Work is well under way at St Joseph’s Diocesan Centre.
The hall floor has been repaired. Windows and doors have been stripped of paint and are being prepared for oiling so that they retain their natural look of Oregon pine. The upstairs balustrade had been stripped and previous repairs with meranti have been removed to be replaced with Oregon to match the original.
Electrical contractors have also been busy and there is now trunking throughout most of the building with new wiring and fittings.
Plumbers have been appointed as have painters. Those of you who can picture the upstairs pink and blue room will be pleased to know that the first coat of normal colour paint has been applied and the partitioning in the middle has been removed creating a big spacious room ideal for training sessions.
The chapel has also had its first coat of paint and looks much brighter than a few weeks ago, assisted by the removal of the old dark colouring from the ceiling so that the natural wood is once again visible. The carpenter who is repairing the windows and doors will also be renovating the existing pews, the few there are, and will try and match them, both in looks and in wood to replace the existing arrangement of using old chairs.
A construction / demolition firm has been appointed to remove the northern part of the building that is not part of the original plans.
All this activity does of course mean that St Joseph’s is effectively out of use in the short term. We will, however, still be able to use the grounds for parking at the Diocesan Conference on 15th October when we meet at Sparrow Schools next door.
Rodney C F Taylor
Diocesan Secretary
August 2011
Click to view the pictures of the renovations of the St Joseph Diocesan Centre