![Wandle July 2012 - Himalayan Balsam 01](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7528879468_45188563c1.jpg)
It took me so long to cycle down from Wandsworth Town that all the waders were gone leaving only wellies and so I was, again, land based. Given the recent rainfall the river was in full flood and, for a while, there was doubt as to whether anyone would be going in the water on safety grounds.
![Wandle July 2012 - Himalayan Balsam 02](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7528881226_d5e8d42a2d.jpg)
In the end it was deemed safe enough so the waders harvested whilst I and the other bank-siders gathered up and carted away.
![Wandle July 2012 - Volunteers and Trugs](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7528885338_e569ec5875.jpg)
Much of the gathering was done using garden muck buckets and old, industrial plastic barrels cut in half and fitted with tow ropes. By the end we had a fair old pile of Himalayan Balsam and the river looked a lot clearer.
![Wandle July 2012 - Himalayan Balsam 03](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7528882540_f03739de2b.jpg)
As it was the annual picnic we worked a longer morning session and called it a day at one-thirty so we could have our picnic lunch.
![Wandle July 2012 - Picnic lunch](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7528884294_e59cdf28c7.jpg)
Amongst the volunteers was Derek Coleman co-author of the newly published "River Wandle Companion and Wandle Trail Guide" so I snapped up a copy and got it autographed.
![Wandle July 2012 - Derek Coleman](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8010/7528886774_faae9a4141.jpg)
On the way back I was amused by a pair of nesting moorhens who had incorporated an old chair into their nest (or maybe it had washed up against their abode).
![Wandle July 2012 - Moorhens](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7528888170_18dc2c58d4.jpg)
A cycle home followed a soak in the bath...
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