One Big Crane

One big crane.

Over the course of the bank holiday weekend where I work at Diamond Light Source a huge crane appeared to remove and replace some air blast coolers. The crane was needed to span the building which is round and to be able to span the lift area. It arrived on Friday and work began assembling the crane. By the time I went home around lunchtime it had changed considerably so I decided to pop back for some photo’s later only to find the crane in the final stages of assembly. I would come back in the morning but plans usually go astray and I went off with my wife to Newbury forgetting about the crane but passed one of the coolers being taken away on a truck.  I remembered on the way back, not hard as it towered above Diamond so after going home and a quick cuppa I went back and got a few photos of the crane at work. I wanted to ask if I could get some of the crane from the work area but the guys left and seem to go off to lunch. I think they had hit a problem as the crane was dismantled the next day and left. Here are some of the photos of the crane I took.

The Air Blast Coolers to be removed.

The Crane

The load spreaders.

Crane head on

The legs on the spreaders

A second crane

 At this point it got interesting with a second crane lifting sections onto the end of the first crane.

Lifting on the sections

Taking shape

Getting longer

 At this point I wondered how it would lift all that lot off the deck.

Disappearing away

Going on for ever.

The end of the crane.

 I left at this point to come back the next day

Now thats a crane

One bit of the crane

The whole thing

 

Lunch time

Thats it for now.

The next day the crane was dismantled and will return at a later date

Newbury Parkway

This story starts a few years ago now when I went to Newbury with my wife shopping. We always used to park along Park Way and you could not help notice the vast areas which were left derelict and car parks built on them at the back of the shops along Northbrook street.
Then one day there was an Archaeological at the back of M&S, they found some cellars there dating back to Victorian times and before. Not long after machines appeared and demolished the remaining buildings nearby, I had my camera and so started the recording of the work that went it was Dec 2008.

This was taken from near Camp Hopson which was a place I visited regular to get a photo from the window and they always obliged.

It was only a few weeks later you saw the piling machines drilling the holes.

In may the site and a big wooden fence round the outside so it was not so easy to get photo's, but I realized that Camp Hopsons furniture department had a great view.

And I miked it for all it was worth but I did open the windows to get the shots holding on to my camera like grim death.
This photo in late Aug 2009 shows steelwork and concrete stare wells going up you might also note one of the buildings in the first photo has gone.

When I got back in October a huge hole had been dug in the center of the site, this was to be the car park two story's deep.

Feb 2010 and the steel for one of the department stores was up, this I found out was to be Debenhams.

June 2010 and the center was a hive of activity with tons of concrete being poured.

September and this is to be my last clear view down the site

Debenhams is taking shape as are the rest of the building along the road.

October and my view along the site from Camp Hopson had gone.

This was going to be the Penthouse over looking the park, and the glass was in Debenhams.

February 2011 and the apartment block was  taking shape

 June it was covered in scaffold.

By August Costain had noticed my  on Geograph and invited me on site for a tour.

So here is a view from the roof of the Penthouse Suite, pretty neat view I think.

The 21st October and the retail part of the development opened, this photo is around where the first one was taken, the site had been built in two years though there was still work to be done.

This is how the same place is now, the building in the foreground is John Lewis and you can see the penthouse above. The crane has gone of course. If you want to read a more in depth article then go to the link Park-Way-Development

The Sulham Valley Part 2

 After walking the first half of the valley I managed to enlist the help of Tony Honeyman who has a whole wealth of knowledge on the stoplines.


  The start point was Sulham Church that overlooks the first pillbox which is a Type 28 twin which is sat in the middle of a field

 A footpath runs past it and while you walk along it look to the right and you will see another which we met on the way back. The pillbox can be got to by walking over the field and when we visited it was in good condition though both embrasures were blocked at least the entrance was not.

  From here Tony started looking for another and took me to the corner of the field where the outline of a second box could be made out. This could have been demolished but then most likely it was never built.

Looking further up Nunhide lane you can see the next pillbox which is along a footpath but you need to go along the lane first where you come to some bends. Look to the right and you can see a Type 28 Twin which has been buried least the entrance has the two embrasure can be seen though all of them are blocked apart from the vent.

Walk on and to the right you see a footpath to Malpas that will take you to a Type 22. It’s in good condition apart from the graffiti some kids think is great to do. 

   Back to the lane now and double back to a footpath leading up into Sulham Woods, once in there turn right and stay near to the edge of the woods but watch out for holes in the ground there are some you can fall in. Eventually you will come across a Type 28 Twin.

 At first it looks ok but the you notice  the holes in the side and the roof.
 

We left there and followed the field boundary down to another Type 28 Twin which though blocked was in reasonable condition.

Back to the land and looking left we saw another Type  22 but would visit later.

We then walked on past the farm and took the footpath where over to the right you can see a copse of brambles and a couple of Type 28A’s which again are back to back.

 Getting in is a task though as it was winter was possible. They were in reasonable condition apart from rubbish.

Now it was off towards Pincents Farm (Hotel now) where another Type 28 Twin looks down on you, it’s another blocked up but with a door on in this case and locked to boot

but walk on from there towards Theale and not far away and not far away is the mate stuck in more brambles but at least the embrasures were open. The only way to get in was through one as the back and side was all brambles. The pillbox looked ok at first but on closer inspection there was crack round the roof and damage to the embrasures.

  There were more pillboxes nearby but these have been demolished though if you get up to the M4 roundabout there is a Type 28 twin in a field I have yet to Visit, it’s mate was demolished to make way for the M4,

 we headed back to the lane where we spotted another Type 28 Twin base.

We dithered in the area a while looking for a second pillbox but nothing could be seen so it was off along Nunhide lane to pick up the Type 22, another is reasonable
condition apart from graffiti but a bonus was a company insignia painted on the entrance.

 Leaving this one and heading back to the footpath to Malpas  and take it past the Type 22 which if you look has the same insignia on as the last.  I suspect the pillbox covered the bridge that may have crossed the ditch here in the war.

Carry on the footpath and turn right at the next one and follow the footpath till  You pass the pillbox you noticed when you started out inside you should be able to see some furniture and an old sleeping bag.

 Crossing the field till the stream you should see some rails marking the end of the ditch.

  A little way along the stream is a Type 28 twin with the entrance to the stream. I think it would have had a bridge to cross to gain entrance. The pillbox is completely blocked though you can see inside though the small loopholes.

  From here you can head to the road but if you look to the left corner of the field and head there you will see a set of Dragons teeth and if you look back the way you came you can make out the filled in ditch

  also if you look across the road in the hedge are a couple of road blocks.













  Now walk off towards Tadley and soon you should see the last for this part a Type 28 Twin in a paddock under a tree.  We never bothered visiting as it you could see it had been used for storage though I’m sure it would be possible to visit if you asked permission.

 Before we headed off to the car we stopped to look over a gate at some large cylinder roadblocks.

 That completed the second trip and it was not until a few weeks later that I went back to Pangbourne to pick up what I consider the first Type 28 Twin which faced the Thames I still have yet to go back for the last. To read a more in depth article look at Geograph