Concrete mixing can be fun
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Sandra and Peter get a new driveway
2 September 2005
Sandra and Peter's home sits at the bottom of the valley in Avondance, and following a change in the commune drainage system they had found that when it rained the high tide arrived in their courtyard. The word high also referred to the smell as the open drains also washed in.
With Richard, Sue and Rebecca over for a fortnight and Jean-Jacques to lend a hand, work was commenced to dig a new trench and drainage system at the road edge.
The weather in some ways could have been kinder as after a miserable summer the sun was out with a vengeance pushing the working conditions to extremes. The first task was to dig out and lay the main drain which was hard work in the soaring temperatures. The garden pool did help ease a few pains and heat spots.
By the end of day two the external ramp over the drain was poured, smoothed and in place. I even lent a hand myself with a trowel; being the only person available with legs long enough to be able to straddle the ramp.
The following day the upper platform was in place.
The story will continue as the rear ramp and extra gullies are put into place.
9 September 2005
After a few days of sunning themselves in Normandy Peter and Sandra returned to officially open the new ramp and drains.
The weather very graciously turned into a thunderstorm and it started to lash it down as we all rushed outside to see if the water did indeed run down the new drains.
Having cut the ribbon, toasted the concrete and driven the cars over the ramp we stood and watched all the facets of the new guttering system and listened to possible gurgling sounds of the water in the pipes - JJ was a picture of bemusement as the Brits pottered about in the pouring rain but he was much too polite to say anything.
See also