I was a regular volunteer, a ‘Hollyvol’, at Hollybush, BTCV as it was then, on and off for a couple of years 86-88 and to be fair tying to remember the names of people I’ve met is hard nowadays so you’ll have to excuse the lack of name dropping, I do remember some of the great projects we did though because I can still go and visit theses sites and it gives me heart to see that constructions I had a hand in building are still there and in use.
The bird watching place hidden in the undergrowth at Woodlesford Lock and the steps and handrail we installed on one of the paths through the woods near Roundhay Park, Making Living willow sculptures at Temple Newsam, copious amounts of hedge laying, of course we wielded the Yorkshire Billhook like professionals, dry stone walling, laying footpaths, planting new hedges and of course Rhodi bashing and burning. There was also work at the Buddhist centres in Todmordon and Pickering.
I began volunteering after being made redundant I was a HGV mechanic and had pretty reasonable practical skills, I also had a class 1 HGV licence, but still had to go out with one of the supervisors to show them that I could drive a van with a trailer on before they let me loose on the roads with theirs. The volunteers were a happy bunch and often went for a refreshing drink at the Bridge afterwards.
It wasn’t as big as it is now back in the 80s, no Café it was flasks and snap boxes for us, and it’s wonderful that it has expanded and grown into the organisation it is now and the ethos hasn’t changed and I’m sure it will continue to grow.
I remember spending a week at Hollybush building staging for Patrick so that the plants they sold could be displayed, and climbing into the big water tank to fit the tap and installing it beside the steps, the staging has long gone replaced by seating for the café but its nice to see the water butt is still there. I also rehung the entrance gate my initials were still in the cement, that too will soon be gone as new gates are to be fitted, We installed a bench in an area at the back of Hollybush as a memorial to Bob Dixon who sadly died during my time there, his family came down to see us fit the bench. Bob and I often worked together on projects and he used to regale me with his stories about his life as a funeral director, he had a real dry sense of humour, many of missed Bob when he passed. Ah well life goes on.
I stopped going to volunteer due to going full time at Beckets Park to retrain to become a teacher of Technology and qualified in 89, spending my first 3 years in Sheringham High school in Norfolk and working in various high schools in Leeds, I also spent 3 years out in Papua New Guinea, finishing my career with the Pupil Referral Service. I’ve always had an interest in conservation and tried where National curriculum allowed to give students projects in that field, bird boxes, bat boxes, bee hotels, planting trees etc and have taken that stance now I’m retired at my allotment with a wildflower meadow, pond and hedge planting and a variety of bee, insect and bird accommodations and feeding stations
I’m still doing voluntary work with several organisation though BTCV is at the opposite side of Leeds to where I now live making it difficult to get to on a regular basis, though I do pop in now and again as I cycle the canal towpath and call into the Café for a brew and a toastie and recently had a Chat with John Preston, a bit of reminiscing and putting me onto doing this.
I look back at the time I spent there with some satisfaction the names and faces fade over time but other things stay with you and I often smile when I pass the place.
Written by Pete Clarke