Day 7

The work goes on, the weather holds. Site 1 (Moose) said to me (and I quote exactly) "I don't like it, it's too quiet". Think he's been watching too many old Westerns again...

The main activity has been on the part of the marquee guys, steadily putting up canvas all over the show ground. Late in the day, Moose's concerns were partly justified when the genny supplying Admin village and the Tardis compound hiccuped for a while, and then died. Emergency supplies were sorted to get us through the night, and a repair or replacement should be happening as I type this.

I also had a chat with Moose about the use of wrg forestry, or non-use rather. He said that he did look at getting a wrg team in, but the timing just wasn't right. There's a narrow window for this sort of work (before the birdies start nesting) and a wrg camp just couldn't be done.

I guess that's the other side of the volunteering coin; unlike contractors, you can't just summon a volunteer team when you want them.

This blog continues to attract positive tweets and the like; my thanks to those who do so. Meanwhile, Towpath Talk has drawn attention to a reshowing of the BBC2 programme, The Golden Age of Canals, tonight at 9pm.

Now for a few more photos:

Two thirds of the IWA marquee

 The biggest marquee will be that occupied by the IWA, as you'd expect. It will be visible as you come in through the main entrance.

Wrg eating marquee ready for action

 30 trestles are now installed, so we should be able to accommodate everyone.

Driving a peg

Anyone who's ever struggled to put a mooring pin in will look at this machine with envy. It drives the 30" long marquee pegs with little effort, but a lot of noise. At knock down, the beast can even be used in reverse to pull them out again.

Blacking out the sleeping marquee glass

 Every year, they fit the sleeping marquee with glazed doors. Last year, I did manage to get them to change them for solid ones, but this year it was decided just to fix black out material over the glass.

Commercial cabin

 Here it stands, all sad and alone, by the exhibitors' vehicle entrance. Come the day, there will be a marquee front to it, and it will be heaving with activity.

Plumbers' Fire Service

Seems a long time since the plumbing team got a mention, so here they are collecting the biggest step ladder on site, preparatory to climbing another tree.

Many thanks to all who sent us good wishes for our anniversary yesterday. In the end, we went to the Albion on Shobnall Road, an easy walk from the site. It's a Marston's chain pub, but the food was good, though only Pedigree was available from the cask, no guest beer that I could see.

Service was average; our starters came in good time, but then I think they forgot about us, and we had a long wait for our mains.