Jet Stream Movement?

Just seen this on the BBC weather site, if you watch it to the end the Jet Stream may be on the move North in the New Year....... Hooray!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/20857179

Just a reminder this is how my square looked on the 11th January 2012 almost twelve months ago. Just about fully grassed raked, mown and brushed.

Happy Days

Annus Horribilis

Well as we go into the final few days of the year the weather remains the same as it has been since mid April, wet and horrid.  I have been hearing on the news over the last few days that 2012 has been the wettest on record. Well, ever the optimist -though some may disagree- I am looking forward to what will surly be a better year in 2013.

My club Kirkstall Educational will be celebrating our 160th anniversary and there are plans a foot to get development projects on the move and have some kind of a dinner.


After all the Christmas excesses I though I would get out and have a look to see just what a job I face as soon as conditions allow.

Top end of square at Kirkstall reasonable grass cover, needs a feed I recon.

 Bottom end, bare patches and standing water every where.

  It just looks so depressing.

Off I went up to Pudsey St Lawrence.
Above are the Sir Leonard Hutton Memorial Gates at the grounds entrance.

It is a similar story at Lawrence as at Kirkstall, young grass plants struggling and under water.

This is the best view of the square. It is made of Surrey Loam and has not been aerated for a season or two and I fear the roots are very shallow, how ever it has been under water just about constantly since the end of the season. I still cant get on unless I just spike through the water-which is an option I may well take I will work only on the middle of the square keeping off the ends with little or no growth so as not to lift the loam out that has no root to hold it together.

Here you can see how the grass has managed to come through in the grooves the scarifier made but very little else. Next week I will give it some Autumn/Winter fertiliser with a little iron, I need to keep what I have growing.

Just looked at the Met Office weather and we have Yellow Warnings in place for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

What a pain!

See you soon
Hodgy

Very Wet

 I called in at the ground today Just to see how wet things were and I was not disappointed



I always think Cricket grounds look forlorn places in the middle of winter.

Looking from the top of the ground too wet for the Sea Gulls 

Bottom of square underwater.

Will the ground ever dry out?

And I expect grass to survive in these conditions, it will be frozen next.

Roll on spring!

Hodgy

Back from Holidays

Well I have just returned from a couple of weeks in the Dominican Republic on my holidays it was a nice relaxing break in the sun shine, we have been so short of this year.

View from room window -there's a bit of thatch in this grass, it is bare root planted and growing away in a few days- "If only"

My square on return, it is a long way short of where it was last year at this time. I can honestly say my square has never looked so bad at this time of year so I have a fresh challenge in the New Year, to get it up to speed for the start of the season.

 This is a view of the bottom of the square, germination had just about taken place when more heavy rain came and pools formed and without the oxygen the young plants didn't survive. The top of the square is in a much better state.

It is no use panicking, when the weather warms up a little I will get some more seed in and hope for better things. "If only" I could pop a few bare root plants in?

I purchased a new small camera at the airport, which I am pleased with, the pictures above were taken with it. 

Today has been a catching up day one job I have done is to get as many of the keys -I had stolen-

re-cut, they cost me over £40-00 and I still have more to get cut when I can get hold of originals.

The weather forecast is for a lot of rain over the next few days, so I don't see me getting any further aeration work on cricket squares done over the next few days.

 What a Year 2012 has been a real challenge for Groundsmen.

Hospital checkup tomorrow, then out for a meal with my artist colleagues.

Not sure if I will be able to post again before Christmas so 

A Very Happy Christmas and all the Best for a more favourable New Year to all Groundsmen, Cricketers and Readers of this blog 

Thank you for your interest.

Hodgy

Lost Mobile Phone and Old Camera

Last Friday I was off spiking at Horsforth Hall Park when I parked the pickup on the boundary of the ground, to avoid tyre tracks as the field was a little wet. I got distracted and forgot to lock it. When I returned I had had my Samsung G2 and my Old Camera stolen along with a pair of working gloves and safety sun glasses, with some keys.

 I was only a few yards away from the van. I am pleased to say Vodafone put a total block on the phone so it cannot be used at all even with a new SIM card it is just a lump of plastic now.

I am away for a few days so will sort things out when I get back I need to get my best Camera sorted and a new phone.

What a pain!

Just to put things in perspective

I think it would be poor of me not to mention a Young cricketer who played for Leeds Met

(Who play at Kirkstall) and Leeds and Bradford MCCU and was to be their new skipper for 2013  

Who very sadly passed away in his sleep on Wednesday this last week 

Tommy Hardman

http://www.leedsbradfordmccu.com/

a massive loss to Cricket and the World.  My thoughts are for his family and all his many friends far and wide.

One piece of good news is that my daughter Louise gave birth to my second grand child yesterday a boy weighing in at a massive 10lbs -3 oz's all is well and they will be home today. 

This is a photo from last winter will we be getting some of this before Christmas? We have had some hard frosts this week which will have created some heave which is as good as spiking I just hope my young grass plants survive.

I will be back posting before Christmas

Hodgy