- 23/12/19 ~ On 10th January there will be a further article in The Saddleworth newspaper regarding the tree planting. This will go on our website. I will forward both articles to Nigel to pass on to Lady Mary's relatives.
The Digglers wish everyone a happy Christmas and all the best for 2020.
- 30/11/19 ~ The tree planting for the Lady Mary Memorial Wood was featured in the Saddleworth Independent newspaper. To read the article
click here.
- 28/11/19 ~ Wow! Nearly finished however the sheep are not impressed!
- 27/11/19 ~ A big thank you to Joel and Dale Broadbent the two sheep farming brothers from Delph. I contacted Joel to see if he had a scoop on his tractor. The reason, the trees,
stakes and tubes were deposited on the drive and it would take the volunteers at least half a day to move to the bottom of the field. Joel did not have a scoop but he and his brother Dale came and
moved them by hand. That was 1000 trees, 1000 tubes and 1000 stakes! That meant the volunteers this morning could start the planting straight away. I mentioned this to Trevor from the newspaper
when he came to take photos of the volunteers and he will mention Joel and Dale in the article in January. By teatime they had planted more than half of the trees and they will finish tomorrow.
- 26/11/19 ~ Yiphee! The trees cometh, however, Kath is in a state of shock, the trees are well established and about 3' tall!!! May take them more than 2 days to plant them!!!
- 24/11/19 ~ Kath also have some exciting news, Abby is in touch with the ecology department Manchester University and has worked with the students doing research and
she feels sure they would be very interested in studying the fauna/flora/wildlife - that may include Kath!!! and bird life on our place. She will let me know on Wednesday. Great stuff it
would be wonderful. Kath has also booked Abby and her team to do some woodland management in Thornsbeck Wood in December.
- 22/11/19 ~ Kath met Abby the supervisor from British National Conservation Volunteers. Abby wished to visit the site before the tree planting next week. Trevor
from the Saddleworth Independent came to take photos of the plaques being placed on the wall by Wayne. Jacob,comes with his grandad to help with work on the smallholding.
Trevor will be returning on Wednesday morning to take further photos of the tree planting.
- 09/11/19 ~ Go to The Lady Mary Memorial Wood page to see a list of all the trees which will be delivered soon. Also you can see a
photo of the latest progress with the wood.
- 07/11/19 ~ It is raining very hard at the moment and is forecast to continue for the next 24 hours. Diggle is virtually flooded the drains have given way and water is
cascading into the road. Kath thinks tomorrow the mode of transport will be by canoe! The fence has now been erected and ready for the delivery of the trees and for planting to commence.
- 10/10/19 ~
These two plaques are to be placed by the wood. The plaques will be blessed bya priest on Saturday 12th October.
- 02/10/19 ~ Tuesday 26th November, the 1000 trees are being delivered from the nursary. Wednesday 27th Novenber The British
Conservation Volunteers are arriving to start planting the trees. Hannah from The Woodland Trust will be on site helping to supervise and bringing
maps of where she wants the different species to be planted. Thusrday November 28th finish the planting. The fence and gate will be errected in three
weeks time. Two plaques to be place on site - Lady Mary Memorial Wood and another dedicating these tree to the ones lost in the Amazon Rain Forest.
- 29/07/19 ~ Great excitment this morning. A new neighbour has moved in from France bringing her 2 french cats.
One managed to get into the garden and it became a re-enactment of the Napoleonic wars. Spotted by our
aged Jolly Roger (2), he went all
out on the attack. After a trying to separate with a cardboard lid, the french mog scuttered off and was quite bald!!!!!
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22/07/19 ~ Here are some photos of how the field is now it has been mown ready for the trees.
- 29/07/19 ~ A manager has been appointed to oversee the welfare of the charity cats in case of an emergency. The manager knows all
the cats and is capable of administering medication relevant medication. Managers have also been appointed to oversee the sheep.
- 30/06/19 ~ Joel and Dale came to shear the sheep and give them their annual medication. The sheep have been sheared. The spotty one is Oliver the lamb
from last year. Murgatryd his mum is the one with the big bag ready to have a lamb!! See the following photos.
- 27/05/19 ~ We have recently heard back from Hannah at the Woodland Trust in regards to the creation of The Lady Mary Memorial Wood. You can read the email here.
- 26/05/19 ~ The charity wants to extend the woodland at Diggle and to create The Lady Mary Memorial Wood in honor of our late patron. Read about the new wood.
- 21/05/19 ~ Sky Atlantic are currently featuring a drama that recreates what happened in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion. It
affected the area around Diggle. Radio active dust was blown in from Scandinavia and when it rained, particles fell to the ground. It was only marginally radio active
but it meant that livestock grazing the fields at the time had to be marked with a blue cross as it provided a potential human risk if the animals entered the food
chain. Other areas of the country were also affected at the time. Radio activity was recorded on the grass, around Diggle however, the order was recinded by the
Ministry of Agriculture after a few weeks when it was declared the emergency was over.
- 20/05/19 ~ Two more trees have been dedicated in Thorns Beck wood. To see the dedicated trees, click here.
- 16/05/19 ~ The meeting on the Friday was a disappointment as it was all about Dove Stones and Kath did not get chance to talk about my zone plan.
On the Thursday, Hannah Marshall from the Woodland Trust surveyed the area intended for a wet woodland. Hannah is going to plan the wood, have areas of dense trees and areas
allowing plants and grasses to flourish. The plan will be similar to the one we have for Thornsbeck Wood and be placed on our website. It will involve over 1000 trees! Hannah
will oversee the planting so we are going to need sizable amount of volunteers! The planting will take place in Autumn.
- 06/05/19 ~ Kathleen Pearson has been invited to present her Saddleworth zone plan at a meeting on Friday 10th May at 7pm at the Greenfield Band Club.
- 02/05/19 ~ On Monday the BBC sent a news crew to film a meeting that took place in our conservation room. See the video here on the BBC website.
It was concerning the the recent fires in our area and what the people of Saddleworth can do to help the authorities.
They filmed the sheep that I had rescued and my concerns regarding the Woodland Trust
and the proposed planting of a wet Woodland on my land. A meeting with Hannah -a site manager from the Trust is on the 9th May. Will keep you informed.
This plan was filmed and showed on the news. It also made national news as well as local.
- 23/04/19 ~ The latest there is a large moorland fire on the moors above our smallholding, the fire crews are dealing and using a helicopter
to drop water bombs. Some properties have been evacuated and I am hoping it doesn't reach us. The village of Uppermill was in danger but that fire has
been contained. Keep you posted.
- 22/04/19 ~ A few weeks ago, we lost two sheep, Rambo and Tish both were elderly and friends. We had Rambo from a lamb and Tish was a rescue.
Rambo developed cataracts and kept falling over. Although he was kept in a separate stable he unfortunately had to be shot. Tish wasn't well and kept Rambo company.
Rambo died on the Friday and Tish on the Sunday. Both went to Rossendale pet crem and cremated together. Their ashes are together and back at Diggle.
In the photograph, Rambo is in front and Tish behind.
- 06/02/19 ~ We have another new student we are helping called Aidan Gallagher. To see the other students we are helping click here.
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