Yay! The marquee has gone . . . . . . . . However......
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Well we always knew there would be some grass to repair, but the rain preceeding & during the marquee take down ensured there would be plenty of repair work to do to put our lawn in order. It must be said of course, that the marquee did enable a number of very successful events to take place, & following the last item being removed from the lawn the weather has taken a turn for the better, & the repair work is now well advanced. Rolling, scarifying, airating, & some overseeding has been completed as of yesterday, so with some more kind weather (please?!) I'm hopeful of a green covering before too long.  This post has been a bit of a work log really, mostly just to mark the effort that has (thus far) gone into repairing the West Lawn. The marquee, whilst being quite extensive; was very impressive none the less; the view from the marquee decking towards Compton Verney mansion & lake was striking to say the least. If I could offer any advice to grounds professionals who are having to deal with the effects of longer term marquees on lawn areas; then I'd suggest avoiding the wetter start/end of season times for build up/take down. The greatest damage is often caused by the vehicles that are used to collect the panelling, weights & structure; especially when used on wet ground. Anyway, thats enough moaning for one post, but to finish up, I'll just mention a tad more about another machine which I've used to repair other lawn areas at Compton Verney. Hired from PA Turney, the 'Amazone', was a tractor mounted scarifier, & was used to rake out a great deal of thatch build up from the front & rear lawns around the mansion. Ran from the comfort of an air conditioned tractor cab, the machine effectively worked through the damp grass, collecting as it went. It was my first time using such a machine, made much easier after a thorough operation run-through by Robert from PA Turney, who were very accommodating in their loan of the equipment. I can say that it took some delicate handling, mostly due to none familiarity & a concern not to break such a new & smart piece of equipment, but I soon had the measure of it ;-) I'm looking forward to seeing the enhanced spring 2011 grass growth! |
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Update, January 2011: The repairs were all made to the lawn surface, & I'm happy to report the area is greening up once again. The tough weather conditions in December slowed growth somewhat, not to mention a wayward (polite description) contractor who thought it a good idea to drive straight through the repairing area, but all is looking good. New year, new marquee location thankfully!
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