The Astro Podium

[OK Apricot]

Sooooo this build kind of died a bit since last year. A lot has happened in the mean time. I picked up a decent back injury from work in December '22 which has affected my fitness and mobility somewhat, money has been a little tighter than I was comfortable with, and the deaths of a loved one, 60, and a close work colleague, 37, bless their hearts. Had a harder time this year so far than I've let on, and the non existent summer we've had hasn't really helped either. 

Changes since in the garden as a whole since my last post... we've put some stones down on the wall, got rid of those nasty council 3x2s and are going to just throw stones down there as well, had the steps "re-finished" by someone which I won't even pass comment on, and we're having a fence installed along the chain link line for some much needed privacy. 

I'm pleased enough that it's survived a cold winter and wet summer and appears to be standing as straight as the day it was done. I'm not pleased with the backfill or paving - it's slowly subsided by the edge of the wall so the small row of slabs has begun to sink and separate from the rest of them. I thought I'd compacted it well, obviously not! We gave it a few coats of Curpinol in silver copse. It's ok overall I guess, but not the result I'd have liked after the effort of the project. We managed to get the council to dim and shade the street light, but it's still not really any better for imaging. I may buy a painters telescopic extension pole, put on a black flap of sorts and mount it to the gate post to physically block the rest of the light. In hindsight, I would chop the wall down the middle of the length, excavate and build a roll-off roof, but that won't now be for a few years. 

The rest of it will be garden related so off topic, so I'll call this project finished, until it falls and or rots, and appreciate everyones encouragement along the way - it really helped push me through 🙂

[RobertI]

Sorry to hear about your personal losses and injuries. Sounds like you’ve been having a tough time, hope things are improving for you. The garden and observing great. 

[Alan White]

Sorry you have had a tough time health wise and emotionally, something many of us will empathise with.

Glad to see even through this, that you have fond it in you to make tweaks.

Always admired your full on landscaping to make Astro work for you.

I expect you will update this again in years to come, just as I have with my Observing Area thread.

You take care now.