First Tuesday

Those three week workers (BODS in the jargon; it stands for Build Operate Dismantle) with boats had been told that the swing bridge guarding access to the lake moorings would be open between 8 and 9 in the morning yesterday, and then again between 5 and 6. The big question was which slot to choose. The Waterspace team has installed short finger pontoons, with space for four, five or six boats between them as the bank edge dictates.

Moose as Safety Officer testing a finger pontoon

First thing, I went and spoke to Mike Moorse who was organising the whole thing, and found out that we were in the middle of a trot of five. This implied that we would be better to go in later rather than earlier, but on the way back to the boat, I saw Wandering Whimbrel, the boat we would be tied next to, heading in, so we decided to follow.

This would have been fine, but by the time we got into the lake, things had been changed from the rejig of the rejigged plan, as some boats had proved to deep for their allocated spot. Having come in beside Wandering Whimbrel as instructed, I had to pull out again and reverse into a different spot. Now we were against a short boat with a cruiser stern, and physically couldn’t leave Sanity Again. This was sorted temporarily, and during the day, the Waterspace team built a new pontoon between us and our neighbour, Amy Em.

This will be extended today, to give Amy Em a better exit, as one of her crew is disabled. We’ve ended up with a very nice mooring with a good pontoon, so all’s well that ends well.

Much of the rest of the day was spent putting fencing up and taking it down, as will today, I suspect. The other big task for WRG now is brushcutting around the mooring sites out on the river, and on the other side of the lake.

I must say, the fencing has been even more frustrating than usual this year. (Mind you, I say this every year.) Some of the adjustments have been as a result of conditions on the ground, but many of them could have been avoided with better planning and marking out. It sometimes feels as if the site team don’t appreciate the sheer hard work it is erecting long runs of Heras fencing.

The cabins have arrived for the WRG compound, being the one which will be the kitchen and one which will be the brew hut. Only cooks are allowed in the kitchen, except by invitation, but anyone wrgie will be able to use the brew hut. It will contain a pair of Burco boilers, toasters, washing up facilities and a supply of bread, biscuits and tea and coffee.

Positioning the kitchen cabin

Red shirt/Blue shirt liaison in progress

At the end of the day, there was a celebratory tea party for Alan and Rosemary Whiffen, two longstanding volunteers who have just celebrated their Golden Wedding. It’s typical of the Festival volunteers that such an event should not go unmarked.

Alan and Rosemary cutting the cake

Two halves of a shallop which will form part of the display on the lake.

A reproduction of Elizabethan executive transport on the Thames, this one appeared in the film version of A Man for All Seasons which starred Paul Schofield.