Full house today (21 April 2024), Alan & Rita were first to arrive and thought they would take off the ivy growing on one of the holly trees at the front of the cemetery as there seemed to be more ivy than holly.
Rita and Astrid worked at the front of the cemetery taking off holly saplings at the base of the trees a well as weeding the wild flower area and sowing some poppy seeds. They dragged their full dumpy bag up to the storage area and went to inspect the English bluebell area which is now beginning to multiply nicely.
After their tea-break the girls went back to cleaning grass and weeds from the graves, losing count of how many they did! To ease their aching backs old ivy taken of the walls last year were bagged up and elder saplings cut back from under the trees.
Alan repaired the missing piece on the Pippin grave just before the boys arrived and Chris and Alan started on the Burge grave cleared last week, new pads were cemented and levelled in, the kerbs were cemented back together. Still a little more work to do as part of the kerbs have broken off and are missing.
While Alan and Chris were busy working on the Burge memorial, Dave started on the Badger 14-19 grave. The kerb stones had sunk badly and had been taken over by earth and grass. Dave worked hard to uncover the kerbs. Alan and Chris joined Dave removing the over site concrete slab that had broken in many pieces and levered up the kerbs placing brick pads underneath. A little more time required to finally get the kerbs level and then cemented back together, this was a hard session but rewarding.
All went home feeling they had run the London marathon!