Schools & Colleges
One of Chris Edwards’ recent blogs ...
Main cricket square
I DOUBT the Head of Eton received “Holy Cow! It’s The Wurzles Christmas Album” as a seasonal gift from one of the parental body. You will recall that “The Wurzles” was deemed second best answer to a recent quiz held on the blog, and the runner up is clearly trying to persuade me that the artistic output of these cider drenched warblers is superior to that of the winning answer - the Hallé Orchestra. I’ve played the album and I think it fair to say I’ll never be the same again. That men can make such music such as this is indeed remarkable. Thank you.
• Just before Christmas there was a quiet celebration in a dark hut. Me and a crowd of hunky dudes. We raised our plastic cups and sipped the warm fizz with some satisfaction. The builders were handing over four of the five new buildings to the School. Now because of the landscaping works (and I’m not talking a few daisies here .. think Great Wall of China), the South end of the campus still looks like the set of War of the Worlds, but amidst the mud and din we have a useable Mary Windsor and Sports Arena. My thanks to the Scary Ladies for ensuring the builders remained cowed and frightened throughout the process.
• Oxbridge results are still coming in but already I’ve had some dreadful news. For many years I have successfully avoided sending a pupil to my old Oxford college on the grounds that if they went and found out what I’d been up to, I’d have to resign and live on top of a pillar for the rest of my life. Well, one of our pupils sneaked under the radar and has gone and got themselves a place there. A quarter of a century has passed since I left. Is it enough I wonder? Anyway, I’ve packed a trunk and a false moustache just in case.
• Ignore Robert Peston. The recession is over. How do I know? Well, when I arrived at Bromsgrove I got a fair few letters (usually from people whose children had been refused entry) that began “If I ran my business like you run your School” and proceeded to make clear that Bromsgrove and I were as dysfunctional as News International. Since 2008 I haven’t received much in the way of swaggering contempt as I suspect even the Shining Ones have been subdued by recent economic woes. Imagine my delight, then, when on opening the New Year mail I find a letter beginning “If I ran my business like you run your School....”. Good times can’t be far away. Happy New Year.
Roger Anslow 88 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012
mowing and tractor work, including maintaining the artificial pitches. Simon Macaulay looks after all seven cricket squares. Roger Anslow is based at the Prep-School grounds, Scott Devereux and Matt Stoneystreet carry out general grounds duties, assisting with cricket during the summer, and undertaking most of the linemarking duties using laser guided spray jet marking machines. Tim Stephens is the dedicated mechanic, but also helps out on the grounds when required. All other duties are shared around. During term time each groundsman will work a Saturday rota. “During the summer term we need two groundsmen in on the weekend, due to the amount of cricket being played,” says Eric. “We also ask our staff not to take their holidays during the summer term time. It’s not ideal, I know, but at such a busy time, losing one member for two weeks has a huge impact. Importantly, the team accept the situation.”
Ashley Cooke, Trevor Sayers and
Trevor Graham are the school’s gardeners, looking after all the formal landscape beds and borders and the extensive lawned areas.
Specialist work is contracted out; tree and hedge works, and sports pitch work such as vertidraining, topdressing, overseeding etc. Eric also hires in specialist equipment as required. For example, rather than having their own cricket rollers, he hires in two every year for the cricket season.
“Over the years, I have invested in new and secondhand machinery to help make us more efficient as a team. Our list of equipment includes a Ransomes 305 5-gang fairway mower, a Ransomes Parkway triple mower, five Kubota G21 ride-on rotary mowers, a Hayter Harrier pedestrian rotary mower, a Groundsman aerator, Amazone flail mower, Agar rotary mower, three Massey Ferguson 550 tractors, a Kubota RTV utility vehicle and a spring tined harrow. We’ve also got a V brush for use on the astro pitches, and dedicated cricket mowers - a Lloyds Paladin 18”, Ransomes Super Bowl 21”, Ransomes Mastiff 36” ride-on mower - along with a Sisis AutoRake. It’s a far cry from 1981, and the improvements are there for all to see,” says Eric. “We cut the winter sports pitches on a weekly basis and keep them between 50- 70mm. The cricket outfields are also cut weekly but, on occasions, can be cut twice depending on growth. We keep the outfields at around 30mm. We tend to use the Ransomes models for cricket and hockey and the Kubota G21 ride-on rotaries for the winter sports pitches.” The school year is divided into three terms, Lent (January- March) - when the grass pitches are set up for rugby and football; Summer (April - July) - when the school focuses on cricket, tennis, athletics and rounders; and Michaelmas (September - December) - which is predominantly set up for rugby. Between Michaelmas and Lent a quick
turnaround of pitches is required so, over the Christmas ‘break’, Eric and his staff were changing some of the rugby pitches across to football. Cricket provides Eric with his biggest challenge though, with over seventy fixtures to accommodate. As you might imagine, he is already planning his fixture programme.
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