Late afternoon on the boulodome - the final bit of fence on the long edge. Mike is making a gate to go in the gap so footballs can be retrieved, should they inadvertently fly over the fence. Hooray, we now have a post and rail fence all round the new boulodrome replacing the green mesh fencing, the first step to alert people not to walk or run across the terrain – especially when a game is in progress, and footballers with studs on their shoes.
We took 2 days to do the first 24m run, having started much later in the day, and of course being new to such an exercise.
The timbers for the fence were delivered on Saturday straight into Alec's truck for storing over the weekend (we don't have secure facilities at the Park). The teams were made up by Mike M (our foreman), Alec (a professional fencer), Gerry and Julian (muscle power): they devoted the whole day to making the holes and Alan and John L (fresh muscles) joined us in the afternoon and Moiya and I painted on the preservative in the morning and Margie and I did the afternoon shift. We wanted to start bright and early because we hoped to get the 24m run completed in a day and we are not the fastest, youngest workers! A lovely sunny day, very warm, but with a brisk breeze.
By the time we got to the Boulodrome yesterday (having been held up on the by-pass by the level crossing lights flashing, resulting in a massive traffic jam) Alec had already unloaded his truck and laid out the line where the fence was to go in true workmanlike fashion. As soon as all the tools (auger, and all the other stuff needed for fencing!), were unloaded Gerry and Alec started making holes and Moiya and I painted the posts so as to have one ready when the hole was made – no time for slackers here!
We cracked on making holes, painting the part of the posts that would go in the ground with Creoseal. Mike M went to hang the gate on the other long edge, but he found the post meant to support the gate was not quite straight. He was very disappointed; a 'bodge' job would have been possible, but it would have been a pity to ruin the ship for a ha'p'worth of tar, so to speak. So nothing for it – the post had to come out and be reseated with a sharper eye on the bubbles on the level. So Mike and Julian worked on that and did a splendid job straightening the post and hang the gate.
By lunchtime we were halfway. We stopped for a picnic lunch then at about 1.30 we started the final stretch, finishing by 4.00 in time for tea, juice and walnut cake. Thank you teams for a super job.
We took 2 days to do the first 24m run, having started much later in the day, and of course being new to such an exercise.
The timbers for the fence were delivered on Saturday straight into Alec's truck for storing over the weekend (we don't have secure facilities at the Park). The teams were made up by Mike M (our foreman), Alec (a professional fencer), Gerry and Julian (muscle power): they devoted the whole day to making the holes and Alan and John L (fresh muscles) joined us in the afternoon and Moiya and I painted on the preservative in the morning and Margie and I did the afternoon shift. We wanted to start bright and early because we hoped to get the 24m run completed in a day and we are not the fastest, youngest workers! A lovely sunny day, very warm, but with a brisk breeze.
By the time we got to the Boulodrome yesterday (having been held up on the by-pass by the level crossing lights flashing, resulting in a massive traffic jam) Alec had already unloaded his truck and laid out the line where the fence was to go in true workmanlike fashion. As soon as all the tools (auger, and all the other stuff needed for fencing!), were unloaded Gerry and Alec started making holes and Moiya and I painted the posts so as to have one ready when the hole was made – no time for slackers here!
We cracked on making holes, painting the part of the posts that would go in the ground with Creoseal. Mike M went to hang the gate on the other long edge, but he found the post meant to support the gate was not quite straight. He was very disappointed; a 'bodge' job would have been possible, but it would have been a pity to ruin the ship for a ha'p'worth of tar, so to speak. So nothing for it – the post had to come out and be reseated with a sharper eye on the bubbles on the level. So Mike and Julian worked on that and did a splendid job straightening the post and hang the gate.
By lunchtime we were halfway. We stopped for a picnic lunch then at about 1.30 we started the final stretch, finishing by 4.00 in time for tea, juice and walnut cake. Thank you teams for a super job.
