Wednesday 21 September 2016

Goodbye to Beauty at Spring Wood Top

Back for a final session to complete topping out the bottom wall and tidying up three gaps. With a crowd of three (Matthew, Richard and Tony) the hope was that we would be finished by lunch time.


A small collapse near the main gate before and after Richard and Matthew got at it - also showing the fine finished work by Tony (top right of right hand photo)

Protective measures in place whilst Beauty is around


The bottom wall is completed
and the corner wall as well


The final gap is nearly complete and Beauty is never far away from the action


The last topper is placed



The long view makes all the joints seem ever so good.

The other side!

The finished wall from last week showing the gate in place
 

 
Just one more stone to move - I don't think so

and goodbye to Beauty
Richard & Tony

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Gate Wall finished


Three wallers turned up on a warm but misty morning at Wath. We met Tom Wheelwright at the Sportsman's Arms car park and he kindly offered to bring some more coping stone up to us.

Things got of to a flying start when Beauty the horse decided to pinch Roderick’s hat (again) and take it for a spin round the field with Roderick in pursuit. Hat retrieved Roderick, Matthew and I made reasonable progress.

We were joined by Richard III at lunch time. Who helped us crack on and we were able to put the, very heavy, toppers on by the end of the day.

But the fun did not end there. Having driven through think fog in the morning I had put my lights on, I did not however switch them off upon arrival. I returned from walling to one very dead battery. Thankfully the rest of the gang knew how to resolve the issue and I'm very grateful to them for pushing me slowly backward and then much faster forwards to give the battered old Polo a kick start.
Thank you very much Matthew, Rod, and Richard.



 














































Richard.
No. Wallers - 4
Grid Ref: SE 14735 68149

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Warm wet walling



Catriona, Graham, Barry, Matthew and I were joined by Matthews neighbour Richard (no sooner does one departs than another one turns up!) for a sunny and hot days walling at Spring Wood Top. Matthew (again) kindly ferried everyones kit to the top and we split into two groups, Catriona and Graham working on the lower section, the rest of us had a go at finishing the wall with the gate at the end. Richard and I were helped no end in our endeavours by the more than sufficient amount of very soggy mud underfoot. Matthew and Barry worked on the dry side.

Neither group succeeded in their aim to finish but Graham and Catriona were all but an unhelping hand from completion, with Barry and I doing a great job of dismantling parts they had already finished. Sorry.  

It must be noted that my call to arms prediction that we might finish this week was wildly optimistic, and we may indeed need another couple of weeks to finish off all the small gaps and falls that require attention. 
















Lunch time up near the house

















Mid afternoon at the gate section



The end of the day at the Gate end wall
















The end of the day at the lower wall
 

Richard
No. Waller: 6
Grid Ref: SE 14735 68149