Coppicing or pollarding, we’re not fussy. Loppers in hand, we’ll chop whatever we’re told. Today it was a thicket that had got a little too tall at Petersham Common, where it had started blocking the light to neighbouring properties and making this managed wilderness look a little rough around the edges.

There was no beating about this bush, we got straight to work cutting it back in its place. What an unbeleafable upper body workout we got by stretching through the dense branches and wielding our loppers high.

Plenty of passers-by enjoying a Saturday morning walk through the woodland paths were very impressed with our work, and when we stood back to admire it with Ken’s customary snacks, so were we.