BP News

Now you see it, now you don’t!

Well finally it’s happened! After the false start in January, when we originally planned to remove the old box office, the deed was finally done on 12th February.

As reported in the newsletter in January we were expecting to do it straight after the new year, but the electrics held some unknown complications – a legacy from the last time we had the box office area altered, which necessitated a lot of extra work before we were ready to remove the wall.

Before...

With everything in place this time, the work started early in the morning and by lunchtime we had the major wall out and the new extended beam in place. Removing the rest of the surrounding walls and `making good’ took up the rest of the afternoon. By 4 o’clock we were furiously trying to get up as much of the dust as possible to make the place look fit for use that evening.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, my enormous thanks goes to those involved in the task. They were Jim Watts, Len Seymour and Keith Crook and new member Adam Jones who all worked unceasingly all day.

Thank you to everyone else who was involved in, and affected by the work, Mike Gibson and Peter Elmer, Paul Wright, Roger Nobes and Elliott Lawrence and thanks to Liz, our cleaner, who has been very patient with us and did not complain at all!

...After

Tuesday saw Len and Keith continuing with a lot of the small mopping-up jobs that follow an intensive day like the day before, and Wednesday we had the plasterer in to complete the work on the walls.

There are a few follow up tasks now. We just have to replace the ceiling in the affected area now and stain the timberwork. The carpet is due to be replaced at Easter time so we will have the temporary tiles down in the mean time.

I am sure that all those of you who have seen the difference it has made and experienced the use of the space during Private Lives with the pre-show concert will agree it is going to make a big difference in future to us and the public.