The gang was back up to strength today, with the exception of Bob, who is in the throes of moving house. We missed him - the mini Swiss rolls have run out, and there was no milk for tea. Disaster ! Come back soon, Bob!

The gang seemed particularly jovial today, and there was much joshing. We spent the whole day on one thing - digging in the pipework for the electrical supply for the second (northerly) length of lamp posts.

The Cheltenham gang were kind enough to set out the posts - this is where they go. We laid the pipe in front, with a junction box at each post, and a hole for the post itself.

Then we got digging. JC was on the rented mini digger with a tiny bucket to scoop out the trench, and John S was on the dumper. About half the spoil was taken away, while the other half was left nearby for back filling.

The supply of pipes was kept under the bridge, quite a walk away. We will need about 15 of these pipes, so there was a little relay of people who went to get them. Keith was first.

Here the first length is in, and is already being back filled again. JC is carefully checking the height of the junction box, as it has to be right for when the tarmac goes in, and at a level slightly below the copers. That pipe going over was a surprise find - luckily we didn't damage it, and managed to put it back together again. It's a new water supply pipe for the platform 2 building, whichever form it may take. Although there is currently no funding for anything, the CAG were careful to give it a supply of water and electricity, for later.

Some pipes had a have a chamfered end fitted, or cut to size. This is how you do that, with a special tool that cuts round and round.

 About mid morning the Pway train arrived, always interesting. Stevie Warren was also there, and together they cut up the two odd lengths of rail that were by the L/C, ready for scrap recovery. The class 73 then went of to Hunting Butts to retrieve some more wagons.

These were filled with assorted types of sleepers (bull head, military bull head, and FB) and were unloaded at the L/C for sorting out. Of course there were no passenger trains today, this being Monday.

All the sleepers were unloaded and sorted, and then the train was rejigged so that the old wagons went back empty to Hunting Butts, and the wagons on the PWay train were filled with the recovered sleepers, now stacked according to type. Quite a job, but now there are supplies for yard relays, and a few for the extension. The wagon is a WARFLAT, a 'really useful wagon'.

While laying the cable ducting, we had to skip rounds the foundations of the old platform 2 waiting room. This was a slight inconvenience (extra cutting and knee bends) but we got there and were soon back on the straight.

 All the extension pieces in our ducting supply had been pushed together for easy storage. Did they come apart easily? No, now that you ask. Brian and Keith had a struggle persuading each ring to let go of its neighbour, leading to some comical push-me pull-you situations. After giving up on the pushing and pulling, Brian gives the rings a hard stare. The little bottle on the ground behind him contains a silicone gel to be used when fitting the connectors, but of course when storing the rings it wasn't around.

Today there was an archaeologist on site, who, after some careful digging and scraping, discovered the remains of 7 individual urinals in the signal box end of the platform 2 building, which was knocked down in the early 1960s.

In the bottom LH corner you can see a bolt, which has been hammered flat. This is one of several that held down the original wooden superstructure of the building.

The original front, platform side, still has a row of GWR plinth headers in situ.

Although there are no plans or funds to resurect the building, we do have some general arrangement plans for it. It's amazing what you can find. Of course the original purpose of the building was just to permit M/F race goers to relieve themselves, and wait somewhere briefly while their train is marshalled in.

Throughout the day menacing clouds circled round the site, but we never got really wet. This shot gives an idea of how black the horizon could get, as John S sets off in reverse to take some of the tools and fittings back at the end of the day.

Looking round further at the dark clouds at the end of the day, we were surprised to find this enormous circus tent, erected quite rapidly while were were digging holes. It's the American circus, with some impressive American tractor units towing very large, and very tiny caravans. It's in Southam Lane, if you are interested.

More ditch digging next week, and that should see the end of the job. Then it's time to plant replica GWR lamp posts.