You may notice that Magoda has changed a bit. Some trellis work has been installed and the trees have gone – they were part of an old shelterbelt that became redundant several years ago when our estate was built, they were the last remnants and we were a bit sad, a bit glad when they fell over.

The ground behind is about a quarter of what used to be a fifteen acre block (measured on the internet), on which the council had said they could support no more than three (or was it four?) subsections for houses. Currently there's an awful lot of trenching and digging going on out front of it, so maybe the pressure for housing (since the Christchurch earthquake) has changed the council's minds.

Rangiora was a quiet town of towards 10,000 people when we came in 2009. Now (in 2014) half as much again – at the very least - and still rising and, what's more, we straddle two well used inland access routes - to the North from Christchurch, to the West to Oxford, so traffic seems like it was around Bracknell in UK – it's not as heavy as that of course but feels like it, in recollection, from this distance...

Enough of the twaddle (got to fill some space eh?). Back to The Green Man...

After (a little?) more research, I decided that the rice bran oil would be a suitable weather resistant treatment so it was a case of standing Him on His bottom in a tray, brushing oil over Him and keeping it wet all over for an hour or so, to allow Him to soak up what He would. Repeat with Him on His top then left then right sides... then wipe off the excess, stand Him up on little separate feet for a couple of hours, wipe off again and leave Him overnight (on a different edge), wipe off again and go away for a week. I repeated that twice more at which time I thought enough was enough, if not excessive.

Here He is, hung or hanged, whichever you prefer. It took a lot of humming, haaing, leaving Him for a day or so, moving Him and trying again but we think He's now in the most suitable place, shielded from the sun except early in the day and, partially, from most winds. By the time His surrounding greenery has grown and been trimmed around Him (the picture was taken in May, winter) we're hoping (or I am anyway) that He'll fade into the background somewhat, to be discovered when wandering around rather than being quite so immediately obvious.

Articles by Rod

26.05.14 Front Page

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