Wild Orchids ...

Good for you Hywel its no good us folks moaning unless we are prepared to do something about it and it seems you have got your point across.

I remember your blog,Hywel,and what a great result this year..Sometimes a few words to the right people ,does work.Good on your council for taking notice..Maybe a short note to them,to let them know how much you appreciated them not mowing them down this year? I always think if one complains,it's nice to respond also,when it's the other way round.you must have been happy to see them left alone,for everyone to enjoy..:o)

Well done for taking the time and trouble to do what you did.
It must feel so worthwhile.

WELL DONE Hywel! I remember the blog, and I am delighted to hear your news. You should be proud!

Well done Hywel - unless we speak out for nature - mindless people will destroy our countryside - Jane

That's great news, Hywel, I do remember that blog. You must have been so pleased to see the orchids safe this year. Good for you for letting them know that individuals do care.

Good result , Hywel . Hats off !

Nice job on stopping the grinders. Would love to see a pic or two of your wild orchids.

I am glad to hear that the orchids survived this year. Thank you Hywel for taking action.

That's great news Hywel. It's good to see your council pay attention. Good on you for speaking up

Thank you all for your comments.

Bathgate I didn't take a photo of them because it's on a busy main road. It's narrow and windy, and there's nowhere you can stop ... and they drive along it like idiots ! very dangerous :(

Good for you Hywel... glad they took notice, I find here they leave the verges until they get so long, they look pretty with wild flowers growing in them, then they cut them :(.... also cut the lovely wild violets that grow in the spring....

I remember you previous blog very well Hywel. I'm so glad your contact with the council paid off. We British have a tendency to grumble but do little about it. Well done for not sitting back and doing nothing.

Well done...hope the next driver/gardener is so careful as this one.

Pleased to hear your strong words had such a successful result Hywel :o)

Marvellous Hywel, welldone indeed!

Oh good result Hywel, I do remember that and pleased that someone has taken notice, pat on the back for you.....

Well done! I remember the blog last year and am so pleased that you've made them leave the orchids alone this year.

Thank you all :)

Well done you Hywel !

When the A14 was being built, I wrote complaining about the bulldozers wrecking a patch of Wild Orchids. I did not receive a reply. A couple of years later learned that the
Wild Orchids had been removed to the nearby Country
Park. They are now thriving there, and giving pleasure to all visitors.
Case of different officials getting lost amongst the paperwork.
Worth suggesting to your local Country Park Hywel.
They do have hearts, even if they forget who reminded them.

Thanks for all your comments :)

Good on you, Hywel! I also remember your blog & it's good that they took heed to your words! :-))

Thank you :)

Nice one Hywel ... it was worth your time and effort. ?

Thank you :)

Well done Hywel for speaking up. Gerry and I saw some orchids whilst out the other day. They were growing in some tall grasses and could easily have been missed.

Thank you. I'm glad you saw the orchids.

I remember your blog and am delighted you did not give up when they said they were good. I think a pat on the back saying how much their concern has brightened your summer might ensure they are kept next year too. If there is a suitable park or somewhere less dangerous you could also suggest the wild orchids be moved to a new site.

Thank you.
I did suggest the orchids were moved, but they said they wouldn't survive.

They wouldn't survive regular mowing either come to that... If they do start to mow them again I'd be out there with my little trowel.

I have no patience with councils. They just don't care. They may 'seem' to care sometimes, but they are only pretending. They only 'seem' to care when they are forced to do it ...
and that goes for all their departments.

One council worker told me once "we are only meant to care within the boundary of our job description"
which means they don't really care at all :(

What would the world be like if we all only cared "within the boundary of our job description"? Or any boundary, come to that? ?

I agree. We are supposed to be humans, but I wonder sometimes ...

I must admit I'm quite sad seeing your opinion of council workers. Admittedly as a council worker myself I'm probably biased lol.

I've rewritten this three times now lol, keep finding myself going on about blinking budget cuts. But I wont. Instead all I will say is that yes, we are only supposed to care within our job roles, but most of the people I come across don't. Most people will go the extra mile, but with dwindling resources and mounting work loads all to often now it simply isn't possible, not if you want to go home at some point.

I used to be a council worker myself,
So I know about bugets etc.

I was a social worker for elderly and disabled people, but team meetings, form filling, going on computer courses (although important in a way) became more important than the people we were meant to help :(
We were forced to attend them even though we had urgent cases that needed attention.

(I often didn't get home until late because I was trying to sort something out for someone ... and often didn't take lunch breaks etc
all because of these meaningless meetings.
So I went the extra mile myself.)

I have lived here 10 years and every time I ask the council for more bags for my kitchen waste bin, they send me another bin (but no bags)
Why ??? I've already got a bin ... I need bags to go in the bin I've already got, not another bin.

They've been doing the same thing for 10 years and it happened yet again today !
It's as if they can't understand what I am asking for, although I stress that it's more bags I want.

When I told them about the orchids, all they did was send me an email full of self praise about how concerned they are about the environment ... and that orchids grew in a place about 30 miles from here.

They were not concerned about the ones they mowed away (and probably in other places as well)
Even if they haven't got money, they could have said they were sorry the orchids got mown away ...
but they didn't.
All they said was that they grew in this other place (about 30 miles away) and how wonderful it was that they left the orchids grow there.

It doesn't make sense to me.

The man that told me we're only meant to care within the boundary of our job description, laughed as he was saying it, as if it was a joke that we should care ! :(

I'm sorry if you feel insulted, but I'm saying how I feel.

If they appear next year Hywel you'd better dig them up and save them yourself, illegal or not. Sad but true.

Does your council have a wildlife officer. If so it might be worth asking if he could identify a site near the patch of orchids, into which they could be transplanted next Spring. It is untrue to say they would die if moved. I have one which I split and sent pieces to two other goy members. Both have successfully saved them and seen
them flower. I was advised by an SRGC member that they actually like to be split up every three years.Given that there is a shortage of bees and the orchids are important in the bees habitat I think it is vital to save as much of it as possible. It might also be a good idea to let this organisation know what you have done so far. They might be able to add their weight to your campaign. http://www.welshwildlife.org

Thanks for the link. I'll have a look.

Hurrah for you and the orchids...and the operator who didn't mow them down!

Thank you :)