Wessex stripes Dulwich Prep

Dulwich Preparatory School, in Cranbrook, Kent, has around five hundred and forty pupils aged between three and thirteen, with a mix of boarders and day school attendance.

As well as setting a high academic standard the school's aim is to fulfil every pupil's physical potential and instil a life-long interest in sport and physical activity.

The children are fortunate to have outstanding facilities including 50 acres of superbly presented and well kept sports fields in addition to two gymnasiums, a sports hall, an eight lane 400m athletics track, tennis courts, Astro court, high and long-jump areas and shot and discus circles.

About sixty-five percent of the area is given over to sports playing fields for lacrosse, rugby, football, hockey, rounders and three cricket pitches and the grass used to be cut using cylinder and gang mowers. "We heard about Wessex roller mowers from one of our groundscare contractors," says Estates Manager Michael Clark, "and we were offered an ex demonstrator to try out by our local dealers, Godfreys.

They loaned us a Wess

ex RMX 180 for a week and we've never looked back." Given an initial demonstration he and Estates Co-ordinator Ross Brown with their colleague Vic Lawrence were impressed with the fact that the rotary blades will cut long and even wet grass, while the rollers lay down distinctive stripes.

Knowing they were looking for something that could cut longer strands of grass rather than flattening them led them to the Wessex and they put in their budget request to the school's Bursar.

They have been working with the machine for about a year now and find it a robust, good all-rounder. "We're very pleased with the finish we get on our cricket outfield," says Vic "adjustment is easy and there are not too many working parts so there's little to go wrong and servicing is simple and economic."

The roller mower works all-year round to contribute to the PE curriculum run in conjunction with a full schedule of after-school practice and training sessions available to all pupils at Dulwich.

The Wessex was supplied by Godfreys of Sevenoaks who are Wessex dealers.

For more information visit: www.broadwoodintl.co.uk