Underway

Well, we started on site on Friday - a cool drizzly morning - glad to be inside the pavilion! No power in the showground - luckily the lads are quick thinking and got on the phone to hire a generator which arrived within the hour. We need power for the cement mixer, and more importantly the kettle. Lorry arrived OK with timber sleepers, equipment, straw sacks, bark pots, gravel, stone and all the rest of the paraphenalia. A full artic. load with no room to spare. Brian arrived with the paving - loads of it all immaculately lavelled and stacked in crates. The laying pattern is simpler than last year - but there is more of it I think. The etched slabs which create the "magic carpet" path are wonderful - subtle and charming - I love the ones with the beetles on them.
First of all the site is covered with black polythene and then the plan is marked out using spray marker. Modifications have to be made at this stage to take account of obstacles on site. For example the bracing between the uprights of the Pavilion is not where I expected; it's in a better place in fact. Alex, show manager said she told me - I'm sure she's right.

Nigel mixes cement,Pete and Steve start laying paving, Neil organises materials and works out plan of action with me. BBC Interactive turn up to do some filming - we run into a few old friends and the day passes quickly.

The afternoon is dry and breezy - the plane trees shed their little bits of irritating brown stuff that gets in everyones eyes and up their noses - If you had swine flu you wouldn't know it. I leave the site around 5 and hear, sniffling for the train - miraculously I get a seat on the 6 o'clock - Chelsea 2009 is underway.