Yahoo, yahoo, we finally got through!
The last section (nearest in the above images) was by far and away the worst to grapple with!
Thirty years ago, the original perpetrators had laid their hardstanding in several separate "pours", or perhaps more accurately described as "floated puddles" (?) Each batch was hand mixed and of notably different strengths and consistencies!
I started chopping out behind the cut line at the roadway end with a bolster and chisel, and as the mix there turned out to be quite a hard but shallow "screed", seemed to be making some headway. A neighbour was passing, and was a little dismayed by my apparent bravery - or stupidity - and shortly returned with a heavy-duty hammer drill for loan! I must admit that although the machine certainly did make the job a whole lot quicker, I did find that just lifting it up was rather too tiring for me after a short while!
Everything seemed to work fine - if in albeit exhausting fashion - until I reached the final section!
Therein lies yet another mystery:
In a few spots the latter "muck" was notably deeper, but otherwise remained fairly shallow, at around two to three inches. However, the aggregate was distinctly "sandy", and appeared to be a weak mix.
"Ah, ha, this should be a bit easier now?" thought I.
Oh, no, no, no!
The chisel bit just seemed to stay resolutely on the surface - or indeed repeatedly skidded off. Even the drill stayed as steady as a rock. It seemed to be
me that was vibrating up and down at high frequency instead.
Naturally, I quickly got fed up of that silly game!
Mr.O., came home from work at an opportune moment... and stood for while surveying a scene of chipped concrete, a silent, smoking drill... and a somewhat slumped, smoking father!
In a pathetic attempt at feigning a cheerful, care free, happy-go-lucky demeanour, I queried:
"Do you fancy having a go O?"
The poor boy took up the offer... and finished off the last two feet of the job! OK, so he didn't exactly go blurry round the edges... and he is still young and fit, but even he admitted that it was tough going!
By the way; Mrs. I. has been busy digging out old photo albums since this task commenced, and from among them this gem (?) taken in 1985 turned up:
Just to prove that I seem to have spent half a lifetime smashing someone else's wretched concrete from around our home!!
Pete.