Saturday 30th November

The day dawned with a gang of five meeting up at M&FM  in almost perfect weather conditions. It was the first day of Santa Special trains (operating on the Alresford to M&FM section only for the first weekend), and Keith B, Keith H, and Ian R departed on the line inspection to Alresford, while Adrian and John disembarked in the van with tools for work both at Alresford and out on the A31 embankment.

Shovels, ballast forks, and builders bags were dropped off at Alresford, where Neil C was waiting with some concrete blocks for the construction of new Pway hut fireplace, kindly delivered from Newbury by Neil's fellow Bowlers (pub) regular, Bob. Neil, John, and Adrian then travelled to the A31 embankment, where the chimney fireplace took shape quite rapidly with one course of blocks and five courses of bricks laid by late afternoon, when time was called.

On the completion of the line inspection, the two Keiths and Ian R attacked  a series of marked up ballast beds in the point timbers between Alresford Station and Sun Lane bridge, and managed to dig out 7 beds by the close of play, in readiness for timber replacement work on the following Monday/Tuesday by the mid-week gang.

A good day's work on both fronts.