Saturday 29th March

A gang of seven formed at M&FM, with Eddie, Graham, and Keith H setting off on the line inspection to Alton, Keith B and Peter departing for Alresford, and Adrian and Ian R taking the van to Alresford to start a bonfire and to continue to burn the cut material on the south side of the embankment.

With the gang back in full force in the afternoon, a concerted and successful effort was made to burn all of the remaining material to the west side of Farm Road bridge, with three fires on the go at one point. Keith B and Eddie also attended to some fallen branches and surrounding scrub at the large Ash tree (a Pway landmark and the site of an original hut) at the eastern end of the embankment on the level transition before Bishops Sutton cutting.

Next week work will be concentrated on the bank to the east side of the bridge, working towards the completion of this mammoth task at the Ash tree, made more difficult by the mass of Buddliea that has grown since the bank was last cleared.