DD_Brando Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 I laid the final thirty bricks in our new garden wall last Sunday. I can only call it a "whimsical creation" but I enjoyed the freedom of building something entirely for my own consumption rather than just for pay. We didn't decide on the iron-work yet to fence off the hole, so I think a sign saying Beware of the Troll will have to suffice for the winter. Here's our view from the kitchen. We have to dig out a stump and fill the spaces with topsoil yet - and there's a rockery in the making....... We finished behind the shed too, with my labourer laying the concrete blocks in a masterful fashion. We have a contract gang coming in to strip the old 'lawn' (aka the dandelion patch) and lay meadow turf on fresh topsoil, right across from wall to wall at the end of September. In the Spring I will insert stepping stones, suitably bedded, leading from one end to the other... And that's it. Not bad for a one-armed geezer, if I say so myself, and quite enough for one lifetime! B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 And that's it. Not bad for a one-armed geezer, if I say so myself, and quite enough for one lifetime! B Ross, that is 100 times better than I can manage with both arms Looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1. DDz Quorum FoolTrottel Posted September 16, 2010 1. DDz Quorum Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Brilliant stuff B.! (If I had a garden... I'd ask you to ... But, I don't have a garden!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_O_A_D Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Really nice Brando So are you going to put down a stone path also? And please tell, what is the Hole for? Is it water drainage or where you hide out when "The one you must obey" throws a fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Brando Posted September 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Thanks gents, for your compliments. @Dave - Don't put yourself down mate - it's only experience. But since you've decided to get into number-crunching, here's a few noughts to get your head round. I started looking through my workbooks and decided to run a few figures based on my average year's work. Here's an interesting personal career statistic. Over 25 years I must've laid around 5 million bricks and around a million blocks. Laid end to end this would reach nearly a thousand miles! This would be small beer to a Victorian bricklayer's total - whose average day would vary between 800 and 1200 bricks laid, and maybe a lifetime run of over 5,000 miles. @FT - I've been known to build houses too.... @ Toad - Yeah, after the lawn has settled I'll be dotting a few slabs across the lawn. Everything like this has to have some kind of solid foundation - like the bird bath and the circle of stones around it, like the wall (obviously) and the paving, none of it will last without a good dollop of concrete under it. The Hole is all to do with water drainage. A stream cuts across the field behind us and descends into a culvert just where the hole is. Some clever person formed a stone basin where the water starts to fall, and so there's a twenty gallon reserve of fresh water, constantly replenished, for us to draw from to irrigate the garden. Our right to use this resource is actually written into the deeds of the house. I don't suppose my lady would follow me down there, but I'm not sure whether crouching in eighteen inches of very cold water is exactly an escape. If it came to it I'd climb up onto the roof! She wouldn't follow me up there either - and at least I'd have the company of my grey cat who practically lives up there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streak Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 Great job there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blairgowrie Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 How would you like a trip to Canada Brando? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribunus Posted September 17, 2010 Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 You did a really nice job Mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Brando Posted September 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2010 How would you like a trip to Canada Brando? As long as I didn't have to lay bricks end to end all the way, Jim. I'm reminded of the old joke...... "how far is Canada, Dad?" "Shut up and keep swimming, son!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadAim Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 LOL, Brando! I thought that looked far too nice for the work of an amateur. I have to ask how much of your career you have worked with half your original compliment of arms? I'm duly impressed with your skill, no matter what number of arms you have. Loverly work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Brando Posted September 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 LOL, Brando! I thought that looked far too nice for the work of an amateur. I have to ask how much of your career you have worked with half your original compliment of arms? I'm duly impressed with your skill, no matter what number of arms you have. Loverly work. Thanks BA. I've been an enforced southpaw for sixteen years this Christmas and officially retired. That said, I've laid about ten thousand bricks since then, mostly either on our properties or for family members. My best was the garden I built for my wife's parents back around ten years ago: cheers B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JensenPark Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Great work Brando...amazing. Here is some work Brando did at BG's place a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators fruitbat Posted September 18, 2010 2. Administrators Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Great work Brando...amazing. Here is some work Brando did at BG's place a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Brando Posted September 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Great work Brando...amazing. Here is some work Brando did at BG's place a while back. Lol JP - It's amazing to think that there wasn't a single Irishman involved in that build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Brando Posted September 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2010 And the lawn guys arrived yesterday and the project is about done This is the same day that the ceiling in my study got skimmed with plaster - so the building season is done for this year - hooray!!! The grey cat sharpens his claws and commences lifting turf - where's that hosepipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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