What's not to smile about?

Wednesday 7th December was a perfect day for not walling so Richard, Paul and I decided to have a picnic instead!

Eighteen out of ten to Emma II (photo credit) and Graham B as well as the aforementioned Paul and Richard for even turning up this week.  Only eleven out of ten to Boogie who hid in his mistress' fleece and looked miz.  The weather promised to be foul - a promise kept in spades as an icy wind drove sleet and rain right along the wall so that neither side offered any real shelter.

We soldiered on through the first onslaught, warmed ourselves with rapidly diluting coffee, and quit at lunchtime as conditions were just too unpleasant.  One short course doesn't move us on very far, but it was hard-fought and got us back on line after last week's minor aberration.

Very nice to see Ian Curtis, who came along to wish us all a very Merry Christmas (he's way next week).  No wussy ways for him - he still turned up clad in immaculate tweeds, scarf and flat 'at even though the rest of us were huddling.  Brrrrr!

Markenfield Hall - 30th November

So ends another fine and sunny Wednesday's walling.  Once again we enjoyed a good turn out and got lots done, so thanks as usual to all those who turned out.

Em (II), Catriona, Graham D, Graham B, Anita, Roger and Phillip.

We set about our tasks, special mentions must go to Graham B and Phillip who filled the hole in the ground with something that looks suspiciously like a wall and also to Graham D who slogged tirelessly getting the copes onto the completed sections of wall.

All in all a very productive day although next week might need some reworking as someone who'll remain nameless (probably me - definitely me!) beautifully horizontally coursed her sections of wall only to look back at the end of the day and discover she'd not noticed the previous contouring done on the other sections.  Ho hum, I enjoyed myself anyway!

See you next week

Em

(photos to follow)

Markenfield Hall - 23rd November

Well after another prolonged hiatus from walling I finally made it back this week.  We had another splendid turnout this week, probably had a lot to do with the equally splendid weather we have been enjoying.

Many thanks to Chris, Em (II), Richard, Graham, Phillip, Roger, Nick, Walter and Paul.  A very warm welcome to Anita and Pete who joined us for the first time this week. 

We split into decidedly masculine and feminine teams this week with the girly team tackling the curve round the tree and the men heading further up the wall to work on the sections already under way and unearthing the foundations from the rubble piles.

Good progress was made with the curved wall around the tree topped and the other sections being honed to perfection.

Apologies for the lack of pictures this week, hopefully the rain will be kept at bay for another week so we can get some evidence of all the sterling work that the team have been doing so far.

See you next week.

Em

One step forward ...

... and, well, one step back. 

Another great turnout this week despite the Ems not being on top form (good wishes to both for a speedy return to good health).  'Cos David likes to know, I'm delighted to acknowledge sterling work from Catriona, Morag, the Richards, a Graham, Barry, Roger, Paul, Phillip, Nick, Walter, all of whom will freely admit, if sufficiently bribed, cajoled and threatened, that I too was present.  Em I brought goodies at lunchtime for which many thanks.

And the one step back?  Richard, Paul, Morag and I got fed up of walking past the tumbledown mess left round the ash tree by our predecessors and took it all down  for rebuilding.  The rest of the gang made further good progress up the hill. 

D'you know, I think we're beginning to get the hang of this wall and its idiosyncratic slip-ups and slide-downs.  By Christmas we may know what we're doing!

Roll on next week!  Thanks everybody.

Chris

Markenfield Photos

Here is the evidence of today's progress at lunchtime with Richard the Biker keen to get going:

and at close of play:

The next stage:

A section of the original wall further along the path:

Updated by Tony 

Markenfield Walling Festival

Well, it felt like it anyway!  The world and her dog made their merry way to Markenfield and we numbered 16 (one-six) souls including Boogie, (who has loads of soul) and ... let me think now ... me, of course, a couple of Grahams, a brace of Richards (one on a  bike which I think is a first), Em II (Em I being slightly crook and bruised this week - get well soon), Tony, Morag (welcome!), Nick, Walter (also welcome!), Phillip, Paul, Barry, Roger and Catriona.

A fantastic turn out and a lot of ground covered.  Stints one and two completed up to rather heavily improvised copes; loads more stripped out; and a new stretch up to three courses on the downhill side.

Sincere thanks to everyone - I hope you enjoyed the day.  Tony and Barry will hopefully fill in the photographic void with which I now leave you.

Week Two at Markenfield Hall

Blogging out of sequence and without any pictorial evidence!  What will he think of next?

A second fine and well-attended day at Markenfield - Paul, Roger, Richard, Graham B, Barry G, Nick, Em II (and Boogie) and ... surprise, surprise ... Catriona.  Not sure what the doctors would say but she managed a full day without wilting and seems well on the way to a full recovery.  Welcome back, m'dear!

Said Catriona, Paul and I stripped out another stint (the one that gave way last week under Richard's mighty lean) and rebuilt it to path-side foundation level (4/5 courses on the ditch side).

Meanwhile, the rset of the crew pressed on with the first stretch and, despite challenging stone, completed it to within one course of what we laughingly refer to as copes (whatever big weighty stuff we can find lying around).  Copes here are about as common as throughs and we haven't identified a single one of those so far.

More next week (with photos).

Chris