AAARGGGHHH Barling

[dirtydids]

Went over to Barling at the weekend as Cede was having severe mud withdrawel symptoms and my information was correct

The owners of the land have been doing extensive work there during these past several months and the clayponds have virtually been destroyed to how they were.Also a lot of the vegetation and old trees have been uprooted making it far more visible to any passers by,not that this worries Cede but could affect other people who go there and wish to be as inconspicous as possible.

They appear to be trying to do some sort of drainage work but have used a mechanical digger to completely remove the clay from the drains and spread it around on the open ground,what is left is not the custardy clay that Cede loves to wallow in.
She managed to do a shoot while there but it was freezing cold (little soldier she is) and we are now going to have to explore around a bit for some more sites for the warmer weather.
We shall be keeping an eye on Barling though to see how things develope but it dont look good at the moment folks.

Yet another perfect Wamming spot fucked up in the name of progress

dids

[mess147415]

thats rally bad news Dids - after you showed me where they wer ive had a couple of plays there - please let us know of you find anywhre comparabe thanks steve aka mess

[TottyMcGee]

Booooo!! Hissssssss!!

Bloody drainage grants, they're a curse they are. Just like the swine who came to clean all the slime and pondweed out of Lake Asbo last year. Diabolical, that's what it is.

Still, that's how it goes - mud sites by their nature change over the years, either naturally or by human intervention, deliberate and otherwise. I had to stop using a favourite spot on the Humber due to rising levels of pollution there, a veritable playground of quicksand pools at a site in Dorset fell into the sea and my childhood muddy stream silted up completely thanks to the crummy farming methods employed by the local farmer. You just have to keep looking for new areas - keep an eye out around the salt marshes and one day you'll find another spot you can love just as much!

[miss_stockings]

That is a shame!

Just as me n Cede were planning a little meeting!!! However, I have every confidence that you will find somewhere just as good for us to enjoy the sunshine when in finally arrives!

[dirtydids]

Do not despair Google Earth is going into Overtime mode

[andy250]

denied!!! their is nothing worse. I too are on the lookout for some new locations for next year. When I get some we can all pay a visit.


regards

Andy

[Sploshman]

BLOODY GUTTED Dids mate!!.

Is it still able to be used in anyway Dids??.

Looks like a new location has to be found........... .

What about the Bristol area as i know there's a few muddy places there.

[Hayley]

Mike Nomic is our Bristol mud expert....

You out there today, Mike?

Hayley

[Jonny]

According to the Moomin and the Big Dave, Weston Super Mare is a heaven for mudding

[andy250]

Johnny is right, I've been their, its really good not very deep though the hole area is basically one giant mud bank. We use to stop their sometimes coming back from Johnny's neck of the woods. After getting called out by the young farmers again!!!!


regards

Andy

[dirtydids]

Yeah, I must admit i have admired Leons areas for ages, especially that area near the Clifton bridge.
Trouble Me and Cede have though is i live in north Notts and only am in Essex for 9 days at a time and she of course lives there. the distance involved especially during the summer months with all the holiday traffic in that area makes it at a minimum i would guess 4/5 hour drive each way from essex which is just not viable for us as to time involved. It would mean finding BB acomadation etc and we could not really take any of her friends with us as we can using Essex sites.
It certainly is feasible for a "one off" visit though which is worth bearing in mind.

Dids

[Jonny]

Damn you Mr Andrew. From Essex to anywhere South West is shit, because you have to negioate the M25 and the 303 and M4 are just shite!

Put it this way. I got to Grimsby and Warrington quicker than i got to Mildenhall in Suffolk.

However, it's about time some of you good sploshers discovered the South West- The cornwall scene is starting to pick up- who knows something positive to report soon....

[Mike Nomic]

Mike Nomic is our Bristol mud expert....

You out there today, Mike?

Hayley

Hi, Hayley.

Thanks for the accolade - now all I've got to do is earn it!

Yes, there is almost endless mud around here; the estuaries of the Severn and the Avon, but the extreme tides can make it difficult to use the vast facilities available. The tides and the weight of the mud itself serve to compact the mud in a very short space of time - only days are required to turn thin slop to a thick pudding, and thereafter the consistency progresses over time to a thick clay-like substance requiring the addition of much water and effort to make it worthy of sploshing.

There are one or two disused sand/gravel pits around here; one good one at Chipping Sodbury was used in Artscene's 'Girlfish', but this location has been very effectively fenced off for some time now.

For my own video shoots I have also used a few times the 'tailings pond' of a pit near Calne (although this has deteriorated dramatically in reduced depth and thicker consistency over the last two years), and more generally a small area at the south-east corner of the Cotswold Water Park near Swindon. This is a large ditch taking the run-off water from a current quarrying operation; it had thickened up over a long period, but was dredged a couple of years ago. The result was a far larger pool/canal of mud; very, very wet and very deep - waist to bust deep in places. I am hoping to shoot more footage there later this year, so Sammi, Merceds, Nicole, Carmelle - come on down!

Dids and Mercedes, and all other fans of Barling - don't despair. Man's battle with nature has been a long string of setbacks - water will always find it's own level, mud will return, and vegetation will grow again. I think (and certainly hope) that Barling is not dead - just sleeping.

Mike.

[andy250]

Actually Jonny their is somewhere when I use to use the Torpoint Ferry to use the beach before picking Louise up from Liskeard their was a road with a river next to it. I sometimes use to stop and let the dogs out there for ten mins that had some really good muddy banks. I think it was nr Polbathic, this use join me back up with the a38 at (wait for this mad cornish name!!) Budge's Shop!!! Help.

regards

Andy

[Sploshman]

and more generally a small area at the south-east corner of the Cotswold Water Park near Swindon. This is a large ditch taking the run-off water from a current quarrying operation; it had thickened up over a long period, but was dredged a couple of years ago. The result was a far larger pool/canal of mud; very, very wet and very deep - waist to bust deep in places. I am hoping to shoot more footage there later this year, so Sammi, Merceds, Nicole, Carmelle - come on down!

That sounds v.interesting.

Do you have a email addy mate??.