Another trip to the Northcliffe Community Garden and another chance to attack the big dirt mountain and continue turning it into a rock garden.

New member Keira joined us and got stuck in to the task. Rachel had done a great job previously with the mound but the recent weather had led to an explosion of doc leaves, nettles, thistles and bindweeds.

It was hard work to get the weeds out all the way to the roots but our work was rewarded with tea and biscuits. We then attacked the larger weeds with the mattocks and realised using those earlier would have made lighter work of task. But wheres the fun in that??

For the last twenty minutes we covered most of the area we had cleared with stones that should prevent some of the weeds coming back and make the mound much more pleasant to look at. Plenty more to do though so we'll be back again next month 😁

We spent a very happy morning at Hirst Wood helping to clear ivy, brambles and moss from the graves at the burial site there. The site opened in 1895 as an extension of the graveyard at St Paul's in Shipley and has become neglected since active use ended in, we think, the 1940s.

We tidied up several graves, including the grave of one of the Bradford Pals regiment who died in action in July 1916, and was buried at Hirst Wood with both his parents. It was great exercise and the other volunteers from Hirst Wood Regeneration Group were incredibly welcoming. They also provided fabulous homemade cake!

We will be running future missions here so watch this space!