The clock strikes ten.
Students in their sports attire flock down Pleasance to perform their mysterious rituals in a place called The Gym, also known as The Temple of the Sixpack and the Booty…
But there is a handful of students who are different. Students wearing sturdy boots, winter coats and knitwear. They gather in front of The Tool Cupboard and open it with a secret passcode. Then they take out their tools – shiny spades, giant’s forks, and the most magnificent and powerful of them all – The Mattock.
Yes, you know who they are – the Edinburgh Dirty Weekenders.
Every week, a different place is in need of their services. The Dirties come and bring order and biscuits to where there is chaos and buddleia. Or, this time, weeds.
That Sunday, Marionville Care Home, not far from the Secret Garden of Lochend, called upon us Dirties to save them from greedy weeds and make their flowerbeds charming and flowery again. The task wasn’t easy as the weather was cold and some Dirties nearly lost their fingers to frostbite*, but as the sun made their way up the sky, sunshine brought warmth and new energy and we worked happily on emptying beds and pulling out naughty weeds until it was time for lunch.
Soup, sandwiches, and cake restored our energy and brought smiles onto tired faces. Working after lunch was much more pleasant than in the morning because the courtyard was sunny and, well, we were full of Wotsits. After the beds were emptied, it was time to line them with tarp and compost. We spent the rest of the afternoon on these tasks and when we were done, all the compost was put into beds and they were all ready to be filled with magical herbs and flowers for the wizards from the care home to make potions with… or something.
The Dirty Weekenders walked back to Pleasance to put away the ritual tools. Afterwards, they went home (or to the pub) to start restoring their energy for another project the following week…
*Not really, but it was cold.
Post by Asia Koter
