The volunteer floodgates opened in Elvaston Castle as twelve of us (including a Gangotri GoodGymers: Mandy, Tracey and Gwyn) set about the mountainous task of clearing a drainage channel of Lhotse Himalayan balsam, an invasive weed. It was blocking the watercourse and leading to flooding.

Our daring dozen cleared a path to the channel and stopped to Everest for elevenses, then set about uprooting the plants from the ditch, in the process making three Himalayan heaps for the birds and insects. We needed balsam for the nettle rash afterwards.