It would be difficult not to have noticed that work has taken place over this weekend to improve the drainage of the village green.

Many thanks to all those who turned out to help with the work and to Mr Charles Wyvill for the loan of the digger and its operator Neil. Also many thanks to Simon Loadman from Unthank Farm. Without their help this work could not have been completed.

The system is now up and working. It is draining water from the Green at an amazing rate of just over ONE AND A HALF LITRES PER MINUTE – thats 2.667 pints per minute (in old money), and an amazing 2,160 litres, or 482 gallons per day!! – which can’t do anything but have a significant beneficial effect.

There is still work to do to return the Green to a usable state or hopefully to a new magnificent state. Unfortunately the mounds of clay will remain in position for sometime to come as the ground is currently too soft to put a tractor on it. However it will be all cleared when the ground is sufficiently firm either through frost or drainage. In the Spring it is intended to roll and reseed the Green.

In the meantime, please take care when walking on the Green and until the ditches are completely refilled. It is safe with some care to walk the length of the Green keeping close to the beck side.

Again many thanks to those who assisted with the work. We will all benefit from it in the years to come.