Bricklaying? I hit the wall

OUR MEN GET SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IN BUILDING BATTLE

- ED EASTON

PINK Floyd made the art of construction sound like a walk in the park.

But when Daily Star reporter ED EASTON tried a bricklaying challenge, he quickly realised that Roger Waters and co didn’t have a clue what was involved.

He was shown the ropes by “cement sensei” Jack Dawson ahead of FixFest - the festival for tradespeople - in Northampton next month...

IT’S just another brick in the wall, as Pink Floyd once said. But 90 seconds into my brick-laying challenge, with sweat pooling under my hardhat and mortar splattered on my shoes, it’s feels a lot heavier.

Because in the world of competitive wall-building, “just another brick” can be the difference between total delight and utter despair.

“How did I get here?” I wonder, ignoring the pain in my upper back.

It started with a message on the Daily Star group chat: “FixFest are coming into the office. Anyone want to try a bricklaying challenge?”

For those who don’t know, FixFest is the UK’s only summer festival specifically for tradies and their families.

And judging by my brief look at the life of a bricklayer, they certainly deserve a bit of down time.

I can hardly build a habit, let alone a wall, but I put myself forward for the job. “How hard can bricklaying really be?” I thought. “It’s basically adult Lego, or reverse Jenga, and the challenge lasts a paltry two minutes.”