Well peeps a little ahead of schedule but Thursday was an epic day and with not a lot to view until the middle of next week it feels like a good time to share Thursday’s events.

Due to being in a position where I am pausing to take a breath in life’s great journey I thought a nice little extra hour or so in bed would be most welcome. Sods law says things don’t happen like that in my world. So it was at around 8.00 am I have a call from Chairman Evo to say he had also had a call from Mark, the site foreman to say today would be a good day to take some pictures as the floor was being laid with the help of  bloody big crane.

So off I trundled wiping the sleep out of my eyes, camera in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, which is not a good idea whilst driving. I had spoken to Mark before setting forth and he was extremely helpful and far too happy for any normal person to be, especially early in the morning. A huge thank you to Mark (in the yellow jacket) for all his help. For taking the time to show me around the site explaining everything with such great enthusiasm, knowledge and understanding.

The first thing I noticed was a digger on the outfield perilously close to the square. The other day Nev said he wanted to get rid of all the mushrooms but that was taking it a bit too far I thought to myself. As it happened all they were doing were digging yet another trench. Christ, I have seen more trenches in the past few weeks than a tour around the battlefields of World War One.

These guys are so professional they even took off the top surface of turf to relay when they finished, so very neatly done as well. This particular channel was for the water feed from the newly installed water tanks to sprinkle the square in the summer. How very Eco friendly we will be as the tanks will hold thousands of gallons water taken from the guttering around the new building so not having to take water from the mains supply in the summer when it is at a premium.

Mark took me to view the new septic tank, oh my oh my, the morning was just getting better and better by the minute. All I ever wanted in life was to inspect a septic tank first thing in the morning. Feeling flushed I thought to myself how technology plays a huge part in our lives and this will be an item of equipment that will be an enormous benefit during the years ahead. Not such good news for those who have become accustomed to the captivating aroma found on a hot summers day when the tanks were full. I apologise here if you are actually eating some kind of food whilst reading this. It is quite remarkable the thought that has gone into such a piece of equipment in as much as the tank is very large for a start, but it has all sorts of controls and mechanisms to minimise potential issues in the future. The tanks on each side have carbon brushes which rotate to help break down all the unmentionables thus making it much cleaner, if something like that can ever be clean. Below is a picture of the inside of the tanks currently holding water, this was explained to me that water is poured in to match the amount of earth filling in the sides so as not to cave in the sides. But it is literally before the s**t hits the fan.  Boom, I just had to get that quip into the story somehow.

Anyway enough of the toilet humour back to the main event. The crane had been there since 6.30 am working and  it must be a very uplifting occupation….. sorry. I wondered why we haven’t seen much of Rob Ellis this summer perhaps it is because we weren’t aware he must have been busy with his new venture hiring out cranes. That’ll stop his jibbing…damn, sorry again! Part of the floor had already been laid by the time I arrived but I stayed on to witness the rest of the guy’s labours that morning. 

At this point I would like to point out the risks I am taking in bringing this news to you on such a regular basis, I have to be kitted out in a yellow jacket, industrial style shoes and crash helmet. That’s just crossing the road to avoid the heavy lorries traveling at speed through Eastington but it also came in handy on site. 

Following are a few pic’s of man and machine in harmony, lifting, lowering and laying. ‘To me, to you, to me, to you’. Closely followed by dropping in blocks between the gaps.

By the time I finished a quick pint of lager in The George and returned they had finished laying all the concrete bars and were filling in with blocks. Replacement blocks turned up when I was there and I must say it puzzles me how some coaches struggle to get in through the gate. They were made to look foolish when a guy turned up in an lorry with an equally long trailer. Reversing in without any hesitation and more or less in one movement.

  

I had taken all the pictures I needed to take in capturing this unique day so I decided to leave the chaps to it. These shots may seem boring but once the all the groundwork is filled in and completed we will not see any of these workings again. Oh what memories I have of of septic tanks, countless trenches, tubes and pipes everywhere and yet still no sign of Keith Wands glasses. I think Keith, we may have to give up on those now I  am sorry to say. What I have also witnessed is some highly professional workmanship, the use of technology and an infrastructure that we will all take for granted when the club is up and running again next summer. The foundations for the new club are immense and safe to say the pavilion will still be there for many, many more generations to come. 

Next up the guys will be tidying the edges and adding a scree across the floor to fill in the gaps and soak into the blocks before the actual floor base is added. Flipping heck it almost sounds like I know what I am taking about. Trust me I don’t! I am led to believe that the first bricking of the walls will begin sometime late next week, weather permitting. The current forecast is fairly good but not necessarily with a following wind, I’ll take that with me when I go, that damn lager. Rest assured as and when that happens your intrepid reporter will be there fully armed with jacket, helmet and camera, risking life and limb in the process. Please don’t take pity on me…..just throw money!

I left the site and walked down the field following the line where Mark was filling in the trench and relaying the turf on top, ready for a heavy roller. Top bloke and a top team working on site, thanks again guys!

Until the next installment good people I am now going to take off the yellow jacket and helmet. Diane will be happy as I have had them on since yesterday. Still it saved me from getting Spaghetti Bolognese down the front of my new Bob the Builder outfit.