Dorset monthly meet ????

[tarcus]

More mud club mud-plugging.. Please keep it on the pay 'n' plays.

[Disco-Ron]

Mmmm, i'm not the only one to think that then.......

[tarcus]

Well, with a name like "mud club" it's bound to attract a lot of mud-pluggers, it's certainly a good site to trawl for links to shots of a troupe of trucks spashing in and out of mud holes.  Given that some of us give up our time to try and clear up lanes and keep them in good condition it's a tad irritating to see this kind of thing.  A mud hole "being on a lane" isn't an excuse to drive in and out of it at all angles, indeed if there's a whopping great big crater of mud then that's a sign the lane is screwed and shouldn't be driven.  Some muddy ruts is one thing, but flooded bomb-holes is another.

Besides, driving through mud is so *DULL*....  Give me hard terrain with some axle twisters, pot holes, rocks etc any day, there's some skill in that and it doesn't cause trouble with the ramblers etc.  Almost all of the complaints that got us screwed in the NERC bill were down to mud-plugging.

I know Salisbury Plain is a magnet for the mud-pluggers, you see mud holes beside the lanes all over the place, it's one of the main reasons I don't do the plain because so many trips end up with too many trucks and next thing you know people are mud-pluggiing beside the lane or repeatedly hitting a screwed part of it and taking photos.

I've been on a number of lane clearances in the Dorset area, organised by the excellent FoDRoW group with the help of the local council, I can only think of one chap, Graham IIRC, who I've ever seen on them who also appears on mud-club.  Perhaps some of the Dorset mud-clubbers would like to come along to a clearance or two and put something back in to the laning scene?  There's usually one clearance per month, although it's been quiet recently due to problems getting materials delivered.

We're off on a clearance tomorrow (Sunday 2nd Sept) just south-west of Bridport.  Meeting tomorrow morning, 10:30 AM at SY452922 to cut brush back on a UCR running from SY430946 to SY427950.  If anyone wants to turn up and help then please bring vegetation cutting tools, e.g. bowsaws, pruners, petrol strimmers and hedgetrimmers, thick gloves etc.

[cherokeegraham]

Hi Ian, thanks for the mention. I'm sorry I missed the clearance today, how was it? I've just started a new job & it means working away through the week so I didn't see the e-mail until today, too late.

[tarcus]

so I didn't see the e-mail until today, too late.

Hello Graham, yeah you and everyone else!  The arrangement of this one was a little last-minute, partly because the chap organising it didn't get things sorted in time, but also because the land-owner didn't do his bit until late either.  As a result, only two trucks turned up with three people.  Between the three of us though we cleared the lane enough for walkers, bikers and midgets on very small horses..  Took us about 4-5 hours, I got back home about half an hour ago.

There's no way that lane is drivable in a 4x4 though, and I doubt it ever will be or ever was.  We intend to go back sometime, but what we left could be sorted out by one chap with a chainsaw in an afternoon so the council might do that themselves.

Right, now for a nice cold beer....

[cherokeegraham]

Good work mate, sounds like you've earned that beer!

[Bluebottle]

Link removed, Disco-Ron, please edit your post.

[Disco-Ron]

Ian... if i'm available, i'd be happy to assist.......!!!  just let me know where and when......!!

[tarcus]

Hello Ron, best thing to do is to join FoDRoW on the following URL;

http://www.fodrow.com/

.. then your membership fee goes towards buying clearance gear such as the petrol strimmer, a trailer and other things used on the clearances.  There is a gallery that you can see past clearances in, plus our laning trips, pay 'n' play outings etc.  You'll also get emails regarding clearances, lane surveys, camping trips, shows etc.  The next event is a UCR survey requested by the local council, we are given questionnaire sheets and asked to check out the listed UCRs, it's not a straight green-laning trip though as the sheets are quite detailed apparently.

What  I am going to talk to the chaps about is me posting a message in mud-club green-laning forums about upcoming clearances, they might not be keen on that because I think that the council works with FoDRoW and non-FoDRoW people turning up might have insurance etc issues.

BTW anyone scared by a 5-hour clearance take heart, most are only 2-3 hours long, this one was only longer because turn-out was so bad and those who turned up just kept on going until we got fed up.  Even turning up for an hour is useful.

[DREWSTER100]

when is the next meeting and where thanks drew

[Disco-Ron]

HI Drew..... sadly this idea never really got off the ground..... if you want to meet like minded people though, you could make your way to Matchams on any Sunday.... 'Bullfrog' or in other words Martin, runs the 4x4 area over there...... any sunday from 10 ish..... meet him and chat, or pay some money and get your truck dirty!!!