Farsley and Fulneck

Last Wednesday -a rare fine day- I had to go along with my wife Anne who had an appointment at LGI for a scan, so was unable to start work till after lunch. I went along to my good friend Henry's ground at Farsley to scarify his square. 

When I take on the Autumn work I always ask the club to cut the square down to playing height prior to my arrival so as not to be wasting time and them paying me for a job that they can quite easily do.

The first job is to scarify with the Sisis RR600 I don't fit the box -as it can be the slowest process- so who ever is collecting with the Sisis ARR (fitted with the brush) is not constantly catching up to me.

 Henry has a Sisis Rota Rake with a brush fit so the job was completed quicker than normal with two machine operating simultaneously.

Come on Ben quick march!

 Good progress.

 Steady on.  No Dancing!

You have to work quick or the following machine will catch you up at this pace.

 Henry tipping the rubbish into the trailer.

 Farsley C C the home club of Raymond Illingworth who was England Skipper when they brought the Ashes back from Australia in 1970-71. He is one of a few to have taken 2,000 wickets and scored 20,000 first class runs. Top Effort!

We were very lucky to have John Cockshot Present to take some photos and make the tea.

Thanks John best cup of tea for ages.

Henry and Ben at tea time.

Henry's quick way to empty the trailer.

We got finished and left Henry to do the seeding, fertilising and top dressing on his own when he could do it in his own way with no pressure from us.

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Thursday the 18th September was too wet to work in the morning, I cant remember what I did

-Senior moment- 

How ever later in the day I went off on my own to scarify Pudsey Congs 3rd and 4th team ground at Fulneck School. When I arrived Graham who looks after the square asked if I could scarify to 12 mm which as you can imagine brings out a lot of material.

Bigger job than I had thought!

 A lot of Rubbish coming out of this one.

 Machine working well.

 Graham getting to grips with the brush. He told me that I "should have had the box on the scarifier", to which I "replied but that will leave you with nothing to do".

Looking better.

Getting there.

Don't speak too soon this is what happened and you guessed it right from the middle of the machine.

So the final few runs had a groove missing from the middle.

My old pal Dom arrived, he used to play down at Kirkstall a few years ago, he is now the 3rd team skipper at Congs. I am not sure just what he thought about me doing this to his beloved square.

More runs next season Dom promise.

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This is how dark it was when we had finished.

Good Night.

Hodgy

More Deliveries and Start of Autumn Work

Week the 10th till the 15th September I spent delivering Loam here there and every where I had a new helper  Richie as Ben had to go in to University. I also faced up the final pitch of the season and cut the outfield it was for a second team game so it wasn't too difficult.

With the last game of the season out of the way, on Sunday the 16th I headed off to Lightcliffe C C to help my friend Rod Heyhoe out by scarifying his square there was a junior festival taking place that day so I didn't have to be there till 4-30 which was the schedule finish time but you guest it they were late.

Loaded up for trip to Lightcliffe 

Two game still in full swing at 4-30 Sunday afternoon.

 Just got to work after a few machinery problems.

Then the heavens opened. 

Please can you come back tomorrow Hodgy?

Off home with a promise to come back on Monday.

Monday and conditions were a bit better.

Why cant they take the pictures when I am breathing in?

#fatboy 

Ben following on with the brush to collect the rubish.

Steady progress.

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Bang!

Toothed belt on Sisis RR600 snaps. I was already having problems with the double drive pulley and had put a new one on order, so I added a belt. In the mean time Rod took me down to Spen Bearing In Cleckheaton thankfully the had a suitable replacement.

Just another "Tribulation" or was it a "Trial"?

 Rod gets on with the seeding.

 Leaving his young fit helper to lift all the bags of loam.

I am sure Rod has lifted a few in his time.

Now seeded and top dressed. I hope it doesn't get washed away!

Off home, job one done just a day behind already.

I am going to leave it there, as rain is forecast for all day tomorrow so will post some more then I just wanted to whet your appetite.

A Short Prayer to St Swithins

(or whoever the Patron St of Groundsmanship is)

"Please after this awful summer, bless us with a few fine days, no frosty nights till at least November"

So we can scarify thy pitches and scatter the good seed on the squares

Amen

Hodgy

PS do you prefer the pictures in the larger format?

As above.

Raking Out the Last Pitch of the Season

Last Monday the 3rd September I raked out the last pitch of the 2012 season. It was for the 1st team match against Thackley last seasons Champions -though we finished level on points they won the title on fewer losses. This year it was a possible relegation battle I am pleased to say we totally out played them and gain 5 points to their 1 they were nine down but they survived the last three balls to salvage a single point.

 I cut and raked about five times followed by cutting and brushing around three times. I also got some rolling in to the pitch. I would normally have started this work on the Thursday previous but the weather was wet on the Thursday and Friday so it had to wait.

I also ran the mower over the adjacent pitch for Tuesday night training.

While I was there I got the gangs out and cut the outfield after brushing to disperse the worm casts.

I did get Ben doing some rolling one morning while there was some dew on the ground.

Then from Tuesday till Thursday night I was out and about delivering loam from Nidderdale to Calderdale and all parts in between.

The pictures above are the ground as I left it on Friday night after more brushing and cutting of the pitch and a couple of rolling sessions. I double cut the outfield which gives it that looked after checkered look which I like to do when I have time and the weather.

I have just found this photo on my phone it is one of the grounds we delivered to through the week.

Early Saturday morning "View from the Roller"

And we have play on what was as good a day as we have had all season long.

I am really busy at the moment and will be for the next four weeks or so so I may just have to post some photos and  have catch up when things are less hectic.

Hodgy