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Smothering Sunday

Last Sunday an inspiring 22 volunteers turned up to graft at the new office to get it ready for our forthcoming occupation. 22. Two teams of 11. Except we were all on the same side. One team of 22.

A couple of us had to leave as we were picking up a load of freemans office furniture that we can use when it’s all done. When we got back, there it was "¦ there, in this grade 2 listed warehouse, was the gentle hum of Reds knowing why they had given up 3 hours of their Sunday.

All the window frames had someone painting them black. All the pillars had someone painting them black. All the radiators had someone painting them black. People are just good. And our club is a continuing testament to that fact. You work all week and it’s work. You work on a Sunday for something that you love and believe in, and it is not work. It’s a community achieving. It’s how the world might one day be. And the Goths enjoyed painting objects black so it’s nice to see them cheery.

So this Sunday it’s the same again. Last week there was a fair few Reds who had not volunteered before. Reds getting to know other Reds. We’re too small a club not for us all not to know each other. Although the lad who wore shorts and a t shirt and painted the window by the door remains unknown to us as he got off quick. Everyone that was there, wants to comeback and help again this Sunday. Come and join the throng.


No surrender to the PVA"¦

This Sunday is PVA day. That means we’re putting PVA all over the ceiling and the walls. PVA is a sealer. PVA is only two letters away from PVC but it’s not in anyway Amsterdam’y. Though I suppose that depends on what you want to seal.

We’re going to smother our new club walls in sealer and it’s going to be Lionel. Very Messi.

There are new office toilets being put in whilst you’re reading this so come along and urinate. They’re ours. Wee at will. Flush obv, as we’re not rough.

Be part of the Sunday school for scandal. Enjoy Bamber Gascoigne Bridge but leave some left in yourself so that you can get up and be part of the pvA Team. We love it when a jobby comes together.

What do I need to bring? "¦

Wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting splashed as an alarming number of our volunteers paint as if they are putting out a fire. Or beating a blue bottle with a Daily Mirror. We’ve got a dozen or so white boiler suits but you just look like a suppository if you put them on. I wear one but I have very little dignity.

Definitely bring a roller and a paint tray if you can. We’ve got a couple of sparesies but they’re only a couple of quid to buy if you’ve not already got one. Bring a plastic bag as you can put the roller in it after you’ve finished. Take it home and wash it as we’ve only got one sink and it’ll be just too crowded if we all started cleaning up there.

Bring brushes. Again you can get them cheap sets of five for a few bob. We don’t need to use anything fancy.

Don’t bring any scrapers as we’ve got several million of them on site. If you know anyone who wants a million implements to clean the bottom of a barrel then we’re the club to know.

And, as said last week and still the most important, the most important thing to bring is to bring your fine self home.

Where is it?"¦

If the Development Fund had a pound for every fan who’s walked gormlessly up and down Pollard Street looking for the new office then we’d be loaded and would be looking to buy a new airport to go with the new ground we’ve just bought. The clue is it’s a six storey mill. They’re not small. If there was a national best-at-hide-and-seek competition then mills would come last. Very few people have lost a mill down the back of a settee. Or tripped over one because they didn’t see it on the last stair.

It’s at Fifth Floor, Hope Mill, Pollard Street, Ancoats.

Get there for 11am and we’ll job and finish and be on our toes at two’ish. The Hunt brothers are threatening to come for a pint after we’ve done, so bring your beer legs as they take some filling. They came second to last in the national best-at-hide-and-seek competition.

Sho shee you Shunday for throngs of praise.




First Posted ~ 09:43 Mon 19 Nov 2007
News ID ~ 1298
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021