Maintenance Week 7

 Week Commencing 16th December 2024

Monday

Just Ian , Vic and Myself today , This was going to be our last working week this year at Broadway , The station will be open for business after Christmas for the Mince Pie Specials so the platform furniture has to be taken out of storage and roughly put around the site.

Vic carried on with the treating of the fence .

A couple of deliveries had been dropped off , the 2 out standing window sills for the new build , which were kindly moved by over Ian .

After a bit of a struggle ( just the 3 of us ) the running in board was returned to its position.

Ian gave the platform under the canopy a quick brush up.

Wednesday.

Big day for some of the trees to come down ! This is what we saw when we arrived , one already gone and they were moving on to the one on the right . 5 down the drive had to go for various reasons.

Neal was over on platform 2 digging out manholes for the services .

Pat joined us today with a repair kit for one of the petrol strimmers .

Later seen testing it out over the other side.

Just one more tree to come down this time over on platform 2 , and this is how they did it ! ton to ton and a half on a small chain lifted over the top of the station canopy !

Lastly , below is one of our Trugs decorated by one of our volunteers Ray , its looking very smart and Christmassy .

All thats left now is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we will return on the 6th January .

Dave

Maintenance Week 6

 Week Commencing 9th December 2024

Monday

Just the 4 of us today , myself , Ian , Vic and Pat , rain was in the air ! More cleaning up after the weekends winds , with platform 1 and the track bed plus the drive way all looking scruffy !

Brushes out as it was too wet for Billy .

Pat and myself left Ian and Vic at Broadway and this time headed to Winchcombe to change ( hopefully the last time for this year ) the gas bottles on rake 2. It was parked up on platform 2 so not an easy job.

A bit of luck at Broadway when we arrived back . the cleaners were doing the café floor and then the toilets . So we quickly vacated the Ladies of the running in board and all the other stuff ! well it save us a job next week of cleaning up !

Wednesday

Over on platform 2 , more bricks have been laid at the rear of the building , and they are now awaiting the return of the mini digger , which is due on Thursday.

Dry ish day so Ian got going with Billy , first the platform and then the drive. We try and keep on to of it as it soon looks untidy for visitors and especially for the neighbours .

I let him get on with it whilst I modified one of the doubles, which had had a rotten side and lid , into a single version.

We had had an idea to put the board back up in position, years ago it would have been an easy enough job for the 2 of us , but age is catching up and so we left it for another day and some extra help !

Just to finish of the day Ian gave the other bench another coating of preservative.

Next week is our last week before we have a Xmas break , but next week the tree fellers are due to remove 6 trees , now that could be a messy couple of days

Dave

Maintenance Week 5

 Week Commencing 2nd December 2024

Monday

Just Vic, Ian and Myself , on a cold and overcast day.

What better way to start the day by being in warmth of the ladies toilets repainting  the surroundings of the running in board. !

In a sunny position on the drive Vic continues to treat the fence.

A number of trees down the drive are due to be removed ( not before time !) This one at the top has a bit of a lean on it , not that you can tell by the photo , but its also our fire muster point , so Ian our Fire warden had to remove the sign or what's left of it to its new position on the fence.

Wednesday

Over on platform 2 , the trucks have reappeared in readiness of more soil removal. More rows of bricks have been laid at the back , and at the front , window sills have been positioned and the nearest one fixed in position.

It was bin clean up day ! All the waste bins were pressure washed and given a good clean ,

But some will need attention and some a fresh lick of paint , the one below needed a bit more attention , so it was wrapped up for another day.

Pat had another go at the hedge , aided on the barrows by Ian and Myself.

The bonfire Heap eventually got so high and it was sort of dry enough, so we put a match to it !

Dave

Maintenance Week 4

 Week commencing 25th November 2024

Monday 

Not much maintenance on the Monday for the 4 of us that turned up on a cold but sunny day , more of a tidy up after  Storm Bert .

Platform 1 had the usual big puddles and debris which Ian and Myself ( the early birds ) had a go at

I'm sure this puddle below gets deeper and deeper !

The drive was next , quite a bit of debris here too . It was too wet for Billy so we did it the old way with brushes and brooms !

Pat and Kevin ( the late comers ) started on the end of year, hedge cut back . No less that 10 wheelbarrows were taken away and only about 20 foot done..

We finally found where somebody had hidden the cover for the garden bench and finally wrapped it up for the next couple of weeks. 

More leaves and more clearing up on the northern end of platform 1.

Just before going home , the running in board had its top painted black , one side done , next week over it goes and a start made on the front.

Wednesday

Rained most of the day , so  we all stayed at home !

Dave

Maintenance week 3

 Week Commencing 18th November 2024

 Monday

Just the 4 today , weather well !

Over on platform 2 the digger has been to work on the building surroundings  and more rows of bricks have appeared at the back.

Back to the exciting stuff , another coat of light stone on the leaflet holder .

The station signs under the canopy were looking a bit grubby so out came the clothes and soapy water .

Whilst Ian was making a start on the signs , further up the platform and on the bank , Pat was planting more daffodil bulbs and in the fore ground Vic was on the fence with his preservative..

Ian cleaned all the hanging boards then afterwards cleaned the notice boards on the walls.

Pat was seen later strimming the bank first with the battery strimmer and later 

On the far side with the petrol Strimmer .

Wednesday

A totally different day , the Tuesday had saw a change in the weather , nothing happening on platform 2 this week .Just Ian and Myself on a bitterly cold snowy day .

Signs of activity at the station , but not of the human kind.

One job we could do in the warmth of the ladies toilets , was the second coat on the back of the running board .

Ian did a bit of sorting out in the shed and by lunch time with nothing obvious that needed to be done we called it a day. Brrrr

Dave 

Maintenance Week 2

 Week Commencing 11th November 2024

    Monday on platform 2 saw the wagons waiting to be filled with spoil , more rows of red bricks will be added today and on the Wednesday.

5 volunteers turned out on a cool Autumn day , including our new volunteer Kevin.

2 new benches for the station had been delivered . That takes the total to 4 now , 2 in the mess hut and now these 2 . After a bit of deliberation on what should be put where for safe keeping , it was decided the new ones would be put in the mess hut. 

One of the 2 in the mess hut could be put under the station canopy and the other in the signal box , Ian and Kevin shifted the 2 two to the mess and the platform 2 lads moved the lighter one to the box .

The left hand one is a GWR bench and the one being lounged on by Ian is of the Midland type

Afterwards Ian and Kevin took to the track bed racking up 3 wheelbarrows of pine needles

Vic was on the driveway fence again. Mike was also on the spear fencing.

Myself headed to the warmth of the ladies to rub down and prime the worst of the running board.

Afterwards fixed the sticking station masters door handle.

Wednesday

Just the 3 of us Ian , Mike and Myself.

The board was good enough for the first coat of light stone .

Whilst the can was open one of the rubbish bins had its side repainted .

Ian finished of the day giving the tops of the benches a coat of preservative.

We actually had a Locomotive at the station today.

Foremarke Hall was seen on a test run after having had work done on its cylinders , first run saw it stop outside the station and on its return it picked up the 2 trucks which were now full of spoil and take them down to Toddington for disposal.

Dave