Tidying up

Thursday 1^st October

Whilst we often undertake tasks that are not specifically drainage, a whole day when all of the team attending worked on a non-drainage task is a little unusual. However, today was one of those.

The task was to start what is likely to be a multi-department project to improve the visual appearance of the main entrance to Toddington Station. Specifically the initial task was to tidy up the old garden centre site, as the public access route passes through it. The objective is to increase custom from passing traffic, particularity to the Cotswold Halt on non-operating days.

Stu, Nigel, Phil, Dee, Dave, Martin (S), John and Peter spent the day on an initial tidy up of the area under and around the old greenhouse. Stu, Dave and Nigel tackled the growth of weeds and saplings with brush cutters, not only banishing the overgrown look but also enabling access for other teams to remove their items. Dee and Phil began sorting out the unwanted items. Scrap metal went to the metal skip by the steam shed; off cuts of wood went to the steam loco fire lighting stack; general rubbish was placed in a skip; and the vegetation cuttings bagged up for removal or burning on a non-opening day. A few items made their way back to Winchcombe – some (such as heras fencing) to join similar items stored there and some for our stock of useful bits.  

Nigel weeding between the stacks of concrete sleepers.

Dave attacks the samplings between the rails.

Phil, Dee and John sorting out debris.

Dee and Phil loading scrap metal for the short trip to the metal recycling skip

 

Stu and Phil unloading the scrap metal.

Peter initially spent some time helping Roger in his first responder capacity moving some of the items from the first aid hut to temporary storage where the roof does not leak

Wheelchairs are an unusual load for us!

Even after just one day, the improvement was noticeable. 

For clarification, we were not demolishing the old greenhouse. The rumour that we were was a conspiracy theory, or at best fake news!

Wildlife report: As expected the local resident robins were the first to take interest in our activities. We noted plenty of pheasants on the way to Toddington and back, two suicidal males were bickering in the middle of the main road. Not surprising most of the saplings that had sprouted in the garden centre site were ash. By the steam loco shed access gate is a splendid patch of Hardy Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium). Hopefully by next year, the station approach will have some similar floral displays.

Cyclamen by the steam shed.