Firefighters help Stamford Town Council water new hedge on The Meadows

Firefighters on a training exercise swung into action with their hoses to help out during this week’s warm spell.

They were at Stamford Meadows on Monday evening using a pump to collect water from the Millstream that could be used to extinguish fires.

There at the same time were three town councillors, armed with buckets to water more than 350 saplings planted to create a new hedgerow on the boundary of The Meadows and Freemen’s Meadow.

Amanda Wheeler, deputy mayor of Stamford, said: “It’s been taking us 45 minutes each time, and we’ve been watering every couple of evenings, since we’ve had no rain.

“When we saw the fire engine and what the firefighters were up to, we asked if they could help out.”

Firefighter Martin Candish, who was training with Hayden Johns and Andy Butt from Stamford Fire Station, said they were only too happy to help.

“We were practising pumping water from an alternative source to feed the hose, which is a regular part of our training.

“We would normally use river water and fire it onto the grass on The Meadows, so it was no problem to aim it at the new hedge. We just couldn’t get too close or the force of the water would have damaged the saplings.”

To make sure their mission was successful, the firefighters fired the water into a high arc so that it ‘rained’ on the newly planted line of yew, dogwood, elder, goat willow and guelder rose saplings.

Amanda said: “They were funded by a biodiversity grant and the aim of having the new hedge is to create new habitats, reduce carbon dioxide and to make the boundary visually attractive.

“While we’ve been watering, we have had members of the public stop and lend a hand, and we’ve been grateful to them - and the firefighters - for their help.”

Town councillors will continue to monitor and water the hedge until it is established.