Scything the wild flowers on the Boating Pond island

After the major countrywide floods of the early and mid Noughties the Corporation of London and the surrounding boroughs got very worried that the streams that run down through the Hampstead ponds might get out of hand and flood the good people of Gospel Oak and Kentish Town. So massive flood protection works were put in hand. Among other major undertakings, the Boating Pond was dammed across its middle so that the lower end could be drained and dredged and a higher rampart built at the lower southern end.

Much to the amusement of all, as the pond gradually drained a fine white Ford Cortina emerged from the retreating waters. The story goes that some years previously an irate wife, discovering that her husband had been cheating on her, drove his beloved white Cortina down to the edge of the pond and left it, hand brake off, to roll in. Sadly, because it interfered with the dredging, it was removed.

The works, which went on for many, many months and included digging an enormous hole in the hill opposite out of which to gouge clay to line the pond and into which went the dredged mud from the pond, included creating a small island on the far side of the pond – separated from the ‘mainland’ by a narrow channel. Although there was a good deal of local scepticism about the scale of the works undertaken and the many, many millions that they cost, it is generally agreed that the island has been a great success. Definitely an addition to the pond.

The island is off limits for the public although I doubt that the bit of wire fencing currently guarding its privacy would keep out determined revellers looking for a nice picnic spot.

Anyhow, here we are, ready with our scythes to attack the wildflowers which get free rein on the island but which were now definitely past their prime.

I don’t know how many of your may have wielded a scythe in your gardening pasts, but it seemed that my fellow volunteers had all spent of their teenage years – or at least their teenage summer holidays – scything acres of wheat and corn. They certainly were very expert, swinging their scythes in effortless arcs while the flowers and grasses tumbled under their blades.

I was not! To be fair, it was the first time I had attempted to use a scythe and I know it takes years to perfect the art. The trick is, of course, to get that long lethal blade level with the ground so that you slice off your plants at the base of their stems. For the novice this is somewhat of an ask. The majority of the time, because you are terrified of embedding your scythe feet deep in the ground, you aim too high. As a result the scythe swings around your head having managed to knock over a few plants on the way but rarely severing them. The added frustration of this manoevure is that once you have knocked them over a few times they lie all but prone so are almost impossible to scythe even by an expert. (I have to admit to resorting to my secateurs on a few occasions…)

In an attempt to acquire just a small modicum of technique I went over to watch Rob who, as he says, had a lot of practice back in the day. Note how, especially in the second short clip, he slices straight through in one easy move.

However, even he was prepared to admit that it was hard, hot work and since it was also one of the hottest days of our current Indian summer, the tea break was more than usually welcome.

None the less, with very little help from me (although after tea it did seem to get slightly easier and I did manage to clear one small patch) the whole island was scythed and a big pile left for the rangers to collect. Definitely time for a drink.