Hazel, willow, beef and storytelling from Bedfordshire

Monthly archives for January, 2011

Start of the willow harvest

Start of the willow harvest

Whilst our arable neighbours are enjoying watching their cereal crops growing slowly, from the comfort of their Land Rovers, we are gearing up for the willow harvest. This year we are mechanising to a record extent. A power scythe joins the clearing saw to reduce the ridiculous time we have spent cutting willow in the past. That’s a […]

Loss of an old ash pollard

Loss of an old ash pollard

Late in November last year an Atlantic front ripped across the country bringing with it lots of rain and wild winds to Gravenhurst. It caused me to postpone a job in a Luton lower school which involved making hazel arches – I don’t like to appear to be a softy, but it would have been very miserable […]