Climbing frame

Climbing frame
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

These guys (who are clearly playground equipment specialists, rather than part of the 'core team') stayed well into the afternoon installing the climbing frame.

Happily I haven't seen any further invasions since Thursday evening — though I was out this afternoon, watching Baisers Volés — which is just as well, because anyone falling from the climbing frame onto that concrete would not be in good shape.

Topsoil for the Quiet Garden

Topsoil delivery
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

Here's the delivery of some fresh new topsoil. Later the mini-shovel-buggy tipped it over the edge of the Quiet Garden.

The site architect was back for at least the second time this week, reviewing the developments and comparing them with plans in animated style.

Invasions

Chasing off the first invasion
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.


Trying out the new toys
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

It's over a month since I first wondered if children would be tempted to try out the ball court before it was finished. Today a football game began on it, before the man at the top of this photo put a swift and decisive stop to that.

But he could not stand permanent guard, and it wasn't long before second and third waves came along. Of course, none of the protective covering has been installed on the playground yet. And, most worryingly, a small fight broke out with the stones on the ball court surface (though it was over before there was time to intervene at all).

Spirit levels and tape measures

Spirit levels and tape measures
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

The attention to details is often impressive. Here you can see the use of spirit levels to check that each fence post is vertical and the fence itself is horizontal, while a tape measure is used to check the frame for the basketball hoop is centred in the court.

Playground fence almost complete (this time)

More digging for the playground fence
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.


Quiet Garden digging
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

In this picture, the core team are digging another trench for extending the playground fence — on the right you can see cement being mixed by hand, for the fence posts. I've thought before that the fence had reached its full length, but now I think it really has, barring the gate. Here's a photo of it at the end of the day.

Elsewhere the playground specialists continue to install frames for the swings, and such like. You can't really see them through the branches of the tree in the lower photo, but they are there, trust me. More metal plating is going into the Quiet Garden, segmenting the bank inside the path that is marked on the plan as 'woodland type grass'.

Tarmac and installations

Squirrel on the tarmac, close-up
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.


Playground installations
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

The area under the window, where the patio used to be, has been macadamised (I looked that up) — here's a squirrel exploring the new surface.

The frame for the basketball hoop has been erected at the far end of the ball court — here's a photo of the process half way through.

In the lower photograph you can see that the Quiet Garden path has been extended and bordered, and the some as-yet-unidentifiable bits of the playground are being installed. Meanwhile the leaves are emerging from their buds on the plane tree.

Playground furniture delivery

Playground furniture delivery
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.


Extending the Quiet Garden path
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

This van arrived at noon today, and delivered some furniture for the playground. Some of it is now on the playground, including a first pole, while the rest is secure.

As you can see, the playground fence is also being extended along what will be the main thouroughfare of the site. The printed plan shows it having more of a distinct corner, which kind of backs up what I said before about one of the segments being bent round a bit further than it seemed it should be.

Elsewhere, the small digger extended the Quiet Garden path, as shown in the lower picture.

Other communities of faith

Cubes up close
Originally uploaded by davidjennings.

At the Meeting today, the following text was read from the Quaker advices and queries:

"Do you work gladly with other religious groups in the pursuit of common goals? While remaining faithful to Quaker insights, try to enter imaginatively into the life and witness of other communities of faith, creating together the bonds of friendship."