What happened to sunny Stanton?

Thursday 25 April 

A change in the weather to shock us all back into reality, no shorts in evidence today 😉. With a full team out, overspill transport was required to even get to the starting blocks. Then the hailstones arrived, not just once, but frequently during the day just so that we could resume work and then run for shelter yet again. As the truck only has 5 seats the extra person had to brave the elements 😟 

The gang draw lots for a seat when it rains next 

Michael started off by calculating how many of the new bricks he would need for the day. 

Michael counting 

Dave took on the gully grab to clear the base of chamber 3. 

It's wetter in the chamber almost 

Rods and grab working in unison 

Wall 4 start point 

Progress during the day was sporadic as the the covers had to go on the bricks to stop the mortar washing out 

One enterprising individual sheltered under the bridge  

Roger working under the covers 

Later, Capability Dave took on a job change and went back to landscaping round chambers 1 and 2. 

Michael trying to get on while Dave landscapes the area 

Andrew with the grab and Roger bashing on 

The bit of blue sky we saw today had to be captured, it was such a rare occurrence 

Blue sky - something evidently went wrong 

Alastair and Stuart adjourned to Bridge 11 for a design review with Peter the Civil Engineer. We are into working our what can feasibly done within the confines of the available budget. Again it rained! 

Bridge 11 a wet down side 

The brickwork continued between the downpours; Andrew and Dave went to sort the recyclable bricks at Bridge 11. 

Roger making headway
(Photo: Alastair) 

Michael reaches above ground level 

Some bright spark suggested that we should rod the down pipe from the crest to the cess, needless to say it proved impossible. Water is running though the pipe, but an investigation was called for. The CCTV was called in and to everyone's astonishment there was a problem. The pipe is crushed towards the foot of the slope and the chamber stub end seems to be into a hole in the clay. 

Stuart with the CCTV
(Photo: Alastair) 

The blue paint soon came out to mark the location for Excavation 5. Another dig will begin next week to repair the pipe into the chamber in the cess. 

The treasure map - X marks the spot 

By the end of the day, the weather had beaten us. Michael was placing headers on chamber 2, he would have completed the top if it hadn't been for interruptions. Roger was at header level as well, but the covers were still on. 

Headers on Chamber 2 

Wall 4 up to ground level on the long side 

Day off on Saturday, there's a war on. It's our 1940's event, Wartime in the Cotswolds and Winchcombe yard will be taken over preventing access to the stores. 

We are looking at addressing the site accommodation issue highlighted today and a Welfare Cabin will hopefully be hired in for the duration of the works. We may even get a kettle, no proper worker can survive without a brew 😊