Kent National Trust Volunteers  (KNTV)

Event Reports

Our 1^st task of the new year was at Emmetts Gardens. The job for the day was to clear laurel and rhododendrons from either side of the drive to allow a new fence and gate to be fitted.

Thirteen people arrived to help with the job that started in dull but dry weather. We started cutting and got the bonfire going, even though the warden warned us the laurel gives off cyanide fumes when burnt!

After a soup and tea break, we put some potatoes, kindly supplied by Bruce, in the fire to cook and continued destruction of the laurel until lunchtime.  By then it had started to rain.

We removed the potatoes from the fire and the warden let us into the pump house for lunch to shelter from the rain.

Most of the potatoes were cooked to perfection and we only lost one in the ashes!

By the afternoon the rain have really started to fall. The lane leading to the bonfire had now become very muddy after being churned up by the tractor and everybody dragging branches through it. By the end of the day I have never seen everyone get so muddy on a task which did not involve a pond!

Thanks to everyone who turned up to Emmetts.