November 1999
Monday 1st. Expected the workmen to arrive first thing… No sign of them all day.
Tuesday 2nd. Still waiting... Finally on Wednesday 3rd and after talking to the boss, we get the message… They are not going to do the job! What do we do now? First we order a skip.

Thursday 4th. Nothing for it but to start work. All the tiles are laid out in The Chapel of Art… They cover all the available surfaces! Photo #1

Friday 5th. Pouring rain (2.43 inches in 24 hours) and no joy with finding workmen. The "design" of The Path continues indoors. An area of 22 x 22 tiles. Meanwhile, we must plot the "Master Plan" Photo #2

Saturday 6th. Australia goes to the polls and chooses to keep The Queen as head of State and we are still trying to find a helper… Maybe found one for next Wednesday. Then the sun comes out and Eckhard decides to start work. Photo #3 A skip was delivered, so to work with pick and shovel. Photo #4 Dark by 5 p.m. Time to put plasters on the blistered hands…

Sunday 7th Eckhard has to take a day off digging. He bakes bread and numbers tiles Photo #5 Janet attends North Wales Potters tile making workshop at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor in Dolgellau, where Ray Dunn, Steve Mattison, John Reading and Meri Wells make several tiles. Photo #6

Monday 8th. Eckhard finishes digging the last part ready to lay the foundations.

Tuesday 9th. Design work finished… Must number each tile on the "Master Plan" so a photograph can be sent to each maker. What a task! It took four hours in the evening just attaching the stickers to the tiles. Photo #7

Wednesday 10th. First pebbles, then a layer of sand Photo #8 and then plastic sheeting Photo #9. The skip is taken away, now wait for cement delivery. In the meantime, all the tiles have to be cleared  to make space for art class tomorrow. It would be nice to just sit and admire them all for just a little while…
Thursday 11th. November The day the House of Lords was dissolved by Parliament, ending 800 years of history. Sorry no photos today (too much going on!) Concrete (cement and pebble mix) arrived and was laid. Oh dear! The half cubic meter was not enough: a miscalculation.

Friday 12th. On with cement mixing by hand to make up the final screed layer. A very dark and gloomy day it is too. Photos # 10 & 11

Saturday & Sunday Time to let the cement cure and "rest" ourselves. Computer and web site problems BIG TIME. Lost most images.

Monday 15th. Rainy day so covered the cement in attempt to dry it enough to seal.

Tuesday 16th. November 1999 Sunshine and showers… hard laying the first tiles, especially as it was sleeting, hailing and snowing!

Wednesday 17th. Woke up to snow on the hills… first of the winter. Hot tea and soup day, but still managed to finish half the area. Miserable and again too dark to photograph.

Thursday 18th./Friday 19th. Started and completed second half. Photos # 12 & 13

Saturday 20th. Cold night and light frost delays work until noon. The final tiles of Phase I are now in place.

Sunday 21st. Another cold night with ground frost. Once it is "warm" enough at +5° C (40° F) the grouting is begun.

Monday 22nd. The work on the grouting is continued in warmer conditions but dark by 16:30 hrs.

Tuesday 23rd. Almost finished the grouting. Photo # 14

Wednesday 24th. High winds and heavy rain showers thanks to a gale straight off the Irish Sea. No work possible at this exposed site today.

And then on... Thursday 25th. November 1999
Mission accomplished!
Phase I is completed! Photo No 15 Hurrah!!
Now it will remain hidden under cover Photo #16 until Christmas Eve, 24th December, when Friends attending their annual Carol Concert will be the first to see The International Potters' Path followed by the Grand Opening on New Year's Eve...