Amazing progress

Exactly a week ago this was our view in the field towards Moel Arthur:

And this is what our great team of four erectors from Cerrigydrudion have achieved in just five working days:

It's all the more surprising as the first day was 'just' demolition and the second ended with nothing to show above ground, as the site had been measured and holes dug for the concrete bases which now support the steel posts.  Offsite pre-fabrication helps, of course, but much of the cladding and timber has to be cut on site, and the idiosyncracies of the sloping site have to be managed.  A huge amount of topsoil has been excavated to provide the (now stone) turning semicircle in front of the new building, and, perhaps most spectacularly of all, concrete panels - the largest 6m by 1m by 100mm - were inched into place yesterday to act as retaining walls for the levelling of the two floors with further supplies of stone.  It's impressive to see a group working so well together, with all of them able to control the large machines with a delicate touch, able to weld, able to block-lay, work timber, etc.

We are in awe.  They could well finish this week.

Goodbye, post barn

We shall soon have a new and bigger store for our horticultural and automotive pursuits.  The old telegraph-pole-and-corrugated-metal open barn is now empty (after quite a few days of work) and sits ready for the demolition gang:

Yesterday's efforts included moving the trailer, lawn tractor, Super Dexta tractor (1964 vintage), topper and finger mower (the last not having moved in our time here) up to the top of the field from where they will observe both a magnificent view of the Clywdian Range and the work of Lloyds as they construct a new two-part steel storage shed over the coming weeks.  Fortunately the intensive programme of battery charging paid off and, with only a minor hitch with the tractor hydraulics, we were there:

So, the electrics are disconnected, the trees are pruned and we are ready on schedule.  Bring on the builders!