Standish Guerilla Gardeners

After 18 months or so of trying to get the line looking something like a path – it’s been done, I’m retisent to say I’ve done it! Because if it was for the kind support of the guys at Giants Hall Farm the hard work from Tom, Martin and Joe, plus the efforts of Council Whittingham and of course the Standish Community Forum – it wouldn’t ever have happened. Plus a special thanks to the guys at Life Magazine for the free publicity that kick started the drive to get the job done!

I’m still however waiting for flower seeds and the rubbish to be collected from my drive, I need to do a bit of redistribution work where the dumper couldn’t get – but other than that it’s almost job done.

30 extra trees and 40 tonne of gravel (reclaimed gravel at that) – has made one hell of a difference.

Thanks you to everyone who helped I hope this is just the beginning.

It just goes to show that a quiet push and a little work here and there can achieve so very much – a little effort is all that’s required, and a little care.

Dave

Enjoy the pictures and think what it could look like in a few months time - summer, the trees in full leaf and wild flowers growing along the verge.  For those who haven’t followed the story take a look at some of the archives listed on the right.

Been to the Community Forum tonight and we’ve had chats about setting up a formal friends of Standish Line group.

I’m gonna be be moving this blog to a new domain of it’s own shortly to a new site so that the project gets it’s own identity so I’ve registered the name standishline.co.uk  I’ll move it shortly.

So next week thanks to the efforts of Neil Whittingham and the very kind donation of Roger Gill we will have a new path all the way up from my initial starting point and Somerfield.  Thanks to the 40 tonne donation of recycled aggregate and the 50 trees!

The guys from the forum are going to talk to Somerfield about tiding up, plus they are going to approach the local business forum to see if we can get donations or something to bolster the efforts and keep the project really buzzin.

Plus and it’s the last bit in the jigsawI should be receive a bag of wild flower seeds just at the right time of year!!!

So yeh a result I reckon - update soon.

Hey great day today there has been 40 tonne of recycled gravel delivered to the project!!!!  And on Monday G&B North West are sending some machines and guys to do a re-surfacing job on The Line - watch this space!!!

Plus they are bringing 50 or so trees up and planting them - spring is in the air

Special thanks goes out to Roger Gill of GB North West for his very kind donation of materials, trees, equipment and people!! Roger you are a star!!!

I hate dog poo - no really what with people just letting dogs go anywhere and then others who pic it up put it in a bag and then throw it in the trees!!!  Yeh bags of poo hanging from bushes - disgusting.

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking about, but I honestly firmly believe that people treat their surroundings the in the way the surroundings look.  In other words if it looks like a tip then they treat it like a tip.  So neglect is the key word here and it needs to stop.

On a brighter note I’ve strimmed the bank opposite and brush cut an area further up.

Fed the trees and scattered some feed along the bank.

Also I scattered the last of my donated seeds and well I just hope now everything is going to come good in every way.

For anyone out there who reads this - Standish Community Forum meeting is on Thursday at 7pm in the Community Centre.

I planted 10 trees today, didn’t take long and they do look majestic (see picture on the right).

Strange really how ten trees kind of blend in, but trust me there are ten new trees in Standish.  I actually planted them so they would blend in a little simply to stop youths kicking them down.  I have to say these trees will have to hard buggers to not only grow but to withstand the knocks suburban life dishes out.  I wager that out of the ten only 2 will make it past 12 months!!!

I still haven’t received the seeds from Wigan Council yet but hey we live in hope - 1 large bag of wild flower seeds that’s all I ask, I haven’t had any other help even though people have made the right noises. I have to say though Council Neil Whittingham has spent some time sorting bits out which I really do appreciate.

Four guys from Giants Hall Farm are coming down next week to plant 50 trees (well that’s what they said - 50 is loads but really cool).

Plus and this is the best bit they are going to re-surface the track all the way from my spot to Somerfield - which if it happens well it will be amazing!!!

If you take a look at the pictures below of the current surface you will understand why this is essential work now. (click images to enlarge and hover to the top of the frame to go to next)

As you can see the first pictures show an area that has been looked after to a greater extent by me and the later pictures are indicative of an area of neglect. The pictures that follow show just what happens when neglect sets in.

And this is the bad news - I went to do a litter pick from the top to the bottom and this is what I found, to say the least I was furious and found the task too much after collecting 4 bags of litter, I really don’t understand!! Not six months ago I collected only five bags from top to bottom.

This first lot of pictures shows what I describe as an accumulation of ordinary litter over about a six month period.

So there you go an area where every single house is worth over £200,000 more or less and yet within seconds of the doorstep they allow this mess - the reason I believe is that they can’t walk up the line so they drive and never see it. I still maintain these people who live close by are decent people, many households are families with children. Many I’m sure would appreciate the opportunity to walk in the fresh air along a nice track with no litter and nice plants and wildflowers. If the initiative was taken and more people like the guys at Giants Hall Farm actually cared we could easily turn this historic Standish Line into a nice place to walk and a healthy, quicker alternative to sitting in the car.

I have asked and asked for assistance, surely now these pictures prove it is time for action before we end up drowning in litter and what has now become simply rubbish!!!

The next shocking thing - Somerfield. Anyone who use the Standish Somerfield will know the car park as has blue railings at one end. These railing sit on the line, take a look at the area of the line behind these blue railings. Try telling me this is litter!!! It’s not, and Somerfiled should be made to do something about it!!! There are even bags of clothes intended for the recycling skip that have been thrown over by kids or someone. I wouldn’t care but if the manager of Somerfield really cared about the way the surroundings looked he would have had the whole area cleared, some trees planted and at very least some wild flowers or something planted to make the area look better. Anything has got to be better than this!!!  These bags have been blown from there store and car park not dumped!!!

And so if you look closely much of this litter is made up of bags - Somerfield bags!!! Talk about bag for life!!! Check this out just exactly what Somerfield think about bags.

Ok they want to bring in bags that are bio degradable and encourage people to reuse bags - but please!!! Saving the planet surely must start on your own doorstep, doing simple things properly - LIKE TIDYING UP at very least!!!!!!

This whole project of mine was been driven out of a desire to make a difference and at very least have the ability to walk to the shops instead of sitting in the traffic.

I have a path in front of my house which leads to the shops and I can’t use it, it’s a mess and it’s one hell of a job for one person - but I will succeed!!!

The ironic thing is if this path can be used and the community including the shops and businesses look after it - everyone stands to benefit. More people walking to the shops = more business. The pubs and restaurants would benefit if there was a quick, clean and simple route to the centre of the village - ok it’s not a million miles away if you walk all the way round but it is a big difference and cold be a lot more pleasant.

And if all that wasn’t enough this track is part of Standish history and prosperity. This track deserves to be used, loved and enjoyed by all young and old - at the minute all it reflects is neglect. And neglect breads even more neglect.

So who will get behind this and really help make a difference to this and many other potentially great paths in and around the district.  I am glad of the help and support I have received small though it may be - but it’s really time for action rather than vacuous noises.

Anyone???

Please feel free to contact me