Clearances

It was bitterly cold this morning, but as Malcolm and I set out for Mapperley Village along Slack Lane, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. At Mapperley reservoir the stiff breeze was enough to cut your face off.

Along the water's edge evidence of yesterday's snow showers was still visible and the water itself was as brown and dirty as ever.

Moving on through Shipley Woods, we approached Shipley Lake and were greeted by the sound of chainsaws and heavy equipment, busy clearing the trees and scrub around the lake. All this clearing seems to be part of the preliminary works before construction starts on the lake-side redevelopment.

Across the lake, it is now possible to see the old pumping shed and head-stock left over from when this area was part of the Shipley Woodside Colliery. It is also possible to see the houses of School Woods Close, Shipley Village.

It's always a shame to see trees being felled to make way for housing developments. In this case it seems worse because almost all the wildfowl of the lake have obviously had enough of the noise and disturbance and have flown away, leaving the lake almost devoid of life. Clearances indeed!