Orchard maintenance can sometimes be idyllic – just imagine it. You have beautiful surroundings, the sun is shining, the work is gentle. Imagine doing something like picking off the small spare fruit in early June, or raking up the leaves in the soft autumn light. But… then again…back to reality, where sometimes the weather is a bit British. Our group of volunteers from Hays battled sudden rainstorms to do some proper hard work. They recycled our old picnic benches to make some more raised beds, and they cleared and scythed some of the grass around the beds and the base of the swift tower. They dug up some odd bits and pieces too. Honestly, we have spent over ten years clearing out rubbish from the ground (mainly bits of bicycle, no surprise in Cambridge I suppose) but still, there’s a shoe and a flower pot and goodness knows what else. After all this hard work, the orchard is looking really good now, so pay us a visit and enjoy all the wild flowers. Just don’t leave one of your shoes behind.