Regular As Block Work

To cut a long story short, Sunday morning came around far too soon following yet another nights restless sleep. You would have thought that we'd have both gone out like a light following the days additional workout, however it would seem that our muscles had other ideas. Although we were both up before the alarm was due to go off, it was quite sometime before the message was received by our arms and legs.

Our appendages kind of sprung into action though when bang on 08.00am, Gaz turned up as promised. Within minutes a mix was on and levels checked with the theodolite as well as the corners being checked with a rather large builders square. With all the levels etc being given the all clear, work soon commenced on the next layer of block work whilst more sand & cement etc was thrown into the mixer in readiness.

Despite a brief rain shower and the threat of a torrential downpour at one point, we made excellent progress throughout the day as well as enjoying a lovely scone for elevenses and a gorgeous sausage butty for ones es! And to top it all off, close of play sees us just over 3 courses short of our goal.

Although block work wasn't on the agenda for Bank Holiday Monday, we had planned to complete a whole host of other tasks in connection with the new pond build such as digging a channel for the water and electric supplies, plus the foundation for the header pond. However normal weather service for a Bank Holiday had resumed and the rain put pay to any plans we had of getting out in the garden and completing any work without getting caked in mud. However we really can't complain about the weather as we've enjoyed more than our fair share of good weather so far ... but it would be nice to just have a little more.

The Shape Of Things To Come

The weekend was upon us yet again which in turn meant the possibility the start of another chapter in our new pond build - the start of the block work! However, before any work could be started there was the small task of getting the materials from the drive to the rear of the property where the hole for the pond currently resided ...

We paced ourselves and after a couple of hours back and forth we'd managed to shift 7 pallets of blocks (308 individuals blocks) which we then stacked around the hole ready for work to commence in the morning. The 12 bags of cement plus the posts which will be used later had already been taken through, so just gone 20.00hrs on Friday we called it a day and retired ready to commence battle in the morning.

After a restless night due to the aches and pains gained from moving all the blocks, morning came around too soon. It's very difficult to brush your teeth when you've got Popeye arms so after bruising my gums it was time for quick coffee and some toast whilst we waited for Gaz to arrive, a local lad who we employed to lay the block work for us. He arrived at 08.00am on the dot as promised and no sooner was he out of his car he was setting up the equipment that would ensure the block work was built up straight and true. He was quite impressed how level the base was and commented that it would certainly make his job a bit easier. After checking the levels again, confirming our plans and double checking the measurements etc, it was time to crack on with the build. I was going to be his labourer for the day and had already had instructions in mixing the perfect "fluffy" not wet mix. The first batch was soon ready and into the wheel barrow and distributed to the strategically placed boards around the hole and the ingredients for the next mix churning around in the mixer. This was to be the rhythm for the remainder of the day as slowly but surely the block work magically arose from our of the base. By the end of the day considerable progress had been made, especially when you consider that the first couple of hours was spent marking out and checking plans and levels etc.

More blocks were brought through from the drive and positioned in and around the pond (it was now no longer deemed a hole)  in readiness for the next days building which was again due to commence at 08.00am.

All Quiet On The Western Front

The same also applies to the north, the east and as well the south. So what have we been doing since last weeks eye full and pond base concreting?

Well .... for a start we've been amending our build plans yet again! We're quite excited about this new "development" but for now we're going to keep it under wraps. It'll be a bit of a surprise .... so watch this space!

We've also been looking at all the equipment and peripherals we'll be needing for plumbing the vortex, Nexus, Bead Filter, UV and pump etc for the filter system and have just purchased a mountain of pipework, connectors, bends etc form A19 Koi  - thanks for helping us out Paul.

We've also made an attempt to get rid of some of the soil which is currently piled up in the middle garden. My arms currently feel like the way Popeye's look - i'm sure you know what i mean. It's going to take some doing but we certainly needed to make a start in getting the middle garden back to some form of normality so that work can once again commence in landscaping this area.

Back with the new pond build and work on the block work is scheduled to start on this next weekend, so although it's all quiet on the western front at the moment, in the background plans are being finalised, equipment procured and surprises schemed.

We've Reached Base Camp

No we haven't suddenly found ourselves on a mountaineering expedition to climb the north face of Everest, however at the start of a new pond build it does seem that you put in an immense amount of work and effort with nothing significant to show for it - just plans, revamped plans and more plans. Plus a multitude of bits and pieces of equipment you've assembled together but packed away until the moment comes when you'll finally need them. I'm sure those people that venture out to conquer Everest and other monumental peaks must feel the same way, until that is they finally reach Base Camp when suddenly the overwhelming sense of "now we're getting somewhere" finally hits home and the reality of all the planning and getting ready is actually coming to fruition. If that's the case, then last Saturday morning we finally reached Base Camp with our new pond build!

Start of the day

 The ready mix concrete from Sandsfield's at Elvington was due to arrive some time around 10.00am. The team of volunteers (or were they coerced) gathered for 09.30am just in case the came a little earlier than expected. Wifey had already been busy and had lined the wheel barrows up ready for the off and had also placed a large piece of old pond liner on the drive, just in case we ran out of waiting time and the remaining mix would have to be dumped.

Bang on 10.00am and the mix arrived. After re-positioning the truck we were ready and under starters orders. Yours truly jumped into the whole, well i say jumped .... it was more of a fall but with a little style, then eagerly awaited the first barrow full. After a few loads it was a quick change with Richard adopting spreading duties as barrow after barrow full of concrete found its way into the hole (and the eye) whist on occasions the barrow nearly followed ..... yes into the eye as well as the hole!

To say it was fast & furious (there's a film there somewhere - with pimped up wheel barrows) .... anyway it would be an understatement. In fact i've no idea at all how long it actually took to fill the hole or how many barrows it involved .... quite a few looking at the red faces that kept appearing from behind a tipped up wheel barrow as another load of concrete entered the hole & eyes. The whole thing was a bit of a blur until the sense of not being pebble dashed finally got through to the brain and we realised that everyone was stood watching and waiting for the master class of levelling to begin. After being given some excellent advice from the driver whilst he was eating his second bacon butty, we set about the task at hand under the watchful eye of everyone!

After some good solid tamping down we finally made our way out the end of the pond exiting via what's going to eventually be the filter house. The Concreting Crew then got stuck into some well deserved bacon & sausage butties along with a well earned cuppa. By 12.00 midday the pond base was complete & levelled, the bacon & sausage butties annihilated and the Concreting Crew all heading home .... to collapse probably.

Base Camp Reached

 A massive thank you to the members of the East Yorkshire Koi Society that gave up their own time to come and help us complete this part of our new pond build project. Their help was invaluable and resulted in a daunting task made easy through their efforts.

Now for the role of honour:-

• Chrissie - For sweet talking the driver and bribing him with coffee and bacon butties, plus feeding and watering all the other hungry & thirsty faces after all their hard work!

• EYKS Members - Mike, Roger, Richard and Roy (the Concreting Crew) for their sheer hard work in getting the concrete from truck to in hole (and eyes don't forget) in such a small time frame and with very little spillage - simply awesome!

• Grandad - The senior member of the Concreting Crew!

• Keiran (our son) - For helping Chrissie bribe the driver - with his sweets.

• Wifey - For helping out with absolutely everything!

The Concreting Crew

One Step Closer

After the escapades of suicidal cement mixers, unforgiving glues, JCB GSD's and not forgetting uncooperative bottom drains, it was good to take a little breather for a day or so before embarking on the next episode of the new pond build.

Back to it again last night and after checking the bottom drain to ensure it was level still (it was) and that it was securely encased in concrete (check!) it was time to install the steel mesh which was supported 4" off the base of the pond with a number of bricks. We then added a number of stakes around the area set 20cm above the ground which we can then use to level the 4.2 cubic metres of cement when it's delivered on Saturday.


After the hassle of last Saturday it's good to feel optimistic about the project again and to know that we're one step closer to achieving our goal. We're now just hoping and keeping fingers crossed etc that our luck with the weather that we've experienced so far will hold out for us.

Testing Times

Today really has been a testing time in the Crazy World of Koi.

I started digging out one of the pond corners to square it off at about 09.30. I'd not been digging long before i needed to take a bit of a breather, not just because i'm so unfit but because it was so "muggy". As the morning wore on it became more and more humid and the going was getting tougher. I really don't like this sort of weather and under normal circumstances would be wishing for a thunder storm to clear the air. Today however was different as we'd planned to install the bottom drain, therefore a downpour was the last thing we needed.

Lunchtime arrived ..... and so did the rain! Fortunately it was only a shower and by the time we'd finished our sandwiches & crisps the rain had almost stopped. We'd already glued the majority of pipework in place for the bottom drain along with the air feed pipework which had been given time to go off while we had lunch. Not that it needed this length of time in these conditions. In fact we'd actually struggled to push things in place the glue or cement was going off that fast.

Up to this point things had gone reasonably well for us, apart from the manic assembling due to the glue going off so fast in the "muggy" conditions. However it's quite amazing how a couple of little things can soon turn you into an ogre!

A base for the bottom drain was duly prepared by digging a hole and filled with around 6 inch of concrete. We then positioned the bottom drain in place ready for the next mix to concrete it in place. The mix was looking good and we were just about to transfer it to the barrow when the cement mixer fell over. Concrete spewed everywhere and the mixer convulsed on the floor until i managed to pull the plug form the extension lead. Concrete was quickly picked up and transferred to the barrow whilst the rest that miraculously remained in the mixer was also transferred.

To add insult to injury (although no person was actually injured, the cement mixer was diagnosed terminally ill after a severe fracture and is currently awaiting transport to its final resting place ..... the skip!), the bottom drain then decided that it didn't want to sit level for us and insisted on leaning over towards the side where the air pipe sat. Even after trying to prop the air feed pipe with some bricks, the bottom drain still decided it preferred to lean over. Now we've done a fair bit of concreting in our time, in fact my cement mixes have become the stuff of legends (or nightmares when you're trying to get them back out or broken up) so levelling a bottom drain shouldn't have been too much of a problem.

However it was being as stubborn as a teenager (or a 3 year old if ours is anything to go by) and refused to do as it was told. Reasoning, persuasion, bribery and threats were all tried to no avail, until after numerous attempts to get it to see things our way we finally had a break through. A further mix of cement was called for which was duly mixed by hand (thanks to the suicidal mixer) and placed around the bottom drain to secure it, as well as further down the pipework. A further mix would also be required to secure the pipework at the elbow, however it was decided to complete this another time after the cement around the drain had gone off, so as not to cause upheaval again!

What with the heat & humidity, the suicidal mixer, an un-cooperative bottom drain plus the additional holes that our German Shepherd Dog had decided to add to the build, today really has been one of those days! For the first time at the end of a days work, i saw a mess of a garden instead of a potential Koi pond. However i know that after a nice shower and a bottle (or two) of cider, i'll have a different perspective on things again!