Urban Bodging

You wouldn't imagine that there was a Bodger's Camp only a stones throw from this busy High Street in Stoke Newington, N.E. London...

But here it is in the grounds of Abney Park Cemetery.

It was a meeting of the London Group of the Bodgers Association on Saturday organised by Gerry Smyth (in the middle in above photo).  It was nice to be a part of this gathering at a time of year when not much is happening.  A lot of interesting and interested people turned out and one fairly major topic of conversation was Monty Don's Mastercrafts (watch it on BBC iPlayer) shown on Friday evening.
Abney is one of three Cemetery Parks in London, the others being Tower Hamlets and Nunhead.  They all have some kind of bodgery activity.

The cemetery is a bit of a jungle but fascinating glimpses lurk round every corner.

Forest News

They're nailing numbered tags to the trees in the Forest -

 

 

- so that they can keep track of them maybe and make sure they don't move around too much?  They've probably got each one globally positioned too . . .


Thanks to Ray Mears & Co a lot of these structures are appearing all over and quite deep in the forest.

Just the sort of thing we would have set light to as kids!

I.D.
Any ideas on this fairly scarce woodland shrub?

Close up of the foliage

Click on all photos to enlarge.

???

The reason there are no new posts on this blog lately is because I've had one of the worst colds I've ever had and this seems to have left me feeling completely disenchanted with modern electronic communications media.

Time will tell if this is temporary or not.

Tree Identification

I heard a story about a guy who applied for a job with the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers).  When he arrived for the interview he was presented with leafless twigs from 20 different trees to identify.  He got two wrong but was still given the job.
The fact is that if you are leading a winter conservation task with gung-ho volunteers you don't want them cutting down any rare trees such as Wild Service (Sorbus torminalis).

I do know a woodland owner in Essex, who shall be nameless, who on purchasing their woods did cut down their only notable tree and got me to identify the regrowth from the coppice stump...It was a Wild Service and they had thought it was a Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).

Ident?

I know it's only a young one and covered with snow but does anyone recognise the tree?

Click the picture for an enlargement as with all my photos.

Let it Snow

I fully intended to sort out the workshop and start doing things but changed my mind when I saw this...

We went for a lovely snowy walk instead.

 

Ice & Fire

Went for a walk in the Forest to the 'Lost Pond' today.  As it was iced over due to the very low temperature and clear skies Jed decided to go into the middle to check out some very interesting frozen sticks........
My heart was in my mouth.

When he eventually decided to run off he skidded and hurt his back leg.  Gave him a bit of a rub and massage and five minutes later he was running around like a dervish again.  He's either very resilient or lucky.

This is where he's ended up this evening...