and part of the north side, to help the plants to grow better without the competition provided by grass, docks and daffodils.

And a small party walked to the Village Green to do a short scything of the paths that circle the green.

Needless to say, doughnuts were available to accompany coffee and tea at key points in the morning. Thanks to all who came and we look forward to seeing you again on Thursday 20th – details to follow.