Pizza oven fires up
This week Men in Sheds have been busy continuing work on several projects in the late Autumn sunshine. They've been adding insulation to the pizza oven and getting smoke pumping out! Now it's almost ready for a top coat. Meanwhile, the storage cupboard they are building for Hale Community Centre is almost complete and will be ready in time for Christmas.
Naturally fenced
The winter chill hasn't stopped the gardeners this week. Pollarding, willow fencing, bulb planting, leaf raking and work on the pathway around the acre have kept the groups warm and busy. The stumpery plans are starting to take shape with the area marked out. The sculpture team are looking to use the cedar circles from the cedar that was felled in the library gardens in their plans to create a reading seat - very apt!
Up with the lark to capture birdsong
Early on Monday morning, at 6.45am, before the sun had even risen, Kate met up with Izzy to record the dawn chorus for a digital project. Izzy has been volunteering at the acre and is in her final year at UCA. Here are a few words from Izzy about the morning...
"As part of my project for the final year of the Film & Digital Art BA degree, I am focusing on nature, and looking to create a soundscape which will be used as the soundtrack of a film or as an installation. Recording the dawn birdsong was quite an adventure - including arriving before the sunrise! - and the acre was looking beautiful in the mist. There are quite a few different bird calls in the recording, but the blackbird song is definitely the most distinctive. Thanks to Kate for helping to plan the recording session and for joining me."
Reflections from the acre
In this week's reflections from the acre Ken McGowan from Men in Sheds shares his thoughts....
"It’s been over 12 months since I first encountered Men in Sheds and still would be none the wiser if my dear friend Mervyn had not called me in late August last year and suggested I come along with him to the first meet. Not sure what either of us expected but found ourselves joining up with a number of equally unsure men folk. From this first encounter a group was formed and have now become a great bunch and friendships have grown. I know the whole team would want me to make mention of the sterling work Mervyn achieved during the early days with his carpentry skills and his construction knowledge. Most of us are aware Mervyn is currently unwell and is missing his time at Men in Sheds and we all wish him a speedy recovery. For me, being part of Men in Sheds has provided me with renewed interest and allowed me to engage in some old skills long forgotten. The team are great to work with and we have a lot of manly banter and lots of laughs, sometimes at stupid things we manage to do, which we put down to 'age'! Most of us are well into retirement, not that you would know it once we are all together, it’s more like a bunch of kids. Over the past months we have achieved a lot, from our successes at the Farnham Christmas Fair last year selling bird houses and Christmas trees, building benches, gates and our big project, completing the decking around the pond. I must say, for me, I feel a real sense of achievement and I look forward to my Tuesday’s at the acre. I am sure being part of this ongoing team will aid me in my retirement years. It is great making some new friends and if our plans for the future are successful we will all be able to make even more new friends and take part in many more charity and communal projects.''
If you would like to share what the acre means to you please email info@space2grow.space - we love hearing everyones reflections.
As always, we are working hard to ensure that space2grow remains a Covid safe site so please email info@space2grow.space prior to your visits, bring your own food and drink, take any rubbish home and please adhere to social distancing.
Thank you and see you soon!
