Newsletter, November 2023
I am writing this newsletter under false pretences as I am no longer the Chairman of the branch. I am very happy to say that since the recent AGM Kathy England will fill that role for the next two years with me as her assistant for a year. I am sure that you will all give her the support that you have shown to me over the years. Good luck Kathy.
This year the branch has completed a full programme and during our monthly Practice Meets built and repaired many sections of wall throughout Saddleworth. We have had five training courses which have produced another influx of new members who want to know more. Further afield the branch attended the Royal Lancashire Show at the end of July to demonstrate the craft for three very wet but enjoyable days. In late August a small group were engaged in a community project in the village of Barley, at the base of Pendle Hill, to help the villagers rebuild the Women’s Institute garden wall in the village car park. The branch made a new group of friends in the very heart of the county and we will be welcome back.
It has always been part of our mission to pass on the necessary skills to repair and build dry stone walls. The branch now has a very competent core of capable wallers who can take on most walling challenges. As they all started as novices on one of our two-day training courses it is gratifying that several of them are now capable of tackling DSWA tests at Level 1 and Level 2.
Thanks to our president Carl Watson, we now have a local test site. Two walls have been built on his land in Dobcross which are suitable for testing at Levels 1 & 2. The site will be developed with retaining walls, walls on significant slopes and curves so that advanced testing can take place at Level 3 in the future and this will be open to candidates from all over the country.
The first tests took place on September 31st with a DSWA examiner in attendance. Five of the branch passed at levels 1 & 2 which still gives me a buzz! – and we have three more waiting. None of this would have been possible without Carl’s help. He got stone in place, got the test walls built and coached the trainees ahead of the tests themselves. Great outcome Carl. Thank you Mr President!
Besides having our own test site the branch also has its own storage facility in the form of a shipping container which Peter Taft has fitted out to accept all our tools and equipment. Robin Whalley continues to develop and improve our website which is important as it is one of our main shop windows. Bev Watson will shadow Gill for a year before taking over the very important role of treasurer next year and our secretary Paul Clayton continues to keep so many balls in the air that I have lost count. Without their input and help the branch couldn’t exist at all.
I am very aware that it is not possible for everyone to be active in the branch. Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continuing support, we really do appreciate it and it enables us to look after all those dry stone walls that are such an integral part of our Pennine landscape. If you would like to see us ‘at it’ we would be very pleased to see you; you can find out where and when we will be working from our website (lancashirebranchdswa.org.uk)
Finally it turns out that apart from providing perfect wild life habitats, enhancing our landscape and being essential in land management, dry stone walls fulfil another useful role – they can stop low spreading moorland fires. This has been recognised by fire chiefs and the government and may lead to increased funding for maintenance in the future.
For now we are working on our programme for 2024 and looking forward to another excellent year.
Best wishes
Chris Bolshaw Vice Chairman