Magazine - Articles by Laurence Gale MSc

First impressions count at The Leys
3 Days ago - Schools - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Matthew Pullen is only the fourth Head Groundsman at The Leys School in Cambridge since the 1950s. The fifty acre site is maintained by a grounds team of just five. In this article, he tells our editor about the improvements he has made since his arrival, and his plans for the future.

Remedial work at the SWALEC Stadium
5 Days ago - Cricket - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012 - 2 comments
Three years down the line, Keith Exton finally has the backing of the committee to undertake major remedial work on the Swalec’s square. Steven Pask was the contractor chosen to carry out the work.

Filton College - raising standards and the apprenticeship scheme
7 Days ago - Schools - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
When Nigel Hornsby left a secure position at Millfield School to take the head job at Filton College, he knew that he would have his work cut out to bring the standard of the facilities up to scratch. Now, two and a half years later, both he and the college are seeing the benefits of the improvements he and his new team have made.

Pride and Passion shines through at Dunaverty Golf Club
2 Weeks ago - Golf - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
During his visit to Machrihanish Dunes, our editor took the opportunity to visit some other venues. Jimmy Kidd was insistent that he should see Dunaverty Golf Club, a small, but beautiful, members club set on the most southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre peninsula, in the village of Southend

Pitch-Line 3G is relaunching the concept of inserting artificial lines into natural turf sports pitches
2 Weeks ago - General Sports - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Laurence Gale MSc investigates the relaunch of a permanent linemarking system, and discovers that the improvements made are proving successful

Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course - lovingly crafted out of the natural landscape
3 Weeks ago - Golf - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Scotland is renowned for having some of the best links golf courses in the world, and now it can add another to its impressive portfolio. Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course has been lovingly crafted out of the natural landscape by designer, David McLay Kidd, and the highly experienced team assembled to create the course, including father, Jimmy

Sustainable management leads to year round play at Lymm Golf Club
26 Dec 2011 - Golf - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 39 - Oct / Nov 2011
When Stuart Yarwood went to Lymm Golf Club at the turn of the century, he found a course maintenance regime that was both unsustainable and costly. Now, using more traditional greenkeeping skills, he has been able to provide the members with a course that is playable all year round

Adrian Kay - overseeing trackworks at York Racecourse
19 Dec 2011 - Racing - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 39 - Oct / Nov 2011
Adrian Kay has been Head Groundsman at York Racecourse for a little over five years. In that time, he has not only changed the maintenance regimes, bringing in new equipment to help him achieve that, he has developed his Assistant, John Morley, so John can head up the team at Beverley, and also overseen an enormous trackworks project designed to deliver more consistent and hopefully improved going.

Remedial work at Leigh Sports Village
15 Dec 2011 - General Sports - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 39 - Oct / Nov 2011
When Keith Porter became Head Groundsman at Leigh Sports Village, he inherited a few problems with the winter sports pitches. Now, after much remedial work, all the pitches are highly rated by all who use them.

Tending the grounds at Port Sunlight
9 Dec 2011 - Local Authority - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 39 - Oct / Nov 2011
Port Sunlight is unique, and is considered to be one of the finest surviving examples of early urban planning in the UK. The late 19th Century village was built by William Hesketh Lever (later Viscount Leverhulme) to house his soap factory workers at Lever Brothers, the company that eventually formed part of the global conglomerate, Unilever.

Bill Clutterbuck - the legend at Guildford Cricket Club
7 Dec 2011 - Cricket - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 39 - Oct / Nov 2011 - 6 comments
Bill Clutterbuck has just completed his sixteenth season at the Guildford Cricket Club’s Woodbridge Road ground, and he is one of the stalwarts of the Surrey Cricket Groundsman’s Association. He has also recently become one of Pitchcare’s trainers, so his experience is in demand wherever he goes.