Quiet on Thursday. Are Inert back sliding? 17th July 2022

I paid a site visit on Thursday. I did not return later in the week to wander over Manor farm to observe progress - it was too hot.

Inert were not doing anything on Manor farm. I could not hear any sound of activity as I walked from the MGLG car park to the bailey bridge; pausing often to photograph wildlife. Two diggers were in evidence, but silent. At first I assumed it was tea break, but half an hour later, after walking almost to the sewage works and then back, there was still no activity.

Even Chandler's farm was silent.

Hmmm, are Inert in flit mode? Tinkering here and there on Manor farm, with no major thrust.

I grant you that pump station mound has shrunk in size, since I last visited, but by not as much as I'd hoped. One digger (blue) was poised on the east end of pump station mound, no doubt to fill any heavy earth movers. One other digger (yellow) was near the west side of the mound, half crouched in the undergrowth. Doing what, I do not know for certain. I can only assume flattening the raised side of pump station mound i.e. the bit I declined to clamber up last week.

The largest of the Finch pond complex was looking rather resplendent. I was hoping its southern shore would be closer to the south footpath. Shame most of the open water will be hidden from the footpath by reeds.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not return later in the week, when Inert had ceased work, to stomp over the site. Partly as it was too hot, partly as I decided to wait for more restoration to be completed, and partly as I was rather tired from swimming 28 lengths (700m) of butterfly in 50 minutes at lunch time. Not in one go, I hasten to add. Rather 28 x 50m of 1 length butterfly and 1 length backstroke.

I do hope activity picks up, there is still a fair amount of fettling to be done if restoration is to be completed by the latest, delayed date of 2023.