Trip reports

Working at Vane Farm

Margaret Harrison and Rosie Filipiak

Thursday, 1 December 2011

On the 1st December, a fiercely cold but bright day, the pioneering Vane Farm work party offered themselves for a day of hard work. The five of us, Alex, Nigel, Rosie and two Margarets, were welcomed by Glyn, a volunteer himself, but one who does regular on-site work two days per week, really impressive commitment by him and three other "regulars." The work lined up for us consisted of raking and clearing bracken; digging away the overgrowth of grass on the stepped pathways behind the picnic area, and restoring the paths with sand. After donning steel capped protective boots and thick gloves, we set to with a will. However, this was harder than the sort of garden work most of us were accustomed to, and we soon learned to pace ourselves a bit, taking breathers to look at the splendid view over Loch Leven, spot a few birds, or simply have a blether and a laugh. You get into a rhythm and achieve a surprising amount. Of course, coffee break and lunch - and a visit to the shop - came as welcome rests. At the end of the day, as light began to fade, we could see we had made excellent progress, a most satisfying feeling.