An ice cold start today, with minus 2.5 degrees on the thermometer as we arrived at CRC. The water buckets left behind were iced up, and the site was once again waterlogged, just like the WW1 trenches. Brick laying looked unlikely under the circumstances - a pity, since JC was back from his escapade to San Diego with the Rotary Club, and Peter Q was all geared up to do backing up. What to do? First things first, we needed top do something about all the water underfoot. We dug a series of sink holes, into which the water was swept and from which we could scoop it out with a bucket for disposal in the central track drain.

John O bails us out

This picture shows the conditions well - water and mud everywhere, and polythene sheeting on top of the partly built wall to keep the work and stock of new bricks dry.

Then Fairview arrived with a welcome delivery of 5 tons of sand, 10 bags of cement and 140 concrete blocks. One pallet of blocks went on the PWay trolley and was unloaded at the workface. By this time we were all fired up, and the air temperature was above zero. Our hands had stopped hurting from the cold - could we dare lay any blocks? The consensus was yes! And then the Gloucester lads turned up - could we lay any reds? Yes ! Before you knew it, there were two teams laying on the 50 and 60 meter sections, the BAG team on blocks at 50m and the Gloucester lads backing up their own section at 60m.

Bob and John lay the blocks, while John S is relieved to have successfully discharged another load of muck after his 200yd walk.

John O, who arrived at the impressively early time of 7.20 am, was completely rushed off his feet with a stream of requests for more and more mortar, which John and Brian couldn't barrow down fast enough. We laid a full section of 90 blocks, secured them with mortar, and then laid two courses of reds on top, just for good measure.

The 5 lads from Gloucester college working on their own section. Well done, lads ! The setting out for the next section is just visible beyond.

On the next section at 60m, Martin Reays and his Gloucester lads did extremely well, and also laid two courses of reds. We were so pleased, we set out the next section, at the 70m mark, and it was agreed that this would be their next challenge a week from today, when they will return.

Mid morning we received the visit of Tracy, the schools liaison officer from Gloucester college, who came to take some pictures of the work her lads were doing. These pictures will be used during schools visits to illustrate what the college does.

We liked the boots - do they have steel toecaps though?

Finally, we retrieved a final pallet of blues from beyond the signal box. That makes 3 pallets and 3 dumpy bags ready for collection, for use at Broadway.

Given the cold and wet weather (despite the sun mid -day, it actually rained while the sun shone) we were unable to lay any blues, but we were very pleased indeed with the progress made. More next Monday, with a start on the 70m section. That's one third of the way there...

A final view of the site as we left it today - new setting out mark in the foreground.