On the other hand, when the sun gets too hot or the rain runs down our necks and we crawl away to our cars beaten by the weather, then it really is boring!

So here is a little light relief... Just before the heather weeding we did a few maintenance jobs, replacing six treads of a bridge; making a dozen "steps" to hold erosion on a steep footpath, and building a wooden "causeway" over a particularly mud-sloppy path.

It is to the great credit of our "green team" that nothing daunts them. Because when Roger and I dropped a large chestnut pole into the mud next to Victoria, I think she said "Oh, blow it", and just wiped her face with her hankie.

They are a marvellous group of people - humorous, cheerful and fast becoming real woodpersons. Such is their enthusiasm that they want to take up craftwork by making use of our thinned-out trees, although our reserves manager at Sussex Wildlife Trust doesn't know that yet!

John Hall © 2002