Hoops and Ridge Pole

Saturday (Day 7 - I checked ;)), we got the first 4 foundation tubes in. Sunday, we were rained off - not just the odd spot, but heavy rain that would have meant the foundation holes filling up with water, as well as making us cold, wet and miserable.. So I spent the day in the kitchen and did some baking.

Monday dawned bright and fair, so it was game-on again! Some good friends came over from Chester to help us out for the day, and once they arrived we got lots done. I got there early, and marked out the positions of the remaining foundation tubes, and dug the first 3 holes. Top tip for digging the holes - it's a lot easier to get the soil out of the holes using a long-handled shovel (the sort that you might move coal or something with) rather than a spade, as the angled head and high sides mean that soil stays on it rather than falling off before you get it out! When Mr Wix and Mark & Janet arrived, they set to digging the other 3 holes while I put the kettle on.

With all the foundation tubes in, and level, it was time to put the hoops together. This is a lot quicker than you think, and is a real boost when you're feeling weary and/or frustrated - getting those hoops up instantly shows what you're aiming for...

Looks good doesn't it?

Another enforced break at this point, as Mr Wix had to go back home and get the ridge pole, crop bars, door rails and corner stabilisers, and the step ladder. Good excuse to have a brew and some cake though... *grin*

Once he returned with the required parts, we started battling with the dreaded Q-clips... These are the means of fixing the door-rails, crop-bars and corner stabilisers to the hoops, and have to be prised open, pushed onto the hoops and then pressed closed again in order for the necessary bolts to go through them. It took ages to get them all on, and we cursed than no-one had thought to just slide the correct number of them onto the hoops before fixing them in place... Ah well, you lives an' you learns, eh?

The fellas set to attaching the door rails and crop-bars (being a short-arse, I wasn't much use with that bit) whilst Janet and I fitted the corner stabiliser bars. By the end of the afternoon, we had this:

 Doesn't it look brilliant?

We were all pretty exhausted by this point, with arms aching from holding things up and drilling/screwing/fixing things above head height etc. So we called it a day, and went home for Cornish (-style) pasties that I made earlier. 

Next will be door-frames and timber base-rails. But having been rained off again on Tuesday, and Mr Wix being back at work today, means it will be Friday before we get any more done...