LOWE ALPINE TO THE RESCUE

Outddor specialists Lowe Alpine kindly supplied us with this excellent backpack which we converted to a spanking new harness for the Giant Bolster

Getting the fortunate individual into place to carry the burden of the big fellah has always beeen a problem. Many a man has cried under the weight and strain of the effort, so we decided that it was about time to make the job more bearable, by fitting a comfortable harness. The old one was just about worn out, but finding a suitable, improved version was a difficult time to say the least.

Bolster crew member Piers Owen came up with the solution, in the form of a mountaineering backpack, after he had spent a week trucking around the heights of Mont Blanc with the world on his back. A good idea we thought, but how to afford such a luxury item was another matter.

Give them a call we thought and see if they might have an old frame lying around that we might be able to use. And they did; but not just any old frame. They let us have the latest model free of charge, which we then savagely butchered, and fitted into Bolster’s frame.

The theory is that just about any of the Bolster crew could carry him now. We’ll wait and see.

A MASSIVE THANKS TO PHIL MANN AT LOWE ALPINE FOR HIS HELP

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Bolster rebuilt

The framework is looking ready to go. Roll on the clothes!!!

The Bolster crew, under the guidance of the ever capable Cas Sandall, have been busy rebuilding the Giant’s framework over the last few months.

It has been almost 19 years since Bolster was first built and it seemed that every year some part or other was breaking, so the crew took it upon themselves to give the big man a makeover.

He’s now waiting for Jo Smith to finish his new set of clothes and he’ll be raring to go.

Not looking too good

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The Bolster Boys

The wonders of social networking!

A man named George with the surname of Bolster from a small town named Mallow, just outside of Cork, has been told that there’s a video of him on You Tube. So he googles youtube bolster, and what does he find, not himself but a great big giant, in a place far away called St Agnes in Cornwall. Now he loves this and goes to his cousin Patrick’s bar, called Dayley’s, arguably the best watering hole in the area, and meets up with his brothers, Ivan, Graham and Billy, and his Dad William. He tells them all about this Bolster thing that goes on in Cornwall, and after a few pints of the Black Nectar they all decide that they have to discover more.

So they get in touch with Richard at the St Agnes Tourist Information Centre, who dutifully sends them out a calendar of events, and the next thing they’re all speeding off to Cornwall.

Now the story goes that they’re all virgins that are in search of their own special Agnes, but that’s their story, and I personally am not having any of it. They’re actually a wonderful family of guys that have come in search of some fun and have found the right place. They won’t be watching the pageant itself because it clashes with their beloved Munster playing Biarritz in the semi final of the heineken Cup, so they’ll be in the Railway stuck to the TV.

They asked if we’d ever come across any other Bolsters, and as a personal friend of the Giant I replied that I hadn’t. However if there are more of them out there they should get in touch. Who knows we could have a  convention.

If you see these lovely guys around be sure to say hello.

And I did see them around and they were making a hit with the women, and some of them in particular obviously like the Irish men, so watch this space.

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