JULY
July 4th - I'm organising my first burial - what a fantastic job it is being Project Manager! The burial in question is actually of various objects that we are going to concrete in under the new building. So far we have a Bible, cup and saucer (for hospitality), a cymbal (don't ask!!), axe (for St Alphege who was killed by an axe) and a child's toy (for all the young people).
If you want to watch, and who wouldn't, come along at 7.30am, YES A.M., on Thursday morning.
Progress to follow this month is the laying of the foundations and floor slab. From this you will be able to appreciate the size of the building and the 'hot' spot to view building works from is the top corner of the site on Wauchope Road. There is an open fence and the site slopes away giving an open view of the whole site.
July 6th -
Early Risers - nearly 50 church members gathered with Steve in the early morning to say prayers over the items to be buried. Items were placed into the foundations at the four corners of the new Worship Area. The choice of item depended on the location - the cup of hospitality at the entrance, the cymbals in the music group's corner and the toy by the creche.
Donald's Bible was given to him on his ordination in 1960 by Archbishop Fisher (the former Archbishop of Canterbury who crowned Elizabeth II) and now rests under several feet of concrete along with the axe of St Alphege, who was also an Archbishop of Canterbury.
July 13th - Oh dear, how the memory cells disappear as you get older! I have just spent two days causing disruption to the contractor over the choice of bricks. The ones he wanted to order didn't look at all like the ones I 'remembered' seeing last November when the Building Group made their choice. Finally I found a photo I had taken of the bricks in question - and suprise, suprise they were the ones the contractor had chosen. A hasty bit of backtracking and the bricks are now on order!
I think I need a holiday, which just happens to be where I am next week. Hopefully I will return to find the foundation blockwork complete and all ready to lay the floor. Also the site sign should be up which will reassure all the neighbours who think flats or houses are being built on the site.
July 25th - Phew it's another scorcher. The heatwave continues and this week there is no escape to the swimming pool! It is back to work and checking on the site today I find that the floor slab for the Worship Area is down and a small army of bricklayers spread out across the site. For the first time you can stand in the middle of the main hall and imagine the completed size - you are going to have to shout, Steve!
Dave has done a great job in getting the site sign up high so that the picture is clear.
Already it has drawn favourable comments and at last the neighbours and passers by can see what is coming next year.
July 27th - We have had much excitement in our house during the last twenty four hours, yesterday we had a phone call to say the President was going to be coming round! Well, I was off - tidying here and polishing there - I didn't even know he was in the country. Then Ginny lets on. It is the President of the Whitstable & Herne Bay Lions Club who is coming.
And here she is! Connor and Skye receive a cheque for £500 towards the cost of the new fencing at the Abbot House Nursery from Dixie Lee. Lynda, the New Building Group Chair, watches over the cheque to make sure it isn't spent on Thomas and Barbie toys!!
Many thanks to the very generous members of the Lions Club for your help.
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