Lobster wrote:
[...]
Somehow I don't really think we're in the realms of pretty meadows
and
wild flowers here... first task is to get rid of the debris (eg
yesterday I discovered two iron gates lying there hitherto
unnoticed
beneath the soggy grassy mess), then tackle the rat's nest of
brambles
snaking across the place...!

Ah, the most satisfying kind! It'll still turn into a decent lawn
very quickly, though. For brambles, I don good gloves, cut each
tentacle into convenient lengths with secateurs, and haul 'em out by
hand. The crowns can either be dug out with a fork, or cut to the
base: once the new shoots appear in a week or two they're vulnerable
to weedkiller. The seedlings which _will_ appear will often be
knocked out by regular mowing if the soil is level; if not, they
usually pull up easily.

Mental attitude is important: if you think of it as creating
something nice it can be fun; but if you slip into "What a norrible
chore, and now I've scratched my hand again!" it won't be.

Mike.