​Not a phrase we have used in recent months what with the weather and the pandemic etc but, after a few weekends of “tidy - up” jobs, this weekend we will be scaling up a tad. Still not the “Big Digs” of early weekends, as we will still be working within Covid guidelines, but we will need 6-8 volunteers.

The work will be through gardens, lawns and block paving at Sycamore Close but easier than some of our work on the ground behind Low Cottages.

Parking is limited and to avoid inconveniencing residents we ask volunteers to park at the Village Hall and walk back to Sycamore Close via the ginnel at the side of the football pitch.

Meet at Village Hall at 09:30 this Saturday 10th April and, as previously, it helps if you can let me know if you can help.
johnplyons43@gmail.com or 07974 833850

MORE PROGRESS
The accumulated “Tidy Up” jobs of the last few weeks meant that we had a full day’s work for our B4RN colleague - Frank - who came and blew fibre to 17 properties yesterday.

​LOOKING FORWARD
This weekend’s work is the beginning of Stage 2 of the community broadband project. Stage 1 involved burying the ring main ducting into fields around the village enabling individual services to be provided to properties. Stage 2 is to push from the perimeter into the centre of the village - and it will pose some different technical challenges.

AND FINALLY
A comment from a reader following our last post - many thanks.

I'm very pleased to see that B4RN continue to construct what are known as "dual diverse routed feeds". It might interest you to know that only the likes of B4RN provide these facilities right down to each cabinet thus reducing the number of outages quite considerably. This compares to the larger telcos who only do so to the local exchange leaving all the rest of their local network unprotected. In addition, instead of providing a pair of fibres for each property, the others often share a fibre pair between 32 properties thus reducing both the speed performance and the reliability of their more expensive services ! VERY WELL DONE the B4RN brigade !

Whilst we have been busy with a couple of pairs of dedicated volunteers doing "Tidy Up" tasks we are glad to say that we are hoping to restart the “Big Digs” on Saturday 10th April. 
​CHAMBER PR 401
Over the last few months readers will have seen reference to work on this chamber alongside the A65 at Sycamore Close - probably the most important single bit of the core network. Why is it so important?
Because, so far as the core network is concerned, it’s like a junction between two major motorways - an alternative route to B4RN’s connection to the national network and a critical route through Sycamore Close into Longwood, Woodside Close and other properties inside the village perimeter.

Currently there is a single connection to Preston Richard parish from Preston Patrick which means if there was a break in that cable we would be stuck.
The plan is that we create a second route to provide an alternative. That will run through Stainton to Hincaster and to the main national network at Arkholme. To create that route we had to dig under the A65.
You will see that Glenn is holding in his left hand the key ducting, Preston Richard’s second link to the national network.
The other key role for chamber PR401 is shown in Glenn’s right hand - the ducting to carry the service from chamber PR401 through Sycamore Close to Longwood, Woodside Close and adjoining properties.

WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING
The incremental work we have been allowed to do during lockdown has continued (B4RN volunteers are classed as “critical workers”) so we have been installing house kits and connecting properties. In addition B4RN staff have been blowing fibre and contractors have been busy digging road crossings - all of which means that those property owners will be able to get Hyperfast broadband when their current contract expires.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Shortly we will be working into the centre of Endmoor but to do so we will need help. Our Steering Group consists of only 7 volunteers supplemented by other volunteers on the Big Dig days - to push this through we will need additional help - every little bit helps. For information just contact us via the Contact page of this website.

Because of Covid regulations, activity in the last few months has been at a low level, mainly digging under drystone walls to feed the ducting to properties.
Some of those tasks have been easy (ish)

a tough job but someone has to do it!
 
Then, suddenly, it’s all systems go as contractors have started on long planned tasks at Summerlands Trading Estate, Dove Nest Lane/Enyeat Rd (at the WWTW junction) and, this week, crossing the A65 at Sycamore Close. All of these will have impacted on traffic and access so once again our apologies for any inconvenience.
 
The plus side of these is that these works:

• will enable the businesses at Summerlands to benefit from 1Gbps broadband
• allow all the properties on the east side of Dove Nest Lane/Low Cottages to connect to the core route
• let us break through from Sycamore Close to provide 1Gbps connectivity to Sycamore Close (even numbers) and the Longwood area.

A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD!
If all goes to plan B4RN will be blowing fibre next week - thus more or less completing the core route round the east of the village.