Sempervivums

I have posted before about the cast iron spoked North Eastern Railway wheel that has been sunk in and among the limestone gravel in front of the tower, near the water crane.   It was given to us and frankly was one of those things for which a use was not immediately obvious.

It was decided that it might make a novel container for rockery or Alpine plants so we planted it with sempervivums - hardy and should quite literally 'live for ever'.   Not all have lived up to that name but most have:

This little beauty has done exceptionally well

Steels on Site

Fist thing today the first batch of steels arrived from Hull, offloaded from CSi's lorry with great precision by Settle Coal's four wheel drive extending forklift:

Life Changing Discovery

My garage has been the subject of much comment ranging from 'Wow. that's what I call a real man-cave', through 'How can you ever find anything?' to 'What a tip'.

Truth is that for the past year or two it has had little attention but the tip has just got deeper.   I have known throughout that time that a day, or month, of reckoning would come when I would have to face up to clearing it all up.

In no small measure the feeling of guilt has deepened by repeated comments from daughter Lorna along the lines of 'Dad, when you do actually kick the bucket I shall have to clear all this lot up'.   She doesn't mince words our Lorna.    I remember once asking her advice on some problem of the day concerning her mother and how I might best broach a sensitive issue with her.  What solicitorial words should I use that would not provoke an unwanted reaction?  'Just f-----g tell 'er' was the pro bono advice I got.   I have used that advice often, always prefixed by the words 'On a just f-----g tell 'er basis' . . .   Works most times.

Anyway, that garage.  Among other things it was a trip hazard and I appreciate the potential involved in falling over.  I did a risk assessment, naturally.  That was easy.  The method statement was harder and took some time.

There was a financial dimension to it as well.  I was forever being unable to find stuff that I knew was there, failing to find, then going out and buying things.  At the end of it all I was poorer - and would end up with two or more to add to the long term problem.  The smaller the item being searched for, the more difficult it was to find, naturally.  It is hard to lose a lawnmower but a No.7 SDS masonry drill bit can hide away for eternity midst the chaos and camouflage.

The solution?  Parts Bins.

Cheap as chips and immensely satisfying to fill, as I have discovered these past couple of weeks, during which I have labeled and filled 72 of them.   Now, if I find a sudden need of a No.7 SDS masonry drill, I know where I can lay hands on half a dozen of them.

Today is Sunday, a day of Rest.   I may though just count, and photograph my staggeringly impressive  collection of screwdrivers.  Be warned.

Well, you were warned - here is my current part collection of 101 screwdrivers:

 

I'm talking here about proper screwdrivers - with handles, not mere bits which slot inside handles with hexagonal holes at their ends.  If we included those bits we would be into the thousands.  If inclined to count the screwdrivers in the picture be warned - it is confusingly hard given the unsystematic layout (my fault).   There is a further tranche of screwdrivers in the lift so that I have a set on every floor.

Sad or what?

Three Amazing Pictures From the Sky - and a Bonus for Good Luck

Here are the three still images taken by Flying Spider Films drone yesterday courtesy of Mark (son) and John (father) Futter.  It was a delight to meet them during an incredibly busy day for them taking in Wales, ourselves, Ribblehead and the Stockton and Darlington Railway. All were being filmed from above for the forthcoming TV series on railway architecture, to be screened in 11 episodes from January 2020, provisionally.

See
https://www.flyingspiderfilms.com
for a beautiful website showing Flying Spider's work

Picture 1 looks directly down on the water tower and shows the SETTLE lettering on the roof room roof.  Overnight rain had not quite evaporated leaving dampness at the edges but the message is clear. Also seen are the deck areas at the south (left) and north ends.  The clutter on the extension roof includes some of the wall cladding, in store there prior to be re-fitted on the new extension. Also Gordon-the-Gondola from which I was able to paint the outside of the tank back in 2011/12 and our rooftop fire-escape ladder:

 click on any pic. to enlarge

Picture 2 shows the tower in relationship to settle Station buildings, top left, and the station master's house, top centre:

Picture 3 is taken from above the station master's house so looking east.   The garden to the left contrasts starkly with the earthworks below the summer house to the right.  In the fulness of time that area will be planted and lovely.

It is important to say that the room on the roof is obvious from the air but from key viewpoints on the ground it is invisible.

To round off a very interesting day, here is a picture by Settle's Anthony Ward of 70000 Britannia flying through Settle station later in the day with a special train from Carlisle to Crewe - ten minutes early!  The footplate crew are taking a well earned breather after hauling that heavy train up and over the roof of England.

Shots from Above Have Got Simpler

When we first exposed our project to the scrutiny of television, to get panoramic shots from above meant a sky-lift going up there with a lift operator, a cameraman, a large camera and a lot of nerve:

Especially if it was cold and windy.

All that has changed meantime and this is how it is done nowadays:

Today, by prior arrangement, this drone caused quite a stir by flying over and filming the water tower and the station buildings generally.   Our frontage was the launch site for the drone, controlled by a pilot and a camera operator.   The sun did not oblige but the windspeed was a flat calm. Astonishing flying skills and camerawork, visible on two monitors on the ground.  Watch this space for some spectacular views of the water tower from high above and around. 

Building Work Started

Local firm Hopleys have made a start on the actual building works by preparing four sockets in existing walls to accommodate some of the steel beams, presently being galvanised elsewhere:

 I appreciate that pictures of holes in walls have a certain boredom factor about them but they are there mainly to indicate actual progress.

Meanwhile the north end of the garden flourishes, seen here glowing in evening sunshine, taken from the kitchen window:

Progress with the Steelwork

Things are really happening. Here are a couple of pictures of steelwork under construction in the factory prior to be galvanised.

These are two of the short support columns that will be attached to the concrete foundations, already in place.  The complexity and detail of the design and welding work are plain to see.

Meanwhile I am enjoying myself removing the lower panels of the existing annex wall cladding prior to the walls being marked up for the creation of beam holes on Friday.   Pictures later I hope.