Mud and Fairtrade, but not together!

early or late for Christmas?

Well I knew it might be a bit muddy on Wednesday at Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/, after all it had rained all night, but this was muddy beyond compare. Before the mud though there was a surprise when we got out of the mini bus, had we gone back in time, or rapidly forward? This tree, carefully decorated with glass baubles, in the middle of the forest, are we early or late for Christmas?

For about half an hour we cleared an overgrown bridleway. Then, downing our loppers and saws and collecting a variety of spades and large forks we set off for the mud. For hours we laboured, cutting a ditch and trying to discover the whereabouts of a rumoured drain. This bridleway was so deep in mud that the strongest horse must have had difficulty getting through it. Every so often there was a cry for help as one of us sunk so deep that we needed a hand to be pulled out. Our wellies slurped and sucked as the mud threatened to go over the tops.

a very satisfactory flow
of muddy water

How many people to find a
drain pipe?

On the left, the drain is not a rumour, but is very deep; it will have to wait for another week to be properly connected. On the right the ditch is working and muddy water is draining off the bridleway down the hill.

All three photos of Coasties are courtesy of one of my colleagues, Tristan Eyre, as I forgot my camera.

Tomorrow is the Malton Food Festival and the Malton and Norton Fairtrade group,www.fairtrade.org.uk/ is having a stall in a local church, thank you to St Michael's, stmichaelsmalton.org.uk/. We have tried a new form of publicity this year with a display in House Martins window, www.nurserycommunity.com/directory/house-martins-day-care-centre, thank you House Martins.

Only chocolate wrappers, not the real thing, on display, this window can get very sunny. I will be missing the selling, but I have done my bit transporting the goods to Malton, team work in our small society.     

As usual all our supplies are from Fairer World in York, www.fairerworldyork.co.uk.

Back to my small society on Monday for the annual bird survey on Fylingdales Moor watch out for results next week.

what must they all make of it?

I am referring to my readers from other countries, what does this volunteering mean to them? In the last month there have been readers from Malaysia and Indonesia in the far east, France and Canada, ( who I think are friends of mine, loyally doing their bit for an old friend) and a large number from Russia, Romania and the United States. A few months ago, after the UK, Latvia topped the list! Some of these countries do have a history of volunteering, I am fairly sure that others don't. So, tell me, what do you all make of it?

Over the last fortnight I have been outdoors in the sunshine (now gone again) and indoors on the phone and a lovely Fairtrade meal in York.

Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/ were doing work on a bridleway near Harwood Dale, it was perfect; sunny, but not too hot, quiet except for a very noisy chiffchaff and as usual a sense of a job well done at the end of the afternoon. As we ate lunch I looked up at the trees and the blue sky and realised how lucky I am. I have travelled thousands of miles for a scene like this and here it is on my doorstep (well nearly).

As usual these days Short Stop lassn.org.uk, goes smoothly. Two referrals, one from Iran the other from Pakistan the first week and just one, another man from Iran, the second week. I email some suggestions round to my colleagues about tweaking the system to make it even better. For example we need to know which hosts are perhaps being over used? I know I tended to start at the beginning of my list, now each week I try to phone different people first. Providers in the small society need a break like everyone else. As usual I have chat with some of the hosts, and then realise that I am using up the 'free' minutes on my phone and it is only the beginning of my phone month.

I was at Farndale for the daffodil information unit on Bank Holiday Monday, it was so warm we were all in just our regulation polo shirts, a first this year for me. I have to tell a lovely family picnicking amongst the flowers that really they are trespassing on the private land in the field next to the path. Most visitors think that National Parks are like parks in towns and that the land is in common ownership. Alas this is not so, the path is a public right of way, but almost all the land is in private ownership and so should not be picnicked on. There is Open Access land that we can all walk over and a quick picnic there is OK, but these fields are not in that category. They are very apologetic and offer to go immediately, but stay and finish your lunch I tell them.

We have also been recipients of other volunteers' activities this month. A fascinating evening walk organised by the Leeds Civic Trust, www.leedscivictrust.org.uk, around what remains of medieval Leeds, more than you would have imagined, if you include current street layouts. Then another history walk, this time round Appleton in the Moors, a planned Abbey village again from the Middle Ages. Led on this occasion by one of my North York Moors volunteer colleagues. Both walks which might sound a little dry were far from it; enlivened by the enthusiasm of the volunteer walk leaders. Tales of good and bad deeds and in Leeds a form of medieval tax evasion, nothing changes! As I said to a passer by, the modern Starbucks.

Then last night an evening of singing, drumming and eating to celebrate World Fair Trade day, organised by York Fair Trade Forum, www.fairtradeyorkshire.org.uk . As you can see from the empty Fair Trade wine bottles a good time was had by all, my small society is fun as well as good for the soul. Yes we did go on the train!

My friend in Leeds is still in her temporary accommodation. She has once again had to clean up a place that was deemed fit for her and her baby by the housing providers, but not by her. I thought the cooker was new, but no it was now shiny and white, where it had been grimy and blackened. Elbow grease, rather than cooking grease.

So, if you my overseas visitors to this blog need an explanation, please leave a comment and I will do what I can to explain the vagaries of the British volunteering scene.

an average fortnight with some quirky photos

The usual run of the mill stuff, but in amongst it are some unusual photos.

Firstly, both Short Stop Tuesdays, lassn.org.uk/, were uneventful. Two referrals each week, both placed quite easily. But behind that bland statement are stories of war, sleeping on the streets and negotiating the asylum process. One of the referrals speaks no English, the host and I discuss how he will get to their home, luckily the referring agency have a special 'taxi' fund for such emergencies. I have used buses on my own in a country where I did not speak the language. I was a tourist with money and some confidence, but it was still stressful even though I knew exactly where I was going. I chat with other hosts, who I met at the meal in Leeds (see Thursday 7th March), about their holidays in Northumberland.

Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk, was up in the north of the Park in the middle of the month, at Skinningrove, almost on the beach. Whilst the step builders were in the lee of the cliffs, out of the wind, a colleague and I were clearing gorse in its full blast. Luckily there was a good deal of ground between the path and the edge, or we might have ended up blown into the sea. There is a wonderful restored fishing boat in the old dock area, here it is.

no, it's not a real person

www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1625894, this tells you more about it. We were cutting back the gorse just where the snow in the photo in this link starts!



not some exotic birds' eggs!



The following week Coasties were clearing a ditch at Ravenscar. It is right next to the golf links and over the years many golfers have obviously been a little too ambitious with their strokes (is that the correct word?). Here are just some of the lost balls that were retrieved from the ditch. We left them there for the golfers to re-use!

The sun had been shining at Ravenscar, but the next day it was hail and wind at Farndale. The daffodils are now out, but sensibly the visitors had stayed at home.                

Yesterday was a patrol from Thornton Dale, I walked up into Dalby Forest, or the Great Yorkshire Forest as it is now called, www.forestry.gov.uk/dalbyforest. It is the centre of an extensive series of mountain biking trails, where these muddy people can legitimately hone their amazing skills. But I was more impressed by this bike; it is specially designed to take a wheelchair, so everyone can now go where the bikes go. (Well may be not the steep bits). www.dalbybikebarn.co.uk, are the hirers. I don't usually link to commercial sites, but I will make an exception here.

Lastly our Fairtrade group has gone to the folk festival, or more precisely the Malton and Norton folk festival www.maltonfolk.co.uk/ . We had a stall during the day at the Blue Ball pub and in the evening at Suddabys for the main concert. We sold some things on behalf of Fairer World in York www.fairerworldyork.co.uk and had a good time as well.

Fairtrade stall at the Blue Ball

 

We were able to use the wall to display the small bags and purses.

As I said at the beginning an average sort of fortnight, but that is what volunteering usually is, just getting on with it, week in and week out.

a bit of a rubbish week

Sorry for the gap, I was away with my grandchildren and then a computer problem.

So, the rubbish week started in Troutsdale, an apparently lovely and peaceful dale on the eastern side of the National Park www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/, I was doing a Voluntary Ranger patrol. However it didn't take long to start to see the rubbish. In the small car park and around it, I collected half a bag, mostly from a well know burger place. I walked through some mixed forest to the top of the escarpment, the remains of several bonfires, bottles, cans and take away BBQs made another bag. Then the worst, back down through another part of the forest to this:-

it had obviously been there for some time and the people would have needed a car to get it there. There are  two free Council sites to take it to within a 20 minute drive, so why dump it here? I discover that it has been reported before and that the police have been asked to take action, but it is still there! I am obviously not going to clear these bags.


The next day I was at Farndale, no rubbish here, but sadly still no daffodils; but there is a weather change in the air, although not very obvious to me and my colleagues. So perhaps in a week or so........................

Wednesday I missed Coasties to help my friend in Leeds move from her accommodation as an asylum seeker to new accommodation as a homeless person with the right to live here. It really doesn't make any sense, she has had to move from one publicly funded property to another, different budget heads, but still our taxes. I am very happy for my taxes to help her have a decent home, but not to support the pointlessness of this move. I take the small stuff and a lovely man with a van takes the bigger things that she has either collected from various dumps, cleaned up and put to good use, or things that people have given her. She is currently in a semi furnished flat, but soon she will have to move again, don't ask, this time to unfurnished accommodation, so nothing can be thrown away or left behind. We are all happy to help and overjoyed that she has permission to stay, but what a rubbish day, wasting fuel and time when we could all be doing so much better things.

I talk to people at LASSN lassn.org.uk (Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network) and Solace www.solace-uk.org.uk, who help with advocacy and counselling, about what to do if there is a gap in her financial support. We agree that I should contact the Trussell Trust www.trusselltrust.org, who run the food bank in central Leeds. They are very kind and tell me what to do to help my friend get a food parcel if it becomes necessary. So far she has been OK, as she is very careful about her food purchases and nothing ever goes to waste.

The week ends on a happier note. I help to clear away overgrown areas of the Castle Gardens in Malton, www.maltoncastlegarden.org.uk, this is a lovely area in the middle of the town. You may find the website a little out of date; this is because as with so many other local and voluntary organisations the people involved all have busy lives. So if you want to help bring it up to speed you can, by offering your time and your skills. Here are some new shrubs and a tree waiting to be planted.

So a mixed week, but by the end spring has finally arrived and the frogs in our pond are doing their bit for the future of the planet. We do our own local scavenging and have two meals using wild garlic as the vegetable.

we install a bench and much more



off to the alum works



Back from holiday to all the usual stuff, but the high light of the week was Wednesday. The new section of the Cleveland Way,  www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway,  that Coasties has been working on since last summer, is officially opened; a ribbon is cut and a bottle of fizzy popped. Several people were walking along it even while all the photos were being taken.

After the celebrations some of us dig two large holes and install the bench that I and my husband were given to celebrate our 65th birthdays. Much admiration for the quality of the bench (thank you to the National Park www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/) and the idea of a bench before one dies!

nearly there

when you sit down....
photo Zoe of the National Trust

      

 A bitterly cold day, with an easterly wind, but a lot to celebrate.

Thanks also to the National Trust for helping with the siting,

www.nationaltrust.org.uk           

Tuesday had been a fairly quiet Short Stop day, www.lassn.org.uk. Just two people to place, but unusually both of them women. After a lot of voicemails I find not two, but three kind people, so I kept one in reserve, just in case. Luckily the just in case didn't happen. It was going to be a bitterly cold night so I was glad that I had found warm beds for two desperate people.

Thursday I visited my friend in Leeds. She is still waiting to get a date for her move (I discover later in the week that she now has a date, in the middle of April - watch this space). We go over her paper work, it is becoming a larger and larger pile. I discover with some amusement that the new permission to stay cards give her baby the right to work as well as her, is this the way ahead?!

Finally yesterday I was at the Farndale MDU (mobile display unit), the National Park's information unit about the Farndale daffodils. However this year it should be renamed the snow drop and ice walk, rather than the daffodil walk. The famous wild daffodils haven't even turned their heads over yet, I think it will be at least two weeks before any yellow is seen. Meanwhile here are the showdrops and an unusual ice formation.

a bit of everything

Fairtrade goodies for sale

Well here is the quick roundup before I go off on holiday. At the end of last week I did a Fairtrade www.fairtrade.org.uk stall at West Heslerton Primary school www.westheslertonschool.co.uk, a small and welcoming school on the edge of the Wolds. Their theme has been France, so the tables for refreshments were decorated with French and Fairtrade flags. I set up my stall, a mixture of chocolates, sweets and small craft goods, all Fairtrade of course.

ready for tea, coffee
and cakes

The favourites as usual are jelly beans; but I also do a brisk trade in rings and bangles, I think some may be for Mothering Sunday. One small boy is short of 10p for a ring, but a kind friend lends him the money and he comes back for the ring he has had his eye on all afternoon. It has been a satisfying afternoon, I pack up and prepare to take the unsold items back to Fairer World in York.http://www.fairerworldyork.co.uk/. The shop has been closed for essential repairs, so these stalls have been a vital life line for its commercial viability.

I'm pleased, there is a good photo in the local paper about our craft fair this Saturday.



Tuesday was not the usual Short Stop. Last week hosts, coordinators and one of the referring agencies had met up for a social evening in Leeds. A lovely meal and a chance to meet people who are usually just voices on the phone. So when Pafras www.pafras.org.uk/ rang this morning I could put a face and personality to the voice. The second host I rang had also been at the meal, we chatted about her baby and the meal and then, as usual, she said yes, of course they would take the young woman I was trying to place.

And so to Coasties, www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway, working once again on the alternative Cleveland Way route through the disused alum workings at Ravenscar. www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/.../nym-historicplace2.htm, this is not a link I've used before, so I hope readers find it interesting.

making the revetment,
these steps are finished
with local material

A grey dull day this week and slightly fewer people. I and a two colleagues continue the work on the revetments, either the nails are blunt or all the planks are full of knots, but hammering becomes harder and harder. Luckily the ground, whilst drier, is still soft, so digging is quite easy. You win some and lose some! Meanwhile some of the rest of the team is shaling the other steps and finishing off other sections of revetments. The last group are installing the second new gate. Hopefully one or at most two more days' work will get the path ready enough for the official opening on March 27th, just two days after we return from holiday.

My next post will tell you all about it, will we have champagne?

Just the same old things

In a way my small society has some similarities with going to work. On Tuesdays it is Short Stop, lassn.org.uk/, Wednesday is Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk, every so often I visit my friend in Leeds, lassn.org.uk again and in between it's Fairtrade, www.fairtrade.org.uk. Not exactly the same every week, but usually variations on a theme. Do I get bored, no, but then I was lucky and I never did at work. Do I wake up and think oh no it's Coasties again, never, even when the weather is bad, mad yes, no definitely not. As I have blogged before there are differences (as well as not getting paid), I can go away when I want, and I do; I can on rare occasions say no, as I did to the raking (see August 23rd 2012!). But that is part of the essence of my small society, these things need doing year in and year out and if no one did them I believe the world would be a poorer place. Repetitive yes, boring, well not to me.

Here endeth the lesson for this blog!

much easier than a barrow

So, Coasties in the shining sun last week, what a welcome sight this piece of machinery was, it moved all the remaining huge stones by the new path in next to no time, compare it with the wheelbarrow we were using earlier in the year (post 03/02/13).

Step construction was becoming more and more complicated with corners to be turned on a very steep slope. A new gate was put in and revetments built to prevent the steps becoming covered in mud in wet weather.

the steep corner

  We were able to eat our lunch outside, the sun was almost warm, a promise of things to come? There are only a few more weeks' tasks before the official opening at the end of March, so the conversation was all about whether it will be finished by then. Coasties are almost the guests of honour, we have 'instructions' to turn up in our thick maroon fleeces what ever the weather, so much more photogenic than our grey polo shirts!!!

That's all for this post, there will be another short one at the end of the week before I am off again on a fortnight's jaunt.