An Update From Scott MacCallum

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An Update From Scott MacCallum: As I write we are coming to the end of March and we can well and truly smell spring. It is a significant time of year for me as it coincides with our wedding anniversary. This year will be our 29th, given that we were married in 1990. In some ways it seems like only yesterday but in others it’s a lifetime away.

It got me thinking about all the things we didn’t know or know about back then – a time when mobile phones were of similar proportions to a small child’s shoe box and were used to make phone calls and phone calls alone. Text messaging didn’t come in until 1992, never mind the concept of the smart phone.

An Update From Scott MacCallum

And the way of finding that information? Well Google (1998) and Wikipedia (2001) were later arrivals too. For heaven’s sake the DVD wasn’t invented until… (I’m having to pause at this juncture because the WIFI has crashed – not a phrase you would have heard back when I was saying “I do”). The Sony PlayStation didn’t start occupying the nation’s youth until 1994 and the Nintendo 64 two years later.

It’s back! DVD was 1996.

Brexit was a word only employed by over enthusiastic Scrabble players.

In sports turf there have been many innovations since the start of the 90s, in all aspects of the industry. Who would have thought about stadium lighting back then, Primo Maxx was a distant dream and the idea of a hand mower, never mind a triple, being powered by battery!

No doubt another 29 years down the line we’ll be saying “Remember when we had to sit in the back of our driverless car and wait for hours to get to our destination” as we step into our Star Trek-style teletransporter.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

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Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season: In preparation for the new season, an overwhelming number of greenkeepers made their way to the recent Dennis and SISIS Bowling Green Maintenance Seminar, in order to gain advice and tips on best practice.

The popular seminars, which are designed to educate greenkeepers on how to maintain and look after bowling greens, have been credited for improving the greens at numerous bowls clubs throughout the country. Combining insightful seminars and practical tips, a number of industry experts take to the stage to discuss a wide range of key topics.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

Held at the Herts Bowling Club in Watford, this most recent seminar attracted a phenomenal 80 greenkeepers.

After an introduction from Dennis and SISIS’ Robert Jack, the seminar welcomed the extremely knowledgeable sports turf consultant Alan Lewis, who drew upon his wealth of experience to deliver a presentation entitled ‘Spring Maintenance on a Bowling Green.’

Grass seed was the next topic of the day when Luke Hunt from Barenbrug UK advised delegates on how to choose the correct seed for their greens.

A refreshment break allowed attendees to soak up and discuss the advice they had just received before John Noyce from Collier Turfcare took to the stage to offer an insightful look into ‘Chemical & Fertiliser options.’

The ever popular Turf Clinic followed and enabled all of the greenkeepers to ask their own questions to the panel of expert speakers.

After a complimentary lunch, an on-green demonstration took place in which delegates got the opportunity to see a number of turf maintenance techniques in action.

Kev Brazier, a contract greenkeeper working in partnership with Harpenden Bowls Club, felt that the seminar was a great opportunity to enhance his greenkeeping knowledge.

“It was a really informative seminar. The speakers had great knowledge and they presented it in a way in which everyone could understand. I was particularly interested in hearing that there is actually a place for Dwarf Ryes on bowling greens in certain situations.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

“It was brilliant for networking and there was a broad range of subjects discussed. They were all incredibly relevant and I took a lot away from the spring maintenance tips.”

John Hay, Hertfordshire bowls greens co-ordinator, worked alongside Dennis & SISIS in arranging the seminar and felt that the day was a huge success.

“The seminar had a fantastic response and it was very timely because it has helped greenkeepers prepare for the season ahead. It was invaluable to all of the clubs that attended; the speakers were amazing, there were a few myths put to bed about what should and shouldn’t be done and there was a nice turf clinic which gave the greenkeepers the chance to speak their minds.

“Most of the people who attend these seminars are people who work voluntarily to support their clubs and therefore seminars like this can really make a big difference.”

Forthcoming seminars can be found below:

Tuesday 9 April – Hykeham Bowls Club, North Hykeham, Lincolnshire.

Wednesday 10 April – Ashbourne Bowls Club, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Thursday 11 April – Hewell Bowls Club, Redditch, Worcestershire.

To register for the FREE and highly informative seminars, please contact Roger Moore on 01332 824777 or email roger.moore@dennisuk.com.

Further information about the range of bowls maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Makita Hold Back The Water

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Makita Hold Back The Water: The 10th Welcome to Yorkshire garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019, designed by multi award-winner Mark Gregory, features an authentically built canal with flowing water and genuine canal lock gates.  A massive volume of water will be circulated by several Makita submersible water pumps that will ensure the towpath, lock keepers lodge and, importantly, RHS Chelsea’s Main Avenue remains safe, dry and disaster-free for the anticipated 157,000 annual visitors and members of the Royal family.

This atmospheric garden is inspired by Yorkshire’s proud history of industry, manufacturing and innovation and the county’s unrivalled natural environment and green spaces.  The working canal has two gates and a bypass sluice system that runs alongside a perennial meadow and the planting will celebrate the rich diversity of native flora typically abundant in Yorkshire.

Makita Hold Back The Water

“I’m honoured to be involved yet again on the Welcome to Yorkshire’s garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea show,” comments Mark Gregory, the 22-time Gold medal winner and Managing Director of Landform Consultants.  “The scale of this project is huge and complex but, as last year, I hope it will be effortless and flow beautifully, just as the canals did centuries ago.”  Mark has taken inspiration for his design from a narrow canal in Huddersfield and has enjoyed the adventures and discoveries of recreating this historic vista.  This will be the 99th garden Mark has worked on at this prestigious, internationally renowned show.

No less than ten Makita PF1110 submersible pumps will push the flow of water in the Welcome to Yorkshire garden.  Each pump will deliver a minimum of 250 litres of water per minute from a submersion depth of 5m, to a max head height of 10m.  These pumps have a stainless steel body making them suitable for draining muddy water, wells and tanks and are also ideal for lifting water for irrigation.  Each pump weighs 7kg, has an input wattage of 1100w and is available in 240V only.

“Submersible pumps are among the most efficient options available when it is necessary to pump liquid from a large body of water,” says Mark Earles, Business Development Manager OPE, Makita UK.  “Whereas most water pumps are positioned outside a body of water and pull water to the surface, submersible pumps are submerged within the water and push water to the surface.  Our pumps will do a great job pushing almost 150,000 litres of water per hour throughout the duration of the five-day Show in what we hope will be another huge success for Landform Consultants.”

For more information on the Welcome to Yorkshire garden: https://www.yorkshire.com/inspiration/chelsea/the-welcome-to-yorkshire-garden-2019

For more information about Landform Consultants: www.landformconsultants.co.uk

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Liverpool Groundsman Retires

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Liverpool Groundsman Retires: Groundsman Allan Webster has retired from his role at Liverpool after more than 40 years working at the club.

The 64-year-old has tended to the famous Anfield pitch as well as the training ground at Melwood, and since 2005 he has looked after the lawns at the academy in Kirkby.

Liverpool Groundsman Retires

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com Allan explained how he landed the role: “A job was advertised in the Liverpool Echo as a trainee groundsman at Anfield.

“I didn’t get it at first but the lad who got it never turned up.

“I was at Anfield in the queue for tickets for a big cup game and the foreman Bert Johnson picked me out and said I could have it on a month’s trial. I started the next day.”

Allan spent the first 28 years at Anfield and was there for Shankly’s final year at the helm, he said: “He’d talk to anyone. ‘All right, son?’ he’d say.

“I remember everyone’s shock when he stepped down.

“Bob Paisley took over. Bob didn’t know my name, he didn’t know some of the players’ names!

“He’d just say, ‘Here’s Dougie Doins’, that was his saying.”

It was a labour of love for Allan, a lifelong Liverpudlian, he added: “When the old standing Kop was singing during a night game it was absolutely brilliant – ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ moved you.”

In a special interview with the club the West Derby grandad revealed it would be a six mile walk every time the Anfield grass was cut.

His last shift was on Friday after 45 years of dedicated service, Allan added: “I enjoyed it. We took pride in the pitch – we were made up the players did what they did and what we were doing.”

Click here to read the original article

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Groundsman’s Burger Discovery

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Groundsman’s Burger Discovery: When a burger descended from space to land on the training ground at Colchester United on Thursday, groundsmen at the club were stumped as to its origin.

Was it a cryptic message from another solar system, or possibly a bizarre ploy from an opposing team to upset United’s preparations?

Groundsman's Burger Discovery

All was revealed when Tom Stanniland, better known by his YouTube name Kill’em, called the League Two club to explain.

“I sent a burger into space using a weather balloon,” said Stanniland, who intended to eat it once it had safely returned to terra firma – wherever that may be.

“It had gone about 24 miles up and the weather balloon popped. It’s come back down, travelled over 100 miles and landed right here.”

A groundsman at Colchester found the burger, accompanied by a camera and parachute, at the club’s training ground, Florence Park.

Stanniland was able to determine its location thanks to a tracker he had installed in the box carrying the burger into the earth’s atmosphere.

After contacting the club to confirm its whereabouts, Stanniland travelled down from his home in Sheffield to retrieve the cosmic burger.

However, the effects of the journey into space had taken its toll on the meal.

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