On Wednesday they dismantled one of the 2 remaining cranes at SJP. Just the one at the Milburn/Leazes corner now as the closed Barrack Road off to bring down the one at the Milburn/Gallowgate corner. There is still the 'small' crane with the articulated head which can just lift things onto the roof, bit this looks like more like a giraffe than one of the big fellas with the boom arm and hoist.

It's beginning to really look special now with so many of the seats in and the roof and sides mostly on. We'll have to switch the flags from the East Stand, mind, as they now flutter from the lowest point of the ground.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

Answers

Has there been any news about an official date for completion of the stadium. At least they can work weekends now!

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

Two weeks, Guv.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

Two weeks!! That must be almost a couple of months ahead of programme, coupled with all that rain we had in the Winter months I say hats off to the builders for a sterling job, although those hats should really stay on until the project is complete, Health & Safety and all that!

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

Errrm. You may have misunderstood. Every job I ever worked on was always going to be finished in two weeks, as in:

We'd have had it done only we wos waiting for the undercoat to dry...take two weeks now."

Stock building answer to any question; not so immediate that the client will be suspiscious, and yet far enough in advance that 'anything' could happen to throw your careful timetable out of whack.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

Sorry Softie it's Friday afternoon!

The stock answer I normally get on projects is "We are on programme to match the anticipated contract completion date". Which roughly translates to "we are actually three weeks behind programme and we are supposed to be finished in two weeks. Although the Client asked us to put an extra toilet roll holder int the toilets and that has set us back a few weeks and along with the weather recently, we think we might just finish in about a month"

or two weeks Guv, as you say

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

That's the one! Ah! I'm getting all nostalgic now...

Constant fights with neighbours over noise, dust, language, broken water pipes. Working for a loonie who made us knock off early every day to jet-spray his driveway so that his car would look good on it (!). Snooty pair of yuppie tw*ts we worked for who despised everything about us but then ran out of money and had to prevail on our good nature to at least get them waterproofed and with running water and electricity (particularly enjoyed that one!). Local mad people trying to stop you 'spoiling the countryside' by hammering stakes into the lane: watching a 16-wheeler snap them like twigs. "Oi, knobhead, where do you think barn owls lived before peope built barns?"

Deep suntan. Rippling muscles and plenty of cash to take down the pub... White collar work just doesn't have the same perks. Although I'll admit that come the middle of winter it doesn't seem quite so bad.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

I must admit the more I climb the Construction management ladder the more I will think, "I can't afford to give my job up and work as a labourer for the summer!" I wish I could.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000

I have a photo of the completed ground - including 52,000 supporters. If I could be @rsed, I'd post it on a web site. In the meantime, you tow sad guys can have a copy all for yourselves.

Mind - it took all my resources and contacts to find the other 16,000 of my friends to fill the place.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2000