According to Geoffrey Boycott the intention of a bouncer which catches the batsman just under the heart was to keep the batsman honest. In Spring we received a few bouncers.
BOUNCER 1 :- For the first time ever we were forced to cancel a training course. Snow and ice covered the ground, access was impossible and with temperatures down to minus 17°C we had no choice but to postpone the course for March 17th and 18th.
BOUNCER 2:- The March course was rescheduled for April 14th and 15th. Our treasurer, Gill Bolshaw, spent much of Friday 13th April shifting stone, cutting back vegetation and tidying up the site. By mid-afternoon she had finished so returned home for a little gentle gardening where she slipped and landed badly on the edge of a kerbing slab. Admitted to hospital at 22:00 on Friday night with a broken hip, she had a full hip replacement operation at 11:00 the following morning, walked on the new hip on Sunday and was discharged from hospital on Monday. Two months later she is back cycling, hill walking and walling. I hope that everyone out there appreciates the jewel in our crown that is the NHS.
BOUNCER 3:- Katy our K9 walling companion took very ill and is no more. Hopeless at walling but with us in all weathers, a diplomat and a great ice-breaker she will be missed horribly.
Almost ‘All’s well that ends well’; subsequent courses have been very successful and produced fine stretches of substantial wall, Gill is en-route to 100% recovery and the toads, frogs, voles, shrews and hares that we meet constantly are getting used to us ……getting used to Katy not being around hasn’t happened yet.
As one of the sites we work at is on a very popular walking route we get a lot of positive comments about the work we are carrying out and we receive very flattering coverage in the local media. I often wonder if this couldn’t be converted into support for the DSWA through an associate membership for those who don’t want to get hands on. Forestry and Rivers and Canals do this – for an annual fee, members get a badge, a car sticker and a magazine. Something to think about?
Recently the branch hosted a selection day for aspirant bursary award apprentices. Our president, Carl Watson, ran an informal one-day course so that the applicants could get some idea of what dry stone walling entails. It was a lovely day and an excellent opportunity to meet Andy Loudon (Chief Examiner) and Linda Clarkson (Training and Education Coordinator) to let them know a little of what we get up to in our part of the Pennines.
Further afield, Chris and Howard travelled up to Gearstones Lodge in the Yorkshire Dales to help with the ongoing charity project and enjoy the heart-warming hospitality. In the coming months the branch will be engaged in a community project with the drama group who perform in the hall attached to St John the Evangelist Church in Whitworth.
We were surprised, honoured and humbled to receive the ‘Small Branch of the Year’ award for 2017. Thank you very much.
