Renovations: May 2019

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click on the link to get full instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

Renovation Diary: May 2019

3rd May 2019

It does look like that the team are trying to dig their way through to China, but that is just the new footings that are required for the new pillars to support the new steelwork. This is being done under the guidance of the Building Control people to make sure that it is appropriate for the building - well it is supporting a lot of weight!

A good bit of news is that plastering has started in the gents toilet. This is a psychological milestone that we are starting to put the place back together rather than ripping all the bad stuff out. There was a little cheer from the volunteers when Ian the Plasterer started. Rob and Scott - the plumbers - have been douing a lot of prep work in the bowels of the building for the new boiler and water tanks that are required to run the whole pub (including the B&B in the future.

In the background, the GRS were clearing rubble and prepping their school room. Also further scaffolding was put in place, you may have noticed it when passing the pub. Encouragingly >FirsMarilyn started the paint matching tests against The Swan colours - this is going to be difficult to match the chosen brand colours. And when bored, some volunteers did some more wire stripping. There is still miles of old cables to come out, and then be stripped down to the bare metal which we will then sell for funds.

Extending the footings

New plaster in gents drying out

Paint matching trials

Footings nearly complete

Ian plastering in the gents

Another day, another skip

Ladies toilet ready for plastering

Shower was demolished

Boiler and cupboard removed

Boiler and cupboard on 1st floor removed

10th May 2019

Work to the bar area and toilets has continued apace this week, and the concrete pad stones which will support the structural steels have been completed. This is an important milestone for the project, and is the result of a lot of hard work and skill from our builders and volunteers alike.

There are myriad small jobs which need to be undertaken across the site, which would suit volunteers of all shapes and sizes! This week we had hardy volunteers removing barrow loads of unearthed rubble, others preparing for the heating engineers to come in, while up in the school room preparations for decorating have continued. As always, we offer our warmest thanks to those who have contributed their time and energy to the project, and we welcome anyone who can offer more of the same

New support walls built by Paul the Brickie

Front pad stone now fully ready

Office cleared out and prepped

1001 nails removed from office rafters

Break time from preparing for the new tanks

Back bedroom dressed as a dining roo

Prepping for new water tanks

Main bedroom ready for filming

Alternate view of the main bedroom

Alternate view of the back bedroom

Cupboard in hall prepped for water heater

Old cupboard being prepped for water heater

17th May 2019

This was an important week for moving forward with the pub. All the foundations and new brickwork has been put in place (as well as inspected) ready for the new ceiling supports. The steels were delivered by It's A Steel and were installed by our professional building team.

Further work on the ceiling was done by the volunteers. Most of the bar ceiling has now been taken down being readied for the new fire resistant boards. Old paster and lathe removed, and lots and lots of nails. More nails than you can imagine! Plus centuries of dust too. And to top it off, the last of the bar floor is now being removed. This is getting rid of the rotten beams and taking it back to the brickwork and original ground level as appropriate.

The volunteers have aso been busy outside with a trench started in The Courtyard for the new electricity supply. This will come into Stable 5 and then be distributed throughout the pub via new armoured ducts and cables through the ladies toiler. And behind the scenes, Rob and Scott - our plumbers - are making great progress on the heating system. Due to security we will limit the photos of what they are doing.

Inserting a steel support

Old ceiling is being removed

Part of the old ceiling

Creating a blank canvas

Trench for the mains electricity

Team work was essential

Last of the floor was removed

Laths being kept for the BBQ

One of the plumbing team - Rob

Just before last of floor removed

School Room being prepped for painting

Steels are in

Simpsons swapping skips

Fourth full skip

Our other plumber - Scott

Acrows have now gone

Ladies loo slowly taking shape

And at last, the sun is out ...

24th May 2019

You may have been wondering what is going on outside The Swan this week. Basically we needed to upgrade the electricity supply. Previously the pub was running on a maximum of 100 amps, the same as your own home. Now it has been upgraded with a three phase supply which will give us enough energy for all our needs now and in the future. Once SSE had completed their work, our electrians from New Leaf were in connecting us up so we can have lights again ... and also the capability to make a cuppa - essential !

The whole bar floor has now been removed and the footings tidied up. The team are in today to restart rebuilding the floor. We should have the subfloor completed by the time of the BBQ. It's hard to believe, but we have filled another skip (number five!) in less than a week.

It's been fab for us to see volunteers coming in during the week. It has certainly helped us to make progress in the bar and also in the school room. Tony, Bez and Elizabeth came in for a chat and ended up preparing some of the wood ready for painting. Jim popped in for an hour and helped tidying up the footings in the bar.

Footings have been tidied up

Wood for the sub-floor arriving

Jim came in for an hour

Ready to start the sub-floor

Clearing out the pipework

Trench outside the main building

Lunch break

Skip five filled in a week

Fireplace now removed

Volunteers who just popped in

John prepping the school room

Removing the fireplace

Filming all finished

31st May 2019

Quick update from our site project manager with the progress as of 31st May.

Hello everyone,

What a busy week we have had at The Swan.

Thank you to all of you who have volunteered since we did our call for help last Thursday and of course to all our regular volunteers.

I cannot stress the importance of weekday volunteering. The savings in both time and money is making the project move forward more quickly and most importantly it is helping with our very limited budget. Ultimately more savings mean we can reach our goal sooner and we all want that to happen.

To give you a quick update of where we are to date. The subfloor is now almost complete in the bar and the electricians and plumbers will recommence the final first fixing next week. This will then allow us to move forward with other works.

The School Room has been worked on by almost all volunteers and is progressing nicely.We are just choosing a kitchenette from Howden’s who are giving us amazing discounts.

We are really progressing now and I have been busy working on the design side. We have a separate team to assist me including Katie Calvert, who is studying design at uni, and the new Manager of The Swan (more news next week!). We have been looking at bar design, tiles, radiators and the overall look of the finished scheme. Remember we have the most limited budget and our aim will be to create a wonderfully relaxing haven for the community and visitors alike.

We are hoping that both the bar and school room will be open mid to late July as planned.

Marilyn, site project manager

SSE digging outside The Swan