EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS


would love to have an all-singing, all- dancing seed and fertiliser programme in place, but that isn’t top of the priority list. I’d like to establish continuity before then.” “We would like to expand the practice of verti-draining to the main winter pitches and the main cricket outfield. As the dynamics and requirements of the school change, we’d like to invest in our own machine, which will enable us to be more flexible and ultimately self-sufficient.”


“The soil profile here is a mixture. From my college days, I’d say it’s almost like a glacial till. It’s an amalgamation of sand, silt and clay all churned together, so it doesn't have a uniform soil structure. There is definitely compaction in certain areas, but the natural slope helps relieve excess water from the site.”


“The site has quirky characteristics and, if you adopted our working practices at a less agreeable site, then you could be in real trouble. When we experienced the drought conditions this summer, you could see everything starting to brown, moving slowly, as the weeks progressed, from the top of


The site has quirky characteristics and, if you adopted our working practices at a less


”


agreeable site, then you could be in real trouble


52 PC October/November 2018


the field to the bottom. The effect of the drought was reduced by the fact that we’d had a very wet spring. It shows that the soil can retain the moisture, so that was a big positive. In sandier soils, the impact of the drought would have been far greater.” “This year, we had excessive cold, wet weather in the spring, which meant that, even if we could have worked on the cricket squares for pre-season preparation, we couldn’t physically get to them with the machinery because the ground was too soft. However, a week later, with drying easterly winds, we could reach the squares but the surface was too dry to carry out successful rolling. It’s a constant battle.” It’s clear from the early conversation as we travelled around the site that Steve came to the school not only for the challenge but also for the potential. In his younger years, he played at Cromer Lawn Tennis and Squash Club in Norfolk, and it was there that his initial love for tennis started, as a five- year-old. The club was the place that would shape his career. He began to help the groundsman during the first year of his


GCSEs, and that sparked his interest in the trade. He continued to assist during holidays, up to the end of his Environmental Policy degree which he completed at Gloucester University.


The methodical approach of renovation captured his imagination, as Steve puts it, “constructively destroying the turf surface, and having faith that nature would take its course”. After university, Steve took on some middle management jobs outside of turfcare. He welcomed the opportunity to return to Cromer to take on the role of groundsman at the club, where he completed his NVQs in turf. After two years, he joined Collier Turf Care as a technical sales rep. During his five years at Colliers, he gained confidence and knowledge of the industry, becoming a FACTS and BASIS-qualified advisor. When the position of Grounds Manager at the School was advertised, Steve felt it was time to apply these skills in a new environment, and ultimately make changes for the good. This has involved embarking on environmental projects that benefit flora and fauna across the site.


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