11.07.2006

Facelift’s Barrel-Picker wins first prize

Facelift Access Hire, the Hickstead, UK, based powered access specialist recently took won first prize in the ‘Paddle around the Pier Brighton’ charity event in aid of The Rocking Horse Appeal, RNLI and Surf Aid.

The idea is that each company taking part builds a raft representing its business and then paddles it around the West Pier in Brighton.
Facelift was initially approached to donate a cherry picker for the day for aerial photographs.

However as soon as managing director Gordon Leicester and workshop manager Peter Loseby found out what the event was about, they decided to enter themselves.
Please register to see all images

The Barrel-Picker is launched, the near side rear end looks a bit low in the water?

The obvious choice of raft was of course an aerial lift, but it was understandably not the easiest thing to incorporate into a flotation craft. After a couple of days head scratching the two decided to weld together a number of steel barrels to serve as the hulls of a raft. The barrels were then joined by an aluminium frame to which an ‘articulated boom’ was mounted.

Two fake hydraulic lift cylinders were used to make it look as realistic as possible, while local company Pre-weld Fabrications sponsored Facelift and helped to secure it all safely.
Please register to see all images

The Facelift Barel-picker came in first

The vessel, which took four weeks to build was aptly named the ‘barrelpicker’. Its four man crew then succeeded in propelling it to first place in the race around the pier. The trophy was presented to Facelift by DJ Fat Boy Slim.
Please register to see all images

Richard Marchant, FD at Facelift, collects the winners trophy from Fat Boy Slim