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We are three guys from the Isle of Wight that are flying to South Africa to work alongside other football fanatics as part of an organisation known as Lionsraw. South Africa 2010 is the debut Lionsraw Special Project. Lionsraw is taking a 130 strong squad of football fans to Durban, South Africa for two weeks during the World Cup. The Lionsraw team will operate in ‘The Valley of a Thousand Hills'', the epicentre of the World's HIV / AIDS crisis. Alongside existing local charities the team will help in ‘construction projects' and ‘soccer academies' for deprived local children during the day. Each evening the squad will retire to our fanzone for the full world cup tour experience.

Friday 18 June 2010

The roof joists were waiting for us as we arrived on-site this morning, so we split into three groups: finishing the walls; continuing work on the front steps (affectionately known as the patio) and now the roof trusses.
On the roof team, there was plenty of head scratching as we tried to work out how to check our 15 degree angle. Eventually, we dug up a little bit of O level maths from a very little used corner of our brains and came up with a scheme that seemed to work. My grandfather was a carpenter all his life and I tried not to embarrass him too much, but we would have got on a lot quicker if the promised circular saw had turned up. In the end we blunted our only two saws cutting through some very wet timber, but managed to make a pattern trusse and cut all of the smaller lengths.













The brickies managed to finish the main block work and put wall plates in place ready for the roof trusses on Sunday. The patio continues to grow and will clearly make a grand entrance.

It was a beautiful day in the Valley and our first opportunity to work on a genuine builders’ tan. My legs are looking quite brown from an area around the knee to the top of my boots, but that may be just block dust and cement.

We were visited by the Gogos again today as John R had kindly provided the ingredients for an extra stew, as he felt that they were really too hungry yesterday. The Gogos treated us to an impromptu Zulu ‘thank you’ dance, which was wonderful to watch.

















































Tomorrow we need to get hold of a circular saw so that we can finish off the roof trusses properly on Sunday. Tomorrow we also need to do some serious washing. The smell in my corner of the room is not good and I’ve run out of clean socks, so it isn’t going to improve on it’s own.
This has been a quick, blog as we’re dashing off to watch the England game in the FanZone on the beach front. Where’s the vuvuzela?



6 comments:

  1. My gosh if only houses in this country could go up that quickly! Those in the building trade had better be careful, or the expectations will be high from here on in! "A week! no, i reckon you can do that in 2 days"

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  2. Sometimes I think mine did, but I can see levels being used so thats an improvement on my place.Shame about the England game but don't be put off,,, your there to work really,,aren't you? I can see a South African branch of Leeds supporters visiting Elland Road in a year or two.

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  3. Emily says: "I think the blog's great, especially when you showed the kid on your shoulders! That's all."

    A girl of few words. She also says she wants a vuvuzela... argh!!

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  4. that's cool that Emily want's a vuvuzela as i have wired the money over to Len!!! (not really) Sorry Andrea:)

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  5. well done Martin we are thinking of you all. Emily & Adam did very well at the School sports.

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