Keith Hayward

Photograph Source, Copyright and Text enclosed by "..."  Ray Ramsay

"Cranbrook was mobbed by loads of mallard ducks during 'the duck time'. It came about for two reasons:

1.  the Baroness who owned the surrounding land organised a duck-shoot during that week, and there was a mass escape of ducks from the waiting shotguns nearby to sanctuary within the H.O. wireless depot perimeter!

2.  the main workshop drain became blocked after substantial rainfall and formed a fair sized pond between the worskhop buildings.

When we arrived for work in the morning, there were ducks happily swimming around this impromptu lake, and some even made their way into the main workshop where they were given some titbits.

The drain was ordered to be unblocked for operational reasons, so the lake disappeared. The mallards looked so forlorn, that we all contrived to give them a mini version to paddle around in, and someone produced a child's paddling pool from the boot of his car!  We added a hosepipe to supply the water, and they all piled in at once - it was very amusing to watch. After a short while, work beckoned, so the water was turned off and the ducks eventually left the compound"