Patrick Davey

That's the fence bedded in, and a very speedy-growing tree has appeared above it!

Mr. Weaver had been asking his groundsmen to build a fence around his garden and eventually it was done. The garden is on a curve and a slope so they decided to build a series of individual panels which could easily follow the contour of the location. Starting point - coffee stirrers. Appropriate material for building something that will be in the ground...... Lots of planks Creating the panels by aligning the planks onto double sided tape before adding a spot of glue. Each panel had a post attached. Some completed panels before the posts were sharpened at the base. 19 panels were needed - here they have been braced and are ready for staining. The bracing would also be trimmed when everything was fully dry. Stained and installed - only a few to go. Fence installed. They needed a particular type of wood stain and the groundsmen asked Mr. Weaver if there was a B&Q in Lisburn - he told them that there was a B but definitely no Q. All's left will be to try and straighten up some of the uncooperative panels then blend the fence in with foliage etc.

Maybe slightly lesser quality but still invaluable! More gems, thanks Ernie for your continued uploads.

And a good number of smaller 'micro'-type layouts too. All amazing, whatever their size!

Great stuff Alan!

My good friend the late Bill Gillespie knew the loco well as his father Joseph was one of the Ballynahinch branch drivers before he sadly lost his life in WW2. Here are Bill's own words from the 'Remnants of the BCDR' page, hopefully John the owner of the page won't mind me copying them here: "I knew this loco well and was allowed to drive it occasionally on the Branch. About 1965 I saw it at H & W who were using it around the shipyard and I offered to buy it but it was later scrapped without reference to me. Sad - otherwise, it would now be on DCDR!"

Very excited for this one, watching with interest! As well as the one made by Denis Bates, I know of two other models of this loco: This was seen on the iconic 21mm 'Adavoyle Junction' layout made by the late Tony Miles, am not aware if Mr. Miles himself built it though. This one was built by professional model maker Johnny Prescott (not THAT one) in England, for Len Ball of Bangor, and Len kindly allowed me to run it on my Ballynahinch Junction layout (along with the 4-4-2t loco which Mr. Prescott also built) before it went on permanent display in Downpatrick: It's fairly accurate although the BCDR lettering is a bit basic.

Heartbreaking

A few more views from around the mill.

I was going to expand it and say that Dennis was in foul form himself after an incident at home when his wife ended up with a ladder in her tights.......

Ha very cultured!!!!

Thanks! A few bubbles in the resin but sure that can be frog spawn

New residents at the mill stream.

Fabulous thanks Airfixfan!

Oops my last post was No. 666 so this is to cancel that out......

Grumpy Mr. Weaver, glaring at the fire engine as it leaves......

Apologies, I couldn’t resist another bit of insanity….. It’s the annual fire safety inspection at Brookhall Mill this evening. The local fire chief, Dennis Wailer, does not look forward to this evening each year because he never gets much co-operation from Mr. Weaver, who hates anybody coming and poking their nose around his mill. Anyway that’s it over now for another year…..

Platform lamps installed at the mill this evening.

Lovely stuff! They should run very smoothly!

Such a fantastic layout - really love the updates!

After a hectic week involving unwelcome posters, a controversial family wedding and some misbehaving nuns, it’s all quiet at last this Friday evening at Brookhall Mill.

So the reverend ladies ended up staying the night at Brookhall Mill. Mr. Weaver gave them access to the guest suite on the top floor of the mil and ensured they were not disturbed. In the morning he arranged for Fr. Flax to lead a short service for the ladies then things went a bit haywire as two of the younger nuns went AWOL, as they couldn't resist exploring the delights that Brookhall had to offer. Mother Superior was rather perturbed by their absence as they needed to catch the train to Lisburn and travel on to Loreto College in Cavan.... Fr. Flax and Mother Superior deep in conversation outside the oratory. The disappearing nuns have found a quiet spot down by the river. Watching the world drift by...... Oops they're in trouble now! Earlier on they got up to serious mischief....... They were chilling out at the ammo platform when guess who trundled up in his brake van to see what was happening..... more scandal to tell the lads in Newry shed! Doing a spot of birdwatching at Mr. Weaver's birdtable but Barmy Barry just couldn't leave them alone....... You'll all be glad to hear that this will be the end of the insanity....for a while!

More excitement at the mill tonight - a party of reverend ladies went to the wrong platform at Lisburn, intending to travel to Loreto College in Cavan, but instead managed to join the Brookhall evening staff shuttle. Now Mr. Weaver doesn’t know what to do with them as there are no more trains tonight and Barmy Barry won’t allow any unscheduled bus runs. Mr. Weaver really wants to use some choice language but for once, he’s biting his tongue.

A few more scenes from the mill this evening. Mr. Weaver is telling the driver “Sure just a few feet more until you hear the crunch…..”

Mr. Weaver supervising this evening’s road departures from the mill. He likes the new lights more than he likes the buses.