The first was here, outside the development office at Toddington. It's here where the postman is eagerly awaited every day, in the hope that blog readers are sending their cheques for the Last Mile share issue. We're about a third of the way there at the moment.
The admin offices are housed in a group of Portacabins at Toddington. The main door faces into the prevailing wind, and as a result it often jams when swollen due to water ingress. In the picture, the B&S team are removing the slabs that gave access to the door. They are going to be repositioned nearer to the camera, so that an awning can be built to shelter the door and visitors from the rain, with a new access from the side facing the camera, away from the wind.
This picture was taken a little later, and shows how the slabs lifted earlier are being relaid to allow access from the side.
At the end of the day - hey presto ! The path is relaid, with a little concrete slope at the end, end the flower pots neatly replaced. You'd never notice that it was any different.
Now to build the awning.
At Winchcombe, a second B&S job was to lay an area of anti slip self adhesive sheeting into the corner of the footbridge.
Pat, dressed in overalls and a Hi Viz vest, was having a bit of a struggle with the roll of sheeting, which had a mind of its own and was very sticky. Stationmaster Phil, dressed in all his stationmaster's finery, was too much of a gentleman to just stand and watch this. He got down on his hands and knees to help.
This was the result a few minutes later - neat, or what?
Looking over the top of the footbridge, we get a quick snapshot of the new platform extension now in service. The rear wall has had an extra row of bricks put on to manage the flower bed behind it. An additional lamp post, of GWR pattern, will be ordered as part of the order of 10 for Broadway. The pattern for this is expected to be ready this month. The copper top has been ordered form a separate source, also as part of the Broadway order. We are working together!
Does anyone else need a GWR platform lamp post?
Hayles Abbey update.
The site is now fully set up with water bowser and ISO container. We are now awaiting delivery of our first building materials. Once these are on site, construction of the platform can begin. We will keep you posted of progress.