Saturday 17th October

As the days are getting shorter, it was quite depressing to arrive early at M&FM in the dark, and the overcast skies meant that it was still fairly dull when the assembled throng left the comfort of the mess for the days activities. The gang were ten in number, enabling two separate working parties to be formed in addition to undertaking the line inspections.

Keith H and Pete left on the walk to Alton, while Iain and Martin B headed off to Alresford. This left John, Ian R, Martin W, and Adrian N to gather together fencing materials, and depart for Chawton and other locations on the Alton section, where several sections of fence required repairs. Corina and Adrian C meanwhile, took the company transport down to Grosvenor Lane, where the challenge was to finish The Grosvenor hut chimney brickwork.

With the return of the linewalkers, Pete, Iain, and Martin departed for home, leaving Keith to join Corina and Adrian, and progress some further bank clearance work.

By the close of play, the final three, corbelled courses of brickwork had been laid, and the chimney completed with the installation of the chimney pot.

Having finished the fence repairs, the larger sub gang went down to Northside crossing on the Ropley to Alresford section to open out a few wet and pumping sleeper beds, which will be packed in a few weeks time.