This is how the grass is cut in Vimy.

[margaretdufay]

Was driving past Vimy and I thought I might introduce you the lawn mowers of Vimy, in case you had never seen them before.

Mags

[clive_hughes]

Very eco-friendly Mags! We have the same make of mower dealing with the grass in our old churchyard!

Clive

[margaretdufay]

Don't know whether this lot speak very good English or not?

[Pighills]

Looks like the same flock used at Newfoundland Memorial Park, I'm sure I recognise the white one

[margaretdufay]

Do you think they have dual nationality?

[judy7007]

Top photo - I like the two on the right! Not much mowing going on!

[margaretdufay]

I think they liked the colour of my car, as I had to take the photo through the passenger window

Or maybe escape plans were being hatched.

[dycer]

Mags,

In view of the "Beware of Mines" warnings on the grass, surrounding the Ridge,on which the sheep were grazing, I did ask if a mine had ever exploded but did not receive a reply.

George

[margaretdufay]

Have never heard of one exploding

[Guest]

Have never heard of one exploding

They go baa-ang!

Mike

[Pighills]

And they feel a bit woolly headed afterwards.

[nigelcave]

Is it mines or ordnance/munitions in general? The worst fate that I have known the Vimy sheep to suffer in fairly recent years is to fall into a sudden subsidence and die down there - I think there were two or three victims - as they were unable to get themselves out. As regards mines, of course, there is the big one - known for ease of ID as Broadmarsh - under the road junction (above the Visitors' Centre car park, Givenchy/Lens/NStV) of 20,000 pounds - but disarmed and partially dismantled at the time - and there was the Durand mine, accessed off the Grange, disarmed in 1996, I seem to recall, or possibly '97 - about 6,000 pounds and viable and armed; and then a few camouflets still in situ but all now disarmed.

[Steven Broomfield]

Look good on Ewe Tube if it goes up.

[centurion]

There used to be a sheep farmer in Hertfordshire who had very little land of his own but used to hire his sheep out to events (such as the Hertford show between Rebourne and Markyate) for this mowing duty (and kept them on some rented land at the back of my garden in those days when they weren't earning). Doubtless the same trade is followed in France.

[dycer]

Nigel,

Although the signs are "Beware of Mines",they warn of live ammunition still lying under the uncleared ground.

George

[margaretdufay]

Here is a Wikipedia page about Vimy

http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=les%20munitions%20%C3%A0%20vimy&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&ved=0CGMQFjAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffr.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVimy&ei=6V2FUfPrO8WZhQftl4GAAg&usg=AFQjCNFYucJldpa8_to8D1-Hxm67HdiHWg

[17107BM]

On my last visit, last summer iwas told by a guide that they were better than any grass cutter given the ordinance under foot in areas that were considered still in dangerous.

RED ZONES, and so on.

[BIFFO]

as im from the valleys if you dont mind im saying nothing well I do fancy the one sitting down on the right

i`ll get me coat then

Biff

[pylon1357]

Funny enough, just the other day, my father and I were talking about Vimy after watching a show on the TV. Dad commented on how neat the grass was kept and wondered aloud who had the job of keeping it mowed.

I better tell him.

[Guest]

as im from the valleys if you dont mind im saying nothing well I do fancy the one sitting down on the right

Biff

That'll be sheepskin-skin coat then. A WW1 type, just to keep on topic you understand.

Mike

[rickpreston@nasuwt.net]

We done everbody this is an excellent set of responces. It has brought a brightness in to this Sunday morning.

thanks all

Richard

Edited 5 May , 2013 by RJPreston

[Dawley Jockey]

The two on the right are Baaaaaabra and Maaaaary, right pair of slackers leave all the work to there mates.

[dycer]

Which begs the question.

Who or what,rounds the sheep up for lambing,shearing,etc.

Black Bob(the cartoon sheepdog)?

George

[centurion]

Cricket has been around long before lawn mowers were invented and a scythe can only do so much so that sheep were used by some cricket clubs for wicket preparation. Bowling grounds don't seem to have done this which is why if Drake did play bowls before popping off to do some unauthorised privateering on the fringes of the Armada the game in those days would have been more akin to petanc.

[nigelcave]

Which begs the question.

Who or what,rounds the sheep up for lambing,shearing,etc.

Black Bob(the cartoon sheepdog)?

George

The little baa lambs come in relatively late on and both sites each has a shepherd who is 'contracted' to run the flocks. One of the reasons for sheep is that they cause relatively little damage to the battlefield landscape. I think we should be very grateful that Canada puts in so much money (OK, I need to declare an interest, as I have been regularly employed by VAC) to maintaining these sites which form, between them, the biggest 'recognisable' sites of the Great War on the 'British' Western Front. It is a big task and I think that generally speaking they have done it extraordinarily well over the last century or so since the Geat War ended. Likewise, kudos to the often small scale and local French organisations who have worked so hard to maintain the memory.