The build so far...

Firstly, yes I know we've been slack at keeping you all up to date with the build, but we've been, well, badgering away with the build (I'm sorry, I had to get the pun in!)

Important business first, if you want to see the cream of the photographic crop of the build so far, head to the official Team Badger Badger Badger Badger photo set on Flickr! And keep checking (via the link on the right-hand side as I'll keep updating it as the build progresses!

So, what have we been up to...

Weekend One

We started off the weekend buy getting loads of materials of the lovely people at the Reddich branch of Wickes. After loading Al's poor car to the gills, we headed off to a Harvester (?!) to meet Chris Weston, our new Red Bull contact. Cheers Chris for lunch and the next installment of Red Bull and Red Bull Cola. Sunday, we couldn't do much as 'len had to do a tour of the Midlands to visit her poorly cousin and the family she's been so badly neglecting through all this Red Bull malarkey!

During the week, Al and his dad got busy - Al had a rather 'interesting' drive picking up the polystyrene for the wings from 'len's dad in Wolverhampton. That's 'len's dad with the groovy 'tache!
They also cut all the wood ready to build, created the frame for the wings and cut the polystyrene to fit!

Weekend Two
A trip to Travis Perkins started off the weekend for some more wood. The Sadler, Al and 'len got cracking on the central section, aka the unfortunately named 'stool' section, off which the badger and the wings will hand, and on top of which the pilot will sit.

Is it a stool? Is it a plane? No, it's Al and Chris!

By the end of the weekend, the badger had something approaching an arse!

Weekend Three
... started apace. Al's dad had shaped all the polystyrene, so Al and the Chrises got cracking on framing the bum with plastic piping , then and covering the arse with chicken wire.


By the time 'len arrived on Sunday, the nose section was cut out and attached and drying! First job was to get cracking with the papier maché. A bucket of ominously 'spermy' wallpaper paste and a newstand worth of the Financial Times (only the best for our badger!) and chaos reigned...

By the end of the weekend (well 10-bloody-pm on Monday when we had to be back in London, to be precise!), the head was 'piped' and chicken wired...

... and some of the paier maché on!


Well, another weekend approaches, and another post to shortly follow. We have BBC Midlands' Today coming on Monday, so keep your eyes peeled to see if we make it onto the box!

Much love
Team BBBB xxx

Showing some love!

So far, Team Badger Badger Badger Badger have had lots of lovely help, so I thought I'd take some time out to say a huge THANKS!

Firstly, there were the lovely staff at Wickes, Reddich. Jim and his staff have been absolute stars, letting us have not one, but two loads of materials including most of the wood - so our badger will be super strong thanks to their quality timber! Doing some DIY, head to www.wickes.co.uk


Also on the materials front, we want to thank the staff at Broad Street DIY in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire for lots of stuff including all the brackets that's going to hold the badger together! Take a look at their website at www.broadstreetdiy.co.uk

We also need to show some love for Travis Perkins. Thanks to Mark at the Bromsgrove branch for loading up our trailer with ply, coming up with the ingenius plastic-pipe-sculpting solution, and for all the other bits and bobs. www.travisperkins.co.uk


We'd like to thank B&Q Arnold, Nottingham for some wallpaper paste and finally. a massive shout out to Ian at Rolls Royce and Bentley, Bromsgrove. They are helping us get the badger to London in their curtain-sided lorry, and even chucking in the petrol - what STARS! To salivate over some beautiful cars, head to www.rrb-garages.com and here's the truck!


Thanks so much to all our sponsors, it's been an absolute pleasure meeting you and your contributions have been vital to making a Giant Badger fly!!!