Bonfire Bash
Whilst the girls did all this, a number of WRG men supervised ie did no real work...
But ours was not to question why. We grabbed spades and set to as the rain fell. Anyone hoping to huddle by the bonfire was betrayed by their clothing letting off great clouds of steam, giving away their position. With the rain continuing apace, we soldiered on to lunchtime, when spirits were ...then bury your cables... raised by the arrival of a big cauldron of soup. Over lunch the weather really got into its stride and we were glad someone had thought to erect a gazebo. That afternoon the fire picked up just as boatloads of cut scrub began to arrive from Site Two, where proximity to neighbouring houses meant a bonfire wasn t appropriate. Grumbling about the weather and the clinging powers of mud, we worked on in the drizzle until the light began to fail. By this time I was wet through three layers of clothing and the clay-heavy soil was waterlogged and almost impossibly heavy to dig. Back at the accommodation there were showers but
Martin Ludgate
Dig a Bloody Big Hole...
no hot water I suppose you can t have everything. We took comfort from the fact that washing in cold water was probably character-building. Jude cooked an excellent beef stew and two kinds of pudding, and there was much quaffing of ale thanks to the barrels provided by Moose. Later Martin presented a slide show of the year s highlights and there was a sing-song. There was some grumbling about the noisy fans which came on in the middle of the night (and the snoring) but I always maintain that anyone who can t sleep on a dig can t have been working hard enough. On Sunday we woke to see dry golden leaves against blue sky and realised with relief it was going to be a beautiful day. This day it was all about The Hole. Three diggers worked without rest to complete the digging of a narrow trench about half a kilometre long. For once the role of banksman was a busy one as the diggers were working on a narrow footpath overrun with local walkers, boat owners and WRGies needing to get past to the loo, the tools and the brew hut. Following hot on the heels of the diggers were a party of WRG girls with spades. First we spread a load of gravel in the base of the hole (credit must go to those barrowing the gravel over from the other side of the water across the narrow
Martin Ludgate
Martin Ludgate
on the Chelmer & Blackwater
...and finally fill it in again. Remember, girls - green side up!
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