Sockburn Hall Project :: Update 38

Hello! 

News from our twenty-fifth working weekend, Sarah reports:
The Japanese maples were in their lovely autumn colours and we had some great light and sunsets, and some wonderful log fires and, of course, the usual bonfire.  [Take a look at the photos: www.flickr.com/groups/sockburn/pool] Another intrepid group of Sockburn Hall Project volunteers arrived – always cheerful, and ready for anything we challenged them with.

[Autumn Japanese maple]

One of the last trees that had been threatening some of the outbuildings was skilfully taken down – ropes and pulleys in use again,  and is now stacked as fire wood for some of those cold winter Working Weekends to come.  Log piles were re-stocked for next time and the Shed has its log supply replenished too.

More has been revealed about the routes of drains and there was much discussion about those – Sockburn volunteers remain fascinated by drains!  We were lucky to have several experts on site over the weekend and had some interesting features pointed out to us - thank you to them all for their time.

[The scientific work of establishing best use for the new beer garden deck]

Looking forward to days of relaxation? The decking at the end of the riverside path was created; the photo shows us how to enjoy it, in case we couldn’t work it out for ourselves!  The break was well earned: more original materials were salvaged and stored from buildings that are in danger of further deterioration, an intact glass pantile was saved and a lot of general tidying was done around the site with great improvements made.

[Perfume brick... lots of speculation, but can you enlighten us?]

An interesting find, a 'perfume brick'.  We speculated about where it might be used – no one had the definite answer, does anyone know?  Our tireless Library volunteer has sorted out the books and arranged for a few boxes of those not to be kept to be donated to the British Heart Foundation - a good cause and a great job done! 

The last Working Day of 2010 is Saturday 11 December from 10am until about 4pm; we hope it will be a relaxed and festive day, with some tidying up in the grounds but not too much hard work!  Please let us know if you are intending to come – either by email to sockburn@gmail.com or by phoning Sarah on 07933 320242.  If you would like to come just to visit, see how we are getting on, or to buy a copy of Tapestry of Time, please try to come around 11/11.30am.  This should coincide with coffee time!

We will get the 2011 Working Weekend dates out as soon as we can – sorry for the delay.  A huge thank you to everyone who has helped, and is helping with the Project work in anyway.
 

[A Sockburn sunset]

Happy November!

Laura, Sarah and the Sockburn Hall Project team x