Happy New Year

Happy New Year all.

Thought I had better post something before you all stopped visiting. I started with a cold on Christmas Day and have not been out of the house apart from Saturday to get a Newspaper -not been a good time for me. Still that's not what you want to hear a "Grumpy Old Groundsman".

Now that the New Year is here it is time to start thinking about what I need to get done at the grounds. Jobs that come straight to mind are get some fertiliser and get it on the square along with some seaweed and iron. Get some spiking done at grounds that are waiting for my services. I have a square I would like to get done tomorrow but the weather forecast is not very promising with strong winds and heavy rain to come I am not holding my breath, maybe I should go and get the fertiliser. I want to get as much slitting of the outfield as possible done -I have mentioned this before but not yet got round to it.

Talking about planning I have to arrange the date for the Spring IOG/ECB Foundation course to be held at my ground. The above photos was taken at last years course.

It was the 7th April look how dry things are.

Registration and introduction by Ian Mather-Brewster IOG.

Taking soil samples with IMB, must have been warm he is in shirt sleeves.

Setting the mowing machine with yours truely, are you paying attention? (Jon)

Squaring up the square.

Or at leaset checking my work.

Using strings as a guide initially, the picth was mown by the students.

Raking out hard work this boys gets you fit.

Some of the rubbish raked out it is important to get the surface clean so the ball is not loosing energy bouncing on a spongy surface.

We then finished the pitch off raking mowingtill we were happy, rolled and marked out before returning to pavilion to summerise the process/day.

Sorry I have no photos of that part of the day.