GSC Forum

We had a successful hedge planting working party on Saturday.
Over 600 Rosa Rugosa have been planted along the Bund boundary.
Ground conditions were difficult, no ice but loads of stone, in fact more
stone in places than soil. Not only digging the trench but also barrow loads
of soil were needed, lots of aching backs!!!
Thanks to Jim, Ivan, Peter Johnson, Jeff Simpkin, Tony Woods and Brian Kerry.
Great food provided by Val Simkpin with help from Lorna and Audrey.

A few Photos:

That camera man is very stealthy, I didn't see him take any of these pictures! I think we all enjoyed the day, ( aching muscles notwithstanding). The lunch alone was worth turning out for. I forget what Val called it but it was excellent and very welcome. Trouble is, Audrey wants a patio and decking putting round our boat now.
Brian

you could incorporate the patio and decking into your trailer design , equip it with floats and take it with you home from home

Hi Guys - well done the 'hedge planters' sorry I wasn't there, but the cold weather makes the metal knee a bit stiff as yet, which is perhaps relevant to the interesting info below - which I hadn't heard, or if I had - had forgotten!

Presume the brilliant new wood-burner soon thawed out any frozen bits!

Alan

BRASS MONKEYS/CANNON BALLS!!! DID YOU KNOW THIS?

It was necessary to keep a good supply of
cannon balls near the cannon on old war ships. But how to prevent them
from rolling about the deck was the problem. The storage method devised
was to stack them as a square based pyramid, with one ball on top, resting
on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.
Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be
stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one
problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under
the others.
The solution was a metal plate with 16 round
indentations, called, for reasons unknown, a Monkey. But if this plate
were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution
to the rusting problem was to make them of brass - hence, Brass Monkeys.

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts
much more and much faster than iron when chilled.


Consequently, when the temperature dropped
too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon
balls would come right off the monkey.

Thus, it was quite literally, cold enough to
freeze the balls off a brass monkey. And all this time, most folks thought
that was just a vulgar expression?

You must send this fabulous bit of
historical knowledge to at least a few intellectual friends.

you've just made that up Alan

too clever for me to make up Brian - but sounds too unplausible not to be true!

Hi Andy,
Please see my comments on your previous notification on hedge planting.

Ivanocean.

Hi Ivan
Thanks, it was a successful day, a good mix of sailors come gardeners.
I'll entrust you to keep a watchful eye over the plants.
Pruning may have to wait a couple of seasons, encouragement is
what they need. Can you think of any other areas that need some
horticultural input?

Hi Andy, there may be a spot between the od box and the slipway. I once saw several (elderly) ramblers come into the yard and take a short cut that way Brian. Ps when I challenged them they ran off and I couldn't catch them.

Hi Andy please remember the dinghy sailors have a route up the wall near to OD hut which they climb with the aid of a rope, this is needed between races when the tide is high, and the boats are beached on the grass bank.
best regards John.

Re the rope path by the OOD box John,
Thanks for mentioning that John.
Ever since we introduced it few years ago, I have made a point of using it ------much safer !!!
As a matter fact, I will check it over when I'm next at the club.
Ivan

maybe put another rope beside it, cut half way through

how about a life size cutout picture of Brian placed at the top, he seems to be able to frighten people off.