Hi, everyone

I had a few days off at the beginning of last week and ran out of time to update the portal, so this week's update covers the last fortnight.

It's unbelievable how much the landscape changes in the space of two weeks. Wall construction in the Rapid Gravity Filters area has continued apace. The temporary access ramp at the south-west extremity has been removed to allow construction of the last section of the base slab.

In the Actiflo Building at the north end of the site, pipework installation continued and structural steelwork erection commenced at the beginning of this week. This task has progressed rapidly with the main erection work due for completion by the weekend. (See photos).

In a meeting earlier in the week, in a stuffy cabin reminiscent of a hot box in the desert, when Health and Safety was being discussed, one of our colleagues mentioned a well-known behavioural trait known as "Alpha-state". When quizzed as to the EXACT meaning of this term (for the ones who are behind in Behavioural Safety jargon), we were enlightened that it referred to " basically operating on autopilot". When a question was aimed at me I had to ask for a repetition of the enquiry as I'd slipped into a Beta state. Asked what emotional condition this referred to, I had to admit that I was "basically asleep". It got me reminiscing back to my recent break in Barcelona, where I'm sure I probably went through the full Greek alphabet of states. All except for Omega state, as I assume by the time this is achieved it's too late for anything except the formaldehyde injection.

Have a great gamma weekend.

Geoff

Hi, everyone

Despite the miserable weather suffered throughout the week, work progressed well again. Wall construction continued to the RGF area to the south end of the site, with concrete placement and reinforcement fixing.

Construction of the edge ground beam commenced with the first section to the north west corner of the Actiflo building completed today, Friday.

Foundation work to the Chemical Building at the north west side of the Actiflo Building commenced with steelfixing and formwork erection.

The glamour boys (mechanical fitters) are back on site and have started the installation of pipework in the Actiflo Gallery.

We seem to have hit a period of "slow news" and together with the fact that all on site have stopped telling me of their latest adventures lest I forward the tales on this page, I have no anecdotal pleasantries to offer this week. I'm off for a short break for the first half of next week, so I'm sure I'll have stories of glee and woe in equal measure next week.

Have a good weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

I gather that once again there appeared to be some glitch in the publication of last week's update and that some people may not have received it until yesyerday. Apologies for that but it appears to be a system rather than an operator (me) failure.

Work has again continued apace with good progress on all areas. Backfilling around the Actiflo area continued followed by the commencement of the insytallation of electrical ducts from the MCC control building into the Actiflo streams. In the same area at the north end of the site work continued to formwork erection to the Flowmeter chamber.

In the Rapid Gravity Filters area work continued to construct the base slab to the western filters. Steelfixing and formwork tasks were completed on Thursday and concrete placed to the slab today, Friday. Steelfixing and formwork erection continued to walls in the eastern filters. See photos attached.

One of our colleagues returned to work this week after his paternity leave. Many congratulations to him and his partner on the birth of their graceful new daughter.

Have a good weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

the IT problem with updates appears to have disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared. Due to the gap since the last update you will notice a difference in the landscape since the last updated photos.

Work has progressed well on the walls to the east side of the Rapid Gravity Filters (see photos). Concrete has been placed to the Flowmeter chamber at the north-east corner of the site, which has allowed continuation of pipelaying into the chamber wall sections (see photos). Backfilling around the Actiflo building continued and the vista has changed dramatically. (Another few weeks and you won't know there are some underground tanks in there). (Photos attached).

Have a great weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

Work continued apace again this week with good progress being made. At the extreme north-east corner of the site work commenced on the installation of the base slab of the MCC (Motor Control Centre). This part of the construction will contain the equipment which will power and control the treatment of water through the Actiflo process (chemical injections, clarification of raw water and removal of suspended solids). Photo attached.

At the south end of the site the north-west base slab to the Rapid Gravity Filters was extended, with concrete placed today, Friday. (Photo attached)

Mechanical installation commenced in earnest with constuction of scraper blades/ drive motors and baffle plates. Photos attached.

Work continued to underground pipe installation to the inlets to the Actiflo building and continued with excavation for a flowmeter chamber, which will house equipment capable of measuring flows into the Works.

A flight over the site was undertaken by a drone on Wednesday to record progress.

Some members of staff are to attend a talk by a couple at The Hearth Centre in Horsley Village next Thursday (18 May) evening. The talk is on locally-born Landscape Architect Capability Brown. We hope to meet any local NWL customers who might have any queries regarding the WTW Upgrade scheme.

Have an enjoyable weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

I've been having some trouble today trying to update the blog so you may have seen a post that was a copy of last week's account. Hopefully I've short-circuited the problem until I can speak with somebody who's more system savvy than me and will be able to iron out the problems I'm encountering next week.

Anyway, it has again been a productive week on site with work continuing to all active areas of the scheme. Wall construction continued to the Rapid Gravity Filters section of the site with fixing of reinforcement and formwork erection. At the north end of the site the MCC base slab was concreted, and formwork erection and steelfixing followed closely behind. Pipelaying continued to the inlet pipes upstream of the Actiflo Building. See progress photos attached.

Mike Foster, the NWG Project Manger, and I attended an enjoyable evening yesterday at The Hearth in Horsley village. We were treated to a very informative talk about locally-born landscape supremo Lancelot "Capabilty" Brown. The talk centred around his birthplace of Kirkharle and, specifically, the upgrade works carried out by Kirkharle Hall's current owner. The work has involved landscaping in a Brown style to provide some new lakes, footpaths and wildflower meadow areas surounding the lakes. It looks like a very nice place to visit when the weather's behaving. The visit also gave us the opportunity to talk to some of the local residents, and to update them on the progress on site to date. I'd like to pass on our thanks to the trustees of The Hearth for making us welcome and to all those with whom we chatted. The general consensus was that everyone is happy with the way that work is progressing.

I started wondering if my internet problems of earlier today had anything to do with the cyber-attack which has so badly affected the NHS. There was a time when cyber attacks were events that only caused problems for Doctor Who (William Hartnell). At that time I basked in the comfort that rickets was no longer a real threat any more, and Trolls were merely antisocial, quarrelsome and slow-witted creatures who attacked and ate goats. After witnessing a Friday morning's brunch in the site office I've realised that I'm working alongside some present-day Trolls.

Enjoy your weekend.

Geoff

Hi, everyone

The much-improved weather has allowed us to hit a canter and good progress has been made again on another short week. Work continued to stripping of formwork to soffits (underside of suspended slabs) in the Actiflo area. Concrete was placed to the benching in the Lamella cells of the Actiflo building and shaped to suit the scraper blades which are to be installed in the near future.

Pipework installation commenced in the Rapid Gravity Filters area at the south end of the site. This was quickly followed by the installation of pre-cast concrete planks to form the "roof" of the Run-to-Waste channel.

Work continued to the inlet pipework installation below ground at the north end of the Actiflo area. Backfilling to this area also continued.

Mechanical installation work is to be stepped up from Monday, 8 May, 2017 so things will change visbly over the next few weeks.

A member of the upper echelons of the NWL staff at Horsley visited the Beamish Festival of Transport a couple of weeks ago. As the weather was clement on the day he took the opportunity to take his dog for a walk to the Festival. As he enthused over steam traction engines he didn't notice said best friend sneak off, only to return with a cooked chicken leg clamped tightly in his growlers. The fowl limb had been acquired from another enthusiast in the midst of trying to enjoy his picnic lunch. A hasty retreat was beaten by both owner and dog, dodging between steam locomtives, as a bearded colossus of a man sought to mete out retribution on the starving beast's owner. The hapless pair squeezed through a gap in the boundary fence which was thinner than the narrow gauge lines they'd come to inspect. The "master's" propensity for thrift had punished him badly this time. Next time buy the dog a snack on the way there, Alan, please. At least the dog saw the amusing side after the near miss. (see photo).

Have a nice weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

A full 5-day week under our belts. We've become unaccustomed to that, and the lateEeaster this year has brought us swiftly to another Bank Holiday weekend. What's all that about?

We've started pipelaying activity to the inlet lines to the Actiflo building (photo of the first one attached). The final concrete pour to the high level slabs in the Actiflo building was carried out on Wednesday. Stripping of formwork in the Actiflo building has continued all week. This has now allowed access into the internal cells of the building which have been hidden for a few months (see photo attached).

Steelfixing and shuttering work continued to the slabs/walls to the Rapid Gravity Filters area.

We intend sending out a newsletter to the residents of the area to update them on progress and future plans toward the end of next week.

You might see a drone circling the Works area one day next week (weather permitting). This is to provide an aerial view of progress to date and will be published at a later date.

May Day is officially the first day of summer, so you can bet your shirt that's it's going to rain on Monday. Apparently it's been celebrated for over 2000 years. I'm working with a bloke here who's seen the majority of those celebrations. I'm not sure whether, on Monday, to dance round the Maypole, or leave May baskets on neighbours' doorsteps. These are both traditions that have become entrenched in our culture, however the latter would probably earn me at best much ridicule or at worst arrest for trespass (maybe if I was a bit more fleet of foot I could get away with the tradition of knocking on the door before sprinting homewards - that wouldn't look very suspicious now, would it?).

However you celebrate it, enjoy!

Geoff

Hi everyone

Two short weeks under our belts and another one coming up soon. It's like part-time working!

Work continued after the Easter break to the Rapid Gravity Filters area at the south end of the site and to the high level slabs in the Lamella area. Concrete was placed to the RGF walls and to the Lamella slabs today (Friday). Backfilling and compaction continued to the exterior of the Actiflo structure. See photos attached.

The wind continued to blow over the last few days, but with the milder conditions overall the only consequence was that we've had to wash our eyelids more frequently.

A couple of colleagues tried to convince me today that I'd love a cruise. While I'm sure that it's a very enjoyable holiday choice for millions of people worldwide, I know that it never was, is not and never will be an option for me. Although I was born in that seafaring capital called North Shields, from a tender age my route to the south side of the river was on foot through the Tyne pedestrian tunnel, at Willington Quay, after my sea-sick maiden voyage on The Freda Cunningham (ferry). The codling and sprats couldn't believe their luck for the fifteen minute feast provided by me (normally it's ten minutes but the skipper left it in second gear for the entertainment of the rest of the passengers who were putting in some practice for future cruises).

The Tyne pedestrian and cycle tunnels were opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain. At that time they contained the highest vertical rise escalators in the world. The escalators are still the longest working wooden escalators in the world. I can remember many trips through there in my youth on foot and on my bike. They're being refurbished at this time but I'd recommend a walk or cycle ride through there to everyone when they re-open. I also attended the opening of the Tyne Road tunnel. The Queen came up the same day. Strange coincidence that.

Have a good weekend.

Geoff

Hi everyone,

good progress again this week. Concrete was placed to the walls and mass fill to the central area of the Rapid Gravity Filter gallery at the south end of the site. Steelfixing continued to the coping level slabs in the Actiflo building at the north end of the site. Stone backfilling to the external faces of the Actiflo walls continued, with compaction and testing following on close behind.

One of our colleagues was cycling back to his temporary accommodation in Swalwell the other night and was struck by a car at the roundabout at Blaydon. Fortunately he's a dab hand at cycle handling and managed to accelerate enough so that the car only took out (wrote off) his rear wheel. His helmet was irreparably damaged by his crashlanding , however, and he sustained only scratches and bruising, fortunately. I bet he's stiff today. If any of you are going out on your bikes over the Easter weekend please make sure to wear the right equipment to make yourselves visible and for your own protection. We should not have to contemplate more than one death at Easter. Remember, though, that accidents on cycles involving cars only constitute 11% of all cycling mishaps.

Take care! Have a safe, Happy Easter. Not too much chocolate, now!

Geoff