Rana Begum: The space between.

Begum's artworks and installations take inspiration from the geometric patterns associated with Islamic art and architecture – "I grew up reading the Quran and praying five times a day, so that repetitiveness is instilled in me," she explains – and from contemporary cityscapes: "the clashes of colours, forms, and the way the light changes things."

Begum uses different scales and materials to experiment with the way shapes interact to change the viewer's perspective. "People are always trying to find some kind of narrative [to my works]," says Begum, "but the initial response I want is to the colour, the light, the form – not to me." Unrelated to gender, religion and culture, her pieces exist in splendid isolation.

Her use of robust, industrial materials is often at odds with the ethereal lightness and fragility embodied in her works, a dichotomy that is ever present in her practice. Begum's works bring together moments of calm and exhilaration, their open-endedness allowing the viewer a sense of the infinite. In a new large-scale installation No. 670, 2016, created especially for this exhibition, sections of industrial steel-mesh fencing are arranged in a massive maze-like structure that invites visitors to walk through it and physically experience the sense of infinity bound within the geometric repetition of its architectural configurations.

 

Watch the video to see Rana introduce her work.

This Blog shows how a rat proof chicken run 8ft x 12ft x 6ft high was built and how in an awkward situation the green multipost system was used to create a free ranging area.

The completed run with front door for human access to clean house and give food. The back access hatch is for the girls to gain access to their free ranging area. The back access hatch is closed before dusk to stop rats entering the pen.

Some old tree stumps were used to create a play area where there afternoon corn treat is left. The gate is padlockable. The mesh is a 1inch by half inch (2.5x1.25cm) apeture which stops all but very small rodents from getting in, the wire thickness is 2mm (14g). The finish is galvanied then black powder coated.

Click here to ee a video of this cage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCiRNYeU-sI&feature=youtu.be

 

The construction:

The cage was put behind a garage (the back wall could have been used as one side of the cage). The ground was prepared with gravel and woodchip to stop weeds.

A soffit vent mesh was placed down to stop the rats digging under. Another way to do this would be to have a mesh base, however the soffit mesh has been used to save on cost. Normally the soffit mesh is laid after construction but due to access constraints this side was put down first. A hole had to be cut in through the laurels which was lined by 3 2ft square aviary panels to create a tunnel to the free ranging chicken run.

A 4 ft gate is put infront of the tunnel and the panels are bolted together. Making sure to put anything larger than the gat in the area before ithe chicken cage is fully constructed.

These photos show how the soffit mesh slightly overlaps the cage edge before its covered with the gravel woodchip and soil. Making sure that the mesh is totally covered as the product is sharp. Soffit mesh folds easily and keeps its shape

This is a photo of the chicken known as Jasmine using her hatch. Its worth noting that the chickens had no problem working out this system and were back in their house before dusk on the day of construction.

The hatch leads to the first free ranging are. As can be seen from the photo above the 2 inch 2.2/3.1mm green fencing mesh is non obtrusive. A gate is also put in the system to gain access. All these items are stock items. The mesh in this case is 5ft high, 6ft would be preferable to stop foxes. In this case the chickens roost in the fir tree lower branches. In the unlikely event a fox gained access to the run they can use these trees for shelter.

At the top of the run behind the vegetable plot another access hole has been made through the beech trees to give the chickens access to a large free ranging area made again using the multipost system and a 25m roll of green mesh.

Andy Beard

 

Andy Beard

Thought I would send you a photo of the cat enclosure now it is up!
As you can see, we had varying heights both from the door then onto the grass plus the patio floods in the winter so we wanted it to be raised anyway so the sleepers were used.
We are delighted with it - the girls are out in it happily now and they are safe which is the most important thing.
We may add to it in the future but for now we are very happy with it.
Thank you for your patience but as you can see - the levels and size needed to be right!!!!

A cleverley designed cat run allowing the cats to get to a larger outdoor area using an overhead tunnel.

Update with cats home and play things in position.

Please find attached a photo of the dog cage I built last year using your panels.

I have a large unsecure garden and was having great trouble preventing my dogs from escaping.

The cage was constructed on both patio and grass, as the dogs prefer using the grass for toilet purposes.

As you can see in the photo, the dogs can access the house via the dog flap in the door.

Your panels are of a very high quality and I am very pleased with my project.

It has been much admired and I can now go to work knowing that O.B. (Golden Retriever), Ned (Black Lab) and Maisy (Dalmation) are safe.

Best wishes

Lois Brereton

 

Hi Chris

Thought you might be interested on Millie's day house. It's a 6x3 double door pent roof shed with one of the doors cut in two. The 8x6 enclosed run consists of your 4ft door panel, a 4ft panel to the front side, two 4ft panels on the rear and a 2ft panel and 4ft panel to the end. Green mesh cover provides shade in summer.

The enclosure has been up for three years now and the coating shows no sign of corrosion. This is the second position we have used it in and found the fact it could be simply unbolted, moved and reconstructed a real bonus.

 

 

Our sons cockapoos love the run.

Ethel

 

Here are a few of Jenson in his day pen.

Can we also say the pen is fantastic, does everything we need and Jenson loves it. Easy to construct and well built.

KR

Si Lundy

Andy Beard

The Tawny owl was struck by a car in East Sussex in December 2012. He had a nasty blow to the head which caused serious trauma to the owl’s eyes.  The rehabilitation process has been a long one to ensure the bird’s eye sight in good enough for flying, hunting and catching food.  This owl will be released back to the wild once fit  and well.

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) is a front line rescue service to help people who find sick, injured and orphaned wildlife across East Sussex.  The first group was formed in 1996. Up until then Trevor Weeks, one of the founding members of East Sussex WRAS, was paying for veterinary bills and expenses out of his own pocket since 1985.  As he became better known, the number of calls became greater and the cost of his rescue work grew. 

In a need for better funding and help to cover rescues and so tired from being on call responding 24 hours a day, East Sussex Wildlife Rescue was started. It was not until 2005 that East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) was formed with its first group of trustees and directors as a registered charity (No 1108880).

WRAS covers a large area and works with 11 different veterinary practices. One of WRAS’s main concerns about veterinary practices is the stress levels of wildlife whilst they are admitted. Dogs, cats and parrots to name a few of the animals which can cause noise as well as humans activity which causes stress to wildlife casualties which are trying to rest, relax and recover from their injuries or illness. However this recovery will be slow in such stressful environments. To counter this stress WRAS has set up a Casualty Care Centre at Whitesmith on the A22 between Hailsham and Uckfield.

The Centre is capable of taking in up to 125 casualties at a time depending on the range of species in care at the time. The Hospital has a treatment room, three hospital rooms, an indoor room divided into for indoor pens and aviaries, a prep room, volunteer rest area, store and cold room for acclimatising animals like hedgehogs before moving them outside.

Every year WRAS received between 2-3,000 calls for help. Some of these are purely advisory calls, others need the response on site of one of our ambulances. On site WRAS’s rescuers provide vital first aid to casualties starting the care right at the beginning at the rescue location.

WRAS has four veterinary ambulances. These vehicles move around but are normally based at either at Whitesmith, Uckfield, Polegate or Stone Cross. At night time at least two of these vans are available at any one time.  The ambulances carry a variety of equipment, from ladders, various nets, stretchers, first aid kits, dog graspers, swan hooks, and much more.

WRAS ambulances have been involved in numerous rescues including helping to deal with a seal trapped in a nuclear power station, an albino deer with its antlers caught in a rope swing, a badger stuck in a disused swimming pool, a fox trapped in a drain, a bird caught up on a chimney, birds flying round inside a house, run over hedgehogs and much more.

Founder Trevor was recognised for his dedication to Animal Welfare in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2012 where he was awarded the MBE, Trevor and the work of East Sussex WRAS has also been recognised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare Animal Action Awards, BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey Community Heroes Awards and the British Animal Honours Awards 2013.

On average it costs WRAS £75 to be on call for and respond to a call-out. The vans, the mobile phones, veterinary bills, equipment stored in the vans etc are expensive and need replacing on a regular basis.

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS)

Reg Charity 1108880

www.wildlifeambulance.org

24Hr Rescue Line: 07815078234

Andy Beard

Leylandii, husky escape-artist re-homed from Battersea, lots of rolls of 7ft weld mesh, more 3 metre 4 x 4 posts than you could wave a stick at, (posts were pressure-treated timber but bottom 3ft creosoted for good measure), between one and two bags of Postfix™ per post, ground-line for each 12.5 metre run levelled very carefully (to avoid problems!), weld mesh securely clamped to first post and unrolled along scaffold boards using bungees round posts temporarily, only stapled to posts when happy with line. Decorative Bamboo rolls resting on 2 x 2 and fixed to 2 x 1 battens cable-tied to weld mesh and screwed to posts where possible.

Andy Beard

Fox Proof Boundary Fencing Fine Mesh Metals 30m light welded mesh rolls of netting provided the ideal solution for fox proof boundary fencing for a small wildfowl collection. 3ft x 1 inch x 12G wire netting was dug about 1ft into the ground with 4ft x 1 inch x … G wire netting on top overlapped by an inch and attached by a single wire with clip rings giving a total height of approximately 6ft.   A stabilising wire, also attached with clip rings, ran along the centre of the lighter gauge top wire netting. A single electric wire was attached along the top of the fence and another about 1ft from the ground. Heavy duty wooden fence posts were used on this wetland site, much of which is under water during the winter months. The different gauges and mesh sizes available from Fine Mesh Metals made the ideal suppliers for this strong fencing, at the required height, which keeps all but the smallest rodents out and the smallest ducklings in.    The large stock of light welded mesh rolls with size and thickness variations make Fine Mesh Metals the ideal fencing suppliers for the poultry, waterfowl and wildfowl industry. 

Andy Beard

How to Install Soffit mesh between a Fascia and Brickwork.

Building regs dictate that a gap is left between the fascia and the brickwork. This allows an easy entry point for birds, rodents, bees and other insects.

Soffit mesh is easy to install and solve this problem quickly. Its a simple job but you must make sure to wear gloves (its very sharp) and also provide an appropriate access solution ideally scaffolding.

You should choose a roll of soffit mesh around twice the width of the aperture you are filling. If its narrower than that choose the minimum roll width of 75mm.

Take the roll and cut of the length required or a manageable length (it can be overlapped). You can cut the mesh with a decent set of household scissors. Fold it slightly down the middle to give it a slight curve. You can then push it into the gap, the curve will spring open and grip into place. Although in most instances it will be fairly secure its best to put a fixing where you can, (see example below of a screw into a joist.)

For ends and gaps you can fold the mesh and wedge it into place. If you don't get the shape correct first time just add another piece.

Example below where a blue tit was nesting and ripping out insulation. You can see the insulation pieces falling out

 

Example fixing into a joist.

For narrow gaps to stop Bees and insects fold the mesh tightly and use a flat headed screwdriver between the mesh to push it into place.

For ends fold extra pieces and wedge into place. You can use more than one piece if required.

Make sure you get all the gaps.

 

 

 

 

This is an example of an intermediate cage for free ranging birds. As its for domectic laying birds a a 2 inch green mesh has been used. If the cage was to be permanent or for chicks a smaller mesh should be used. The chicken mesh cage offers the birds a safety area for feeding and drinking and an area where the birds can be left to range when the owners are away.

The cage is on a sloped area so a 6ft high roll of mesh has been used cut on an angle to 5ft. 5ft is the minimum height cage used to deter foxes. This has meant 6ft and 5ft posts have been used for an earth screw fencing system.

 Andy Beard

WildSide Exotic Rescue is a sanctuary for wild captive animals traded and kept as pets, that rescues and rehabilitates those in need and inspires humans to end the wild pet trade.

WildSide has been ordering panels from Fine Mesh Metals, on a very regular basis, over many years. New rescues can arrive here with little notice, so these panels are great at enabling us to erect new enclosures in days rather than weeks. We have settled into a pattern of using these panels, combined with railway sleepers, which ensures the enclosures have longevity and look rustic and appealing too. We have Monkeys, Racoon, Coati, Owls, Lions, Serval, Lynx and many more safely contained in large enclosures using these panels. For small enclosures we use the panels for the roof as well but for our massive enclosures we use steel threaded netting.

https://youtu.be/poELr5pUozA video showing mountain lion using tunnel.

 

link to their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555018177054

 

We are so glad we found you and thank you for our cat run. We are very impressed by your product and service.We needed a safe, secure area for our cats to run in but we also wanted to share their space too. With your help and knowledge we managed to enclose part of our garden and patio area (16’x12’x8') with only one central roof support. A cat flap gives our cats the independence to come and go as they wish within a safe, secure haven and at 8 feet high, we do not feel caged in. The panels and fixings are strong, robust and the run is certainly not going anywhere. Your product was so easy to use that we put it up in a weekend. Thank you again, Mrs Baggs, Headcorn, Kent.

Andy Beard

I am a Senior Animal Technician at New College Stamford and I am always on the look out for bigger and better designs for animal enclosures to met the animals welfare needs.  I had an ideas what I wanted but didn't know how to get it.  I stumbled across Fine Mesh Metals on one of my searches and contacted them immediately.  By the end of the day they had responded, not only could they met my requirements they offered advice on the design.  It was a short delivery time and so easy to install. Both enclosures are robust enough to withstand the beaks of  parrots and the climbing ability of the ferrets, having different gauges of mesh prevents escapees!  The safety porch can be moved to various positions to accommodate our 'human' requirements.  The panels can be easily repositions to create a new floor layout  area or free standing enclosure to enrich the animals lives further.  The animals now use this part of their enclosures so much that we have decided to extend it further. Our Animal course is constantly expanding so having something that is easily movable saves on the cost of building a fixed enclosure giving us more variety and flexibility. Next animal to get a revamp on his enclosure .....The iguana and maybe some tunnels for the meerkats!  I will be using Fine Mesh Metals again for sure. 

Andy Beard

 

When I bought my owl, I didn't want just a run of the mill aviary like a lot of people have such as an old shed with a bit of chicken wire in place of the window.  I wanted an aviary that was a piece of the house, something to look at and admire and somewhere where my owl would be comfortable and safe. Most people have chain link on their aviaries and I nearly had the same too until I found the square mesh and I'm glad I did, it looks absolutely superb and I couldn't have found anything better.  It has the security of the chain link but much better aesthetics.  I get comments about the aviary as much as I get about the beauty of my owl.

 

Andy Beard

An enchanting example of a vegetable garden and fencing using Weld Mesh.

An example of an incredible sculpture using chicken mesh.

Andy Beard

Timber framed Lean to, with Dog run panel mesh inserts.