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.