It's too hot!

Saturday 29 June 

Why do we complain when the weather is positively Mediterranean, because we do 😠 at 30 degrees it was beyond a joke today. Possibly alright by a pool somewhere but not when you are trying to work. Rant over, back to what we did today. 

All the morning action took place at Stanton around Culvert 11A. Michael finished the up side headers on the south wall and started to remove the headers on the north wall. Roger put the tapers back on the down side north wall, then started to build upwards. Alastair was on the mixer and brick cleaning. Stuart was on vegetation removal on the down side cess. Hardly the sedentary work that is more suited for the heat. 

Up side start point (gap to the right to be filled) 

Almost done
(Photo: Alastair) 

The south wall rebuild is finished now, the gully pipe can go back in, then the reinforcing bar cage and a concrete fill to increase the strength. This should be capable of supporting the farm traffic, tractors can't get much bigger as they won't be able to fit under the bridge. The gap between the wall and the arch will be filled when the arch is repaired. 

Up side south wall finished 

For the down side cess improvement we are adding 18 metres of pipe from the current headwall and then building a new headwall on the end. This is intended to cure 3 problems: first, eliminate the scour at the outfall; next, remove the old leaning headwall; and last backfill the pipe to level the area because the steep sides make it a nightmare to manage the vegetation. This morning the cess outfall ditch was hidden by vegetation. By lunchtime it was exposed. 

Down side ditch area 

Down side cess outfall is in there somewhere  

The explorer set out
(Photo: Alastair) 

The flail has left an impression  

Brush cutter out for the steep bits
(Photo: Alastair) 

The ditch is visible at last 

The pipe will extend from the headwall
to the camera position 

The priority for the down side channel wall was to build up the area that suffered with the water flow from the cess that was obstructed by the inlet pipe (now removed). 

Roger in the sun trap 

Sitting down on the job
(Photo: Alastair) 

The top course of taper bricks was replaced but the gap left behind wasn't wide enough for a second brick course. A concrete fill was dropped in. 

Alastair delivers the concrete 

A firm base to work up from 

It was too hot outside the cabin by lunchtime, the heat reflected off the walls so we decamped over the track to seek out the shade of the only tree. 

Was this the real reason for cutting the grass 😉

A hastily re-arranged appointment with the Civil Engineer at Winchcombe meant that we had to leave early to go and sit outside the Coffee Pot Cafe. A very civilised way to spend the afternoon 🤭

Down side progress today 

Michael making more work by removing the headers