Photo by SEan Adcock
I keep thinking about the 'Venusgate' we built during Rocktoberfest 2011. It was a terrific accomplishment to complete not just the arch opening part of this unusual dry stone structure, but the freestanding plinth shape too. There was a point where I wondered if we were going to get it all done. The timing was close on the Monday. By mid afternoon some of the volunteers and wallers had to be thinking about packing up to begin their long drive home.
Things came together as if by magic. The curve shape above the arch was something that probably needed to be decided upon earlier and yet we couldn't really until we had laid the diamond shape keystone. The keystone looked like it called for another above it. This meant that the overall height had to be added to. Amazingly what we ended up with was a perfect height and proportion.
The form had to be taken out, the boards taken down, the rocks removed and the area cleared in time to bring in the musicians. The sod had to brought in and laid with barely any time before people began gathering for the concert. The plinth which was only still half built continued to be built while the harpist tuba guitar trio performed. By the time the concert was finished, so too were everyone of the dry stone structures we had come together to build.
