Saturday 10th February

It was the second day of the Railway's Pre-Spring Gala event. Corina was dropped off early at Ropley to set up her Pway sales stall in the Education Room (to be soon joined and helped by Bretta), leaving a gang of 9 to assemble at M&FM for the day's work activities.

After the usual catch up and tea, Brian Hi and Keith H set off on the line inspection to Alresford, and Adrian's N and C headed to Alton. This left Eddie, Brian Ha, Chris and Adam to go up the line to between Hampshire Hunt and Brick Kiln Lane bridges on the Alton section to resume chair nut oiling, and John remaining at HQ to attend to some maintenance work on Wickham Trolley No.1.

On their return to base with the heavens having opened, the Alton linewalkers (joined by Neil) decided to abandon the planned afternoon task of brick reclaim at The Butts, taking the train to Ropley to check on the ladies manning the sales stand. The oiling gang managed to reach Chawton Heights hut before their oil supplies were expended, and returned to HQ for lunch before several of them armed with drain rods went back up the line to clear a blocked culvert.