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TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

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TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine: British Sugar TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch will be cycling 100 miles on Sunday, 29th May, in support of Ukraine by raising funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee. He and his wife Jane are taking part in the RideLondon-Essex 100, which is taking place after a two-year hiatus as a result of COVID.

The ride starts on London’s Victoria Embankment and continues into Essex via Epping Forest, Ongar, Fyfield, Great Dunmow and Chelmsford, returning through Ongar to Central London and the finish at Tower Bridge.

TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch rides for Ukraine

Whilst Andy and Jane enjoy ‘leisure’ cycling, this event is going to be quite a mission for them both: “Like every thinking person, we’ve watched with disbelief the conflict unfolding in Ukraine and wanted to do what we could to help the now millions of people fleeing the country,” said Andy. “Any short-lived discomfort Jane and I experience during the 100 miles of the cycle ride will be nothing compared to the despair the Ukrainian people are experiencing. I hope my industry colleagues will help us raise as much money as possible by sponsoring us.”

You can sponsor Andy and Jane Spetch at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Andrew-Jane-Spetch

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New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4

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New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4: A further two more new dealers have joined the fast-growing Corvus dealer network to bring a total of seven additions in the first quarter of the year. The latest partners in selling and supporting the Corvus Terrain range of 4×4 utility vehicles are Scotland’s W.M. Rose & Sons and JG Paxton & Sons in Lancashire.

W.M. Rose, with roots dating back to 1923, is an established family-run business directed by brothers William and Ian Rose. The company has two depots in Peebleshire and East Lothian supplying a wide range of agricultural, construction and industrial machinery. Their stated aim is to provide a quality driven service through their After Sales support and Parts Department.

New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4x4

New dealers for Corvus Terrain 4×4

Phil Everett, MD of BOSS off-road vehicles, the sole UK Corvus distributor says, “we’re delighted W.M. Rose can give the Corvus range such a presence in Scotland, selling to customers the Terrain UTVs are very much built for. It is great to partner with a company that invests so heavily in product training and support.”

Moving south of the border finds another family-owned agricultural machinery dealership, Paxtons, with their head office in the unusually named Durham village of Pity Me. They too have pride in their heritage, dating back to 1853, while today they are main dealers for a wide range of leading brands. With depots in Northallerton, Alnwick, Bentham and Lancaster, they are serving the requirements of farmers, contractors, local authorities and equestrian customers across Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Lancashire.

“Paxtons have everything we’re looking for in a Corvus dealer,” says Phil Everett. “They are all you would expect of such a progressive business providing high-quality service backed by highly skilled technicians. We know the Terrain range of UTVs is in excellent hands and welcome Paxtons to the Corvus family.”

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01597 810188, E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk or visit www.bossorv.co.uk

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New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

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New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh: Lehigh Country Club in Pennsylvania is coming to the end of a bunker renovation with architect Ron Forse. And the club is installing the Capillary Bunkers liner as part of the process.

Lehigh was built by architect William Flynn in 1926. And, says director of grounds John Chassard, the course is mostly unchanged from what Flynn created. “Back in the late 1980s, the club decided it needed a consulting architect to oversee the course,” he says. “Until then, there was no strategic planning – a grounds chairman could take office and do what he wanted. Fortunately most of ours had basically left the course alone, but still, it was a potential problem.”

New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

New Capillary Bunkers for Lehigh

The club hired architect Ron Forse at that time, and, working with Forse, regrassed the greens, rebuilt the bunkers and reset fairway lines. “That was our first masterplan,” says Chassard. “Up till that time, the bunkers had not been touched – except for day to day maintenance – since the club’s foundation.”

In 2008, the bunkers were slightly reworked again; sand was replaced and a small amount of drainage was added to problem areas to improve performance. “We put geotextile liners in about ten per cent of our worst-performing bunkers,” says Chassard. “But they didn’t survive winters too well. The pins holding the liners down would push out, burrowing animals would damage the liners, and bunker rakes would catch them every now and again. So, two or three years ago, we started talking about redoing the bunkers again and adding a better liner.”

Lehigh trialled several of the liner products on the market, including Capillary Bunkers and a number of its principal rivals. “But as time went on and we started to try to lock down contractors for the work, the choice became quite obvious,” says Chassard. “Ron has a lot of experience with Capillary Bunkers, as does the contractor we chose. Plus, the issues with rival products really came into focus: timing, the specific conditions needed for installation, and the need for a certified installer. Capillary Bunkers can be installed in any weather, and it’s very easy to source, which made us able to schedule the work better, and get bunkers installed when we were ready, not when the installer was. Once we started doing the first few bunkers, it became clear to me that that was something I could install with my own crew – which could be important as we didn’t do all the bunkers at one go. We are in the middle of the project, and everything has been very positive so far – we expect to finish by the end of April and be ready for the season to get going!”

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Hunter on target for the Darts

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Hunter on target for the Darts: The heavily used pitch at Dartford FC’s Princes Park Stadium is benefitting from a recently installed Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK.

From Dartford FC’s first team to the academy teams; from the Dartford ladies’ teams and London City Lionesses to Charlton FC’s Under 23’s, the pitch at Princes Park is in regular demand. To be precise, it averages 76 games per year.

Hunter on target for the Darts

Hunter on target for the Darts

Responsible for ensuring every one of those games takes place is the experienced Head Groundsman Jay Berkhauer who works for Jordans Sports Ground Solutions – who are responsible for the maintenance of Princess Park as well as a host of other clubs all over the South East.

Jay has been in charge at Princes Park Stadium for three seasons and has made a significant improvement to the pitch.

In recognising that such a heavily used pitch requires good irrigation, he was quick to ensure it was one of his first actions when starting the role at Princes Park.

“When I first came in the irrigation system wasn’t in good shape and it had been neglected for a few years,” he said. “Most of the sprinkler heads didn’t work and the control point was located so far away from the pitch. On a matchday I was constantly running back and forth, switching it on and off, whenever the manager wanted water on the pitch. This was a nightmare especially as I am the only groundsperson based here.

“Therefore, the irrigation was something that I wanted fixed as soon as possible.”

Supplied by KAR UK and installed by Prime Irrigation, Jay chose the i-40 rotors, and the Centralus irrigation management platform. This provides a highly secure, comprehensive cloud-based control and monitoring features to the ICC2 controller at the stadium.

The connectivity allows users to view a controller’s status, change settings, view forecasts, save water, and receive instant notification of important system alarms — all without costly and time-consuming travel and site visits.

Hunter on target for the Darts

Hunter on target for the Darts

“It has been a huge game changer since it was installed,” said Jay. “Gone are the days of running back and forth because I can control it all from my phone no matter where I am. For example, there have been times when the pitch is being watered while I’m at home. There has been a downpour and I can simply turn the system off through my phone.

“We’ve also noticed that we have saved a lot of money on water usage too,” continued Jay.

“It allows me to target specific areas on the pitch – one area might need five minutes of water while another area might just need two minutes on a matchday. It’s great to have this flexibility and to be able to only use water when and where the pitch needs it.

“It has never gone wrong, and I’ve never had any problems with it. Compared to what I’ve used in my career, this irrigation system is by far the best and the easiest to use.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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10/10 for Mansfield Sand

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10/10 for Mansfield Sand: Ian Darler, Head Groundsman at Cambridge United FC, has revealed why he has been using the ‘exceptional products’ by Mansfield Sand for over a decade.

Incredibly, Ian has been working at Cambridge United FC since 1979 and is now into his 43rd season at the club. As well as keeping the pitch at the Abbey Stadium in immaculate condition, he is also the Stadium Manager and up until recently was the Match Day Safety Officer. Outside of work, Ian is dedicated to raising funds for various charities and was even awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2020.

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

He is held in the highest esteem by his peers in turf management and rightly so, but the ever-modest Ian, claims that his mentor deserves all the credit.

“I started as an apprentice greenkeeper in 1976 and I worked under the best boss anyone could ever have,” he said. “At the time I never appreciated why he was always so strict and methodical, but it has kept me in good stead for 43 years. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t appreciate the time he dedicated to showing me how to do the job properly.”

After winning just about every award the grounds industry has to offer, it is safe to say that Ian’s mentor would be beaming with pride. Recognising and praising those who go out of their way for him, comes easy to Ian and in his opinion the world needs a little more of it.

“Everybody needs to help others more these days,” he said. “Too many people are quick to moan but not enough compliment when things are good. The one thing I have done all my life is thank someone, whether it be a person or a company, when they have done something well for me.”

Once such company is Mansfield Sand: “I’ve been using their products for over ten years and they are exceptional,” he said.

“The sand we used previously was starting to cause some problems – it was bit too uniformed and was creating a marble effect. At the time I was introduced to Mansfield Sand, and they came out and took some samples. We discussed which products would be best for the pitch and I have used them ever since.”

Mansfield Sand has been a long-standing pioneer in the development and production of premium sand-based products and boasts the most up-to-date and advanced equipment currently in the industry. From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all. In Ian’s case, he relies on a variety of products from Mansfield Sand – as he explains.

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

“We use three sand products –MM40; more so at the end of the season as a dressing if we are not taking the pitch up; we use the Fibresand Concentrate for renovations and then we use the 80/20 mix for divots and repairs.

“Since using the products on the pitch the drainage has been good, but more importantly the stability has been brilliant. I think the other beauty of working with Mansfield Sand is that they are always available to come and take samples to see what our Fibresand levels are like.

“For more extensive work when we are adding gravel bands or something like that in the close season, we use their 2mm-6mm gravel for primary and secondary drainage, because it is some of the cleanest and best gravel I’ve ever seen.

“I get a ten out of ten service from Mansfield Sand,” continued Ian. “Everything is always delivered on time, and I couldn’t ask for anymore from the company.”

Ian’s latest charity work will see him walking the equivalent distance from London to Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup – a staggering 3,229 nautical miles or close to 8 million steps – with the aim of raising £50,000 for Shout. Visit Ian Darler’s fundraising page for more details.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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