bbq – Peter Donegan Garden Design & Landscaping

10 Green Questions With Comedian Paddy Courtney

I met with Paddy Courtney in Portmarnock recently. Anything for the great outdoors is always my attitude and when I realised I could ask Paddy my 10 new green questions and also have a giggle at the same time I was all for it.

The other reality is that I really like what 7up are doing in the context of the great outdoors. Makes me want to make my own list…. either or you have to admit it’s encouraging in the context of get outside and have a laugh😉 Here’s the deal…

Basically 7Up Free have gotten Paddy Courtney, to head out on a Roadtrip to uncover 7 things you have to do before the summer is out; it’s like a Bucket List for a summer in Ireland. Paddy’s going to be trying out everything from wakeboarding to surfing, from horse riding to abseiling, if it’s fun, he’s trying it.

They are also running competitions on the site over the next few weeks to win all sorts of prizes including a deluxe BBQ with a performance by Paddy in your house, Polaroid Pogos and cocktail shakers. All you have to do is go onto the 7up website and submit your story. They are also on Facebook.

Building Your Own Bar-B-Q

I bought this ‘barbequick‘ bbq last year. Quick? hmmmm… €20. In December. Bargain. Left it in the shed.

When the sun came out I built it. Did it end up looking like the image above…? not on your nelly… 😉 But for good reason….

If you do fancy building your own barbeque – here’s how.

Stone type:

i tried to get the same brick sizes as per the instructions – but – free bricks are much nicer
i wanted a ‘looks like its been there for a while…’ kinda finish – it’s also the greatest excuse if you’re not the best brick layer in the world
don’t use concrete blocks unless you are going to plaster the walls

Location:

decide where you want it. This is built from stone. Solid stuff. It hasn’t got wheels. So be darned sure it is exactly where you want it.
Keep it well away from walls… smoke? black? and more important timber fences… fire?
not right beside the patio – smoke/ guests eyes; flames & grannys new hair do

How I built mine:

I picked my spot.
Took the measurements from the instructions and layed a foundation about 4″ deep – to finish just below ground level. Left it for a few weeks day or three…

Materials:

300 no. brick
2 no. bags cement
1 no. bag of gravel
3 no. bags of sand
washing up liquid [substitute for mortisiser – bonds the cement better]
some paving slabs for the base – for you to stand on

Tools:

spirit level – a good long one
a block splitter ‘or’ a good bolster chizel and a mallet
a trowel
a wheel barrow to mix cement in

Conundrums:

I measured the foundation from the instructions but that was based on ‘their’ brick sizes. Mine were smaller & I needed a lot more than they suggested.
The clips to support the grill are ‘only’ to suit that size of block. They obviously wouldn’t fit ‘my’ barbeque.
I also wanted an extra, adjoining counter to the side for plates and food so I had a bit more to do.

Don’t Forget:

To stick a few long screws into the cement while laying to hang your implements on
Measure twice and cut once rule

My thoughts:

It will take about 2 days to complete. And there is nothing more rewarding than sitting back with a cup of coffee looking at a wall that you built. Sincerely. Especially if you are a man…. 😆

If one was to pay to get it built….? In my opinion, it would be cheaper to go and buy one. To approximate the costs briefly; if the bricks costs €1 each; multiplied by 300 bricks – One is already at €300 before it gets built….?

That said, I didn’t want a gas barbeque. I wanted one that I could say in years to come… that ‘I remember building that…’ I also have the ability to barter eggs for materials and so apart from my time – this really didn’t cost me whole lot.

my very first barbeque…