Ecclesiastical & Heritage World Issue 62 by DMMonline

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS Churches get new heating for Christmas This issue’s front cover features a snow-covered All Saints Church in Doncaster. It is one of three churches in the north of England now benefitting from the comfort and economy of a brand new heating system installed by Manchester-based Church Heating Specialist, part of the HeatinGlobal group. All three churches – and their congregations – were delighted that the new systems were installed in time for Christmas. Photo courtesy of All Saints Church.

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5 Reflections NEWS 9 11 13 14 14 15 16 17

Churches and chapels are major national assets, new opinion poll shows Rochdale river re-opening on course A new life for Welsh chapels? SLPTG celebrates apprentices at Annual Awards Northcot Brick is awarded ‘Certificate of Quality’ by the Guild of Master Craftsmen Restoration of drinking fountain central to park’s revival Praise for new historic lighting at the Tower of London SWA member helps to restore WW2 codebreaker building at Bletchley Park

ROOFING 24 Nothing hampers re-roofing at The Queen’s grocer 25 Moss treatment can now be a gentle process 25 Roofers’ voice to reprise at Ecobuild 27 Nat Trust begins replacing lead roof at Dyrham Park

CRE EXHIBITIONS 29 From one-liners to lineouts: it’s all at CRE in Exeter

RESTORATION 40 Rare thatched barn is saved by award-winning restoration 41 Local craftsman carries out timber repairs

19 19 20 20 21 21 22 23

First step towards saving historic Derbyshire church Final funding secured for Buxton Crescent Hotel & Spa Grade Two listing for post-war office buildings Heritage Day hailed a success Swedish chapel first to use ‘green’ wood Landscape centre awarded HLF grant Purcell pioneers 3D technology for planning applications Drones provide the solution to dangerous access problems

SOUND SYSTEMS 35 Promoting technical excellence 35 Special requests 35 New acoustics meet performance standards 36 Churches embrace new technology 37 ISCEx 2015 seminars announced 37 Church gets acoustic and aesthetic upgrade 38 Surrey company supports hearing impaired worshippers locally 38 Learning how it works is part of the installation 39 Enhancing the acoustics of heritage buildings

STAINED GLASS 43 Stained glass – a technique that has lasted a millennium 44 Contemporary designs are ringing in the new 29 30 30 31

Donating to libraries helps spread ‘The Word’ CRE’s headline show heads for the capital Discrete solution saves money Taking church lighting to the next level of innovation

DISABLED ACCESS 32 Ecclesiastical and heritage venues come together for Disabled Access Day 33 Specialist consultant helps EH audit its accessibility 33 Hear ‘The Word of The Lord’

WINDOWS 45 Pride of Sheffield restored with bespoke oak from local installer

CARVING 46 6 fears and myths about the woodcarving industry 47 Sculpture trail reflects garden’s history CHURCH & HERITAGE SUPPLIES 48 Classified Section

Richard Shepherd – Business Development Manager Advertising enquiries: Tel: 07429 516265 Email: richard@dmmonline.co.uk All other enquiries: Tel: 0161 710 3880 Fax: 0161 710 3879 • 61 Lower Hillgate, Stockport, Cheshire SK1 3AW Copyright Ecclesiastical & Heritage World. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of Ecclesiastical & Heritage World. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company Plc www.magprint.co.uk

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‹ NOW THAT CHRISTMAS has gone and we are into a New Year, churches can settle down to the everyday

provision of services to those for whom regular worship is the norm. It is true that many people who attend church at Christmas, only attend church then – and at specific occasions such as weddings and funerals. Regular worship has been falling for decades, making the upkeep of what are some of our most spectacular and beautiful buildings increasingly difficult. Yet we continue to insist that we value church buildings and want to see them kept. A poll published by the National Churches Trust showed that more than three quarters of the population agree that churches and chapels are ‘an important part of the UK’s heritage and history’. That is despite the fact that fewer than half of us have actually attended a church in the past year. Of course, there is a difference between simply keeping churches standing and maintaining them. Fortunately, nearly two thirds of people think that keeping churches in good repair is of benefit to wider society. • One of the facilities churches now need to provide, which our ancestors didn’t see the need for, is heating. Heating a church is a big job, and a potentially energy intensive one. Fortunately, churches are at the forefront of the drive to conserve energy and ‘shrink the footprint’. Heating systems in churches are among the most sophisticated and controllable – even remotely from a mobile device. • Another result of technological advance we see in churches these days is the ubiquitous sound system. Gone are the days of straining to distinguish the voice of the minister from the echo at the back, and guessing which of the organ notes to sing to. These days the system is like a recording studio and the installers are experts in their own right. A vital part of a sound system in any public building is the induction loop. It forms just a part of the array of adaptations that can be made to heritage buildings to enable disabled people to participate fully in its facilities. Some of the best were showcased in the first Disabled Access Day in January. • Advances in technology are what enable all these facilities to be created and put in place. And the progress doesn’t stop, as the following pages demonstrate. Architects can now provide a 3D, virtual reality model of a planned extension to a church to allow planners to see what is proposed, while so-called ‘drones’ are flying around previously-inaccessible buildings to allow us to see what work needs doing. • It may be an inevitable result of advancing age, but there is something scary about seeing a building you took to be relatively modern classified as part of our heritage and even, Heaven forfend, listed. Such is the case with a selection of office buildings built in the post-war era. The concrete and glass edifices that sprung up in my youth are now recognised as the groundbreaking designs they actually were. The same is true of a number of wartime facilities – in particular the collection of huts at Bletchley Park that housed the code-breakers who beavered behind the scenes to turn the tide of battle. It’s there that Alan Turing and his colleagues developed that most ancient and historic of devices – the computer! q

Chris Stokes

Editor, Ecclesiastical & Heritage World

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COVER STORY

A warm environment: the Christmas

present these churches gave themselves! ‹ THE FRONT COVER OF this issue features a snow-covered All

Saints Church in Doncaster which is now benefitting from the comfort and economy of a brand new heating system installed by Church Heating Specialist, part of the HeatinGlobal group. Church Heating Specialist is a dedicated team of engineers who specialise in church heating systems. The team covers the entire UK, installing new systems. Many churches are finding that a new heating system can pay for itself in reduced running and maintenance costs. Plus, HeatinGlobal has access to interest-free finance that can mean the difference between affording a system or paying out the extra to try and heat a cold church.

All Saints Church is one of three churches in the north of England that had new systems installed in time for last Christmas, enabling their congregations to celebrate the birth of Christ in a welcoming and warm environment – particularly important for older parishioners and for those recently come into the world themselves. Their stories feature on these two pages. R • For more information about the Church Heating Specialist team and its services visit www.churchheatingspecialist.co.uk. The site also carries advice about church heating systems and some of the common problems that beset them.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, DONCASTER

Some specialist knowledge can save a lot of money ‹ WHEN A LOCAL gas engineer shut off the heating boiler at All

Saints Church on Quarry Lane in Doncaster, the Rev Stephen Gardner contacted Church Heating Specialist. It was evident that the current boiler was beyond repair and did require changing. The previous engineer had advised the church that the rest of the system would require changing as any new boiler could not be installed on the old system. However, after one of Church Heating Specialist’s own engineers had inspected the system as a whole, it was clear that most of the work that had been suggested to them was not required and some basic upgrades in the boiler room were all that was needed. The old boiler was stripped down, taken away and recycled, with £320 put back into church funds. Once the church boiler room was clear engineers began the task of installing two new wall-hung condensing boilers and connecting them onto a new low-loss header, complete with plate-to-plate heat exchangers and filter systems. Even the 1.5m-thick stone walls of the church were no match for HeatinGlobal’s specialist drilling equipment. The current pump was replaced to reduce warm-up times and the old timer and thermostat control exchanged for a new Tado control. The Tado control now allows Rev Gardner to control the whole heating system from his smart phone or tablet. The system was chemically cleaned and temperatures now reach 20º for the first time – all within three hours from a cold setting. The job was completed in just five days, allowing the new heating system to provide warm and comfortable conditions for the busy Christmas period when the heating was needed most. A delighted Rev Gardner paid this compliment to the team: “I cannot say how overwhelmed I am at the hours your guys have put into this week. For the first time in the church’s history we had to turn the heating down as it got too warm. And the greatest advantage is that I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. Thank you for everything.” R

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ST MARY MAGDALENE, SUNDERLAND

Heating engineers took on Robin Hood – and won! ‹ THE OLD HEATING SYSTEM at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sunderland

– with its ancient Robin Hood boiler – was in such a state that most local companies were reluctant to touch it. So at the end of last year, when running and repair costs reached such a pitch that the church management decided the whole system needed replacing, they contacted Church Heating Specialist. The boiler was originally installed as a coke-fired boiler back in 1910, with a gravity-fed system. Over the years it had been converted to run on various different fuels to keep the system going. The new heating system needed to be designed to reach internal temperatures of 21º as the congregation was very elderly. In addition, the church did not want to be putting the new boiler on for hours before it was needed, so all the necessary calculations were done to a very high specification. Energy-efficient controls and air-loss prevention were incorporated to ensure the church’s heating needs were met. The old boiler was broken down into sections and it took two days to fully remove the whole system. An Ideal 160kW floor-standing boiler was installed, along with new filter and pump controls. The whole heating system was power-flushed out to ensure all the pipework was clean and clear before commissioning was completed. The parish priest, Fr Beresford Skelton, said in an email to the company: “I would like to thank you and all your team for a fantastic heating system – and all fully installed just before Christmas. I will be sure to let everybody who comes to our church know your company name, as we are so overwhelmed with our new heating system.” q

THE CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS, RUNCORN

The right tools make the job simpler ‹ THE CHURCH OF St Michael and All Angels in

Runcorn had an unusual problem in that, not only was a boiler upgrade required, but the boiler room also needed extensive ventilation work. The existing church boiler was an old floor-standing model and had been incorrectly flued from day one. The church contacted Church Heating Specialist who undertook the contract. The specialist drilling equipment used by the company meant the flue work required was an easier task than that suggested by other companies to increase the air flow into the boiler room. Plus, by moving the church boiler just six feet, it became an even more simple task. The old boiler was drained down and removed with ease in just a morning. The new Ideal Concorde floor-standing boiler was then delivered to the church. It was broken down into sections and rebuilt in the correct position. The boiler was installed along with all the new controls required, such as timers, thermostats, correct size pumps and filter system. The whole system was then fully power-flushed and chemically cleaned before being fired up and running. The entire project was completed in just five days. The church had had no heating for nearly six months so the new system was left running for 24 hours to warm the fabric of the building. The church now has a more efficient heating system and controls, leading to a huge reduction in fuel costs – which will be the biggest achievement of the project. Moreover, the church chose to finance the work through HeatinGlobal’s trust payment scheme, so no real strain was put on its finances and the system is to a real degree paying for itself. Vincent, the church warden, declared: “A very well-recommended company! From start to finish we have been impressed and the final result is very welcoming. Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for a warm church.” q

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Churches and chapels are major national assets, new opinion poll shows ‹ A POLL FOR the National Churches Trust by ComRes, designed

to measure attitudes to church buildings, shows that four in five (79%) British people think that churches and chapels are an important part of the UK’s heritage and history. Three quarters of British people (74%) say that church buildings play an important role for society by providing a space for community activities, such as playgroups, cultural and social events and meetings. This view is held among British adults of all religions and none – with more than three in five British adults of non-Christian religions (67%) and of no religion (64%) agreeing that church buildings play an important role for society by providing a space for community activities. The ComRes poll shows that more than two in five (45%) British adults have visited a church or chapel over the past year. Religious services are the primary reason given for visiting a church or chapel in the last year (28%), followed by visits made as tourists or visitors (19%) and visits made to take part in non-religious community activities (13%) including playgroups, cultural and social events and meetings. Church buildings and chapels play a role in the lives of those of all religions, and none. Three in five (60%) Christians, two in five (40%) British adults from non-Christian religions and more than a quarter (27%) of those who do not consider themselves a member of any religion say that they have visited a church or chapel building for either religious or non-religious reasons over the past year.

Keeping churches in good repair benefits society A major part of the work of the National Churches Trust – the only UKwide independent charity dedicated to promoting and supporting church buildings of historic, architectural and community value – is providing grants to pay for the repair and restoration of churches and the provision of modern facilities such as toilets and kitchens. This work of keeping churches in good repair is seen by the British public as of benefit to wider society, with three in five (59%) British adults disagreeing with the idea that repairing and restoring historic church buildings only benefits churchgoers. More than half (55%) of British adults of no religion disagree with the statement that repairing and restoring historic church buildings only benefits church goers. The ComRes poll also shows that three quarters (75%) of British adults agree that it is important that churches and chapels have good access and modern facilities such as toilets to make it easier for people to use them. ComRes interviewed 2,061 adults online between the 12th and 14th December 2014. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all British adults. Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust said:

“This poll shows that the British public see churches and chapels as major national assets of benefit to all, both as a vital part of the UK’s heritage and history and as playing an important role for society by providing a place for community activities. “It also shows that the British public agree that repairing and restoring church buildings and making sure that they have modern facilities benefits the whole of society and not just churchgoers. “At the National Churches Trust we help fund urgent repairs and the installation of community facilities at places of worship, but can only ever help a small proportion of those who come to us for assistance. “I hope that the widespread public support for church buildings demonstrated in this poll will help to ensure that other funders, such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, continue to make the repair of churches and chapels a priority in their allocation of grants. “With the numbers of active churchgoers falling in parts of the country, question marks have been raised over the future of some of the UK’s church buildings, with closures taking place in some areas. “But churches continue to be used by many people, with 45% of British adults reporting having visited a church building in the last year for worship, for community activities or as a tourist or visitor. “In good repair and with the right facilities to allow greater community use, churches and chapels can continue to play a vital role in the life and well-being of the nation for many, many years to come. They may be historic buildings, but they can be part of our future, too.” q • ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full data tables are available at www.ComRes.co.uk.

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Rochdale river re-opening on course ‹ ROCHDALE’S medieval bridge, which

has been hidden from public view for more than a century, is set to be uncovered following the approval of a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to reopen the River Roch. The £1.2m grant is a huge boost to the scheme, which is a vital part of Rochdale town centre’s ongoing regeneration. The project, which is also backed by the Environment Agency and Regional Flood and Coastal Committee with financial support of £1m, will remove two sections of the culvert that covers the river to reveal the stunning 800 year-old bridge, which was hidden from view in 1864. Aside from a brief period in the early nineties when the river was uncovered for engineering works, no one has glimpsed this unique part of Rochdale’s heritage for over one hundred years. As well as uncovering and restoring the bridge, the project includes measures to enhance the natural heritage of the river by including features that encourage river vegetation and creatures to re-establish themselves. Sara Hilton, head of HLF North West, said: “Rochdale’s exciting plans to re-open the River Roch will not only reveal the hidden heritage at the heart of the town, but will inspire local people to get involved and support the surrounding natural environment. Running through the heart of the town, the River Roch has played a vital role in Rochdale’s history over the years and this project, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will ensure that it will again.” The exposed sections of the river will be located at the junction of Yorkshire Street and the Esplanade. Rochdale Borough Council Leader, Richard

Farnell, said: “This is good news for Rochdale and we’re incredibly pleased the Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to support this vital project. The smaller scheme approved by the council has saved over £1m and concentrates on revealing the historic 13th century bridge, which will be a fantastic heritage attraction for the town. “We also have plans to regenerate the wider Butts area which will house a traditional outdoor market. All these plans are intended to make Rochdale town centre a much more attractive place to shop and visit. The river re-opening will help create a stunning town centre attraction and will be quite unique in the area.” The Environment Agency welcomed the news, as the river reopening will significantly reduce the flood risk in Rochdale town centre. Tony Callaghan, river re-opening project manager from the Environment Agency, said “This project will deliver some fantastic

outcomes for the people of Rochdale. It will reduce flood risk for over 40 properties and deliver significant environmental improvements to 450m of concrete river channel by establishing more natural habitats. “The project is a great example of how we are working with local and national partners to reduce flood risk, improve the natural environment and help restore some of Rochdale’s fantastic heritage.” Work is set to start as early as February this year, with the entire scheme due to be completed by the autumn. Cllr Farnell added: “Rochdale’s redevelopment, which has gained real momentum in recent years, is not just about bringing new shops and developments. Honouring our extensive heritage is equally important, and this scheme will sit wonderfully alongside our Grade I Listed Town Hall as well as our historic ginnels and walkways.” R

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A new life for Welsh chapels? JUDITH ALFREY, head of conservation and policy at Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, explains how the physical survival of the Welsh chapel is as important for today’s society and future generations as it was for communities in the past. But, sometimes, for different reasons…

‹ IN WALES, YOU WILL never be very

far from a chapel: they stud our towns and are often the focal points of remote upland settlements. These instantly recognisable, nonconformist places of worship are a distinctive and familiar feature of the landscape. From a small handful in the early eighteenth century, they increased to several thousand in number by the early twentieth century – reportedly built at a rate of one new chapel every eight days in the first half of the nineteenth century. Chapels were at the heart of community life for thousands of people and remain an important part of our cultural heritage. However, there has been a slow decline in chapel congregations over the last onehundred years. Many chapels have closed or face a struggle to stay open as they deal with the challenge of maintaining buildings that were built for much larger congregations. Our challenge now is to work out how best to sustain this heritage by giving it renewed value and meaning in a very different world. There have been some imaginative responses to this problem, founded on local determination and commitment, with some external support. Across Wales, chapels have been given a new lease of life. Not only have these buildings been saved for the future, they have stimulated the regeneration of local communities. Burnett’s Hill Chapel in Martletwy, Pembrokeshire, for example, is an early Calvinistic Methodist chapel dating from 1812. It has become a much-loved concert venue popular for folk music. The size of the local community reduced greatly following the end of coalmining in Pembrokeshire in the mid-nineteenth century. By the mid-twentieth century, the congregation was tiny and, by 1984, the chapel had fallen into disrepair and was closed. It lay empty until 2001 when it was acquired by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and restored with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund. An active friends group has since taken over the freehold and running of the chapel and services are held there once more. Capel Carmel in Pennal, Gwynedd, is another example of a chapel that has been

Capel Carmel in Pennal, Gwynedd sympathetically adapted for use by the local community without losing its original purpose as a place of worship. By 2006 it had just 24 members, despite its seating capacity for 400 in 1871. The chapel itself had fallen into disrepair but was given a new lease of life with funding from the Big Lottery and a conservation grant from Cadw. The chapel vestry was extended, a new link to the original chapel was built and the original pews removed to create a more flexible space for use at the heart of its community. A wide range of local groups now use Canolfan Pennal, including the post office for a few hours a week. Another chapel, in Bargoed, has won several awards for its innovative transformation into a library and community facility. Built in 1906–07, Hanbury Road Chapel became underused and dilapidated and faced an uncertain future. The project to transform its fortunes was delivered in partnership with Caerphilly County Borough Council, United Welsh Housing Association (who purchased the building) and the existing congregation. It was supported by the Welsh Government through its Heads of the Valleys initiative, as part of the regeneration of the town, and also received funding from Cadw and CyMAL. The new library is housed in the main body

of the chapel, which still retains its open space and gallery, and there is a place for worship in the former Sunday school. A bold new extension at the rear provides an accessible entrance and a community café as well as additional library and office space. The library opened in October 2011 and welcomed more than 17,000 visitors in its first month. Of course, not all chapels have to change to survive. There are many that are still fulfilling their original purpose and sometimes opening their doors for visitors to see their beautifully crafted interiors. Some of the best examples of redundant, or non-church in Wales, chapels are cared for by The Welsh Religious Buildings Trust which encourages community participation in their use and care. But it is clear that there are also new ways in which chapels can continue to be at the centre of their local communities, sustaining a link to a heritage which is a vital part of the identity and character of Wales. q • For more information about caring for chapels and securing their future, please contact Cadw (cadw.wales.gov. uk), the Welsh Religious Buildings Trust (welshreligiousbuildings.org), the National Churches Trust (nationalchurchestrust.org), Capel (capeli.org.uk) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (hlf.org.uk). www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

SLPTG celebrates apprentices at Annual Awards

‹ THE Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Training Group (SLPTG)

Apprentice Awards, which recognise the achievements of apprentices in the sector, were presented at the National Construction College (NCC) East on 11 December 2014. Twenty-three apprentices who have recently completed their training were joined by their employers and trainers to celebrate their success ahead of the next stage of their careers. There were awards for two apprentices who had demonstrated outstanding achievement throughout their training. Pictured above is Rhys Diego from Proteq (Northern) Ltd receiving the Ted Fuller Award for the Best Steeplejack Apprentice from Chris Barratt, head of vocational services at the NCC. The A.W. Elliot Award for the Best Lightning Conductor Engineer was won by Jake Caldwell from Stone Technical Services Ltd. The evening, which was attended by more than 70 guests, was a fantastic demonstration of the sector’s commitment to the training and development of its workforce over many years.

Guest speaker Jason Harfield (above), a former apprentice himself and now senior vice president of the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS), talked about his own time at the college and the importance of training the next generation of skilled workers. “This year’s apprentices are fortunate to be supported by what I believe is one of the best training groups in the country delivering training that is relevant and up to date whilst not forgetting the most important traditions of our unique industry,” he said. “I have never lost the love and affection that I hold for an industry which has given me everything I have and made me all that I am. Congratulations to all of the apprentices who completed their training and maybe, just maybe, we will see one of them standing here in 30 years’ time.” The Apprentice Awards dinner was supported by gold sponsors ATLAS, Cuttings and PTSG Electrical; silver sponsors BEST Services and Orion Lightning Protection; and bronze sponsor Churchill Specialist Contracting with support from CITB. q

Northcot Brick is awarded ‘Certificate of Quality’ by the Guild of Master Craftsmen ‹ NORTHCOT BRICK, one of the UK’s

independent brick manufacturers, has been awarded membership of the Guild of Master Craftsmen in recognition of its skill and excellence in traditional brickmaking. To receive the prestigious ‘Certificate of Quality and Service’, companies are rigorously assessed and required to prove that they have earned the right to be called ‘master craftsmen’ through the quality of their work, customer care and the level of service they provide. Founded in 1925, Northcot Brick upholds the age-old values and craftsmanship of master brickmaking, using traditional handmade techniques that have hardly changed over the centuries and one of the last remaining coal-fired kilns in order to create characterful bricks that complement the built environment. Well respected for its experience and expertise in creating bespoke blends for heritage and restoration projects, the company

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has the ability to match most regional brick variations and its wide range of colours, textures and sizes now enhance building projects all round the country. In addition to a broad variety of genuine handmade bricks, Northcot manufactures wirecut facing bricks and textured reclaim bricks, as well as matching specials including bonding, bullnose, angle, cant, along with Victorian old type bricks, brick slips, copings and cappings. “As a company steeped in the tradition of master brickmaking, we are delighted to receive the Guild’s ‘Certificate of Quality and Service’, which is recognised throughout the industry as a badge of excellence,” said Dale Moss, works manager at Northcot Brick. Jennifer Phillips, joint managing director of The Guild of Master Craftsmen, said: “The Guild continues a long established tradition of bringing together skilled people and companies engaged in a trade, craft or profession, in order to safeguard the interests

Dale Moss, works manager at Northcot Brick of the public. The Guild assesses, promotes and supports excellence in workmanship and there are now over 400 trades, services and professions represented.” q • For more information contact Northcot Brick Ltd., Station Road, Blockley, Nr. Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9LH. Tel: 01386 700551, Fax: 01386 700852, Email: sales@northcotbrick. co.uk or visit www.northcotbrick.co.uk. For more information about the Guild of Master Craftsmen log on to www.guildmc.com.

Restoration of drinking fountain central to park’s revival

The Handyside Drinking Fountain in Manchester’s Alexandra Park - before and after restoration by Heritage Project Contracts

‹ LAST YEAR SAW THE re-opening of Alexandra Park in south

Manchester, following a £5.5m restoration project carried out by Manchester City Council and main contractor Balfour Beatty. The park was one of a number of public open spaces created in Victorian Manchester. It was designed by Alexander Hennell and opened to the public in 1868. By the end of last century the park had become severely run down and a campaign began to return it to the community resource for which it had been prized. Buildings have been restored, landscaping carried out and sports facilities made available. Funding was provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Manchester City Council, Sport England, the English Cricket Board and the Lawn Tennis Association. Among the features that had suffered the ravages of time and neglect was a cast-iron drinking fountain made by Andrew Handyside and Co Ltd at their Britannia Works in Derby. Drinking fountains were a key feature of such public spaces, bringing safe drinking water to the population at large. The contract to restore the fountain was awarded to Shropshirebased Heritage Project Contracts Ltd (HPC). The fountain was found to be in a poor condition. The paint finish had failed, allowing corrosion to take hold. A number of decorative elements were damaged and missing – including a cast iron cherub on the roof. HPC initially recorded and labelled the components of the fountain before carefully dismantling it and transferring the pieces to their workshop for restoration. After taking some paint samples, each component was carefully cleaned to remove old paint layers and corrosion and brought back to a sound surface. That process revealed the full extent of repair works required. Missing components, including the cherub, were copied with reference to other existing examples of the same model of fountain, with a specialist making a new cherub pattern for moulding and casting. The cast, domed roof had previously collapsed and was repaired by metal stitching and plating. The cleaned and repaired components were then protected by the application of a high-quality two-part paint system before the fountain was returned to the park. As part of the works, the client also required that 18 new cast-iron urns be manufactured and painted for use as planters around the park. A spokesman said: “The skills of the craftsmen at HPC Limited have allowed for the sensitive restoration of the fountain and its return to its former glory in Alexandra Park.” The restoration of the fountain was one of a number of projects carries out by HPC in Manchester. The company was set up to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for contractors, local authorities and private clients looking for a specialist company to provide high-quality and innovative solutions to a range of problems when renovating historic buildings and structures.

Sister company Heritage Project Management provides a management service to clients, ensuring the importance of the heritage assets is at the centre of the project. The companies were founded by Richard Baister – a PACR-accredited conservator and an experienced project manager with a wealth of knowledge of complex heritage projects. His colleague, Will Jones, is an experienced heritage project manager who is able to deliver high-quality conservation services to clients, contractors and local authorities. q

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Praise for new historic lighting at the

Tower of London ‹ THE ROYAL CHAPEL of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London is

an historically important place of worship that is also visited by many tourists. Recently a refurbishment programme was completed. A key element of this project was improving the chapel’s lighting – important not only for its practical and its aesthetic qualities, but to reduce energy usage too. Heritage lighting specialist Dernier & Hamlyn, working with lighting designer Bruce Kirk of Light Perceptions, produced nine chandeliers that were carefully designed, engineered and manufactured to meet all of the requirements.

They were commissioned by Tracy Simmons, conservation building surveyor at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which cares for the Tower of London. The design concept for the chandeliers made reference to the shape of the chapel’s arched windows and they were produced in Dernier & Hamlyn’s London factory in brass and hand finished in bronze and gilt. This project brought with it unique challenges that had to be overcome in order to provide adequate light levels and design integrity while optimising historically important features. For example, the chapel’s beams were part of the original fabric of this Tudor building. The four large chandeliers positioned in the main nave of the chapel required support cradles to be fixed to these beams. This needed to be done in a way that allowed the energy efficient LED lamps to highlight important architectural features without damaging the ancient timbers. Dernier & Hamlyn designed the support cradles to fix around the beams, working with existing fixing holes to ensure this was achieved, and positioned the LED lamps so that their effect was maximised throughout the chapel. Dernier & Hamlyn’s joint managing director Brian Spiking, who leads on the technical and manufacturing aspects of the business, said: “We are an extremely well established team with highly skilled people who have expertise rarely found in the UK these days. However, this project presented issues that even we had never had to work through before. Overcoming the problems we encountered on the way was time consuming but ultimately extremely satisfying in that we have contributed to the ongoing survival and historical significance of this building that is famous around the world.” The chandeliers have been installed around the chapel adding appropriate light levels as well as additional design features to this unique environment. Tracy Simmons said: “The continued conservation of such historically important buildings is a huge responsibility, so we always ensure that the suppliers we use are not only highly skilled experts in their respective fields, but also share our passion and respect for the job they are undertaking. We are delighted with these beautiful chandeliers and expect them to be an important feature in the chapel for many, many years.” q • For further information please visit www.dernier-hamlyn.com.

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SWA member helps to restore WW2 codebreaker building at Bletchley Park Home to the World War Two codebreakers, Bletchley Park has this year completed an £8-million Heritage Lottery Fund financed restoration project to create a world-class heritage site.

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THE RESTORATION PROJECT has seen the transformation of the formerly derelict Block C codebreaking building into a vibrant visitor centre, a process that involved Steel Window Association (SWA) member, Mike Honour Windows, renovating over 100 original window units. Mike Honour Windows worked with Fairhurst Ward Abbotts, the specialist conservation contractor, to carefully remove the windows, many of which were large and made up of multiple units. This process involved numbering and labeling each window so that it could later be reinstalled into exactly the same position. All the windows were taken to the workshop at Mike Honour Windows and renovated over an intensive three-month period. Many were corroded, especially along the bottom rails, since they had been installed before the days of galvanizing. To take the surface back to bare metal, each unit was shot blasted. In line with conservation principles, as much of the original steel as possible was retained but, where the corrosion was too great or pieces were missing, replacement sections were inserted. Luckily, the original windows were made using standard F7 sections which are still readily available. Consequently, the missing bars could be replaced relatively easily by being welded in and ground back. Along with the windows, the ironmongery, including handles and stays, was carefully salvaged and renovated. Where repair was not possible, replicas were made. Many of the windows had deliberately been installed above head height to avoid people peering into the building and possibly seeing the codebreaking secrets inside. This made opening the windows difficult, so permission was granted to change some of the fittings

to cam and pole operation. To achieve this, a local ‘lost wax’ engineer cast brass copies from one of the original cam stay openers. Once each window unit was complete, it was hot-dip galvanized. A high quality polyester powder coat finish was then applied in a colour carefully matched to exactly the original bright green of the war time period. The refurbished windows were reinstalled into the Block C building by the team from Mike Honour Windows. Rather than the glazing being fitted with silicone as is normal today, each pane of glass was face puttied

into the metal frame in the traditional way from outside. Martin Brewer, site manager with Fairhurst Ward Abbotts, commented: “Mike Honour Windows helped instruct our people in the careful process of taking the windows out. It went very well and they were well organised and professional in what they did. The finished windows look good.” q • For further information on the Steel Window Association please visit the website at www.steel-window-association.co.uk or call 0844 249 1355. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

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First step towards saving historic Derbyshire church

‹ THE HISTORIC CHURCH of St. Mary,

Marston-on-Dove, Derbyshire, has been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in response to its appeal to save the church tower from imminent collapse.

HLF has earmarked £156,300 towards the project and awarded an upfront development grant of £20,300. This will be used to progress plans in order to apply for the full award at a later date.

Final funding secured for Buxton Crescent Hotel & Spa ‹ ALSO IN DERBYSHIRE, property and

construction consultants Gleeds has helped Derbyshire County and High Peak Borough Councils secure the final funding package for the long-awaited Buxton Crescent Hotel & Spa redevelopment, giving it the green light. The £2 million grant from D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership adds to a £23 million donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund – the second half of which was secured last November through Gleeds’ grant advisory team. The funding received by HLF is the largest grant ever awarded in the East Midlands. In addition to funding advice, Gleeds has been appointed to project manage the £46 million scheme. Works involve converting the Grade I Listed building into a 79-bed luxury five star hotel. The adjoining Grade II Listed natural baths and pump rooms will be restored and opened to the public. Integral to the success of the project will be establishing the right conservation quality and protecting the integrity of the original design. Three hundred sash windows require specialist repair and an ornate ceiling within The Great Assembly Rooms needs complete restoration. Labour councillor, Caitlin Bisknell, the leader of High Peak Borough Council said: “It’s taken a lot of hard work and lobbying by many people to get to this stage – and I am delighted that it has at last paid off. Getting the extra funding agreed by the Heritage Lottery Fund in November was a major boost, this is now the icing on the cake.” Anthony Cork, Gleeds director for its Nottingham office, commented: “Heritage construction projects are notoriously complex, so our priority will be ensuring that the interests of all stakeholders are represented without compromising design intent, listed building requirements or functionality.” q

The earliest parts of the church date from the 13th century and the danger is caused by ivy which has rooted itself in the north wall of the nave over a number of years. The tower’s parapet is unstable and it has become clear that urgent repairs are required to prevent a masonry collapse and further damage to the whole building. Experts from English Heritage placed St. Mary’s on its ‘At Risk’ register, and recently described the condition of the tower as ‘very bad’. The vicar of St. Mary’s, Revd. Andy Murphie, has formed a rescue committee which is chaired by local resident and retired businessman, Piet Walton-Knight. Speaking on behalf of the committee, the vicar commented: “We are extremely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their grant which will allow us to commission a thorough technical survey of the problem. “This is the first step in protecting the structure of the church so that it can continue to serve future generations of our community as it has for the last 900 years. “We only discovered the full extent of the danger to the building as a result of recent expert inspections, but it has been great to see how people have got together to support us. Once the technical survey is complete, we will be in a position to estimate the likely scale of the costs. In addition to our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we are looking for support from both the church and from the local community.” St. Mary’s Church is a Grade 1 Listed Building serving the communities of Marston-on-Dove, Hilton and Hoon. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, it has a font dating from 1081. The tower was constructed around 1350 and houses one of the oldest bells in Derbyshire, cast by John de Stafford in 1366. The church also has a recessed spire with three tiers of dormer windows. Internally, the church’s architecture is in the Early English style. q www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Grade Two listing for post-war office buildings ‹ THE WORK OF leading modern architects has been celebrated

with the listing of 14 of the finest post-war office buildings in England. This follows an English Heritage project to assess commercial buildings from 1964 to 1984. They include the first building to be fully clad in double-skin panels of glassfibre-reinforced cement (GRC) – the Credit Lyonnais building in Cannon St, London by Whinney, Son & Austen Hall (right). Office buildings shape the face of our cities and these listings have ensured that this area of architectural achievement is recognised for future generations. Listing helps the nation acknowledge and understand its shared history. It marks and celebrates a building’s special architectural and historic interest, and also brings it under the consideration of the planning system, so that some thought will be given to its future when change is underway. English Heritage was very selective in which buildings were recommended to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport because the threshold for special architectural or historic interest in recent buildings is particularly high. From the original research 23 buildings were selected for assessment. The deregulation introduced to the planning system by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act in 2013 is pertinent to that type of building. With modern offices, the special interest is often concentrated in certain parts of the building: it might be just the lobby, boardroom and façade that are of special interest. It can therefore be set out in the listing description which parts of the building are not of interest and can therefore be changed without consent. Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey declared: “Listed buildings are not just about historic houses and ancient monuments, they also serve to protect our recent heritage and preserve the best examples of our fantastic architecture. This group of listings reflect the changing face of our working environment and represent the very best in design and it’s entirely right that they be listed Grade Two.”

Roger Bowdler, director of designation at English Heritage, said: “The clearer we can be about what deserves to be listed, the better for all. Our project has aimed to deliver certainty for owners, while adding to the range of those key buildings which are protected by law. These are all remarkable designs, capable of years of commercially vibrant use. The project has been notable for its extensive research and close dialogue with owners.” q

Heritage Day hailed a success ‹ HERITAGE DAY 2014, held by the Heritage Alliance last

December at the Glaziers’ Hall in London, proved even more popular than ever. It attracted some 200 representatives from the heritage sector to meet, network and discuss the challenges of the day.

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The morning AGM gave members the opportunity to hear from and question Deborah Lamb, head of government advice at English Heritage, on the proposals for the new English Heritage model. Sir Philip Mawer, chairman of the AllChurches Trust – the charity which owns Ecclesiastical Insurance, the Alliance’s core sponsor – gave a presentation on the grant making policy and future strategy of the Trust. The afternoon session saw the spokespeople of the three main political parties address the audience on the value of our heritage today: Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture Communications and the Creative Industries for the Conservatives, Baroness Bonham-Carter for the Lib Dems and – newly in post since the previous evening – Chris Bryant, Shadow Culture Secretary for the Labour Party. The question and answer session featured questions on seaside piers, skills, volunteers, and on VAT from UKIP heritage spokesman William Cash. Loyd Grossman, chairman of the Alliance, spoke on the achievements past and present of the independent heritage movement, its changing nature and relationship with government, before presenting the fifth Heritage Alliance Heroes Awards to volunteer groups Save Preston Bus Station and Howsham Mill. q

Swedish chapel first to use ‘green’ wood ‹ THIS NEW CHAPEL in Mölndal, Sweden,

marks the first time that wood treated with the revolutionary, award-winning process developed by Kebony has been used in an ecclesiastical context. The chapel is a non-denominational building and had to be designed to cater for both believers and non-believers. The ceremonial room has a space suitable for all religions and the direction of the room falls along the east-west direction. The building’s geometry is unusual; its rounded corners and asymmetrical shape meant the choice of material was a challenge. The chapel is in a forest, from where peaks of grey, exposed rock are visible through the trees. The Kebony cladding, formed to give a curved, soft edge to the structure, will allow the church to blend with its surroundings as the grey patina of the wood develops over time. The wood used is softwood treated to produce

the durable characteristics of tropical hardwoods, but with a much reduced carbon footprint. The grey colour of the wood and rock is also reflected in the generous foundations and the base of the church, which are made from concrete. These foundations support the vast

building and its textured, grey granite walls. The entrance to the church has a brilliant wooden façade in oiled oak which, sheltered by the roof, will survive without maintenance for a considerable time – as will the Kebony cladding. q

Landscape centre awarded HLF grant ‹ A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME opportunity to help more people explore and

learn about Northumberland’s landscape heritage has been awarded a grant of £7.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The Sill will be located at the heart of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site in Northumberland National Park and will become the country’s first national landscape discovery centre. The centre, spearheaded by Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA) and YHA (England and Wales), will deliver a comprehensive programme of interpretation, education, research and events that will inspire people to celebrate, value and conserve the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Northumberland landscape. It will be an all-weather, yearround facility providing hostel accommodation, retail facilities and a café which, it is hoped, will attract more than 100,000 visitors each year. Ivor Crowther, head of HLF North East, said: “With the famous Hadrian’s Wall and much more besides on the doorstep, this new state-of-the-art discovery centre will become the perfect base from which to explore the national park’s unquestionable beauty. The Heritage Lottery Fund’s investment is also supporting a year-round programme of exhibitions and activities that will ensure that visitors are tempted back to Northumberland again and again, providing a much-needed boost to the local economy.” Young people in particular will have the opportunity to learn about and explore the countryside of the area, as pupils from Bridgewater School in Newcastle’s West End discovered on a recent visit to the national park. Deputy head Jennifer Stoker, commented: “The children were fascinated by the beautiful views and wildlife and they were in awe of the thousands of years of history. This was a fantastic opportunity for our children and I am sure the sense of awe and wonder will stay with them. It has also inspired their creativity and they can’t wait to be involved in designing and creating their willow sculptures! The Sill is a fantastic project

which will open doors to the beautiful Northumberland National Park and create lasting memories as well as opportunities for children.” The HLF grant will help to secure the future of the project, with construction expected to begin later this year. The activity programme will start in autumn 2015 and the Sill national landscape discovery building will open its doors to the public in June 2017. q

www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Purcell pioneers 3D technology for planning applications ‹ ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE PURCELL is trialling the use of 3D

technology as part of planning and diocesan advisory committee (DAC) applications. Using a virtual reality headset, the team has provided detailed, immersive views of their proposal for a modern annexe to a Grade II listed church for clients and local authority officers. Christ Church in East Sheen is a ragstone-built English Gothic church, with unusual stone and render decorations on the wall adjacent to the proposed annexe. From an early stage, it became apparent that the London Borough of Richmond would need sufficient evidence that the bold scheme would integrate well with the existing building. The headset allows a user to experience an accurate first person view of a 3D model. The user can view the proposal from whichever angle they choose, to get an understanding of its scale and nature beyond that which 2D drawings and renders can convey. This is a powerful tool for explaining a scheme to clients who may not be used to interpreting drawings. With an accurate 3D model it can also be used to show proposals to planning and conservation officers. The headset has been developed by new tech start-up Visual-Wise, with whom Purcell has recently partnered to develop the technology in a way that responds to the needs of the construction industry. Michael Walsh, architect at Purcell, said: “We believe that this technology will become a key part of best practice over the coming years and we are keen to see it reach its potential”.

How it works The headset features two lenses, behind which is a display showing two views of the model from slightly different positions, corresponding to the position of either eye. The combined effect of the twin views and lenses creates an immersive, life-like sense of perspective. The effectiveness of the simulation is strongly affected by the quality and detail of the 3D model being used. As the model fills the user’s field of view, without certain realistic details being present there is the risk of the ‘uncanny valley’ effect – an uncomfortable and distracting sense of something being nearly-but-not-quite lifelike. Some good examples of details that should be included are light fittings, skirting boards and door furniture, as people subconsciously expect to see these. One of the key features of the scheme is the historic church wall which is incorporated into the design of the proposed annexe. In order to properly show this, it was necessary to include ‘rectified’ photography (photography scaled and adjusted to remove perspective) into the 3D model as a surface texture. This is one of the ways in which the model can be made more convincing and accurate. This could also quite easily be enhanced with a laser point-cloud survey, which would pick up the actual geometry of the wall, including the mortar joints etc.

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View of interior showing the historic church wall

The future of virtual reality in architecture At this stage, the headsets display a view of a 3D model. The display view follows the position and angle of the user’s head, but movement is controlled by a hand-held controller. The latest version that Visual-Wise is working on uses the headset’s own sensors to detect movement without the need for a controller, enabling the user to physically walk around the space. Additionally, the headset will change from being virtual to augmented reality. Rather than the whole ‘world’ seen through the headset being a 3D model, future versions will feature a camera on the front, and the user will see the model superimposed over the images from that camera. This will mean that it won’t be necessary to completely model the surroundings, and also that the headset will become an even more powerful tool for viewing proposals in context. Purcell and Visual-Wise believe that this will rapidly become a ‘best practice’ means of showing interventions in listed buildings within sensitive contexts, and could also go on to supplement the verified views methodology. Architect Michael Walsh from Purcell commented: “We believe that this is the first time that virtual reality technology has been implemented in this way as we haven’t been able to find examples of anyone using this technology previously as part of a formal process. “Virtual reality has been rapidly gaining credibility over the past couple of years, and it’s very satisfying to be using it as a practical means of architectural communication. There are some possibilities for using this technology, both in how we work and how we present, that go far beyond it being seen as an interesting gimmick”. Revd Stephen Griffith MBE, Vicar of Christ Church commented: “When we were struggling to find out what the drawings meant, we were presented with this new headset and it was astonishing. For the first time I really had an idea of what our dreams were turning into – dreams made visible! It was wonderful to walk around the hall, look up and see so well what we soon hope to see in reality.” Reuben Carter from Visual-Wise commented: “We were very excited to work with Purcell. We really think that virtual reality will become an industry standard. As a company we want to be at the forefront of this technology.” The plans for Christ Church in East Sheen were submitted for planning and DAC in January. Visual-Wise are refining the technology to allow the user to be immersed in augmented reality. R

Drones provide the solution to dangerous access problems

‹ WHEN CHARTERED conservation

architect Peter Slinger was invited to become the quinquennial architect for St Peter’s Church in Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, early last year, he set about planning for the inspection, in consultation with the church wardens. Sited on top of a hill, with its dramatic spire visible for many miles across the flat landscapes of the fens, it is a familiar sight to regular travellers on the East Coast main line or A1. The upcoming inspection would have its pitfalls. Peter explained: “As with most historic buildings of its date and complexity, access to some areas is difficult and potentially dangerous. The spire is surrounded by a parapet and flying buttresses, which cannot be seen from ground level and can only be accessed by a very narrow spiral stair as far as the ringing chamber and, thereafter, ladders as far as the bell frame. “To reach the parapet from there involves a very long vertical ladder up the centre of the spire and then a difficult and dangerous traverse from the ladder to the parapet door many metres above the ground. Not for the fainthearted and an insurance nightmare! Consequently that element had not been inspected for very many years. “The solution came as a result of seeing UAVs – or ‘drones’ – being used in other fields for high definition filming. Cambridge Unmanned

One of Cambridge UAV’s ‘drones’

Aerial Vehicles (UAV) agreed to help us with our inspection and the results were spectacular.” Cambridge UAV is a division of Cambridge Maintenance Service Ltd, founded in 1985 with an initial client base on the prestigious Cambridge Science Park. Since then the group has expanded to incorporate specialist divisions and now services national commercial contracts with such prestigious building owners as the Hyde Park Estate. With the advent of reliable multi-rotor flight control systems and high capacity batteries it was decided to investigate the possibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles to fulfil some of the requirements of its survey and inspection work. Director Alan Perrin takes up the story: “The unmanned aircraft used by Cambridge UAV are miniature marvels of technology. Each aircraft carries a flight control system that has three gyros, three accelerometers, barometric pressure sensing and a 12 channel GPS system. “There are two separate and completely independent radio control systems, one that controls the aircraft and a further system that has control of the camera gimbal. The gimbal itself is also packed with electronics that stabilise it and keep it looking where it’s pointed. “This sophisticated level of electronics allows the aircraft to be positioned by the pilot and held exactly in position and at the height needed,

regardless of most gusts of wind, letting the camera operator or surveyor concentrate on getting the visual inspection completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.” The first element of a flight plan for a customer is to find out just exactly what the aerial survey is trying to achieve. With ancient or ecclesiastical buildings it’s normally a fixed structure and the requirement is for high-definition video content in the survey. Alan Perrin continued: “Cambridge UAV have a team of licensed operators. To be able to legally fly a UAV the pilot has to have attended a flight ground school that teaches everything from air law through to risk assessment. Once the written exam is passed, the pilot is then required to take a flight test on the aircraft he will be using. “Any company wanting to fly a UAV commercially has to have a Permission for Aerial Work from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) otherwise commercial use is illegal. Each aircraft is registered with the CAA and the pilot has to log his flying hours just like a full-size aircraft. “Cambridge UAV has a specific liability insurance to cover the aircraft while in flight, the payload it’s carrying and – most importantly – any other third party.” The results of that combination of technology and expertise in this case were the defects to the lightning rod and spire (pictured). Peter Slinger concluded: “By working with Cambridge UAV we obtained a very comprehensive understanding of the condition of parts of the church which were inaccessible, and even discovered problems which would have been unlikely to have been noted even if we could have accessed them – for example the broken hinge on the spire door (top right) would have only been noted if we had got out onto the parapet and then closed the door behind us! “This is an invaluable tool, removing the need for time-consuming, costly and very dangerous access problems and providing high-definition records of otherwise inaccessible elements.” q • For more information and to discuss possible projects visit www.cambridgeuav.co.uk. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Nothing hampers re-roofing at The Queen’s grocer ‹ ONE OF THE projects to be entered in

the Heritage category of this year’s Roofing Awards was the re-roofing of the iconic headquarters of Fortnum and Mason in London’s Picaddily. The project only just made it however – it was completed in October last year, having been carried out over the summer months, and the deadline for entries was 28 January. The job was carried out by i-Roof, part of the London-based i-Group, for main contractors Stone Edge Conservation. i-Group director

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Dean Remfry told Ecclesiastical and Heritage World that it was a complex restoration project with a tight programme. The famous store – known the world over as ‘The Queen’s grocer’ – continued trading throughout the project and required the scaffolding to be in place for as little time as possible so as not to disrupt opening times. There was also a little head-scratching as to which award category the project should be entered for as it involved multiple roofing disciplines: extensive leadwork including 51

dormers, Decothane liquid coatings, built-up felt roofing, roofing carpentry and tiling. Indeed, the roof tiles were a particular feature – they were from the famous Smithbrook stable, manufactured in Germany and then shipped to a specialist glazing plant in The Netherlands. The chosen colour sample was sent to the plant’s laboratory to formulate a matching colour glaze. Once the sample glaze was approved by the client, it was applied by hand to the tiles which were then despatched to the kiln for stacking and firing. q

Moss treatment can now be a gentle process ‹ MOSS ON ROOFS IS a common

problem for older and cherished buildings. Such roofs are likely to be well into their predicted life span and aggressively cleaning ageing roof surfaces is not advisable. One treatment, developed and adapted to suit the weather conditions prevailing in the British Isles and Ireland, is AlgoClear Pro Softwash. Formerly known as MossGo, it is nonaggressive in nature. According to suppliers Thames Valley Specialist Products Ltd, AlgoClear Pro Softwash gently cleans and restores old roofs to their former beauty without causing the physical damage that results from pressure washing. Its active ingredient is a quaternary ammonium, which has a rapid breakdown rate after use, leaving residues absorbed by bacteria. AlgoClear Pro Softwash starts to act immediately and usually begins to show results within 24 hours, although some organisms will take time to wither away. The rate of cleansing varies with every roof, with the severity of the weather cycles and wind exposure. The cleansing is normally complete within a year. The factors influencing the return of the growth are exposure to the sun, humidity of the site, and the porosity and surface roughness of the tiles. The proximity of trees is an aggravating factor. If the roof has been jetted, porosity and surface characteristics will have changed and the contamination is likely to return faster. In some cases, jetted tiles do not cleanse completely at all. q

Roofers’ voice to reprise at Ecobuild ‹ THE National Federation of Roofing

Contractors (NFRC) will be returning to Ecobuild at London’s ExCel from 3-5 March to host the Roofing Pavilion for the second year running. Following the success of last year’s event, the pavilion has increased in size and will feature more of the NFRC’s supplier members including manufacturers, merchants and service providers. It will be supported by 22 companies surrounding an NFRC networking lounge. Attending Ecobuild has become the ideal opportunity for specifiers, main contractors and the like to speak to the most influential UK roofing trade association and its members face-to-face in one location. q • To find out more or to register, please visit www.ecobuild.co.uk.

• AlgoClear Pro Softwash is for use by professionals only: information on local contractors is available from the website at www.roofclean.co.uk.

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Nat Trust begins replacing lead roof at Dyrham Park ‹ A £3.8M PROJECT to repair the roof at the National Trust’s

Dyrham Park property near Bath is now underway, with scaffolding being erected around the whole house. According to the Trust: “The roof is 160 years-old and beyond the end of its natural life, no longer protecting our precious rooms and fragile collection from the elements. Expansion and contraction of the lead over this time has caused over 90% of the joints to leak.” Fundraising for the project went on throughout the whole of 2014, resulting in over 10,000 donations. Project manager Colette Cuddihy said the fundraising would continue through this year. She said: “As a charity, the National Trust relies entirely on donations, grants and legacies as well as its membership and retail income. The support shown by the public for this project has been tremendous and we are very grateful to them and to our volunteers at Dyrham Park who have helped make this happen. “Visitors to Dyrham Park will see the building being slowly covered in scaffolding over the next couple of months and we will spend the whole year replacing the 46 tonnes of lead on the roof and 8,000 Welsh slates. “With water leaking through the lead-covered roof, the future of the house and its important original collection depended on us being able to do these vital repairs. We have had a very generous response to the

appeal with a lot of people giving small amounts which really adds up.” In total, 500 tonnes of scaffolding will cover the house and include a viewing walkway with an accessible lift to allow visitors to see the roof repairs from early in May. The existing lead will be recycled with new lead cast into sheets which will be thicker but narrower. That will reduce shrinkage and expansion caused by changes in temperature which has led to the cracks and leaks in the existing roof. q

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From one-liners to lineouts: it’s all at CRE in Exeter ‹ ON 10 FEBRUARY, at 10.15am, the

Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel, will open CRE South West in Exeter – the latest version of the phenomenally successful Christian Resources Exhibitions. His address will signal the beginning of two days of seminars, learning, prayer, theatre and entertainment around the theme of ‘equipping and empowering the church’. The events will be backed up by more than 100 exhibitors offering the whole gamut of resources – from lighting, sound and multimedia systems to heating, roofing and building services. Seminars will cater for all those involved in ministry: Stand up for Jesus is an opportunity for ordained ministers to learn how to incorporate humour techniques into speaking engagements. “Jesus was a master communicator and story teller,” explained Bentley Browning, who will lead the course. “This course, always a lot of fun, will help anyone wishing to develop their communication skills.” The course will run on the afternoon of 10 February and afterwards participants can do

some live stand-up on the Spotlight Stage and a ‘winner’ will be chosen. Meanwhile, worship and song leaders can learn how to help the people of God discover their true corporate voice and spiritual identity through singing in church. The interactive session, led by Andrew Maries, takes place at the Arts Theatre. That venue will also witness a mix of lunchtime worship and theatrical performances by Oddments Theatre Company, Covenant Players and Searchlight Theatre Company. Exeter is the home of the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Union Club, winners of last year’s LV= Cup. It is apt, then, that CRE South West will be the venue for the launch of Engage 2015: an inter-denominational campaign set up to help UK churches serve the rugby community during the forthcoming Rugby World Cup in England this summer. Its aim is to help UK churches demonstrate God’s love by serving the tournament, and the rugby community during it, to the fullest possible extent. Introducing Engage at CRE South West

The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel, will open CRE South West will be David Chawner, ex-Wasps chaplain, speaking under the title Don’t Drop the Ball. “Churches deserve all the help they can get to make the most of this great opportunity to make God’s love visible,” said Chawner. “That’s why Engage exists. We’re a ‘onestop shop’ for all the inspiration, information and resources you’ll need to play your part. We are here to help churches engage with their local communities alongside the tournament.” The campaign’s website will feature a number of high-profile interviews with Christian rugby players in the build up to the event – visit www.engage2015.co.uk. q • For information on CRE South West, with directions, exhibitor list and breaking news stories, visit www.creonline.co.uk.

Donating to libraries helps spread ‘The Word’ ‹ CHURCHES THAT HELP libraries also help themselves, according to

a trust dedicated to making Christian literature more widely available, which will be exhibiting at CRE South West in Exeter. Speaking Volumes, an initiative of the Christian Book Promotion Trust, match-funds gifts of Christian books and DVDs made to libraries. From public libraries to prison libraries, it applies to anywhere where books are readily available to a wider readership. Its director Paula Renouf says that donating good Christian books to public libraries is a great way to ensure that people hear about the Christian faith. “In an increasingly secular society, we as Christians need to think outside the box about how we reach people and help them understand the Christian faith,” said Paula. “People might not go to church, but they might consider borrowing a book from their local library. In a society where many adults and children do not know what Easter is all about, we need to make it as easy as possible for people to access good literature that will help them explore our Christianity.”

Despite declining funding for libraries, an estimated 8 million people in the UK regularly use a library, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and almost half of people in poor areas regularly visit their library. “Churches can have a really direct and powerful impact on their communities by making Christian books available in a place where people can read them inconspicuously if they're just searching,” says Paula. “And in poor areas particularly, borrowing a book from the library may be the only way that people will read these titles – and it’s also a very practical way of helping church congregations grow in faith.” There are 100 books and DVDs available through the Speaking Volumes scheme. All are selected by experts because they are useful, readable and attractive to someone who may have no understanding or belief in God. q • Visit www.speakingvolumes.org.uk to find out more. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

CRE’s headline show heads for the capital ‹ CRE INTERNATIONAL – the biggest exhibition and celebration of

Christian resources in the UK – will be reflecting its growing presence by moving to London from 19-22 May. The exhibition, which regularly attracts 10,000 visitors to the four-day event, will relocate to ExCeL in the East End – the city’s largest events venue. After 28 years the show reached the finishing post at Sandown Park racecourse last year. “CRE is already Europe’s leading series of Christian exhibitions – it’s high time we put it centre stage,” explained event manager Bill Allen. “We have had a great run at Sandown Park, but the show will expand into a purpose-built venue with wonderful facilities in the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities. We are growing the show into a truly international event with visitors and exhibitors reflecting the church worldwide.” The exhibition and programme will include a unique exhibition of Christian resources with an anticipated 300-plus exhibitors; an extensive range of books, music and resources to buy; the latest multimedia equipment and expert advice; over 100 practical and resourcing seminars; and the best in Christian theatre and music. In fact, no other event provides such a remarkable range of seminars, workshops, theatre and church resources – this event is truly an experience not to be missed. q

Discrete solution saves money ‹ EXHIBITING AT BOTH CRE

South West and CRE International are Exeter-based church sound specialists APi Communications Ltd. The company have recently completed a challenging project at The American International Church in London which is based in a 1950s rebuild of a church destroyed in the Blitz. A barrel shaped ceiling, running the entire length of the building, was creating difficult acoustics with unwanted reflections, depending on the location of the speaker and listener. After investigating the cost of acoustic treatments, the church contacted APi Communications to see if there was a less costly, hardware-based solution. Managing director Andy Pidsey takes up the story: “Our advice was to use directional line array loudspeakers to focus the sound on the congregation, keeping it away from the ceiling. These units have a wide horizontal dispersion but a narrow vertical one, so that a band of sound is created at head height, avoiding surfaces that will create reflected sound and cause a loss of clarity. “The long throw properties of these speakers meant that the entire church could be covered with just two units and this, coupled with the slender design, led to a very discrete installation. “Even our own engineers were impressed by just how good the system sounded and with a hidden subwoofer it has enough headroom to handle live music, as well as speech, with ease.” The cost of this solution is estimated to be less than half that of just the acoustic treatment – which is now no longer necessary. q • To discuss how APi Communications could assist your church with a sound system visit their website at www.churchsoundsystems.co or call and see them at either of the forthcoming CRE events.

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Taking church lighting to the next level of innovation ‹ LIGHTING DYNAMICS UK, based in Sutton Coldfield, West

Midlands, continue their development as one of the UK’s premier companies specialising in the interior and exterior illumination of cathedrals, churches and other places or worship throughout the UK and Ireland. The company is dedicated to offering a totally independent, creative, unbiased lighting design and consultancy service and as required, they can also supply of all the associated and specified lighting equipment. Lightning Dynamics has a long established reputation for creating practical and architecturally sympathetic lighting schemes and, wherever possible, discreet lighting equipment is specified and installed to produce suitable levels of illumination and to highlight both ecclesiastical details and any special architectural features. Company founder, Gerry Browne, told Ecclesiastical and Heritage World: “Our comprehensive range of modern, energy saving, long life lighting equipment is manufactured from the highest quality materials and takes into consideration many important factors such as reliability, durability, optical performance, overall efficiency, size, style and ease of maintenance – to name but a few. “We have recently launched a brand new family of the very latest bespoke ‘commercial grade’ LED fittings, specially designed for all types of ecclesiastical lighting tasks. This range of products has been under development for some considerable time and takes our overall lighting portfolio to the next level of technical innovation. We also have an unrivalled knowledge and expertise of all modern intelligent dimming and lighting control systems.” The company has a significant number of very prestigious projects currently in progress – with a large number at advanced stages of planning and design. Gerry Browne believes that this is a very exciting time in the further development of church lighting, especially with such a great and diverse range of modern light sources now coming on stream. “Customers are increasingly looking for someone with the flair and experience to provide a quality lighting design, whilst also specifying top grade lighting equipment and controls that will provide longevity, reliability and overall flexibility for their specific ecclesiastical project,” he said.

One of Lighting Dynamics’ recent projects was St Alban the Martyr Church in Highgate, Birmingham “In the main, clients no longer wish to see their completed church lighting project looking like an extension of somebody’s lighting showroom or lit with industrial style floodlights to resemble a railway marshalling yard. However, this is a long term process which involves educating, informing and demonstrating what can be achieved.” Lighting Dynamics UK has, if required, a fully qualified team of NIC EIC registered electricians to carry out the installation of their interior and exterior lighting systems to current electrical standards and regulations, providing the complete lighting service. They cover all of the UK and Ireland and provide a very bespoke service for each individual church lighting project, from initial meeting right through to final focusing and commissioning. q

Above are some examples of the prestigious projects undertaken by Lighting Dynamics UK www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Ecclesiastical and heritage venues come together for Disabled Access Day ‹ THE FIRST Disabled Access Day – a

new initiative aimed at encouraging disabled people, their friends and families to access a visitor attraction – took place on 17 January. Over 200 companies and venues across the UK gave their support to the initiative, including VisitEngland, VisitScotland, Visit Wales, Standard Life, BT and the Museums Association. Disabled access review website Euan’s Guide – run by Euan and Kiki MacDonald – was involved in promoting the day, which was about highlighting venues that offer good access. According to a release launching the event: “The aim of the Disabled Access Day is to highlight attractions that have great disabled access and to encourage disabled people to try new places. This presents a great opportunity for museums to advertise the accessible facilities which they have.” Kiki MacDonald added: “Promoting good disabled access is at the core of what we do, so this campaign is close to our hearts. By hosting events and offering promotions to visitors on 17 January, all of the partners involved can demonstrate just how important disabled access is to them.”

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Events included venue tours and children’s activities with special promotions available at venues including Buckingham Palace, the Cutty Sark and the National Theatre. As part of Disabled Access Day, St Paul’s Cathedral highlighted the accessibility of its facilities for disabled people – from lifts and ramps for the mobility impaired and touch tours for those with visual impairments to British Sign Language multimedia guides and an audio induction loop for those with hearing difficulties (pictured). In a release promoting the event, the cathedral said: “This day, organised by a group of disabled people, will give the cathedral a chance to put people with all disabilities right at the heart of activities, both for sightseeing and worship.” Visits manager Lynn Johnson commented: “When Sir Christopher Wren was designing St Paul’s the concept of accessibility was still centuries away. But in recent times we have worked incredibly hard to be inclusive of all people and this Disabled Access Day will give us the chance to show people they should not be nervous or intimidated about visiting us, whether as a sightseer or worshipper. “We are truly excited about this special day and hope it’s something we can be involved with for many years to come.” q

Specialist consultant helps EH audit its accessibility ‹ ABOUT ACCESS, a specialist disability access consultancy

based in Hull, has carried out extensive work with English Heritage, conducting audits of historic buildings – some of them more than 700 years old. Managing director Ian Street explained: “We have visited many sites, including Tintagel Castle and Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, Battle Abbey in Sussex, Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire (pictured) and Witley Court in Worcestershire – and completed studies of all of them. The project highlighted our awareness that what benefits a disabled person will also really help older people and families with young children. “We looked into the availability of such facilities as lifts, ramps and handrails and the presence of such potential hazards as steps, slippery floors and uneven ground. “We also worked with English Heritage’s own disability action group, which looks at disability equality issues across the entire organisation, and with their properties access group, which works to enhance the visitor experience for disabled guests. “As a result we were able to help English Heritage update the information on access to its properties both in print and online, giving really useful advance information so that as many people as possible can plan a visit that suits them and enjoy these wonderful places.” q

Hear ‘The Word of The Lord’ ‹ SINCE OCTOBER 2004 induction loops have been mandatory in

all public buildings – including places of worship – to transmit sound to hearing aid users, without the need for wires. A correctly-designed induction loop system produces crystal clear sound throughout the whole of the seated area of the venue without the necessity for the user to take any action apart from moving a switch on their hearing aid – the ‘T’ switch – allowing them to hear perfectly, without background noise from other people or any other interference. The transmitter aerial cable is approximately 2.5mm in diameter, unobtrusive and available in various colours to blend with the background. All induction loop systems and associated equipment are VAT free and the running costs are negligible. Provision can be made for hearing impaired users to benefit from the induction loop system even if they do not have a hearing aid or if the hearing aid they do have does not include a ‘T’ switch. This is often achieved by the installation of small, low-volume speakers. Geoffrey Yates, managing director of Middlesex-based Christian Fabrications, is himself hearing impaired and a keen promoter of correctly-designed induction loop systems. He is a BBC-trained engineer and has acted as consultant to the late Cardinal Hume and two Archbishops of Canterbury. Says Geoffrey: “We do not install public address systems in churches – who wants to make the preacher louder! We do install sound redistribution systems, so that everyone hears the spoken word as

though they were within a metre or so of the person speaking. “Most of our staff are committed Christians and whilst we obviously must make a profit to stay in business, we rejoice in the fact that hopefully our work is a blessing to thousands of people who otherwise might not clearly hear The Word of The Lord.” q

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Promoting technical excellence ‹ FOUNDED IN 1948,

the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers (ISCE) is that industry’s professional body. It is an entirely independent organisation, run by a council elected by its members. Those members maintain a code of conduct in professional activities, embodying high ethical standards and concern for the environmental and sociological impacts of their activities. The Institute runs training courses for both members and non-members, from beginners to advanced, in the sound and AV industry. The training focuses on important technical, managerial and standards issues. With audio and acoustics specialists from across the country, ISCE members can offer churches an authoritative service in designing, installing and maintaining sound systems in difficult acoustic and demanding architectural buildings. Some church specialist installer members have experience of working in several hundred church buildings of different faiths and can offer a complete service tailored to the needs of worship. ISCE has also created an approved hearing loop assessment scheme to offer organisations a source of competent individuals and companies who can test and assess their hearing loops for correct operation and performance. With the recent introduction of many exciting new audio products, many of the traditional problems that churches encounter with sound systems can be reduced and possibly eliminated, such as feedback, poor microphone pickup, lack of intelligibility and ease of use. Digital audio mixers enable systems to be set up during commissioning by the installer with lots of sophisticated control, yet leaving the end user with a simple to use system which can revert to default settings

in the event of unauthorised adjustment. Loudspeakers with accurate control and dispersion can minimise reflections from hard surfaces and improve the audibility in reverberant spaces. In particular, directional columns and steerable arrays can perform in the most demanding of locations. Compact full range speaker enclosures can combine music and speech with hi-fi quality and remain relatively unobtrusive. High sensitivity condenser microphones can provide discrete yet effective pickup from lecterns, pulpits and altars, with many options for mounting, positioning and appearance. With many budget products flooding the market, choosing the correct radio microphone is important and selecting the ideal one for installation in a church is vital. ISCE members have access to products from many manufacturers, which can be more suited to use in worship applications than some available through retail channels. In particular, the impending sell off of frequencies by the government may impact on a number churches who use radio microphones on certain frequencies. Keeping your existing system regularly maintained ensures it stays up and running when you need it most. This is particularly important for induction loop systems which require an annual test. Many systems can be improved with a few simple adjustments and tweaks, which an engineer with a trained ear can provide. Whatever your church’s audio requirements, using the professional services of an ISCE member will ensure you take the correct initial steps to obtaining a clear, natural sounding and intelligible church sound system. q • To find out more visit www.isce.org.uk.

Special requests ‹ A LEADING CHURCH audio installer

in the West Country, Cornwall-based Kernow AV Installations, has recently completed an installation at Totnes RC Church that required a few finishing touches not normally requested by their ecclesiastical clients. The company has completed over fifty installations in churches and chapels throughout Devon and Cornwall but this was the first time that they had been asked to repaint the speakers. “We regularly use TOA H2S compact linearray speakers in church installations – both for their performance and for the off-white finish which seems to blend in with the walls better than you would imagine,” said director, Stephen Gilbert. “However, because the walls were red brick and all other furnishings were black, our client required the speakers to be re-painted to match. The finish was superb and we would certainly consider this option in future.” Another requirement to overcome was the installation of a slimlinegooseneck microphone and a boundary microphone on the ambo and altar respectively. There was no access to either ambo or altar through the marble steps, so the Sennheiser SPK300 wireless plug-in module was chosen which will also provide essential phantom power to the two condenser microphones. This has resulted in a very discrete yet highly effective installation and one that the congregation appear delighted with. q • For further information visit the website at www.kernowinstallations.co.uk.

New acoustics meet performance standards ‹ AT CATHEDRAL HOUSE, in Huddersfield, ISCE members St Albans-

based RK Sound Engineering Ltd were contracted to advise on the acoustic treatment of the main auditorium. The treatments they specified were adopted and the outcome is that the acoustic performance is entirely in line with that predicted and the musicians and users of the hall are very satisfied with the acoustic characteristics. The company offers acoustic consultancy services which include measurement and analysis of room acoustics in a variety of situations – including auditoria, recording studios, churches and houses of worship and schools. Many new buildings are intended for use with amplified sound as well as natural acoustics. Their experience is particularly relevant in offering design advice so that the two can integrate in a sympathetic way.

Interaction is often a requirement. Musicians need to hear each other to achieve a memorable performance; responses from the audience need to be understood by the performers. RK Sound Engineering have a wide knowledge of available acoustic materials and their properties and they will assist decision makers in choosing and incorporating the most suitable surfaces into their designs. They want to avoid repeating the acoustic pitfalls of past buildings. • For further information visit www.rksound.co.uk. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Churches embrace new technology ‹ THE NEEDS OF A

in on a Sunday morning and choose a preset to recall system church sound system are settings was greatly received by quite simple in so much as all involved – saving a fortune they want intelligible audio on the Tippex often used to try to reach all the congregation and remember where settings – including those with hearing on a flatbed mixer should be impairments. Although this set! In addition to the flexibility requirement has probably been of control the iPad offered, there the same for many years, there was also the added bonus of is now a plethora equipment being able to use it for music that can be used and this is playback and the recording of when the world of sound can services for those not able to become a minefield. attend. During a recent major church Now that they were able to get refurbishment, Gritstone Project good intelligible audio via the Management asked audioThe vast height of Jesmond URC aided the audio solution range of microphones, Blaydon visual specialists Blaydon had to get that audio into the Communications Ltd to devise listeners’ ears. They were very fortunate that Jesmond URC is quite a a scheme that would fulfil the quite complex needs of several considerable structure and the height of the main church is vast. groups and fortunately, thanks to their expertise, they were able to put forward a proposal that met the technical requirements of the Change of use project and, just as importantly, the financial constraints that all The changing use of churches in the UK is providing a business projects have to bear. boost for the company. The increasing use of live music in church The project was at Jesmond United Reform Church which is buildings means many places of worship are reviewing their needs a beautiful, impressive building just outside the city centre of and looking to new technology to provide crisp speech amplification Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The church is not only home to the local whilst meeting the complex requirements of choirs and live United Reform Church but also acts as a base for the local Korean musicians. Church and several community groups – the challenge was to meet In the past, these two tasks required different systems and the the needs of all these groups. technical ability to set them up. Modern audio systems can cater for The sound system for the United Reform Church members was speech and music with the flick of a single switch. quite conventional in so much as there was a need to cover the Another audio innovation is providing professional standard pulpit lectern and add a couple of microphone sockets to allow hymn music for churches with no choir and for occasions where some free standing microphones to be used. As well as these wired the full choir is not appropriate. microphones there was also a requirement for a lavaliere radio The HT-300 Hymnal Plus from microphone for the main preacher allowing him to move freely Hymn Technology plays the music around the sanctuary. They also needed to ensure that the system of 7,300 hymns with a wide could broadcast music as a background for the congregation choice of instruments including singing hymns and to provide ambience at a wedding or a funeral church organ, orchestra, brass service. and woodwind quartets and The Korean Church were very similar in their requirements worship bands. The Hymnal but they wanted to have more control over the sound and more plays through built-in flexibility from the microphone solution. This resulted in more speakers or can be linked to radio microphones being added and the search for a simple to use church audio systems. system allowing them more control over the sound without over Blaydon Communications’ complicating matters for the other church users. managing director Paul Blaydon Communications finally compiled a list of required inputs Dougherty concluded: which included a fixed gooseneck on the pulpit, a free-standing “Churches today are exploring gooseneck for the portable lectern and two condenser hand held The HT-300 Hymnal Plus new ways to use their buildings microphones with stands for general use around the sanctuary. This from Hymn Technology outside that of traditional was then added to by two lavaliere radio microphone systems and a worship. We are currently further two hand held radio microphones. working on a Methodist church Just when they thought they’d finished with the microphones, with three rooms and no fixed pews. The rooms meet a variety of the organist announced that she often struggled to hear the needs – from worship, weddings and celebrations to lectures and congregation and so occasionally missed certain cues that would gatherings. All the rooms have differing acoustics so our challenge is help her keep time with them. This was overcome by installing to provide a system that will play a variety of music and then switch a pair of ambient noise microphones that would be routed to a to crisp speech with a single button. monitor loudspeaker for the organist and could also double up as “In the past this has required a mixing desk which the musicians ambient noise microphones for the induction loop system. would set up for their needs. The vicar or priest then needed to reset The team from Blaydon then set about determining how they could this complex desk to allow him or her to speak to the congregation. control and route all these microphones without over complicating We usually loan the church one of our systems for a week or so and the operational requirements. The answer came in the form of the return to find both musicians and ecclesiastical staff delighted that a wonderful Mackie DL806 mixer. This unit had enough capability to simple, effective solution has been found”. q cope with all the needs and, thanks to the main control being via iPad, they were able to set up different scenarios based on which • For further information please visit www.blaydoncomms.co.uk. group would be using the system. The idea of being able to come

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ISCEx 2015 seminars announced ‹ FOR ITS RELOCATION to Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire for

this year’s exhibition and networking dinner, the ISCE has announced a formidable programme of seminars. The event, which takes place over two days (March 3-4) with the networking dinner as its curtain raiser on day one and the exhibition on day two, continues to expand. “This is one of the reasons we have upgraded the location to this luxurious four-star country house hotel,” says secretariat manager, Ros Wigmore. The seminar programme will open at 10am on March 4th, when Kevin Sherwood, sales director of CIE-Group, will posit Is the Market Really Ready for Audio-over-IP? It will ask whether the installation industry is ready to adopt a whole new way of thinking for public address and whether clients are generally ready to let the audio industry loose on their networks? With Air Command Headquarters at RAF High Wycombe now entirely reliant on an Audio-overIP PA system, this case study-driven seminar will address and overcome the perceived challenges of audio integration into a mission-critical network.

This debate will be followed at 11.30am by the Warren Barnett Memorial Lecture. The topic for Paul Scarbrough, principal AKUSTIKS, is The Technology is Willing but the Spirit is Weak. Its premise is that much is made of the convergence of Audio and IT networks. Certainly in corporate environments, great progress has been made to rely upon a shared network infrastructure, but what of the performing arts and other high-end critical listening applications?. If the technology is willing, what holds convergence back? This lecture will explore the reasons and propose that the factors influencing convergence in critical listening applications go beyond technology and often encompass issues of culture and control. Wrapping up proceedings at 2.30pm will be Trevor Cox, Professor of Acoustic Engineering, University of Salford. His topic is Architectural Defects? A Celebration of Acoustic Aberrations. Sound engineers often expend considerable effort fighting the effects of poor room acoustics such as focused echoes from domes, excessive reverberation and flutter echoes from parallel walls. But, he will ask, what if these acoustic phenomena were not viewed as defects, but instead celebrated? This lecture will look at famous and less well-known examples of extraordinary architectural sounds. q • Full details about the seminar programme, visitor registration and exhibitor bookings can be obtained by going to http://www.isce.org.uk/iscex-2015/.

Church gets acoustic and aesthetic upgrade ‹ COMPLETED IN 1970, Heath Methodist Church in Runcorn, is

a bold statement of modern architecture. However, while the interior of the main worship hall is visually impressive, the environment for speech intelligibility is acoustically very challenging. Previous attempts to improve communication of the service by the installation of a sound reinforcement system provided only very limited improvement. In fact, it could be fair to say that these measures had just aggravated the acoustic situation. In 2012 the property committee, in responding to increasing concerns from the congregation, sought expert opinion on how best to solve the problem of poor intelligibility of speech. Three years prior to this, Shropshire-based Richard King Systems (RKS) had been engaged to upgrade the stage lighting and audio systems in the adjoining meeting hall. On the basis of this, the property committee invited RKS to look at the sound issues in the main worship area of the church. A process of problem evaluation, goal setting and consultation was formulated and agreed. With their practical audio and acoustic expertise, RKS advised on how best to facilitate the necessary improvements. To enable each member of the congregation to have the opportunity to actually hear, first hand, the level of improvements achievable, trial sound systems were installed. With the congregation’s approval the property committee confidently gave the go ahead. The completed scheme has since been widely praised for both the audible improvements and the aesthetic appearance. q • For more information visit www.richardkingsystems.co.uk.

To find other ISCE members in your area turn to page 57 of our ‘Church & Heritage Supplies’ section www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Surrey company supports hearing impaired worshippers locally ‹ IN JANUARY an awareness and

training workshop in induction loop system set-up and important microphone techniques was organised by Tracey Wade, sensory inclusion co-ordinator at the Church of England’s Guildford Diocese. Clergy, readers and church wardens participated in the workshop, which was supported by Surrey-based sound system specialists Sound Analysts. The workshop was part of the ‘Hear Here’ initiative launched by the diocese which aims to improve access to worship for those with hearing loss. Sound Analysts specialise in highspecification sound systems and last year won the award for Best Permanent Installation at the Pro Sound News awards for their installation at the Royal Albert Hall for Sound by Design using kit supplied by EM Acoustics. The company has been installing sound systems in churches since 1990 – its first installation was in a small chapel near Hastings which is still in use on a daily basis. As the company says: “There’s a huge diversity in worship styles and each requires a different approach in system design and

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implementation. A small local church or meeting space may only need a simple system with a couple of speech microphones and a loop. A larger contemporary church

may require full amplification of a worship band and substantial visual support. Others may need a combination of the two, catering for multi-denominational congregations.” q

Learning how it works is part of the installation ‹ DESIGN AND INSTALLATION of a sound system in a church is, of course, really just the

start – although the shiny new ‘kit’ may be the pride and joy of the church, somebody has to be able to operate it. While the in-house whiz kid may have the patter, there is no substitute for the correct training from the right people. That is certainly the approach taken by specialist church sound system installers DM Music of Harpenden and the company proudly promotes that part of its complete service. “As Christians we understand the church environment: you can start a sentence and we can complete it. As well as being AV and sound professionals with many years of combined experience, we are also very familiar with what actually happens on a Sunday morning. It is because we ourselves operate systems and play musical instruments in our own churches. That gives us the ‘inside knowledge’ and experience, and therefore the expertise to be unique in what we do.” The company runs regular ‘DM PA Training Days’ around the country as well as evening courses. Places can be booked via its website at www.dmmusic.com. q

Enhancing the acoustics of heritage buildings ‹ THE SUMMER 2014 issue of Ecclesiastical

& Heritage World focussed on the work of Sound Space Design (SSD) transforming churches internationally into professional standard music performance, recording and rehearsal venues using innovative acoustic solutions. The company also introduced their SoundSailsTM system which provides clarity for speech and music in reverberant spaces and is suitable for both fixed and permanent installation in heritage buildings. Here we look at their work to enhance the acoustics of heritage buildings in order to resolve everyday problems and extend their capabilities in the performance, arts and education sectors more generally. This comes at a time when more and more buildings seek to renew technical systems, develop additional income streams or convert to a new use entirely.

Shaping the sound The Sound Space Design portfolio of RIBA and CTA award winning projects includes the V&A Museum FuturePlan incorporating the Medieval & Renaissance gallery (pictured below), the Aston Webb and Day-lit galleries, the Sackler Education Centre and the Morris, Gamble and Poynter rooms. Between them they have won five RIBA awards including a RIBA London and English Heritage Special Award for Sustaining the Historic Environment and a CTA Special Award for sustainability. These projects highlight the key features of the Sound Space Design approach, which brings

acoustical success alongside 21st century design and technology within grade I and II* listed buildings. They include: • Targeting and achievement of the highest acoustical standards demanded by modern educational facilities with the insertion of a 150 seat auditorium and glazed and movable acoustical walls within the Cole Wing. • Sensitivity towards the building fabric and adaptability to accommodate design changes once the underlying building structure is revealed. • Use of CATT-Acoustic computer modelling to prove and improve the voice alarm and audio visual systems and ensure speech intelligibility and clarity in highly reverberant domed galleries and rainbow shaped ‘found’ space. • Innovative deployment of sound absorption and methods of speaker concealment to ensure loudspeakers are not visible and do not detract from beautiful exhibits and that acoustical finishes are un-noticeable within the context of the historic building. Incorporating audio visual equipment without proper attention to acoustics leads to an installation that neither sounds or looks good. Reasonable results may be achieved with a turnkey approach. Excellent results in difficult spaces are only possible with due consideration of room acoustics, particularly in multi-use, reverberant venues. The SSD approach ensures a refined solution, both visually and technically, without unnecessary or excessive spending on audio visual systems.

Performance acoustics The challenge in converting the William Butterfield St John’s Church (grade II* listed) for Godolphin & Latymer School into The Bishop Centre performing arts facility (above right) lay in sensitively inserting effective performance equipment and infrastructure into the interior so that the volume and original architecture could not only be read, but could also be acoustically closed down to create a flexible and supportive performance space for young artists. Sound Space Design collaborated with theatre consultant Anne Minors Performance Consultants (AMPC). SSD and AMPC proposed a series of fabric

sails that could be drawn across the nave to provide speech clarity when required. Intimacy for drama, reverberation for music and adaptability are delivered by way of acoustic and theatrical drapes and blinds that are adjustable to suit the performance type. Different areas of the church are designated as a music performance area, a main drama stage and a space for theatre in the round. The production lighting and sound systems are flexible, allowing the operator to be positioned in a number of locations, and scenery can be flown out of view fully, making use of the lofty nave.

Creative solutions SSD specialise in acoustically challenging spaces, offering creative solutions to difficult geometries, materials and the issues facing listed buildings. Among the many things they can facilitate are: • A kit of natural acoustic reflectors/absorbers • An audio reinforcement system that is tuned • to the space • Acoustical ‘scenes’ specifically tailored to the • genre of event, performance or presentation • A true and accurate set of performance • criteria for audio system specification or hire • to guide the use of your space into the • future. In short, Sound Space Design offer design and consultancy services to suit any stage of your plan of work. They work with any space where sound is critical to functionality, communication, expression and artistic appreciation. q

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Rare thatched barn is saved by award-winning restoration ‹ A RARE SURVIVING example of a North

East vernacular building style from the 18th century has won a major national award for its restoration project. In November, the team involved in restoring the Black Barn – a heather-thatched building at Tow House in Northumberland – were announced as the national winners in the Heritage category of the Constructing Excellence Awards 2014, having scooped the North East regional prize in May. The award was presented to main contractors Team Force Restoration Ltd, architects Spence and Dower Llp, structural engineers Civil and Structural Consultants Ltd, archaeologist Peter Ryder, timber restoration specialist David Humble, thatcher William Tegetmeier and historic thatching consultant John Letts. The Black Barn is a small, heather-thatched, cruck-framed building of the early 18th century: a rare survivor of a widespread vernacular building type in the North of England, where heather thatch was a predominant roofing material in the uplands. The barn was Grade Two* Listed in 1985. At that time the thatch was in poor condition but had been covered since the 1920s with corrugated iron sheeting. That was removed in 1990 when some minor repairs were carried out, but prolonged exposure and neglect since then had left most of the south west slope of thatch either torn off by winds or degenerated into coarse compost. That, in turn, had contributed to the decay and loss of structural timber in the cruck frames and left most of the rafters in that slope rotting at the wallhead. The building had been on the English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk since 2009. Reports on the condition of the thatch had been prepared in 2008 by John Letts from Oxford, and on the structural timber and masonry in 2009 by Civil and Structural Consultants of Northallerton. These, together

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with an appraisal of the building’s history and its regional vernacular context by Peter Ryder, provided the basis for successful applications for grants to English Heritage and Northumberland County Council. Masonry and carpentry repairs were completed before the thatching was started by William Tegetmeier, a Master Thatcher from North Yorkshire, working closely with John Letts. One of the key issues of the thatching specification was the selection and cutting of long-stem heather. The short moorland heather managed for sheep and grouse on a sevenyear burning cycle is not a suitable material for thatching, but stands of heather over one metre tall were found within Forestry Commission plantations in mid-Northumberland and cut in the spring before the contract began.

Over the closely-spaced cleft-oak rafters, a first layer of roughly tousled heather was laid to span the 15-20cm gaps between the rafters. Immediately above the wallhead, at the eaves and verges, a thick layer of clay was pressed into the heather to act as a weight to hold the heather down and also to provide a key into which the next bed of heather could be fixed. The base coat over the whole width of the roof is built up in successive lapping courses of long heather held down by sways. The process went on up the slope to bring the base coat up to meet the underside of the existing ridge covering. The next coat, normally referred to as the waistcoat, started at the bottom in much the same way, but the sways were fixed with twisted hazel spars about 40cm long, with sharpened points driven into the basecoat. Care was taken that these should not point downward and risk conducting water into the thatch, but be driven at least horizontally against the slope of the roof. The pitch of the roof was increased by making each coat thicker at the top than at the eaves. The result was a good surface plane to which the ‘spar’ or weathering coat could be applied. As that would be the finish to the barn, a good deal of care was taken to dress the heather at the eaves and verges so that it could be neatly trimmed in straight lines. The work was completed in December 2013 and the Black Barn has now been removed from the Heritage at Risk Register. q

Local craftsman carries out timber repairs â&#x20AC;š THE RESTORATION and, where

necessary, replacement of the timberwork of the Black Barn was carried out by locallybased specialist David Humble. He began by carrying out an inspection and repair of the cruck trusses, which had been damaged by water ingress over the centuries. That was also giving rise to structural damage because of the eight-or-so tonnes of thatching on the roof. David removed the rot and used a woodstabilising solution to penetrate the wood and form a bond. Stainless steel bolts were also inserted to support the traditional wooden pegs. A number of purlins were replaced with reclaimed materials, although they were repaired where possible using stainless steel rods and epoxy. David then replaced and repaired some of the ridge beams using the same method and using reclaimed oak timber. New rafters were then made with handcleft English oak using traditional carpentry methods and tools. Again wooden pegs were used. Finally, David replaced the windows and doors, which were beyond repair. The frames were constructed using oak in keeping with the rest of the building. q

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Stained glass

a technique that has lasted a millennium ‹ THE ORIGINS OF stained glass windows are lost in history, but

seemed to arise when substantial church building began. By the 10th century, depictions of Christ and biblical scenes were found in French and German churches and decorative designs were found in England. Techniques of stained glass window construction were described by the monk Theophilus who wrote a ‘how to’ for craftsmen about 1,100 AD. It describes methods that have changed little over 900 years: “If you want to assemble simple windows, first mark out the dimensions of their length and breadth on a wooden board, then draw scroll work or anything else that pleases you, and select colours that are to be put in. Cut the glass and fit the pieces together with the grozing iron. Enclose them with lead cames…and solder on both sides. Surround it with a wooden frame strengthened with mails and set it up in the place where you wish.” In the 15th century stained glass became more figurative. According to the Art Glass Association: “Stained glass artists became glass painters as the form became closer and closer to panel painting. Lead lines that were once accepted as a necessary and decorative element became structural evils to be camouflaged by the design. “The Renaissance brought the art of stained glass into a 300-year period where windows were white glass, heavily painted. They lost all their previous glory and it seemed the original symbolism and innate beauty of stained glass was forgotten.” Away from churches, the Gothic revival in the 19th century saw the installation of stained glass collections in the civic and public buildings of our major industrial cities. The theme now was commerce and the value of work. Recently these collections have been the subject of complex and comprehensive restoration projects. The production of glass was revolutionised with the invention of float glass in the 1950s, and traditional methods of production were restricted to a few artisans. In the 1990s Tatra Glass began importing glass from Poland, which remains one of the few places in Europe still producing traditional cylinder glass. The company now has a stockholding of over 6,000m2 of stained glass, consisting of over 160 stained glass colours, 30,000 glass roundels and 500 glass bullions. Nowadays, the art of stained glass is celebrated by such bodies as the British Society of Master Glass Painters and the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral. q

Cheshire Stained Glass relocated this stained glass feature to Duckinfield Town Hall from a local school. The stained glass and leaded light panels were cleaned and re-built before being fitted to a new frame.

West Yorkshire-based Design Glass recently restored and refurbished the windows at Durham Castle www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

Contemporary designs are ringing in the new ‹ STAINED GLASS IN churches is often seen as an ancient art form, to

be restored and preserved. There is, however, also a thriving community of glass artists working to create new and exciting designs for both new and existing church buildings. Andrew Patch, of Bristol-based AP Stained Glass Design and Restoration, comments: “Today, the trend is with colour and striking shapes – the bolder the better. Pieces reflective of sea, sky and wildlife reflect our fascination with and great respect for nature.” In older church buildings, a new window is often a cause for celebration. Says Andrew Patch: “If you have a forthcoming commemoration or special anniversary in your church, then an exciting commission in glass would be an excellent way to mark the event and will provide a striking feature for generations to come.” Andrew’s own stained glass designs vary from traditional art nouveau and period style to exciting contemporary and modern, as well as leaded panels of the appropriate plain glass for listed building renovation. • For further information visit www.apstainedglass.co.uk. q

The design for this commission undertaken by Derbyshire-based stained glass artist Dave Griffin was based on the winning entry from a competition held by children at the school

Andrew Taylor’s brief for the new east window at St Francis Church in West Wickham was to base it around a central Cross and the life of St Francis. The different areas of the window represent aspects of his life

Kat Walton of Chester-based Recclesia Ltd finishes conservation work on a lancet for the Grade 1 listed St John the Baptist Church at Kinlet, Shropshire

To find other stained glass artists in your area turn to page 58 in our ‘Church & Heritage Supplies’ section 44

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Pride of Sheffield restored with

bespoke oak from local installer ‹ CLEARVIEW SECONDARY GLAZING has just installed this

bespoke oak secondary glazing at Sheffield University’s landmark building Firth Hall. Named after Sheffield steel manufacturer Mark Firth, Firth Hall is a listed building with impressive period features and is a popular venue for civic functions, university events and weddings. It was apt, then, that Sheffield-based Clearview Secondary Glazing was chosen to carry out the commission. The building refurbishment included replacement of existing acoustic

cladding, as well as the restoration and future preservation of the eastfacing Edwardian bay window. The oak-framed secondary glazing, which Clearview manufactured and installed, is a bespoke product, designed to match to the existing secondary glazing system, installed decades ago. Achieving a quality result was critical, as the vaulted ceiling and expansive windows frame this large, impressive room. q • For further information visit www.clearviewsg.co.uk.

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6 fears and myths about By IAN AGRELL, Master Carver and principal at Agrell Architectural Carving

‹ AFTER THE MODERNISM that followed

the war, no one expected we’d see handcarved ornamentation in our architecture again. Yet here it is. We’re enjoying a resurgence in classical decoration – whether it’s a restoration of a 400 year-old church, a brand-new chapel with a Gothic organ case or a Louis XIV-style library for a billionaire’s London penthouse. Large architectural firms are increasingly winning projects requiring hand-carved woodwork. However, many of these companies – especially those more experienced in modern styles – know little about classical decoration or the ornamentation industry as a whole. They might not know that woodcarving workshops still exist. Worryingly, they might tell their client that a Gothic organ case can’t be done because they themselves don’t know it can be done. Or, they might assume that a carving workshop that employs centuriesold tools and techniques is unable meet the modern demands of a large-scale project. However, there are woodcarving companies and individuals who have the experience to tackle large ornamentation projects. And it’s our job, as an industry, to convince these architects that we woodcarvers can do the work efficiently, professionally and to the highest-possible quality. So, let’s start by allaying a few myths – and fears – about our industry by giving an idea of what you can expect from an experienced classical carving firm.

No one knows how to carve by ‘hand anymore. Surely they use machines.’ Many woodcarvers still use hand tools exclusively – and they don’t do it because it’s cute. They do it because it’s still the most efficient way to create the most beautiful and historically accurate decoration. Finding someone who makes a living as a classical carver can difficult, but they are out there. The City & Guilds of London Art School, where I studied many years ago, continues to teach young people how to carve by hand. In some cases you’ll find furniture makers who can do it. But be careful: a woodworker might know how to use mallet and chisel, but without the proper training, he or she won’t have sufficient knowledge of the classical styles. It takes years of study to understand the nuances of high-quality carved decoration; some of the best carvers I

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know worked for at least 7 years before they really felt comfortable communicating these subtleties. If you’re looking for woodcarvers who still use hand tools and can produce the highestcaliber work, start by contacting the Master Carvers Association, which is a network of around 40 highly experienced carvers who work in wood, stone or both. You can find a selection of MCA members in this magazine’s ‘Church & Heritage Supplies’ classified listing – look for the MCA logo.

The carver won’t have the ‘historical knowledge to fully understand the style.’ He or she may not, unfortunately. And some of these people write books on woodcarving. Before you hire a carver, first spend some time educating yourself. Study exceptional examples of hand-carved

decoration, such as Luke Lightfoot’s work at Claydon House and, of course, anything at Versailles. Attend workshops hosted by organisations such as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in the UK and Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) in the USA. Then take a good look at your carver’s previous work. A quality woodcarver should be well versed in all the styles and, at the very least, be able to tell the difference between rococo and French Baroque, or Gothic and Renaissance, or Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

The carver won’t understand ‘our complicated technical drawings.’ Most carvers are not old men holed up in a barn with a gas lamp. Modern architectural carving companies, whether

the woodcarving industry large firms or individuals, are not only adept at understanding an architect’s language but also willing to make recommendations on what they see in the drawings. Often an architect’s plans illustrate decoration as little more than a few squiggly lines. It’s the carver’s job to interpret the design and to offer options that fit the budget. Again, look at the carver’s work history to see how much experience he or she has working on large, complicated projects.

They won’t know how to work ‘with others on the project.’ Experienced carving companies operate just like any reputable plumbing or electrical firm: they know how to integrate with the rest of the team and they understand their role on a project; they know how to conduct themselves on a busy job site; they understand the timing of a project and exactly when they’ll be needed. Perhaps most importantly, they have experience of working directly with joinery companies, mill shops and carpenters.

It’s going to cost a lot – far too ‘much for our budget.’ There’s no escaping the fact that handcarved decoration can be expensive. Keep in mind, though, that most carvers charge less

per hour than what your local car mechanic does. It’s just that carving takes many hours to produce. As mentioned above, we use the same tools and techniques as those employed centuries ago. But carving doesn’t have to be cost prohibitive. The key is figuring out as early as possible what your clients really want – and what they’re willing to spend. It’s no good getting two years into a project before realising the carving is out of the budget. I’ve seen this scenario before. The client panics and then settles for poor-quality decoration that fits the budget. But guess what? That bad decoration still cost a lot of money. Instead, budgeting issues can be solved early in the design stage by reducing the volume of decoration while maintaining its complexity, or by reducing its complexity and maintaining the volume. Notice I never mentioned quality. Never sacrifice quality – you can still have carving that isn’t complex but that is still well-executed and true to the design intent. Finally, put the value of the carving in perspective. Ask yourself, how much is being spent on the plaster work? The painting? The stonework? The entertainment system? Then consider that high-quality carved decoration will be around forever and survive as a historical heirloom.

They won’t have the capacity to ‘manage the workload and won't deliver on time.’ A large project could include a dozen Corinthian capitals that take 200 hours apiece to carve. Luckily, there are companies that have the capacity to produce hundreds of carving hours a week. When getting bids, it’s an important question to ask – after all, delivery is almost always as important as quality. On large projects with dozens of subcontractors and overlapping timelines, the last thing an architect wants to worry about is whether the carved decoration will be delivered on time. So it’s important that the carving company can guarantee a high capacity of carving hours in order to deliver on time. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to find a company with lots of carvers on staff. In many cases, an individual carver might collaborate with other independents in order to handle the workload. q • Ian Agrell is a Master Carver and the principal at Agrell Architectural Carving, a woodcarving company with a capacity to produce 50,000 hours of hand-carved decoration annually. Together with his team of highly trained woodcarvers, Ian Agrell has created a worldrenowned workshop with a reputation for exceptional craftsmanship. Visit the Agrell website at www.agrellcarving.co.uk.

Sculpture trail reflects garden’s history ‹

IN THE LAST ISSUE of Ecclesiastical and Heritage World we featured the restoration of Bedfordshire’s 200 year-old Swiss Garden. An important part of the project was the creation of a sculpture trail, to reflect the history of the garden and the owners who shaped it. The trail, inspired by ideas suggested by children from seven local schools, was created by woodright and chain-saw sculptor Patrick Brown who is based in the county. Patrick told us about his style: “My work is often figurative and inspired by wildlife, but the Swiss Garden commission was a great opportunity to expand my repertoire and create more abstract pieces. Working alongside the children to design the sculptures was a really enjoyable process, and their ebullient imaginations generated all sorts of ideas! “When interpreting these, I aimed to remain true to the children’s drawings while incorporating my own artistic style. I love the contrast of smooth curves with sharp, crisp lines, and the play of light as the sun catches different facets throughout the day. “The woodland setting of the sculptures adds variations of light and shade that give the carvings different moods throughout the day, and especially between the seasons.” • You can find out more about Patrick and his work at www.patrick-brown.co.uk. www.ecclesiasticalandheritageworld.co.uk

ANTIQUE FURNITURE RESTORATION

BAFRA

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