HLF - THE BUILDERS HAVE ARRIVED!

Well, it has started! After finally disposing of the railway carriages, the tenders from the potential building contractors were opened with due ceremony on 22 June. As expected there was some negotiation about some optional extras included in the tender and the time scale for doing the work, but within a week it was possible to award the work to the lowest tender. The company doing the work is Shaw (Builders) Ltd., of Tipton, who were able to start work almost immediately and anticipate completing work and vacating our site by Christmas.

Work commenced on site on Monday 10 July. The builder's overall plan is to construct the new access roads to the yard and to the Scania Hall first, which will then allow them to fence off the main construction site. Whilst there may be a period when vehicular access to the Scania Hall is not possible - and buses have been rearranged so nothing that may be required urgently is in there - it is hoped this will be kept to a minimum.

As I write various diggers and dump trucks are on site and a stream of lorries are taking the spoil away. The site already looks very different after just over a week. One of the problems with excavating is not really being sure what is underneath. So far the score for services taken out is; water twice, telephone and drainage once each, and the main power supply for the Shire Hall, once. Several manhole covers we did not know existed have also been found.

The Trust's role at this stage is a watching brief to make sure things are going as we expect and dealing with any queries that may arise. The final act of clearing the site for the builders was to move the admission kiosk by one metre, although at some stage it will need to make a longer movement to its new location. Once the new roadway is in place, it should be possible for us to start to re-erect the GWR fencing in its new position. Meanwhile, our colleagues in EMES can start their new station development, complete with a passing loop in the station.

Phil Ireland

Something that has gone already in the excavations is the concrete platform that was the base for the prefab. Originally the floor of one of the buildings of RAF Wythall - we believe it was the Sergeants' Mess - it was one of the last visible remnants of that establishment. Editor

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