Seeding, Drainage and Lots More

I have had another busy week a lot of filming for the BBC, they are recording a half hour program to go out in April some time all about the break-ins at the Club and its all very time consuming.

Monday Duncan came down to give me a hand he did a bit of digging for me clearing the tops of the drains so I could backfill with gravel to keep the tops open  allowing water to run down instead of over the top.

Duncan getting stuck in.

When Duncan went to have a look at the damage the wind had done to the sight screen he discovered some vandalism at the bottom of the ground.

 Gutter pulled off wall.

 Damage right on a length of practise pitch. 

 It was the trailer they had pulled around the back of score box that did the damage.

Never ending! 

Alarm system being fit and filmed.

 Casac carrying out some work on doors.

Ups forgot Duncan still digging!

New door fit.

another post coming tomorrow. 

Hodgy

Down at Club at Last

I am off down to the Club today to try get some work done, the BBC are filming and we are having an new alarm system fit by Yale organised by CASAC. Duncan, Archies Dad (one of our juniors) is meeting me he, must be on half term. I hope we can make some progress either on the guttering which is down or sight screens or some drainage work I started the other week. I will keep you informed.

Taken a few days ago I hope today is as good a day as this one was.

Lets hope the Alarm put an end to all this.

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If you haven't yet booked on the Groundsmans Course don't mess around places going fast.

10th April at Kirkstall Educational C C 

See the post of the 17th February for details.

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Off to work now try post later today.

Hodgy

Visit to The Shay

A bit Wet.

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Well in many ways a very frustrating week. My carrier will now only take pallets and I had two small parcels to send. I won't go into the full story but a as a small customer I had to use an intermediary company and I choose PARCEL MONKEY I type this in bold as they are a company to avoid. The process of booking parcels in is mindblowing. I wanted to drop off at the local depot as I didn't want to sit in all day waiting for collection and they sent me to a depot of City-Link that is now closed and you cannot contact Parcel Monkey by phone. 

Just a part of modern day living I hate its all about money. 

I am getting hot under the collar just typing this so I will leave it at that. 

Parcel Monkey I don't like you.

Rant over.

On Wednesday I had to go down to ground to accept a delivery and I needed to draw a plan of the place for a quotation we are having done for some security work that took me a good hour the sun was out but sadly the ground was still too wet to work on.

Time to remember my days as an Apprentice Engineer in the drawing office. 

We had an old draftsman who had his drawing board at the back of the office, as you came in the office you could not see him for the drawing board. From time to time mid afternoon you would hear snoring noises coming from Syd's direction at the back when I took him his afternoon tea he would wake up with a jump.When we teased him about it he said he was just thinking about a design problem and was just visualising how thing might fit together.

A lovely man Syd Taylor.

I digress.

A few branches and twigs to clear away one day.

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Wednesday night I had the pleasure of a trip around "The Shay" Halifax Town football and Rugby League ground with the Yorkshire Branch of the IOG. Thanks Rod and David for organising and thanks to Ozzy for letting us look round and his informative talk.

 Ozzy in full flight with his talk.

 As soon as you put any weight on the turf  a puddle appeared.

 We were all allowed on the pitch which really give an insight it to the problems he has to cope with.

   

There is no drainage on the playing area at all yet the ground has new stands with a substantial capacity but  they have no games to watch at the pitch is unplayable.

When will groundsmen be consulted and listened to before construction starts?

I forgot to say the old drains where cut off when the new stand was built.

Because there are two codes using the ground and the owner is Halifax Council agreement on who pays what is not happening.

Because of cash restraints Ozzy has to resort to scrounging old swimming pool covers to use as sheets to try keep the rain of the wettest areas.

What a struggle and what a battler Ozzy is.

Graham Osbourne  I take my hat of to you.

Hodgy

Important News

A week or two ago I set a date for the YCB/IOG Spring and Summer Groundsmans Course at my ground Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club. 

It was on the YCB web site but I couldn't find it today when I looked so the details are below.

Date is April 10th 2014

These days are worth every penny. They are a mix of practice and theory. Are good for groundsmen who are in the job now or new to the groundsmanship. They are good for club members especially treasurers and secretaries (ones who pay out for materials on the ones who make the decision to carry out the work).

The skills you will learn will take a new groundsman through the playing season and established groundsmen will learn all sorts of new things. 

There is time to ask questions, learn set and  operate machines square up your table, identify your pitches, prepare, roll, mark out and repair for reuse later in the season. You will also learn how to look after your square over the Summer, watering, fertilising and much more.

You get a certificate and a DVD to take home as reference.

I will personally make sure you get fed and watered throughout the day.

The cost is for a non IOG or YCB Groundsman association member £228-00

However YCB GA members get it for just £70-00

thats a massive reduction. 

Contact Iain Mallet  

iain@imallett.orangehome.co.uk

Or if you are having problems with that, contact me direct my email is available via this blog.

I will be there on the day assisting with training  so you can see how I go about things but please, please book quickly places are going fast we have more booked on already than ever before at this stage so don't miss out. 

Well thats enough writing for one day.

Till next post 

Think on! be proactive and book you will not regret it.

Hodgy

Busy Times for the Winter

As some of you will be aware we had ten break ins at my Club, Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club since April 2013. I discovered all ten and it knocks the stuffing out of you. 

We made a decision to go to the media as police results were not what we were hoping for. Well since then my feet have barely touched the ground with visits by local press and radio, visits by the Crime Reduction Manager and visits by local tradesmen to quote for security and replacement work we need doing. Visits by the YCB Development Manager and numerous visits from BBC Television who are filming for a program that is to go out some time in April this year, about the effect of  break-ins on the community.

All of which has meant that the time on the ground has been limited to say the least.

 I sowed some Grass Seed I am trialing. Yes its in the greenhouse on the propagator but it not turned on.

I just want to see what this cultivar is looks like so felt it was ok to grow in doors which will help me evaluate sooner. It is a DPRG that Hurrells are about to sow to produce seed on their own farm in East Yorkshire. 

I am on with refurbishing a Sisis Lawnman here I have just spray painted some of the components. It will be for sale when I have completed the project.

In common with the rest of the country we had gales last week and this is the result, so some work required there. Maybe a Cricket Force job?

Friday saw Club Chairman Nick and myself pay a visit to see our Patron and local MP Rachel Reeves. To update her on recent developments at the club regarding mainly to the break-ins 

This is the waiting area in Armley library.

Heres a photo of us with Rachel back in October last at the Ground.

After seeing Rachel it was off up to Pudsey St Lawrence to give the square a bit of a winter feed.

 Two bags of Autumn and Winter with Iron should help the square along a bit.

The square wasn't looking too bad, I hope roots are growing well.

They also have some work  for Cricket Force weekend.

Catch up

Since my last post I have gathered a lot of photographs, as it is the year end and a time to reflect, I thought it would be good to post some of them. 

If your are having problems sleeping I am sure this post will sort it.

 Scarifying at Farsley

 Solving the problems of the world at Old Modernians.

 Under way at Barwick in Elmet who had this square power harrowed last Autumn, we hope to get a better grass cover for 2014.

 Getting ready at KECC the Field of Dreams

Nets germinated before work on square had been started.

 Good crop of mushrooms on the net pitches.

 7th break in at my club Kirkstall Educational C C

 Progress at Pool.

 Looks like a lot of talking and not much action.

 Drighlington all sprayed off and ready for scarifying.

Nice but not deep enough so the Graden was called for.

 Chief inspector calls by.

 here we have the Graden to get some big deep groves to hold the seed and also take more thatch out.

 Six Bag of my specially mixed seed by Hurrells Seeds  were sown in an effort to get a good cover.

this is the mix for all you keen ones out there 40% Top Gun 30% Carnac 30% Sirtaky.

Job done time for a pint and off home.

 My friend Clive from Pool tells me that Seagulls are molting when they gather on the field in this way, they are not able to fly quite so well so they look out for each other.

I had a breakdown on the Sisis Rotorake the shaft broke so I had to go buy some screwed rod and make a new one.

 Hunslet Nelson CC also sprayed their square off with Glyphosate Brian Farrell doing a bit of tidying up.

 Getting some decent groves in with the Graden.

  On to the next job, some grounds we do the full works others we just scarify and clear up the arisings like this one.

Bugger another breakdown.

 On to the next ground Collingham 

 Spreading the seed and brushing it in to get it in contact with soil to aid germination.

 Richie giving me a break from top dressing.

Boughton Loam is inconsistent in its quality, sometimes it fine, some times granular, sometime has fibre, sometimes has particles in it but this was just idea and the job went well with no breakdowns or hitches.

Mark doing a bit of extra leveling this is a ground he looks after so is taking a little extra care may be?

 Grass net area at Kirkstall coming on well.

Dry dust day at Cookridge C C

 Good clean surface.

 So I make a start on my own Ground at Kirkstall.

 Marks dog Toby enjoying a little freedom.

 Start of my seed trials.

6kgs per pitch.

 Various cultivars used the pitch they were sown on was totally random.

 Sorry old lad back in the Van.

A sunny Sunday at Horsforth Hall Park

 Richie making a good job of sweeping up the rubbish. Nice stripes!

One of my other passions are Chrysanthemums this is one I grew in a pot in my garden.

Well this was going to be a single post catching up but it is taking so long uploading the images I will have to do it in over a few. 

I have been learning how to play the ukulele since September and tonight some of the members of the class along with our tutor Jess are of t'pub to have a jamming session cant wait.

See you tomorrow if I survive the pub session.

Hodgy