Heights and Depths

[Richard Coombs]

Hello fellow woodworkers ...
Im finally back home after yonks of "Mongrels 2 " filming , and have headed straight back into the workshop.

My Summer Season at 'The Heights of Abraham" in Derbyshire starts on Monday 25th July and runs until Friday 3rd Sept . This year I am there every single day of that time , doing 3 shows a day - and for anyone planning a visit they are at 11-30 1-30 and 3-30 .

This will be my 6th consequetive Summer there , but this is the first year doing every day with no breaks .
So to make life a bit more comfy for myself ( and to house the extra puppets and some large props ) I am expanding the Depth of the wooden booth I leave up there all season .

Here it is last year , all closed up at the end of the day :



And here it is in my Garden Yesterday :

And at close of play today :

I plan to keep posting pictures all through the project , in the ,probably misguided , belief that it might be of interest to anyone other than me
It will probably occasion a fair bit of ridicule ...possibly only Mark Poulton will understand

Bye for now.

[Richard Coombs]

Replaced the pics with ones the right way up

[Richard Coombs]

Know how to "edit' but not how to Delete an unwanted entry ...so will put photos of 'building up' booth at heights in here to fill it

[CvdC]

Looks like your building some decking on which to relax between shows. I do hope you've contacted Kevin McCleod to film this latest build.

[Richard Coombs]

Had a good day yesterday , it doesnt look like a verandah anymore:


The old Back door is now a Side door :

Even got a roof frame made , and covered in Plywood :

[Chris]

Does it take a King size, Richard, or are you limited to a double bed?

[paulwheeler]

all you want now Richard is Sky Tv and you will be well away!!!! looking really good do like your booth.

[Richard Coombs]

Thanks for that Paul ; glad you like it !
Well all joking aside , you and Chris are both kind of right -
Heights of Abraham have fitted an outdoor ( waterproof garden type) electrical socket into the hedge right behind where I situate my booth. This is so that I can charge my microphone batteries and speaker unit between shows -- but the advantage wasn't lost on me that I can now also bring either my notebook computer or mobile DVD player , and watch stuff between shows.

And Yes , there is room , just , to lay out flat inside.
Also a padded , angled leaning board is planned and on the 'to build' list , to allow for a bit of shut-eye inbetween shows if required also.

Yesterday lots seemed to get done - but it was 'broad strokes' and easy stuff.

This is what I got done in the same amount of time today:



Three corner shelves , for storage obviously , but also to brace and strengthen the whole structure.
The Devil is certainly in the Detail , as the saying goes ; this was more fiddly and time consuming that yesterdays build.


Another benefit of Mains Power is being able to use a sewing machine in there too ..so shelf heights were worked out accordingly , and the main shelf is just big enough to be a snug but servicable workshop for sewing and painting puppets.

Time consuming , but worth it hopefully

If the weather holds good , I will face up the panels in Plywood tomorrow : a more straightforward task.

All the Best Richard

[CvdC]

Richard send the plans to Mark Poulton and then he could rent out the back of his booth as a holiday flat.

[Richard Coombs]

I realise that there are now some of you who simply would not be able to sleep without this daily update on the Booth Build
Middle of the day things looked like this :


And even as the daylight faded , I completed putting the ply on the last panel :




Plywood on , and edges sanded . All took much longer than expected ( but then I always seem to underestimate how much time work takes ) So have not drilled the holes though yet , thought thats a better morning job.

Then I can assemble it all again - to check that none of the Ply has affected the 'fit'.
Also I can mark out the stripes , before taking it apart again to paint.

-- Now you can all Sleep easy Richard

[Richard Coombs]

End of Play on Tuesday Things looked like this :


I added a rack to take my boxes that contain Painting Kit and Sewing kit .. a holder for my Desk Lamp , and a storage locker that can be padlocked.


Here is the view seen from through the Proscenium Opening :



Today the weather finally broke !
Been building for 7 days solid now and today was the first rain.
So lucky to have done it all when I did .

Even today was showers with plenty of sunshine to dry things out again in between.
The only really heavy downpour lasted about 12 minutes , which I spent inside the booth , enjoying the sound of the rain on the ply roof , and checking to see where water got in - Only one place and that was easily fixed.
Had it not rained , I would not have discovered the leak until the start of the Season - so its an 'Ill Wind that that Blows no Good ".

Today I strengthened around the door opening , put in the rebate , and did all the 'trim' :




The Heights of Abraham is a safe venue at night , by virtue of the fact that it is an extremely exhausting and uphill hike when the cable car stops running.
So unwanted visitors are rare.

I never leave anything stored in the Theatre at night anyhow.
So in all the years I have been there , the door has only 'locked' with window sash locks ( turning hex key ) .
But now the set up 'looks' more impressive , I figure it could get targeted should any local lads be mad enough to want to hike up the Hill in the dark to cause mischief , so I have fitted two Hasps for padlocks.




The only part now that needs any major work and Trim is the Roof piece.
This I will do in the morning when I dismantle the whole thing for Painting.
The next time it is all assembled will be up at The Heights of Abraham .

Night All

[Miraiker]

Richard
I just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying watching the building of your extension.
I've started lying awake at night wondering what will go on next.
A bit concerned about whether the sheer scale of it might require planning permission but I won't be the one to grass you up.
Loving it.
Thanks

[Chris]

How many journeys on the chair lift will be required to get the cathedral to the summit?

[martin@no10]

That's looking great Richard. If I attempted that it would be a shoogly construction........
I hope you don't get stung with Council Tax.......

Best Wishes,

Martin

[Richard Coombs]

LOL cheers everyone .
Hopefully no council tax.

No pictures today ..today rushed by in a blurr .
I am putting in my two 'old ladies' into the show this summer.
I did do them once at Covent garden ( it was the year I had the lazy tongs 'extension' on my regular booth to fit in all the extra bits of nonesence - like the "ladies" )

One is pushing a plaid shopping trolley : of the sort used by old ladies to carry shopping , and assist in walking at the same time ( she's the 'nice' one that likes Punch and Judy ) ..the other ( the 'miserable' one ) holds two carrier bags , and wants the Punch show stopped , and banned - guess which one gets a taste of the slpastick !

But the puppet with the trolley is a big thing , and needs a supported place to 'be' before and after she is used -- so this morning a made a tailored stand for her , that bolts onto one of the new shelves.
Also I trimmed up the roof as planned , and dismantled the new bits , and sanded the edges ( again) ready to paint ....and that seems to have devoured the day .

Should have taken photos , always worth a thousand words.
But the booth wont be fully assembled again at ground level , next time it is all bolted together will be 800 feet up the air atop of "heights'.

To answer your question Chris ...probably 12 cable car loads ( as the booth as it was journeyed up in about 6 cars )
But last year I braved the long and winding service road that H-O-A staff use .
My Little Dihatsu van makes it up there Ok ..my larger transit would probably get 'grounded ' in a couple of spots...so it will be two van trips .

Should be fun !