EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS


Historic tranquility shared by King’s School and visitors to the cathedral


All that matters is that I am happy with the end


”


result. I like to think that I don’t need to micro manage each and every professional task


What’s in the shed? Toro Reelmaster 6700D Toro Reelmaster 2300D Kubota 5040 tractor Kioti GX05 tractor Auto-Roller


John Deere X950 cut and collect rotary Charterhouse Easy-Spread 1500 SISIS Variseeder SISIS Multitiner SISIS Litamisa


John Deere 855D Utility Vehicle Allett Buffalo 34 pedestrian mowers x 2 Toro 1000 pedestrian mower Club Car utility vehicles x 2 Ransomes Marquis 61 pedestrian mower Allett Tournament pedestrian mower Lloyds Paladin pedestrian mower SISIS Tigerake


Billy Goat vacuums x 4 Vicon tractor-mounted spreader Wessex roller mower


Selection of Honda rotary mowers - with and without rear rollers


Selection of brushcutters and hedgecutters - long reach and standard


94 PC February/March 2020


Tradescant House, built in 1848 and named after John Tradescant, a former pupil whose father was gardener at St Augustine's


Autumn Term rugby at Birley’s


“My intention is to carry out vigorous scarifying during the coming Easter holidays to rid the surface of thatch and, with any luck, the unsightly worm action.” After the exceedingly wet autumn and


winter, Neil’s immediate plan at Birley’s was simply to get the pitches neatly cut and marked, and see that they were always fit for purpose and ready for play. There would be no aeration for six to eight weeks into the New Year.


“Pitches at Birley’s are always playable and cancellation almost never happens. They are not precious: they are there to do a job,” he said.


Neil already has an excellent working relationship with Richard Singfield, the school’s Director of Sport, who believes it is essential to provide students with the highest level of facilities possible. “Students work hard and deserve to let off steam on the pitch. They are entitled to ‘cut them up’. We’re here to deal with all that,” said Neil. He’s clearly anything but a grumpy groundsman.


“I have in my mind’s eye what I want to


achieve here,” he said. “I do still like to get out and do some mowing, but it’s the overall planning and problem solving that brought me here.” Trust is a big factor in the way Neil runs his team. He encourages his groundsmen to cut in whatever pattern they wish. He believes very much in the value of changing how a pitch looks when cut. His long-term project at Birley’s is to improve the grass pitches, but in the short term he will concentrate on sharpening up presentation. “All that matters is that I am happy with the end result. I like to think that I don’t need to micro manage each and every professional task.”


There’s a wonderful past at King’s Canterbury and, for Neil, his team and the delightful grounds, a very positive future too.


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