In fact, even more sombre - maybe because it was hard to sleep for wondering what kind of low life would steal from a project specifically designed to be of benefit to the whole community. The proposed wildflower planters would have given a new...
Blog Archives
Updates on what’s happening at Dean Court!
This is a record of historical blog entries for your information.
Day 25: Site thieves manage to spoil the party mood
Over the weekend thieves entered the site and stole the timbers we had been saving for planters. May we ask anyone who overlooks the site to please keep an eye out for anyone entering the site outside working hours and to phone the police if they...
Day 24: Could there be a new career for Graham?
As Graham picks away at the old foundations on the north side, Gordon seems to be giving advice (I'm making this up because I like a good story) and in the time-honoured tradition of peace-maker, Nick puts the kettle on (No, they're not always...
Day 23: No, I wasn’t checking up – honest!
As the block foundations go in for the outside east wall, I was caught with a tape measure, trying to work out where the brickwork began. But now I know. A skin of bricks goes on top of the outside layer of concrete blocks. Inside that comes the...
Day 22: Now, enter the cavalry!
With the arrival of more men on site today and more materials, the pace inevitably speeds up - although I note I am still not invited to help. Reference to the master plan is constant. And the team work so fast that in a few minutes those piles of...
Day 21: Now that the rain has started, let’s start building!
On a day like this, working in steady rain as materials arrive and concrete is being poured, I suspect that Gordon and Graham won't agree with me that there is nothing quite so exciting as seeing a building going up. But the concrete was there at...
Day 20: As one door closes, three more will open!
Spurning my offers of help, the G-men have been hacking out doorways. Here, we are standing in the Youth Room on the eastern wing, looking north through a new doorway into the corridor. The loos will be on our right, with a store room and an...
Day 19: Another hard choice to make . . .
The pile covered by grey sheeting behind Graham is a pile of sand. It is just possible that the G-men are intending to make a sand pit . . . no, no, not one of those things to play in with buckets and spades. That would be entirely frivolous. I...
Day 18: Should we have a moat?
With the front trench all but dug and almost joined with those on the eastern and western wings, an exciting possibility springs to mind: could we have the only moated community centre in the country? But the cost of drawbridge, portcullis etc...
Day 17: Soft focus on the loos . . .
. . . less because it makes for a romantic image than because I didn't do that half-pressing the shutter thing. But these are the loos from the old building, being unpicked as we speak. They will be replaced by uni-sex facilities as inspired by...