Current Issue
Order in the court!
The historic Guildhall in Tavistock, Devon, has undergone a complete refurbishment to allow visitors to have a more interactive and memorable experience when visiting the museum, council chamber and meeting place. As part of the project APi Sound & Visual were appointed to install a new AV system into the Guildhall’s courtroom.
The design of the courtroom was not conducive to easily installing an AV system without it being obtrusive when not in use. A system design that gave flexibility but ease-of-use was paramount to the success of the project.
Midlands trio add to church heating specialist's portfolio
A trio of churches in the Midlands are set to find winter more comfortable in the future. They are the latest additions to those benefitting from the expertise of specialist installers Mellor and Mottram of Stoke-on-Trent, who have been installing heating systems into churches for more than three decades.
St Mary’s in Royal Leamington Spa (right) is a Grade Two-listed building designed by J G Jackson and built in 1838-9. It is complemented by two adjoining halls, all suitable for hiring out.
Read more: Midlands trio add to church heating specialist's portfolio
Serious concrete - the new Hartley Memorial Pathway
This commemorative pathway dedicates the names of all the victims of the Hester Pit Disaster on the site of the old pit head which is now a memorial garden.
The path was designed by Russ Coleman in collaboration with Rob Walton who worked with local people to produce a prose poem that weaves eye witness statements, newspaper accounts and a telegram from Queen Victoria into an emotive walk through the garden to the old pit shaft. The path was designed in black concrete with white letters in a contemporary font for the time. There are also commemorative hedgerow flowers cast into the path.
Read more: Serious concrete - the new Hartley Memorial Pathway
Clock dials restored at St Lawrence Jewry Church, London
The four dials on the St Lawrence Jewry clock tower in the City of London were faithfully restored and gilded with gold leaf, and painted black – the originally colour, discovered during the restoration process.
In October of this year, a four-man team from Smith of Derby comprising Rich, Tim, Dan and Mak travelled from the Clockworks in Derby to London with the dials. Under the guidance of project managers from Bakers of Danbury and with the assistance of the scaffolding team from Fourways, they were successful in refitting the dials to the clock tower which overlooks the Guildhall square and can be seen from much of the City.
Read more: Clock dials restored at St Lawrence Jewry Church, London
A warm church gives a warm welcome!
That is the message to church managers from Essex-based Argonaut Heating Ltd, a company with over 40 years experience in the industrial and commercial heating sector.
Specialising in church heating systems, they can provide cost-effective and efficient design, installation, repair and maintenance services and understand the problems involved in heating churches, community centres, halls and other places of worship.
Parishioners at St Matthew’s are seeing things in a new light!
CLS Electrical Services Ltd – also known as Church Lighting Systems – were given the task of updating the existing lighting system in St Matthew’s Church in Worthing, which mostly consisted of tungsten halogen floodlights providing the main illumination throughout the church. Not very energy efficient!
After CLS carried out an inspection of the existing installation, they confirmed that the existing control equipment and most of the wiring could be kept and re-used, keeping the overall cost of the project as low as possible to meet the church’s budget.
Read more: Parishioners at St Matthew’s are seeing things in a new light!
Five ways to winter-proof your oast house
Winter. It might come round once a year, and if you are not prepared it can end up costing you a fair bit. This year has seen a dramatic rise in home working and many of us will be spending more time in our home this winter than ever. So making sure your oast house is ready for the upcoming season is essential.
Here are four tips from oast house specialists Dude & Arnette to make sure you are prepared for whatever this year’s weather has in store for us:
Works such a bind for bookman Phil
What do you do if, after 25 years in secure, paid employment, you suddenly find yourself on the redundancy scrapheap? Put the skills you’ve acquired to work on your own behalf, of course – by setting up in business for yourself. That’s what Phil Winskill did 14 months ago when he was made redundant from his job as a bookbinder at York University.
Challenging restoration project at Blenheim Palace clock tower
Blenheim Palace is a large iconic country house near Woodstock in Oxfordshire. It is home to the Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill. As part of a large restoration project on the East Courtyard Tower, Mansfield based Time Assured was chosen to restore four large stone clock dials and a decorative gold coronet above the west dial.
Read more: Challenging restoration project at Blenheim Palace clock tower
All Saints floor is finally restored to its stable self
The Victorian tiled floor at All Saints Church in Boyne Hill, Maidenhead – designed by G E Street in 1857 – had become deteriorated and unsafe due to being laid on a defective substrate. Quantity surveyors Sawyer and Fisher and architect Roderick Maclellan recommended well-known specialists Cliveden Conservation to carry out the sensitive repair of the floor in accordance with Street’s original design.
Cliveden Conservation first assisted with moving furniture and placing items in safe storage. With the floor cleared, a detailed photographic survey was undertaken to provide a guide for re-laying the tiles. Cleaning trials then commenced.
Read more: All Saints floor is finally restored to its stable self
Restoration of the portico steps at Caroline Gardens Chapel
The chapel of the Licensed Victuallers’ Asylum, now known as Caroline Gardens Chapel, was built as part of a large set of almshouses for the support of publicans ‘advanced in age and suffering from infirmity…and no longer capable of supporting themselves’. Construction began in 1827 on a large plot of land in Camberwell, and continued until 1850 when the chapel was built in the centre of the almshouse crescent. By 1866, the site had 170 separate dwellings, a chapel, chaplain’s residence, library, board and court room. The architect was the little-known Henry Rose, who worked mostly in Southwark.
Read more: Restoration of the portico steps at Caroline Gardens Chapel
Winners of British Woodworking Federation Awards 2022 announced
The winners of the prestigious British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Awards 2022 have been revealed at an evening of celebration held at the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel.
This year marks the 14th anniversary of the annual Awards which celebrate outstanding achievement, skills and talent from across the woodworking and joinery manufacturing sector.
Read more: Winners of British Woodworking Federation Awards 2022 announced
Conservation of Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben
Affectionately known around the world as Big Ben and shrouded in scaffolding since 2017, the Elizabeth Tower is being repaired from the gilt cross and orb at its tip, to the bottom of its 334-step staircase.
This is the largest and most complex conservation project in the Tower’s history.
Parliament is restoring the clock tower to its former glory, as well as modernising and upgrading facilities to make it fit for the 21st century. This is vital to ensure that this iconic building, situated on a UNESCO World Heritage site, is safeguarded for future generations to visit and enjoy.
VISIT OUR ASSOCIATED SITES
