We only had a small turnout at Hotchley Hill this Saturday, but still got two good jobs ticked-off.
First, we had to do something about the big hole in the floor just in front of the lever frame. The 1970s modifications included a wooden panel that covered the entire space once occupied by the frame. We removed this to put the frame back in, leaving a 8ft wide gap covered by rather unsatisfactory plywood sheets.
This is now fixed, with much more substantial timber one can safely stand on. If it isn't evident from our photos, the rest of the original floor has a full range of problems, and will need replacing in due course. Today's new timbers can be re-used for that, but also helped give us a feel for the job of rebuilding the whole lot. The obvious lesson being that life would be easier with a sharp saw!
Downstairs, the wall has gained a small set of adjustable shelves for the resident plastic boxes of oddments. The steel racking is nothing exciting, but the shelves are repurposed LNER fuse-boards from the relay room on the other side of the wall. These will allow us to take-down the wobbly old battery shelves from the other side of the room, and finish painting the walls.
Lastly, the management of Ruddington Fields Bric-a-Brac suggest I mention the small number of watercolour prints for sale, marking Hotchley Hills's 75th year. Don't all rush at once!
