Lanchester Community Orchard

Earth hour is a worldwide grass roots movement organised by the WWF to unite people to take action for our planet and shine a light on climate change. Every year ordinary people, organisations, businesses, cities and iconic land marks across the world turn off their lights for one hour.

Members of the Lanchester Community  Orchard and Margery Flatts Allotments were invited to turn off all their lights and bring their soup and hot drinks along to the orchard to celebrate Earth Hour 2018.

We all met, along with family and friends, on a lovely, chilly clear March evening at 8.00 with candle lights around the central area and avenues and a brazier helping to ward off the chilly air. Hoping for a clear sky, we suggested that people could bring binoculars along to do some stargazing and we weren’t disappointed. Simon Johnson, an orchard member was on hand to guide us around the night skies.

This was the second time we have celebrated Earth Hour in the Orchard and once again, we were lucky to have a calm, clear evening with a wonderful view of the sky and even saw three shooting stars. We shared tasty home made soup, fantastic home baking and good company.

What a brilliant day members of the Lanchester Orchard and Allotment groups had on Saturday 24th March. They spent the day led by Joe and Matt from Abundant Earth, Brancepeth, weaving willow structures and hazel hurdles.

Half of the group made 2m high willow pyramids that would grace any garden or allotment and provide the perfect climbing frame for sweetpeas or beans alike. They then wove a living willow structure round the bench at the end of the nut walk in the orchard. This we hope will take root and provide dappled light for those resting a while beneath its branches.

The other group spend the day with Matt learning the ancient traditional craft of hurdle weaving. They learnt how to set the upright poles, called zales, split hazel poles and weave them around the upright posts. When finished, the hurdles were solid and sturdy and ideal for screening and wind breaks on the allotment plots.

Not only did the members enjoy their creative tasks but also the wonderful warm spring weather, the views over Lanchester and the surrounding countryside and the lively banter from their companions.

A great day of fresh air, friendship and creativity!