Despite another dire weather report, Saturday morning dawns bright and unseasonably warm at Blunsdon (twinned with Siberia in weather terms at least).
First inspection of the track confirms that our tyre packing work on Thursday has worked. Although the top surface is wet from overnight downpours the base is firming up well and there
are hardly any puddles or obviously boggy patches.
Gerald turns up to offer his wisdom and a batch of cable ties for the kicboards. However, he's still not well enough to join us for the morning and is soon taken off home. While Punch, Keith and Adam inflate the air fences on turns 3 and 4 Ernie and I walk down to inspect turns 1 and 2.
The rain has pooled in the air bags on 3 and 4 and as the fence inflates, so a torrent of water rushes across the track and down the main straight alongside the white line.
We reach the new drain just as the tsunami arrives. To our relief and immense satisfaction, all of the flooding water rushes into the drain and none escapes to further wet turns 1 and 2.
We clear the pipes in the drain and ponder how we can keep the pipes accessible for cleaning once the concrete is laid for the white line.
Up on 3 and 4 the fence is inflated. The addition of the yellow section at the bottom certainly keeps the bags standing upright. Our main task now is to attach the kickboards to the bottom of the fence in front of the yellow section.
Last year we used rivets to attach the heavy rubber kickboards to the fence. However, repairs during the
season were carried out with thick cable ties. It is a huge relief when the decision is made to use only cable ties this year.
We drill two hole sin the kickboard and two in the skirt on the fence and then tie the cable tie firmly in place. The kickboards are heavy but the stop riders and shale from disappearing under the fence
as well as protecting the fence panels from sharp foot pegs and hot exhaust pipes, both of which can puncture a panel very easily.
It is back breaking work. We use ten cable ties for each air panel and there are 13 panels on each of turn 3 and 4. Keith and Ernie work on turn 3 while Adam and I concentrate on turn 4.
It is important that the kickboards rest evenly on the surface of the track - any rippling and shale will soon start to build up under the fence and so push it up.
Given that we started work at 8am turn four is still not complete by 1pm when I start to pack up.
Punch and I will be joined by Ernie and our illustrious guest, author Jeff Scott (Showered in Shale) on Thursday when we simply have to get the long run of turns 1 and 2 completed - 23 bags - 230 cable ties, 920 drilled holes - four aching backs.
Dave and Alan (the Da Vinci boys) have arrived while we have been working and have been joined by Steve Gobey (track electrical genius) and Mick Hunt (Clerk of the Course).
During a well earned tea break Alan shows us a large photograph of Charlie Gjedde. He hopes to get
pictures of the entire team and place them in the pits in their respective areas. Ernie demonstrates the idea and it receives a universal "thumbs up". OK, so it's not quite the flash graphics they used at Reading last year, but it's a darn site better than the battered programme boards we used last year.
Mick Hunt gets on with decorating his office at the end of the pits. He gets quite a bit of stick when we see him laying carpet tiles down and touching up the red paintwork. He doesn't realise how lucky he really is - it was the outside wall of his office that was nearly ripped out when the high winds of January almost blew the big electronic signboard down (it's attached to his wall!)
Elsewhere, everyone is hard at work tidying up the place and finishing off the painting while the rain is kept at bay by a crisp wind. Dave and Alan (sorry about the
incorrect spelling mate) are applying red gloss to the surrounds of the pits. It's not the Cistene Chapel but, hey, whose going to look to close. We all agree that Swindon will be judged by their performances out on the track, not in the pits, but that doesn't mean that we can be accused of lacking care - we want the last season(?) to be a memorable one and one
that we can all be proud of.
With this in mind, we are even painting the away pits! Even the most ardent Swindon fan has to admit that the away pits are just that - "the pits". Apparently John Davis (the ex England rider) designed the pits complex at Swindon and the fact that the away team are squeezed is not
simply an accident of nature!
The Da Vinci boys pose for a photograph as the pits gleam in the morning sun - what a team they make! It is a rare privilege to see two such talented artisans in action. We can only stand back and admire their craftsmanship.
Back on the track the kick boards are slowly making their way around turns 3 and 4.
By half one Punch and I start to pack up. There's still a lot to do before Press and Practice Day
and the start of the season but we feel confident that all will be ready. The track looks really good, the fence is coming along well and the pits are almost complete. The air pumps are being serviced by Bob, who has put the starting gates back up.
On Thursday we will be joined by Ernie and the prolific and hugely successful speedway author Jeff Scott.
I think Jeff believes that an experience working behind the scenes at Swindon will help with a future tome - I think, given all that still needs to be done, that he will take a lot more away from his experience on Thursday than just notes - a very stiff and sore back will almost certainly be the order of the day.
Karen, if you're reading this, we'll be forming an orderly queue for restorative massages as soon as the season begins!
