2025.08.10 Phil Hermes walk

We had a good day today. Great weather ofcourse.

We worked in the morning on the Bill Smylie butterfly reserve on Cleeve Hill with Serena Meredith from Butterfly Conservation who supplied all the tools.  The task was to remove unwanted small hawthorn saplings which were growing up through the grass. The cattle which had been brought in to graze this grassland reserve had turned up their noses at the long grass on many of the slopes.

At lunchtime we adjourned and walked a mile or so past the radio masts on Cleeve Hill and on to the ‘lone tree’ where long time GVCV member Phil Hermes’ ashes were scattered 7 years ago after his untimely death. There are plaques on the wall around the tree commemorating a number of people.

We enjoyed picnic lunches around the tree. The consensus was that people like this year’s format of task plus walk to the lone tree plus picnic.