 Bulletin
- August 2001
We now have completed over 50% of the work with some 16 weeks of the
original programme passed and with about another 12 weeks to go. The stone
cleaning is well underway and the results of cleaning some of the sections
of the Church can be seen from ground level, showing the lovely honey
coloured stone beneath the grime and pollution. The Tower itself is
complete except for the lower levels. The spire is progressing well and
should be complete by the end of this month. The majority of the North and
East sides of the Church are complete, but work is yet to begin on the
South side. Stone replacement to the Tower is progressing very well in
spite of unexpected repairs to badly damaged window stones, particularly
around the beautiful West Window. Pointing to the Tower is underway and
pointing to the Spire will follow on. A great deal of additional work has
been & is required to the North and South Aisle Parapets and to both
sides of the Clerestory Story Parapets. Lead and timber repairs are being
carried out to a variety of areas of the roof.
The weather cock has been stolen from the top of the Church Spire, but
a replica replacement has been very kindly made by David Martin, who
renovated the original weather cock in 1966. The new weather cock is
presently away for gilding.
Overall the work is progressing extremely well and in spite of many
unforeseen problems and a great deal of additional repair work, we shall
be within budget and completion will only be delayed slightly, from end
October to early November.
August is a definitive month as far as work is concerned, as we shall
be able to identifying the remaining essential repair work and all work
left to be completed, so that the programme end date can be positively
identified and a final assessment of the total cost can be made.
Generally speaking I am well pleased with the progress to date, the
high standard of craftsmanship and the work executed.
Ossie Newell, Project Manager
Bulletin
- 14th May 2001
Work began on site on Sunday 29th April 2001. A weekend was chosen so
that work on the walkway from the West door of the Church to the Coffee
Room would cause less disruption than during a weekday. Scaffolding has
progressed in earnest since then, and although it is early days in the
twenty-four week site programme good progress is being made. After only
eleven working days into this programme some seven working platforms are
in place and scaffolding has almost reached the top of the Tower.
Scaffolding will be finally completed by the week ending 8th June and
stone cleaning will commence in the week beginning 21st May and continue
until the week ending 17th August. The masonry repairs will start about
the same time as the cleaning and carry on until the week ending 21st
September.
Scaffolding will be dismantled from the Tower between 24th September
and 12th October. Other ancillary and associated work, all around the
Church building, will be undertaken simultaneously with the Tower work.
All the work should finish by the end of October.
In addition to the Main Contractor and the Scaffolding Company carrying
out work at present, there will be five other Sub-Contractors involved
from time to time covering cleaning, electrical work, carpentry and
joinery, glazing and lead work. The City Council may also be involved in
carrying out long overdue maintenance on the Church Clock.
Although there is nothing very technically difficult about the work to
be completed, nor any insurmountable problems to overcome, it does require
a great deal of skill and ingenuity from all involved. The main
difficulties are practical problems, for access to the site and to the
work is extremely limited and difficult. Delivery and storage of materials
is almost impossible due to City Council restrictions and the forbidden
access via. St Peter’s Walk. Everything we require on site to
undertake the work has to be placed within that very small area at the
foot of the Tower between the West and North doors of the Church.
This is also true for the various services required: electricity to
drive the hoist, pump and tools, water for cleaning, and toilet
facilities, all of which have to be gathered from the far points of the
Church.
Notwithstanding these difficulties a good start has been made, and we
are marginally ahead of the planned programme. I am confident that we
shall have an excellent outcome and a successful project.
Successful launch
The Appeal was launched in St Peter's Church on the evening of Thursday
26th April; by a presentation attended by Sir Andrew Buchanan Bt., the
Bishop of Sherwood and the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, together with leading
figures in the City of Nottingham and members of the electoral roll. The
evening concluded with the choir singing "Locus iste" by
Bruckner and Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", before a buffet
supper.
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