Back on The Basingstoke Again...

We were also back at Woodham Church Hall, where we parked and made the usual long dark walk through the woods to the Bleak House Pub, Alison spotting a glow-worm on the path. It was indeed bleak, with only one real ale (Burton’s), which Matt tried, found was bad, and had re-placed by Tetley’s.

Most of the rest of us joined Tunji in drinking Guinness. The hall itself had in some ways
changed. Gone were the computer printed A4 notices exhorting good behaviour. “I am your waste-basket. Use me and I will be your friend!” and “I am your toilet. Keep me clean!”

Saturday had a bad start on site, as one of the excavators refused to work and threw its track. In spite of Rupert, Pablo and Pete’s best efforts it could not be fixed and was eventually swapped with the Hire Company for another.

Once we were fully equipped with two excavators, two dumpers, a sit-on roller and a lot of rakes and shovels the road-surfacing job went well. One excavator loaded the dumpers, the dumpers tipped, people raked, the second excavator graded and the vibrating roller vibrated and rolled. (How is it that they vibrate? Suggestions ranged from loads of hamsters in wheels to “an eccentric inside”.) We worked gradually from the gate below lock two towards the new pump house (for the back-pumping scheme) giving the road a good water shedding camber.

On Sunday we also sent three people to paint the inner breezeblock walls of the pumphouse office and toilet in magnolia emulsion. After one dumper broke down we increased our number to four and the painting progressed until the paint was all used
up. This happened to be around the time that the road material was finished and the re-surfacing reached the clearing by lock one.

Thanks to Alison and Rupert for organising the weekend so far from their home and bringing food for ten as well as all their own kit in the back of the Lotus. The pork with roast potatoes was lovely and the blackberry and apple crumble was great, making good use of the fresh blackberries found on site. Thanks to Andi for picking enough while waiting to be loaded for Saturdays crumble, another crumble for Droitwich camp the following week - and just wait for the Ludgate home made wine!

Lesley McFadyen