Despite experiencing a very wet November, the weather gods were kind to us on Saturday with 20 cutters out to work on some really good coppice at Wakehurst Place, when it stayed dry.

​700 binders and 630 stakes were harvested, which will be used at TD3 and events in 2023.

All who attended worked really hard and enjoyed themselves, as a lot was achieved , people were able to talk to each other and all tucked into the hot and hearty food offerings.

Thanks must go to the staff at Wakehurst Place, in particular, John, who was with us all day and got the hang of stake and binder production very quickly.

CD3 is at the same location on 30.12.22, so if you are a SEHLS member and would like to attend please email matthew.beardsehls1962@gmail.com

Wet wet wet - not a Cappella pop band , but how it was for TD2 on November the 5th .

​Following a week of heavy rain, there was a last-minute change of hedge, which did not put off 35 cutters who braved a very wet day on top of the Downs at Burpham.

​18 Trainees, which must be a record and shows the healthyness of the Society.

The photos show that despite the wet weather, it was not a damp squib after all.

Coppicing Day 2 is at Wakehurst Place Ardingly on Saturday 19 November- email Matthew Beard at matthew.beardsehls1962@gmail.com if you are intending to attend 

TD3 is at Fletching on 3 December- advise Frank at fdw1709@gmail.com if you would like to attend 

A final plea- please try not to drop out at last minute ,especially if you don't let us know, as it plays havoc with setting out the hedge and provision of stakes and binders. In other words it causes a lot of hassle !

Masterminded by Iain, a tool sharpening course was held at West Chiltington recently, with 10 attendees gaining a valuable insight and hands on experience about sharpening a bladed tool.

Iain and David provided the professional instruction, and the feedback is that all found it very useful and the venue excellent.

It is hoped to repeat the event next season.

One of the keys to successful hedge laying is having properly sharp tools !

 11 cutters responded to the request to attend an impromptu coppicing day at Horsted Keynes on 13 October.

Tim had a done an excellent job identifying the coppice - a flailed mature hazel hedge, and gaining permission to cut from it.

Despite the poor weather forecast it stayed dry for most of the morning, with 380 binders and 70 stakes gathered, which means that the next 2 SEHLS events are pretty well supplied for stakes and binders .

Although patchy,  alot of the  binders harvested were of gold standard quality, having grown very straight and long.

There was a teach in about how to tie up bundles , although personally I need more practice.

​Many thanks to those who attended , it was a fun , productive long morning.

Next coppicing event is at Wakehurst Place Ardingly on Saturday 19 November- SEHLS members  please email me  at  matthew.beardsehls1962@gmail.com

An excellent day at Worth school, near Crawley, where 35 cutters laid a total of 191 yards.

It was un-seasonally warm and sunny, but the hedge was well found by Frank and was ideal double planted predominantly hawthorn and some blackthorn. The backdrop of Worth school was impressive. 

Around 10 trainee cutters made their debuts for the Society and soon got the hang of things under the expert guidance from trainers, overseen by Training Officer, Gary Moore.

Excellent literature was given to all cutters, which re-affirmed the requirement to ensure pleachers and heels are covered over (to prevent new shoots being eaten by livestock).

The completed hedge looked very consistent and of a high standard- well done to all those who did their bit.

Thanks must go to Frank, Tim, Gary and trainers, without whose efforts the day would not have gone so smoothly as it did.

The farm manager at Worth was very pleased with the completed hedge.

Tool sharpening course on 16 October is the next event, with Pre- Nationals Practice at Wittersham on 22 October

CD1 was an excellent start to the coppicing season, with production around 290 stakes and 260 binders, with everyone having a productive and enjoyable time.
The weather was good to us, and we were able to get on well, with newcomers Chris and Samara getting stuck in and contributing well.
Although there were only 11 cutters they all worked like troupers and the end result was very pleasing and the product will be used at Training Day 1 on 8 October.
The role of honour of those who did attend were:-

• Angus
• Stuart
• Peter
• Pat
• Samara
• Chris
• Iain
• Mark
• Frank
• Tim 
• Matthew

Special mention must go to Peter and Pat who travelled from Essex and were in charge of the final sorting, bundling and tying up of product, which was done expertly and with good cheer.
Thanks also must go to the landowner, Sue , who supplied the teas and coffees and very generously gave us all a pot of honey from her beehives.

Coppicing Day 2 is at Wakehurst Place Ardingly on 19 November- if you are a member of the Society and would like to attend, email Matthew Beard at   matthew.beardsehls1962@gmail.com. If you are not a member of the Society, please join please email Mark Scofield at sehlsmembership@gmail.com. It would be great to get more than 20 cutters out that day.

​Several SEHLS members attended this event last year, which was a useful season opener, details of which are below. It is a good event to do in pairs.

• Start at 8:30am – Finish 4:30pm
• By kind permission of Rotherfield Farms LLP.
• All proceeds go to Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and The DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
• This is not a competition! Just to lay as much hedge commercially in one day, at one place.
• All Rotherfield Estate's hedge laying fees will be donated to the charities above.

NHLS (hedgelaying.org.uk)

Complete and send the entry form off by 28 September

Hopefully see you there.

Matthew Beard

We have just obtained a stock of Society lapel badges , which can are very smart and complete the desired look.
They can be bought  for £5 each (including postage and packing)  from our Membership Secretary, Mark Schofield, who can be contacted by email at :-
sehlsmembership@gmail.com

​A photo of what the badges look like  is shown below.

You do not have to be a SEHLS member to buy a badge.

​Get yours now !

Many of you will recall that our Annual Competition  2022, was held at Norton Farm Selbourne Hampshire, with kind permission of the Faulkner family.

Norton farm  is part of the Selbourne Landscape Partnership, which promotes sustainable farming  practices , for the enhancement of ecology.
​
Go to their website to see what they do and how the Society has assisted them in achieving their aims :-
http://selbornelandscapepartnership.org.uk

As members may know , every other year  we run a charity / fun day and donate monies raised primarily to Chailey Heritage Foundation . In 2022 the Committee decided for this year it would divide monies raised equally between Chailey and the Hands of Hope Charity (HOH). HOH  area community based charity in East Sussex / Kent , which Phill Piddell used to do a lot of work for , including some hedge laying.

The event at RSPB Pulborough on 22 January 2022 was our fund raiser for this year and the  £1,458 generated  was split equally between the charities. HOH also benefitted for  the selling of some of Phill's old tools , along with other generous donations from members, to make the total donation to them of £915.

Both charities are greatly appreciative of the donations and have sent letters of thanks. Chailey acknowledged that the Society has donated over £7,000 to the Foundation since 2015, which is a tremendous effort.

More information can be found out about both organisations by visiting their websites:-

www.hohcharity.co.uk

www.chf.org.uk

Below is a photo from 2020 showing Phill Piddell in typical action , giving instruction to volunteers at HoH ; one can well imagine what he is saying to them. We miss Phill greatly.

​Matthew Beard 
​18.4.22

The Society's season came to an end in the sunshine at Peppering Farm, Burpham, near Arundel.
​The site was similarly located to TD1 hedge at Findon ,in that it was on top of the Downs with a panoramic vista to the South with views over Arundel Castle  and  the sea beyond. To complete the picture skylarks seemed to be heralding in the spring, with song filled vertical take off and landings. Magic.  

Around 20 cutters took on a hedge that was predominantly hawthorn, that had been coppiced in part, which through up its own challenges , with multi-stemmed stems requiring careful pleaching. Although Frank's instructions were that this was a hand tools hedge, most cutters reverted to using a chainsaw given the complexities of trying to pleach a stem that had been coppiced in the past. This presented its own difficulties with a proliferation of tool/chain bluntening flints around each stem.

Although the day was titled Midland day, only around 8 cutters did Midland , with the rest doing SOE. We were extremely lucky to have the services of past supreme champions Paul Matthews and Alan Ashby giving expert tuition on how to do Midland style. It is an education just to watch these guys work a hedge , with economy of movement , preciseness of cutting  and forward planning, that sets them  well above the average cutter. Those who  received tuition were indeed lucky recipients.

As ever the day was was not just about champion cutters and all who took part did the Society proud. Natasha and Beth flew the flag for the fairer sex, with Bob and Mike showing that oldens have still got it.It was great to see the 2 Phil's , Strugnell and Rowell ,knocking it over in style

Society members are a talented bunch , with Mike Mason covering off Devon style  and Rob fast becoming our expert in Lancashire and Westmoreland style ( the style to do with few stakes and no binders).

Thanks must go to Frank and Phil for setting things up  and ensuring stakes and binders were delivered  and to Charlie Mellor, the Head Gamekeeper on the estate , who was very welcoming and engaging. Hopefully we can return to the estate next season and get the Duke of Norfolk cutting.

The day ended appropriately  at the George Inn at Burpham , where a splendid meal was enjoyed by all.

The Committee are working  provisional dates for the 2022/23 season and plan to publish a provisional programme in the next week or so, , so cutters can block out dates  for next season. 

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that cuts this hedge with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And cutters in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That laid with us upon PVC day.
(With apologies to William Shakespeare)*
 
12 hardy cutters turned out to attack one of Ed Lovejoy’s notorious hedges.  Actually we didn’t have to be that hardy as the weather was perfect even though there had been a bit of early rain.  The ground was a bit soft even for the 4WD brigade.
The hedge was old hawthorn and some old maple on a bank above a wet ditch so not an easy job as most plants were multi-stemmed and very tangled so each one took a lot of work.  It certainly wasn’t a classic hedge.
The draw took place about 0830 and should, more accurately, be titled the Vice-president v. Chairman competition on this occasion as the teams were captained by Phil Hart and Dave Sands.  The Prez did turn out and assist on his team a little later.  With only 12 of us that didn’t take long so we were all off to attack the hedge. Each team worked out amongst themselves who should do what and anyone that finished their bit went on to assist someone else.  The hedge proved to be as awkward as anticipated but a decent job was made of it nevertheless.  Being old there was a tendency for stems to break off … but you have to work with what you’ve got.  The VP had won the right to choose which half of the hedge to cut and chose wisely and the (Vice) President’s team duly took the trophy.  The total length of hedge laid was 112metres or 122 yards.  The pictures give some idea but you had to be there really.
Our suffering was allayed by another excellent Ed Lovejoy BBQ lunch with home-grown pork, lamb and beef burgers and sausages plus two kinds of cake!  He is one of the most reliable lunch-providers on the list.
When we had finished we went back up to the farmyard for the presentation by Ed who also judged the outcome; hopefully there is a picture somewhere of Mike Parrot. receiving the trophy.  The pop-up farm shop then had a hectic few minutes while cutters stocked up on some of Ed’s home-grown meat, bacon, sausages, chops, etc.
Everybody seemed to enjoy the day, which is probably the main thing as I imagine most of us hope to enjoy an outing with the Society.  For those unfamiliar with the event, it’s pretty relaxed, there is a trophy but nobody takes it too seriously … it is a team event and we all help each other out to try and make the best of what we have.
 
* Henry V, Act IV, Scene III; the rallying speech prior to the battle of Agincourt.  The mangled quote is not intentionally gender-specific but the inclusion of a selection of personal pronouns did not scan.


Frank Wright
SEHLS Hedge Manager  and Mail Chimp guru

After months of preparation and pandemic postponement in 2021, the Society was finally able to hold its 37th Annual Competition at Fielders Farm Selbourne curtesy of the Faulkner family.
 All assembled promptly for a safety briefing by Phil Hart, which was then followed by the draw for cants. It was really great to welcome a number of new cutters to the competition, with a healthy representation from Hampshire.

Despite the gloomy, grey weather and strengthening winds, the rain held off and  the competition started promptly at 9am with 31 cutters tackling a really nice double planted hawthorn  hedge, about 12 feet high. Competitors were under the eagle eye of the judges, who were ably assisted by some enthusiastic stewards.

 We were honoured to have the judging services of Roy Champion from Surrey Hedge Laying Group and Tony Ridd from Isle of Wight Hedge Laying Group. This augers well for future collaborations between the organisations for the furtherance of hedge laying.

 Apart from the novice class, cutters had a choice to make early on, as to whether to get the chainsaw out. The champions led the way firing up their machine in double quick time. Most opted for chainsaws, given the number of stems per cant and the flail line which had created some meshing of stems. A few hardy (foolish?) souls resisted the temptation and carried on with hand tools only.

As the day progressed the hedge was got down and was starting to take shape. A few spectators turned up and the field margin got very muddy. Piles of brash started to grown in size.

Tim Russ, the photographer from Bridport, toured the hedge doing 7 laps of the hedge, getting some great photos which can be found on following blog pages.

Staking using David Dunk premium quality chestnut stakes progressed at pace, with binding using SEHLS coppiced hazel binders from Surrey.

In an instant the 5hrs was over, with the majority finishing within the allotted time, but an extra half an hour given to novices who struggled to get done on time.
Judges finalised their assessments and compiled scores after many tours of each cant, as cutters retreated to the car park and made their way to Oakhanger Village Hall for the lunch and presentation of prizes .

Around 50 sat down to a satisfying meal put on by the nearby Hanger Inn and drinks supplied by Frank Wright. Whilst this was going on Mark Schofield was punching scores into his laptop and was soon able to confirm that the judges had added up their scores correctly.

After the meal Phil Hart led the prize giving, ably aided by Kate Faulkner, land owner and leading light in the Selborne Land Partnership, who are enthusiasts of hedge laying.

All in all the event went really well and was greatly enjoyed by all. It was great to see Life members Val and Peter Lewes attending and enjoying themselves and recounting stories of legendary Nelson Russell, which can be found at http://master-hedgelayer.co.uk/  Hopefully we can get more Life members to come along next year.

Thanks must be recorded to:-

• Judges- Clive Gilligan, Alan Ashby, Roger Taylor, Tony Ridd and Roy Champion
• Stewards- Roger Ferrand and Frank Wright
• Competition organising team: - Tim Hughes, Frank Wright, Phil Hart , Matthew Beard , Mark Schofield , Mike Parrott
• The Faulkner family, Selborne Land Partnership
• Dave Droscher for making the splendid new cant markers and transport box for the tea urn.
• All cutters and spectators for supporting the event, some of which travelling a long way and had an even longer journey home in another February storm.
  
• Results  for the 2022 Competition were  can be accessed via the link below :-

competition_results.xlsx


Photos can be found on the next pages on the blog 
Matthew Beard
SEHLS Treasurer 23.2.22