BCV - Hedge Wars

Bolton Conservation Volunteers | Saturday 29 February 2020 | 0 Comments

This year's Annual Dr John Leather Memorial Hedgelaying Competition was held on 23rd February and saw us return to Blackleach Country Park, the last time we were here was in 2013. The competition is held in memory or Dr. John Leather, a retired Bolton GP and enthusiastic hedgelayer. Before Dr. John passed away in 2003 he was BCV's hedge Jedi master, he taught us the ways of the pleach and how to be at one with the hedge. 
The competition is intended to help pass on these skills to new generations of hedgelayers, to help achieve this teams are usually made up of a novice and experienced hedgelayer, a master and an apprentice. This year we had 5 teams of 2 fighting it out with the dark side, by the end of the day 2 teams triumphed: the runners up were Steve Durbar and Neil Birtles and the winning team was Dave Moore and Anna Cocker. The teams win possession of the 2nd place kukri, similar to the one used by Dr. John, and the Fabled Silver Billhook for first place. Well done teams and may the bow saw be with you.

Photos of the competition can be found on our website at http://www.boltonconservation.org.uk/page11.htm