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Next Steps Photo Gallery

This page is a photographic record of the project from the start of the construction work in April 2021 to completion in May 2022

Church Open Day – 21st May 2022

Welcome to all
Looking inside
Flexible space
The quiet room
Taking a break
View from above
Showing off the balcony
View across the balcony
Trying out the stairs
The contractor, a plasterer and the architect
Celebration service
Plenty of space
Fellowship room looking outside
Fellowship room
Enjoying the grounds

The first service – 15th May 2022

Tim welcoming everyone
On the gallery
From the foyer
Music team
View from upstairs
Of course that’s what this is for!

Late May 2022

Before the new stage was installed

Phase 2 – Amazing view
Phase 2 – So light
Phase 2 – Ceiling looking south
Phase 2 – Everyone will want to
be on the balcony
Phase 2 – Minister’s new office
Phase 2 – The ceiling as never seen before

May 2022

Almost there…..

Phase 2 – Re-shaping the balcony where
the organ used to be
Phase 2 – These two pews used to be downstairs
Phase 2 – New location for the Coxe Feary plaque
Phase 2 – The window at the top of
the new staircase
Phase 2 – White columns continue upstairs
Phase 2 – Clearing up ready for cleaning

A mid-April Update

Phase 1 – Carpets
Phase 1 – View to inner hall
Phase 2 – Baptistry cover next – this lot will have to move!
Phase 2 – Our new front door is amazing
Phase 2 – Such a bright entrance
Phase 2 – Staircase in construction
Phase 3 – lovely new pathway to the carpark
Phase 3 – Workday, age is no barrier to having fun
Phase 3 – Workday, tree management

April 2022

12 months of building work completed and we are so nearly finished

Phase 1 – All we need is the carpet
Phase 2 – Getting to grips with the techie area wiring
Phase 2 – Larger leaded glass window
Phase 2 – More coats of paint for the columns
Phase 2 – New loft access hatch
Phase 2 – White columns blend in so well
Phase 2 -New landing floor from below
Phase 2 -View into Minister’s office through the soon to be sealed door
Phase 2 – Large space needs a large vacuum cleaner
Phase 2- Sneak peak at the new staircase
Phase 3 – The cross
Phase 3 – Last bit of concrete lifted

March 2022

Lots of activity as much progress is made

Phase 1 – kitchen fitted
Phase 2 – a hidden speaker,
soon to be painted over
Phase 2 – buckets everywhere
Phase 2 – complicated wiring
Phase 2 – new seat
Phase 2 – plastering around the archway
Phase 2 – plastering up the stairwell
Phase 2 – rebuilding the porch ceiling
Phase 2 – refurbished stained glass
Phase 2 – repairing the columns stage 1
Phase 2 – repairing the columns stage 2
Phase 2 – preparing for painting
Phase 2 – painting to new heights
Phase 2 – so much light steaming in
Phase 2 – tlc for the columns
Phase 3 – preparing the ground
Phase 3 – then laying blocks in the sunshine

Late February update – It’s all about the floor!

Phase 2 – Insulation laid
Phase 2 – Pipes for Underfloor heating in foyer
Phase 2 – Pipes for underfloor heating installed
Phase 2 – Screed laying
Phase 2 – screed total of 40 tonnes to barrow in
Phase 2 – teamwork!

February 2022

Next Steps is taking big strides!

Phase 2 – New meets old in the porch
Phase 2 – Foyer all ready for the invisible speaker
Phase 2 – Foyer now boarded and plastering started
Phase 2 – Minister’s office with feature arch
Phase 2 – One of the stone seats
Phase 2 – Rebuilding the pews on the balcony
Phase 2 – Scaffolding rig to install new lights
Phase 2 – Stairwell all framed out upstairs
Phase 2 – Stairwell insulation
Phase 2 – Stairwell plasterboarded
Phase 2 – Work on the Techie area
Phase 2 – Wow! hot and cold water for the baptistry
Phase 2 – Tea break!

January 2022

A new year begins and work continues

Phase 1 – New blinds
Phase 2 – A sneak peek for the church fellowship
Phase 2 – At last the new rooms takes shape
Phase 2 – Entrance to new minister’s office
Phase 2 – First inner walls being built
Phase 2 – New quiet room
Phase 2 – New stairwell looking upwards
Phase 2 – New stairwell showing route of stairs
Phase 2 – New wall, leaving the column visible
Phase 2 – Power and IT cables
Phase 2 – Stained glass windows upstairs looking lovely
Phase 3 – Installation of the final lengths of drainage system

December 2021

It has been a big month in that finally the inner wall is safely down. As you can see below, it has been a bit of a big job to say the least!

Phase 1 – We love these orange carpet tiles in the storeroom
Phase 2 – Removal of wall – Step 1 propping system
Phase 2 – Removal of wall – Step 2 ground prepped for concrete
Phase 2 – Removal of wall – Step 3 concrete poured
Phase 2 – first glimpse through from the front door
Phase 2 – Heavy engineering – steels installed
Phase 2 – new steel to support the balcony
Phase 2 – now removed – this held the balcony up previously
Phase 2 – steel goalpost – opening taking shape
Phase 2 – the plastering on the north wall
Phase 3 – drainage completed on north side
Phase 3 – scaffolding all down

November 2021

The weather has been so amazing that we have taken advantage of it by pushing on with the outside work on the drainage and paths. Much of the really dirty work has been done which is a good place to be in, now that the winter is approaching.

Phase 1 – doors fitted
Phase 1 – main lights fitted
Phase 1 – more painting
Phase 1 – WC taking shape
Phase 2 – 12 new window units
Phase 2 – first fix electrics
Phase 2 – first window in place
Phase 3 – catch pits ready for outside
Phase 3 – drainage cages arrive
Phase 3 – drainage cages in the ground
Phase 3 – first connecting pipework
Phase 3 – first new inspection pit
Phase 3 – more type 1 needed
Phase 3 – path filled in
Phase 3 – path prepared for concreting
Phase 3 – path resurfaced
Phase 3 – south path block paving starting
Phase 3 – south side new path

October 2021 – Phases 1 and 2 continue, work begins on Phase 3

Phase 1 – A new view from the foyer revealed
Phase 1 – Newly painted windows
Phase 1 – The roof complete
Phase 2 – Collapsing ground under the porch
Phase 2 – Cracks to brickwork being repaired
Phase 2 – Lime mortar and horse hair
Phase 2 – Repairing the plasterwork
Phase 2 – Steel cage in the porch ready for concrete
Phase 2 – Steel cage now filled with concrete
Phase 2 – V ery smart exterior
Phase 3 – Collapsed drain
Phase 3 – Work on the new drainage underway

September 2021

Phase One – at last our boiler arrives
Phase One – painting
Phase One – skirtings and architraves
Phase One – view through the new entrance foyer
Phase One – we are thrilled with the new chairs
Phase One – we have lights!
Phase Two – all attention on the entrance
Phase Two – all plaques safely down
Phase Two – concrete foundations for temporary works
Phase Two – filling in the now redundant staircase
Phase Two – preparations for internal walls
Phase Two – Underpinning completed

August 2021 – School’s out but work continues

Phase One – plaster drying
Phase One – in wall speakers being installed
Phase Two – first set of stairs removed
Phase Two – foundations dug for the new entrance
Phase Two – really deep foundations!
Phase Two – metalwork ready for concrete
Phase Two – now the concrete pour
Phase Two – new floor taking shape
Phase Two – porch repair – before
Phase Two – porch repair – done
Phase Two – painting outside
Phase two – supplies ready to build internal walls
Phase two – preparing for the new stairway

July 2021 – Phase 2 is progressing

Baptistry – the true shape
Baptistry drainage test using green water
Foundations for the Pillars
Main worship area completely cleared
First bay in main worship area ready for concrete
Phase Two scaffolding
Porch rafters exposed
Rear room some new screeded floor
Rear rooms – new entrance foyer
Rear rooms first fix

June 2021 – Phase 2 work is starting while Phase 1 is continuing

Insulation layer 1 – Rockwool
Insulation layer 2 – OSB board
Insulation layer 3 – Superquilt
New storeroom floor
North side new roofs
Office gable wall repointed
Southside roofs
Timber saved for later use
Reconstructed pews waiting for collection
Archway exposed
One of nine trial holes in the Church
The support for the pillars is revealed.

May 2021 – Steady progress

Vestry roof tiles removed
New roof timbers and ties in place
Repointing on the main gable wall in progress
Gable wall of the storeroom repointed
Removing the pews
Removing the pews 2
Removing the pews 3
Timber floor revealed

Sometimes you have to make a bit of a mess at the beginning

Digging up the vestry floor
Heavy lifting
The mystery pit
Finding the old boiler

April 2021 – and so it begins!

April 2021 – the builders are in
Archway revealed
The largest room cleared
Old toilet block
Floor issues
Exposed roof timbers

2020

In 2020 there weren’t many changes to the building as most of the year was used for planning.

Front with old dais
Front with dais removed
Pews to south side in full
Pews – removed for easy access in south side
Balcony with organ in place
Balcony after organ removed
Stairs to nowhere’ in place
‘Stairs to nowhere’ removed