Traveling by train from London to Bedford there is a choice between the fast train, which stops only at Luton and its airport, or the slow train, which stops at lots of smaller stations along the way. Both trains run on the same track, which begins with a series of tunnels under London. If you are on the slower train you stand a better chance of seeing the goats on the left of the track between tunnels and I now know that these goats belong to Kentish Town City Farm, because D & I spent today working on a “Permablitz” to help install a permaculture garden in the area by their pond.
We cleared the ground of the biggest weeds; marked out a path with timber edging and then covered it with cardboard and wood chippings; dug beds 4” (10cm) into heavy London clay and then refilled with manure and topsoil, and then planted them with guilds of symbiotic plant groups, and we made seating from wooden pallets.
It was a great day working in collaboration with a whole bunch of people we'd never met before, and we got a massive amount done despite a very heavy shower just as we were about to begin the planting.
Our plan had been to leave early to catch the final performance of From Here On at Liverpool Street Station, but an “Operational Incident” had cancelled all the southbound trains from Kentish Town and there was no way we could get there in time. A great pity.
No matter, we returned to Bedford happy, a little disappointed, but mostly tired.