Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers

If I’m going to get a report out for the Independence Day task at Shugborough, then now’s the time. I’m just having breakfast before heading across to Benthall for what looks like a drier day. We were a small, select and hard-working team working by the Tennis Court last Sunday.

To quote Caroline: “This has been a winter garden project in 2019/2020 but had got away from us with the lockdowns of the past year.  It has some lovely plants in it that are flowering away at the moment but are also being smothered by weeds!  The Tennis Court will also form a part of the Chinese House garden project for this winter.”

James showed us plenty of areas we could weed. We focussed on two areas – the large bed … which we have completely cleared in the past … allowing the shrubs, now hiding under the weeds, to be planted in it … and the edge around the Tennis Court, amongst and between the roses.

During the morning there were a few light showers, and waterproofs were put on and taken off a number of times. Too wet without … too warm with! Geshwin’s ‘Walking the Dog’ was my chosen alarm for Cake O’Clock – my signature Mars Bar Crispie cake – proper round cake shaped this time as I made it up in Sheffield, without taking my traybake tin. (I’ve also discovered it can be made in the microwave!!)

We moved under the trees to sit on logs for lunch! Then back for more.

Cake O’Clock in the afternoon had just been called when the heavens opened. Not a light shower this time … a proper downpour. We again took shelter, but it was even coming through the thick tree canopy. After a while hoping it would clear up, I called a halt when it was obvious it was here to stay. We cleared the weeds away to the undergrowth, took the tools back to the shed and I, for one, was soaked to the skin by the time I got back to the car. Typically, the sun was shining five minutes into my drive home.

Mags – Workday leader