Saturday 13th December

A gang of 5 assembled at M&FM for the day's activities and the second weekend of Santa Specials. Eddie and Keith H departed on the line inspection to Alresford, with John and Martin B Alton bound. This left Adrian to stay behind and cast the reinforced concrete lintel for the Pway hut chimney in the Newbury Concrete Works shed.

The freshly cast fireplace lintel, inscribed with the words
'Bodgit & Bynam 2014', a reference to the Pway
departments construction gang

With the lintel cast Adrian headed off by car to Alton for breakfast, and as a much lesser priority, to give John, Martin, and Neil (who had arrived via South West Trains) a lift back up to M&FM. Following yet more refreshments, the late morning and afternoon  tasks involved Eddie and John taking the company transport to each of the Stations to replenish the oil supplies for the lubrication of the pointwork, and Neil, Martin, Keith, and Adrian to continue with bricklaying, timber cutting, and lineside clearance work at the new hut site. Joined by Ian J early in the afternoon, the remaining timbers were cut to size and 4 courses of bricks laid on the chimney.

Ian on pointing in duties

Neil, master craftsman at work