So Many People at Duddingston by Asia Koter

After a few sad weeks’ break that followed the end of the December exam diet and all the other diets (I mean, Christmas happened), the Dirty Weekenders finally got back together for the first project of 2019! We met as usual in front of the tool cupboard and the number of volunteers exceeded all of our expectations (given that we had any). 43! students got out of their beds early on Sunday morning – I guess sleep deprivation and insomnia is not really an issue yet, as the deadlines are still a few weeks away. Fortunately, our hosts at the Duddingston Community Garden had plenty of jobs for us to do and everyone was involved in one task or another. The main tasks were tree planting, clearing the stepped path, and expanding the table area which included preparing the ground, moving the concrete slabs, and putting them in so they are even and neat. The weather was cold but sunshine stayed with us until about lunchtime. We had our lunch in the Byre, and it was delicious as always – homemade soup, bread, cake, and hot drinks warmed us up after our hard work. We didn’t play ratchet-screwdriver because we were lame and didn’t want to break anyone’s ribs (or other body parts), but we had some time to socialise and meet new student volunteers. After lunch we got back to work to finish off our tasks. By the end of the day we had finished putting in the tiles, planted a number of trees along with supports, and got quite cold so we packed up our tools and said goodbye to Duddingston residents. We walked back to Pleasance, enjoying the views of the sunset and the prospect of having nachos at the Hoose made us all merry and jolly. Who cares about the 10 weeks of forthcoming torture if you have sunsets, biscuits, and Dirties?

This wonderful piece was written by Asia Koter

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