A cold but sunny morning welcomed 4 Richmond GGers to the Ham Lands where we met the Friends group to continue our ongoing conservation work.

We walked out to the spot designated for the session’s task, which was to remove the brambles around and beneath an apple tree to allow it to grow in peace.

We were armed with loppers, garden forks and rakes, as well as a tiny spade (modelled by Chris in the photos) and set to work chopping and uprooting brambles and filling the large canvas sack.

Before too long we were making real headway and the sack was filling up. As 11 o’clock came around we observed a 2 minute silence in remembrance of those who fell in the two world wars of the 20th century, with thoughts also going out to those suffering in war-stricken regions at the moment.

We emptied the sack in the undergrowth and, with another mission to come later on for all of us we headed off our separate ways after the group photo.

Next time at Ham Lands will the last of the year, on 9th December: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-51575099-54cc-4ed0-8cbf-f2f1f7e19725

• does this pun on Bramley Apple Pie work?!