(updated 04/11/26 with photos and links)

The Wildering – A BCV Halloween Story

It was a chill October morning on Winter Hill. The sky was clear and blue and BCV’s volunteers stood with dew soak boots waiting for Tom to begin the task.

“Today’s task,” began Tom, “Is to remove rhododendron from the hillside. So, we’ll be cutting down them ones, and them ones,” he said pointing randomly.
“Do you mean these ones and those ones?” said Katrina pointing at several clumps of rhody near by and far away..
“Yes, any you can find. But don’t go too far from base camp, we don’t want have to send out search parties if we can help it. Francis is in charge of the task today as I have to go to an important barbecue, enjoy the task.” With that Tom made his way back to the car park at the bottom of the hill.

“Alright, lets get on with it,” grumbled Francis. And so the day began. Tools were grabbed, ruck sacks were dumped, and people spread out to begin the work of removing the invasive species from the hillside. Rhododendron had spread from nearby houses and was creeping across the moors like a ravening beast, damaging the heather moorland habitat as it went.

Work continued until lunch time arrived, when the group downed tools for tea and butties. After scarcely an hour, Chris, stretching his back gravely announced, “I’m going to have to go, I need to pick up my daughter’s rabbit from the vet’s, then I’m going to a barbecue. The two aren’t connected. Anyone want a lift back into town?” A few hands went up, and several people decided that hard work was too good to do all at once and so were finishing for the day, although the barbecue did sound interesting.
“Lightweights,” scolded Carol.

“Francis, what does rabbit taste like?” asked Craig, looking thoughtful.
“I don’t know, Craig, I don’t eat meat,” replied Francis.
“Does it taste like Chicken?”
“I don’t know, Craig, I would think it tastes like rabbit”
“Have you never eaten rabbit, Francis?” asked Craig’
“No, Craig, I’m a vegetarian,” said Francis.
“Are there any rabbits round here?”
“I don’t know, Craig. Maybe. Rabbits are an introduced species and the country is rife with them.”
Craig fiddled with his phone, “Francis, Francis, look,” said Craig showing Francis his phone, “AI has made you into a rabbit.”
“Thank you, Craig,” sighed Francis.
“I’m going to go and have look for some,” said Craig. He wandered off, looking under the long grass and some clumps of heather that were nearby while making rabbit noises.
“Don’t go too far, Craig, and don’t fall down any gullies.”
“Yes,” said Jane. “Be careful.”

Some hours later and the sun was starting to set, the sky was beginning to darken and the temperature was starting to drop. People began packing up the tools and equipment, and making their way down hill and the way home, or the barbecue that suddenly seemed so popular.

“Where’s Craig?”, asked Jane putting on another fleece against the chill.
“He’s not back yet?” replied Francis. ” CRAIG? CRAIG?” shouted Francis.
From somewhere in the distance came a long, drawn-out howl.
“What was that?” asked Jane looking worried. “That doesn’t sound like Craig’s normal laugh.”
“Oh, it’s just the Carpathian wolves I introduced as part of my re-wilding project,” said Andrew casually.
“What…?”, said Francis.
“I’ve been to Carpathia,” said Carol, “I’ve been to Vlad Dracul’s castle, Count Dracula, for those of you who don’t know. I don’t think I’m not going to hang around, it will take me a while to get to the car park. I see a bad moon rising,” Carol muttered and started off down hill, occasionally looking over her shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye out for Craig.”
“It’s going to be another one of those weird tasks,” sighed Francis. “Why did you bring wolves to Bolton, Andrew?”
“erm… we’ll Franny, re-wilding. Returning fauna that once roamed the land. Trying to restore the natural order that’s been disrupted by humans. You know?”
“No, I don’t know. Craig and wolves are not a good combination. We need to find him urgently. There’s only three of us left now everyone else has left.” Pointing right, “Jane you go that way,” then pointing left, “Andrew you go that way. I’ll co-ordinate from here.”
“Here, you might need this lamp,” said Andrew pulling a battery powered lantern from his bag. “I use it when I’m filming.”

The three hunted for Craig, calling his name, “Here, Craigy-Craig,” and whistling. But to no avail. Night fell and the bad moon Carol warned of began to rise over the horizon. Jane and Andrew returned to camp and the safety of the lamp light. Andrew prodded Francis with stick to wake him up.
“Oh, you’re back,” he said standing up from his chair. “I was cogitating.”
The three stood in the circle of light, beyond it’s edge the darkness deepened until nothing could be seen but dark shapes and darker shadows.
“What do we do, we can’t find him?” said a worried Jane.
“The lamp light might help him find us,” said Francis. To which Jane replied , “He’s not a moth, he’s a human being, lost and alone in the wilderness.”
From the darkness came a growl, dark shapes and two points of light could just be discerned, the dark shapes were moving. Circling. The light of the lantern glinting off two pairs of hungry eyes.
“This isn’t goo-” a larger shape flashed through the circle of light, slamming in to Jane, cutting off her last word and carrying her in the darkness.
“Jane.. what’s goo?” asked Francis who was facing the wrong way. As he turned around a dark shape leapt through the lamp light, slapping Andrew to the ground and ploughing into Francis. From the darkness there came a howling and something about vegetables or some such. Then there was silence.

Andrew sat on the wet ground, looking left and right.
The beast lumbered out of the shadows. Seven feet tall, it’s form shrouded in thick dark fur; it’s long limbs ending in sharp claws, it’s long jaws a man trap of glistening teeth. Two grey wolves stood on either side, like attendants waiting for their master’s commands.
“Wh.. wh… were… were… there.. wolf,” gibbered Andrew.
The beast pointed to it’s left, “There wolf,” pointed to it’s right, “There wolf,” then pointed to itself, “Werewolf.”
“You.. you.. can talk?”
“Only when it’s funny, rabbit.” replied the beast.
“Rabbit? I,m not a rabbit…no.. it can’t be.. Craig? Is that you?”
The beast spread it’s arms and bowed, “The same. In the past when I tried to morph all I managed to do was grow a beard, But my wolf siblings have reminded me of my true self. Behold, I am nature incarnate. Warden of the savage garden.
“I suppose this explains why you have such a rapport with dogs,”Andrew quipped while trying edge backwards along the ground. “Maybe we can discuss the situation. Have you found being a werewolf a positive experience? What are your thoughts on lycanthropy in a modern digital world? Was Red Riding Hood the real monster in the fairy tale? Are the worst wolves hairy on the inside? Where The Three Little pigs cowboy builders?”
The beast looked at Andrew with narrowed eyes. “Enough small talk.” The beast pounced.

Human Craig stood in the lantern light, gathering his things and picking something from between his teeth.
“You look like a little lost puppy, Craig,” said Carol switching on her own torch.
“I am, I didn’t know you were there, Carol.”
“I was hiding round the corner, watching what transpired,” said Carol raising an object and pointing it at Craig.
“ohh,.. shiny, what’s that?”
“It’s a crossbow with a silver bolt fitted. I use it when I hunt creatures of the night like you. All of my trips to distant lands weren’t for sight-seeing, I was hunting. I’m a werewolf hunter, and you are my next target. I’ve had my eye on you for a while now.”
“Have you only got one of those silver pointy arrow things?
“Bolts. I only need one.” Carol sighted the weapon.
“That’s a shame, because I’m not alone.”

Behind Craig three dark shapes loomed. The beast to the right looked to be trying to put on a fleece, but it wouldn’t fit so she threw it to the ground. The fleece stood up, went baaa baa, and ran off into the dark. The beast to the left had fashioned the long fur at his neck into a pony tail and was tying a ribbon to it.
“How’s the rabbit, Francis?” asked Craig. The beast in the middle spat out a pair of long ears and growled, “Nice.” “How does it taste?” asked Craig, “Like rabbit,” came the reply.
“You turned them all into werewolves,” gasped Carol.
“I was hungry like the wolf,” chuckled Craig.

Craig took his phone from his pocket, looked up into the night, a fearless full moon had climbed into the black sky, it’s light coating the landscape in silver and shadow. He howled, ” Ahh-woooooo,” prompting wolf Andrew to start singing Werewolves of London and giggling. Human Craig morphed into his werewolf form. A special effect too gory and expensive to relate in this story.
“We are nature, red in tooth and claw,” growled Craig, crushing his phone with a single clawed hand.
“Humans have poisoned the air, polluted the water, brought chaos and destruction to the natural world. We will remind humanity of it’s position in the food chain. Now… Carol.. you can either join the pack.. or you are meat for the beast.”

Morning comes. Two Carpathian grey wolves sat looking towards a horizon stained red by the rising sun, a silver crossbow bolt sticking out of the ground in front of them. They howled, the same long mournful sound that had echoed across forests and valleys before humans had learned their first language. Their eyes followed five dark shapes as they raced across the moors towards the artificial lights of civilisation. By day the pack would rest, but come nightfall they would teach the world to be just like Craig.

There are around 500 wolves in the Carpathian Mountains living peacefully along side their human neighbours. There are no wolves on Winter Hill and no plans to introduce them. Craig sometimes has beard but is not a werewolf. Carol has travelled extensively but, as far as we know isn’t a werewolf hunter, although in her time as a security guard she did face down many night time prowlers. This story is dedicated to Carol, Craig, and all of the wardens of the savage garden who give their time to make the world a better place for nature.

Halloween stuff from previous years can be found through this link

We didn’t find many rhododendron on this task as United Utilities got there first and did an excellent job of clearing the stragglers.

But if you want to see what we usually on Winter Hill have a look here.