Renovations: October 2019

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Renovation Diary: October 2019

4th October 2019

Project Manager's Report

We have had another productive week at The Swan. On Tuesday we held a volunteers painting day and had a fantastic turn out given that the weather was awful that day. We had about 14 people at the Swan at one stage. We did have to make the decision the close the bar that evening due to wet paint to all areas of the bar and loos but this resulted in a dedicated team worked late into the evening making most of the closure. Anne popped in and made a fantastic job of oiling the bar top it really does look stunning. We will also being showing other matches through the week.

Aside from one small area of skirting and a few second coats needed on the walls to the bar, loos and the internal doors we are almost there.

We have made a start on the external doors and hopefully we will be able to get these completed over the next few weeks. The final coats on the window sills have just been done and the windows look really light and fresh.

We have lots of minor works to complete over the next few weeks but none will be of a disruptive nature and the bar will not need to be closed.

We have ordered some chunky glass shelves from Windsor Glass and these should be fitted this week.

The slate hearths are due to arrive on Friday and although we can’t afford to do any further work to the fireplaces yet they will make a difference to the look of the bar.

The school room tiling is now complete and we are already taking bookings for this space.

Next week Peter will be able to commence the making of our window seats. We also have some old church pews that Will sourced and we will be sanding and varnishing these.

Finally our lovely plumbers - Scott and Rob - will be connecting the heating on Saturday as the nights are drawing in and there is a noticeable chill in the air.

We still have lots of work to do if you can lend a hand just turn up.

Marilyn xx

Carol cleaning the ladies

Down on hands and knees cleaning the floor tiles

Painting behind the bar

Adrian finishing the windows

Outside the pub in the street up a ladder

Preparing the windows for painting

Painting the new side door

Bez finishing the walls

Mariyn helping out

Painting finished behind the bar

Dark green to match The Swan colour scheme

Marilyn removing covering

Bar ready

Tables and painted chairs on the new wooden floor

Alan finishing the skirting

Visitor from California helping out with the painting

Trevor in the gents

Teamwork - Pete and Alan

Clearing the yard

Moving the rubble at the front of the yard

Finished article

Preparing the signs

Repainting the external signs so they can be remounted

Painting the glass cabinet

From the side of the bar

SHows new lighting however the light bulbs are too small

Front of the bar

Stools in front of the new bar, also shows new lightly coloured wooden floor

Awaiting the hearths

Pete playing around

Sanding the front door

Removing the dark stain and making it much lighter and appealing

Undercoating

Before applying the official dark green colour

Stable door painted

Laura in the gents

John clearing the rubbis

Anne preparing for the re-opening

New wooden floor

Feshly exposed ready for tables and chairs

Pew trial

Old fashioned pew fitted into one of the alcoves

New shelving

11th October 2019

It has been slightly quieter in the pub this week with work concentrating on finishing off some of the ongoing painting jobs. Two of our amazing Week Day Warriors were hard at it: Tony focusing on the front door, whilst Adrian is finishing the skirting board in the gents toilet!

Work has also been continuing behind the scenes, as we have been working on Matt’s Office; continuing with electrical work and preparing it for fire-boarding and plastering. Materials have also been arriving to build the seats into the front bay windows and some of you might also be pleased to hear that our finance manager Sasha will be getting out the sewing machine to turn her hand to making cushions in exciting Swan colours.

Rob and Scott - our hero plumbers - were in on Saturday and commissioned the radiators in the bar and school room. Now we have heating just in time for autumn!

The bar is now building up trade as we are fully inside and have heating. The floor covering has been lifted and all the main elements are now complete. Plus the full offer of beers, wines and spirits and daily offers too. We are almost there with the bar!

Meanwhile a whisky commercial was filmed in the school room. It starred our own Lexie Sparks and is to promote a brand new whisky offering which will be announced shortly.

18th October 2019

There was no project manager's report this week as Marilyn was in Jersey and there was little work done. That said, Pete built two new bench seats in the window alcove. The side door externals were top coated. And the signs removed from the main gates.

Pete building the bench seats

Almost finished

Radiator at the back to keep people warm in the winter

Safety notices removed

Bench seat completed

Newly donated table

Skirting added to the school room

Painting the side doors green

25th October 2019

Sparkies were in again this week and removed the last connection from the main distribution box inside the stables, allowing the removal of the last cable protector across the main entrance.

Inside we have been working on the finishing touches such as putting up the feature mirror and the baby changing units in both the ladies and gents toilets. Oh, and installing a second TV for the rugby world cup semi-finals.

Disappointingly some roof leaks re-appeared and the protecting tarpaulin shifted. Roof work has now become a priority.

Cable protector now gone