For Thursday and Friday of this week 4 crew members will be working in partnership with a local business on a large contract of works that he has secured. Lots of screening will be removed and disposed during this job. The local business man has secured the services of our crew having seen how well they work and how good a team they are. Very encouraging for the crews.

The landscaping works continue in Corringham and our Operations Manager thinks they are making good progress. A crew of 3 is also working for the next few days demolishing and disposing of some garden screening. Hard rigorous work that keeps you warm.

For a week or more we have been waiting for the snow and ice to 'go away' as it stops us from doing outdoor works, especially when the ground is frozen. Thankfully today we have been able to start a job that is 'right up our street' in that we will be landscaping a private garden for a client in the south of the County, Corringham. The full crew will work on this job but will split on Thursday as we have additional works mid County. Interesting that the cold weather starts to thaw on Valentines Day!

1. Remove small hedge, stumps and excess soil to front of property
2. Source then lay white gravel to cover the area specified by residents
3. Construct edging to create a garden border and turnover the soil within this area
4. Build a two part compost bin to same boundary
5. Clear hedging to allow access to the new compost bin area

Coming to the end of a very full week. These last few days have been taken-up with some more traditional type of work. First on the list of works is the tidying up of  a residents courtyard at a sheltered housing project. We transplanted a number of the residents plants to an alternative flower bed and then replanted and mulched. Next we created some allotment areas so the residents could grow their own veg.

It might be cold but the team are still appreciating that we can still work unlike 2010 and all that snow we had which killed off all work. The next few days we are doing something really different in that we are constructing a retaining wall using concrete posts and gravel boards. Very different kind of works with some of the guys learning new skills and getting much satisfaction out of adding new things to our portfolio. What exciting things will we be taking on next?

First day back for everyone after a 2 week Christmas and New Year holiday break. And, on this first day back work is ready and waiting; first we had 3 garages to clear of abandoned household goods for a local organisation and then, in the late afternoon, we undertook a very small fencing job. A full day with lots of work approved to do or in the pipeline. 2012 looks like it will be a promising and exciting year!

A great evening was had by all at the Wingspan staff Christmas party. Good food and good company made it all very enjoyable although no one dressed in red! However, one person was bowled-over and hugely surprised to be the only one to get a Christmas present. The present, a gift from the whole team, was very poignant, relevant and touching. Believe me it was very much appreciated and will be very well used by the recipient and his good lady.

Well we must sign-off now, not just for the Christmas period but also the New Year as we take a Company holiday (all team members) together so we will not be back working around the County until the 9th January, 2012! Have a Blessed Christmas and fantastic New Year!

Cutting off the tops of a Conifer hedge today plus several smaller jobs that will not take too long as we really don't want to be late finishing today as we are having a Company Christmas bash tonight. I wonder which employee will dress-up for the evening (in red)?

Well, we thought we had several garages to clear but it turns out that we actually have three to do after all (something clearly went wrong before they got to us). No matter, we are happy to be doing such work during the cold weather. Interestingly in one garage we found a big pile of old vinyl from years back so we must check to see if there are any collectors records amongst them. 

Whilst doing these jobs we have been asked to quote for three more garage clearance jobs which, if successful, we will do in the early New Year.

The team are excited at getting a job to clear out several abandoned garages for a housing association. The team are also keen to recycle as much of the abandoned items as possible so, some things will go to a furniture recycling charity and benefit people in need, books will go to a charity shop to be read all over again, some electrical items will be restored, tested and reused and any scrap items will be sold (metal)  or taken to a waste relay station. It is such fun checking through this kind of stuff and seeing what has been kept in store for so many years!

Last week the guy's were cutting a very large hedge for a private client. This week they are planting a new hedge for a local charity. The work is different and varied week to week, especially in the winter which can be testing.

Finishing off that big hedge job in Brentwood. All seems to have gone well. Alot of new work was also being quoted for so more work in the pipeline for the new year.

In the south of the County today doing a private hedge job that we are likely to be doing twice a year on a regular basis. We had an ace hedge trimmer undertaking this job (great to see him back after a short spell away recuperating).

Lots of fence painting being done this morning to finish off a job in Braintree. In the afternoon the team visited the site of a private client to undertake a survey for a new job. All the guys were keen to learn and readily accepted instruction from their Supervisor on how to survey a garden. Hopefully this will lead to more work.

Two crews working in different parts of the County today, one in Braintree where a 54.5m fence we constructed last week is being stained and the other crew is in Basildon on the Craylands Estate clearing some derelict land. The subject of this blog was hot works on a chilly day, it is so titled because this week has been very cold but the guys working on these two hard graft jobs find it so hot they end-up working in shortsleeved T-shirts. Lets hop the snow stays away so everyone can continue to work. Two managers attended a business networking breakfast at 6.30am today with the aim of winning more work from from the business community.

The new 54 metre fence line has taken shape over the last few days albeit slower than usual. The pace has been slow as we have one  crew member recovering from keyhole surgery and a second now on paternity leave. Top man Dan is determined to finish it and do a good job. Keep on pushing!

With the commencement of another week a crew has started a 54m fence job. First the guys will cut down the old and wrotten existing fence before they prepare for the construction of the new fence. The guys will today also be digging-out the old posts. This crew is working harder than usual as a valued team member is off having had keyhole surgery on a knee problem.

The team are now commencing an evironmental improvement project for a client in the community. The project involves moving existing flower bed plants to an adjacent garden, installing concrete posts with gravel retaining boards and finished off with feather board fencing. Rewarding work for the guys doing such creative stuff.

A crew is today undertaking the construction of a fence for a private client. Also, today a crew member takes on the the very responsible role of occasional driver and so opportunity increases with responsibility as does long-term employability. 

The start of a new week and we return to the job we started at the end of last week down by the Thames. This time we are land clearing and everyone gets stuck until problems develop onsite that bring things to a halt (the site has very poor drainage). Stage 2 may have to wait until the client has the drainage done.

STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT, WINGSPAN HAS WON THE MID ESSEX BUSINESS AWARD - NEW BUSINESS CATEGORY!

The day starts off VERY wet but improves greatly. It's a good job as we started a new project for a client today in the south of the County by the river Thames. We first removed some crazy paving on a terraced back garden (approx 20m2) and then imported a load of topsoil suitable for turf laying. This is stage 1 of 2.  The guys are working hard and happy!

Can you believe the weather is so good at this time of the year? Great that it is though as we have one crew working on a 7m concrete path construction job and so the early rain was great to soften up the ground and the sunshine thereafter was just what was needed to work outdoors. The second crew were finishing off a snagging list at the painting and decorating job undertaken during the last week. It's great to be busy.

That new client we secured work with the other day! Today we started more work with this socially in touch customer. We commenced the painting and decorating of a complete flat. The guys are excited at the prospect of steady work through the winter months that is 'indoors'. 

Today was really exciting as a new customer confirmed a job. We are to clear the gardens of an empty property. It will be hard work as there is up to 2 tonnes of rubbish and rubble in the garden. Its good work for a client that we want to do a good job for and secure more work with for the benefit of our crew and local people.

Any early day and a brisk start on site. The job for today is to clear a derelict plot of land for a client. The job is frustrated early on by the late arrival of a skip. On arrivial everyone gets stuck in to clearing the tonnes and tonnes of rubble, waste and dumped rubbish. Dosen't look like we will finish today so we will need to return on Friday. It's so good to be busy!

We are noting the changing weather and longing for summer to stay with us all a while longer so that we can continue to enjoy working in the great outdoors. Notwithstanding this a lot of work was today undertaken to clear and grounds maintain a large plot of land. It now looks good, is a real achievement that the guys are proud of maintaining it at such a good level (we do it regularly).