Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
1957
We start the year with a progress report taken from the January edition of the Parish Magazine¹, the whole page is an interesting read ( larger images available click here), transcript of relevant paragraph :
Friends of West Parley
We have been glad to enroll the following :-
Brig. and Mrs C H Simpson
Mr and Mrs T Squire
Rev and Mrs Floud
Mr and Mrs A H Bishop
Mr E Ridout
If your name is not on this list - will you see about joining now?
The Hall Church
Once again we can report steady progress. The wiring for electric lighting has been completed; but the method of heating has not yet been decided on. The architect is considering several alternatives, but at the time of writing some form of gas heating gappears most popular. The opinion of readers is invited here, and particularly from those with experience of the heating of large buildings.
Herewith is the latest financial statement, and it will be seen at a glance that we have a very long way to go, and need all the help you may be able to give us.
I have not copied out the figures as they should be readable, but stripping out the £1000 from the Pastoral Committee the Parish, by its own efforts has raised £1015.4s.6d, a very commendable effort.
The matter of how the hall was to be heated was in hand, though still at a very early stage as the following appraisal of the possibilities by Allner Morley & Bolton illustrates :
From Allner Morley & Bolton
Notes regarding heating
Heating by electricity
The suggestion to use night storage heater was discussed with the G.E.C. technical representative and it was decided that the estimated cost of running them would be too expensive and the proposal was dropped.
The suggestion was made, however, that G.E.C. Overhead Radiant Heaters should be used, but as overhead heating was considered undesirable the matter was dropped.
Gas Heating
The original proposal by the Gas Board that overhead radiant heaters should be used was not proceeded with, but an alternative estimate has been obtained for supplying and fixing in the Main Hall three No. 1300 'DRUgasar' heaters generally as the attached leaflet, with two overhead luminous panel heaters along the portion of the Main Hall where there is no external wall; and in the Sanctuary to supply one No. 950 'DRUgasar' heater and one junior panel heater, which including the cost of fixing etc and running supplies would cost £331:6:2d. The cost of laying on the service from the road would be an additional £30:0:0d The cost of running the installation would be about 2/6d per hour.
Central Heating - Gas fired
The Gas Board have considered a provision of a central heating scheme providing ten radiators in suitable positions around the Hall with one S.151 'Kayenco' gas boiler in the kitchen fitted with asbestos flue, the whole to comprise a complete installation which would cost £456. It is estimated that the cost of running this boiler would be about 2/6d per hour, and the boiler would need to be lit 1½ to 2 hours before the hall was required to be used.
Central Heating - Coke Fired
Messrs Heat-rite of Westbourne have submitted a scheme for providing seven radiators in the Main Hall, two on the stage two in the rooms behind the Stage, and one in the Entrance Hall, with necessary service pipes, expansion tanks, etc., with a Crane No 108 Carlton Boiler and suitable Turney Turbine Circulator. The installation would cost £519. This boiler would be suitable to take an oil fired burner at some later date. The cost of this scheme using coke would work out at about 1/6d per hour.
This scheme would, however, require the construction of a boiler room, size 8 x 5ft. internally, with a flue carried up to a height of about 16ft.
Oil fired Space Heaters
Messrs Heat-rite have supplied particulars of 'Kim-lite' space heaters of which three would be required at a price of £47:15:0 each plus fixing with flue pipe etc.which would cost about another £25:0:0. each
These each have a capacity for 5 gallons of fuel only. To provide one oil storage tank of 600 gallons capacity and coupling to heaters would cost a further £140:0:0.
The disadvantage of this scheme would be that each heater would require a separate flue pipe which the maker's state should be carried up to a height of 20ft.
With the present surcharge on Kerosene the cost would be about 2/3d per hour.
Were a 600 gallons tank provided it would be possible to use other oil which would be obtainable in bulk at a cheaper rate.
Perhaps I should explain two remarks, one in the parish magazine (Petrol Shortage) and the other in the appraisal above (surcharge on Kerosene). Following the Suez Crisis petrol had been rationed in the UK from 17 December 1956, with price restrictions by way of surcharges on other oil derived products. Of course, if this web site keeps going for another decade or so, you, dear reader, may wonder what it was like to have petrol.
Building work was continuing and at the end of January 1957 Architects Certificate number 3 was issued and dealt with. The building was now at a stage when thoughts could start to turn to furnishings. Being a dual purpose hall fixed seating was out of the question and enquiries were made of four suppliers. Eventually a form of tubular stacking chair with a canvas seat and back was selected from the Social Service Supplies Limited. (Do not read present day connotations into this name or connections with Government assistance)
To : Revd Freeman
Dated : 13 February 1957
Dear Reverend Freeeman,
Thank you for your card of the 29th January. I have pleasure in enclosing the catologue for Redro Nesting Furniture. The prices are as follows :
T.K.S.I.U.
26/11dT.K.S.I.P.
28/ 2dT.K.B.I.U.
29/ 2dT.K.B.I.P.
30/ 3dT.K.L.I.U.
32/ 6dT.K.L.I.P.
33/ 7dF.L.C.I.U.
30/ 1dF.L.C.I.P.
31/ 2dThe above prices include carriage and are subject to a discount of 2½% if the Invoice is paid within 15 days of receipt of goods.
Trusting we shall hear further from you,
Yours sincerely S V Bardell
To : Commander Charlewood
Dated : 13 February 1957
Dear Commander Charlewood,
This is to acknowledge your order of the 7th inst., and to confirm that delivery of the 150 chairs and the trolley will be made in the first week in April.
I also take this opportunity of enclosing one of our catalogues and trust we shall be able to do further business in future.
Yours sincerely S V Bardell
This took care of the hall which left the chancel to deal with. Fortunately St Pauls church in Poole were having a refurbishment which meant they had some old pews to spare and these ended up in St Marks chancel. As St Marks was a hall church with a sanctuary at one end and a stage at the other, the modus operandi with the chairs was to leave them facing the alter unless there was an event using the stage when they all had to be turned round and then turned back again. If the floor of the hall needed to be cleared the chairs were stacked along the wall, about 5 to a stack. Before every service they always needed straightening up and the rows made neat.
These chairs needed paying for of course, time for some more begging letters
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1) The Parish Magazine is still being published, to subscribe email editor.