Saturday, June 18th,the day dawns wet, very wet but at least it is calm. If I can position the oven beneath some sort of canopy, there's a good chance of shelter from the worst of the rain, somewhere for the pizzas to be rolled without recourse to the school kitchen and the chance of a reasonable blaze, assuming the kindlinghasn't become too damp.
Due to the on-going laying of mains sewers directly outside of the school it is not possible to drive into the yard, so everything has to be barrowed in from what's left of the road. By 0915 the show is on the road, a marquee is in the process of being erected and the oven has been allotted a position close to the school and protected by two walls. A sturdy gazebo is provided, covering a strong picnic table which proves ideal to take the weight of the oven. All it requires is two oven sole bricks to chock it up to level. I pray they won't give way under the weight and make amental note to retrieve them when the oven is dismantled. Enough sand is charmed from the sewer contractors and a parent sets about barrowing it the 200 or so yards from thecompound where it is stored. Thankful, I concentrate on building the oven andhelping to off-load the sand into the oven box as it arrives and as soon as the oil drum shell is stable, I light a fire within and with plenty of forced draught manage to get it hot enough to dry out the insulating sand; by 11am Iam confident that we will be baking pizzas soon after noon.
Without knowing how wet the sand is, being used as insulation, it is not possible to predict how long the ovenwill take to reach baking heat, as until most of the moisture has been driven from the sand, the oven will not gain or retain heat. Once everything is dry, the oven sole begins to heat through, the wood burns hotter and wood gas ignites, feeding the flames and turning them translucent, smoke is reduced and heat can be felt in front of the oven door. An attractive rolling flame dances beneath the roof towards the door. At this point, baking can begin.
The first pizzas were drawn out by noon and a steady stream of eager pupils shyly lined up to be instructed inthe finer arts of rolling very thin pizzas and watching them disappear into the hot maw of, what is now, a pizzeria.
By 1445 all the pizza mix had been used, custom had drifted away and it was time to think about packing upand heading for home.
The oven attracted plenty of attention and compliments, with enquiries regarding its structure and how onecould build something similar at home. I had a small file of information and promised to email more to those interested in self-build.
All in all, another successful day for the portable oven, raising some funds for the school and helping spreadthe message of alternative and sustainable methods of cooking when time beginsto press the need for them upon us.
Peter Dicken