The seat with its stone pillars and hardwood benchtop was installed by the Victoria's Garden Scheme in 1991 to commemorate the under-grounding of power and telephone services in 1990 (see the full story on our Home page.) Over the years, time – and two construction material trucks crashing into it in recent years – had taken its toll. The timber benchtop was badly rotting at one end and had become completely detached from the stone pillars so it was not really safe any more. 

The weather forecast wasn't promising but we were lucky and the rain held off for the morning so just about everything that was planned for today got done.

• Long overdue heavy pruning outside Abbotsley to encourage new growth in spring
• Tidy-up along Edna Walling Lane (doesn't it look good now that all the new plants of the past few years are doing well and the weed plants are under control?)
• Lots of pot-holes filled along Bickleigh Vale Rd. - always a problem when we've had a bit of rain
• General weeding and light pruning along the roadside. The Bickleigh Vale Rd entrance is now all ready for replanting in August..