HLF - POWER ON!

As predicted, Christmas and New Year came and went without the contractors finishing and vacating the site. A new target of 2 February was set and whilst most work had been completed by then there was still a bit to do. One factor that has delayed things has been the inability of the electricity company to provide the new supply required. This was finally provided on 19 February and the following day the electrical contractors commissioned all the electrical services. The next day the intruder alarm system was made fully operational. Finally, electrically operated vehicle doors – one of the luxuries of the new hall – were due to be functioning by the end of the same week. Final hand-over of the building to the Trust is now expected to be 2 March.

The biggest transformation of the site has been the concreting of the yard in front of the Shire Hall and laying tarmac on other areas, including the loop road and parking in front of the new hall. The space around the café and shop has also greatly changed with steps and disabled ramps. One part of the plan is to have a bus station area in front of the new hall. This will include the utility shelter that used to be near the prefab building and a cantilever shelter acquired from Pershore Road. These were put in place by our contractors in mid-February together with two Bundy clocks and associated bus stop signs. It is worth looking at the excellent workmanship by our contractors in fitting paving slabs round these features.

Now the contractors have completed their work on the building, our volunteers can get in to do painting and much of that required in the toilet block has been completed. Good progress is also being made with the GWR fencing and the mild and mainly dry weather has allowed us to get ahead of schedule.

Although not yet officially ours, we have been allowed to park vehicles in the new hall. First bus to have the honour was the open top D9. This was for purely practical reasons, it being easy to extract from the Shire Hall and being required to gain access to roof beams when fitting displays. Its move to the new hall did allow the first of our outside stored buses to move indoors; this being the Isle of Man Guy Otter, which is to have work done and a repaint soon. The Crosville L5G and the Wendaway S23 have followed the D9, again for purely practical reasons rather than being buses that will be displayed there. However, the Midland Counties milk float and fire services bike are also now in the new hall and are due to stay there. As soon as we have full possession of the hall, the vehicles to be displayed there can start to be moved in and the interpretative display built up by the designers employed for this part of the project. Our buses will need cleaning and the opportunity will be taken to grease them before they move in.

Malcolm Keeley has been working with Querceus Design, a York based company with wide experience of producing displays appealing to the general public. Malcolm has sourced and supplied a large number of photographs and supporting illustrations such as advertising, and the information needed to back them up. These will be arranged and reproduced on information panels. There will be around a hundred of these, including the ones to be placed with the exhibits.

Malcolm, with his author’s hat on, is used to writing large quantities of text. The information panels, however, require concise facts rather than flowing prose. If the text is too long, people will find the information too overwhelming to bother to read it. Malcolm found it took him longer to squeeze all the information into no more than 250 words per panel than to write and check every fact in the first draft! Readers might like to try writing a comprehensive history of Midland Red in 250 words! At the time of writing, Querceus’ designers had scanned nearly all the images and were sending the first drafts of the laid out panels back to Malcolm for checking.

Most of the information panels will be within a display area. Querceus is also responsible for the construction of this and has appointed a sub-contractor specialising in exhibition stands. This is presently being manufactured off-site for assembly at Wythall. The same contractor will construct elsewhere in the hall a raised area, accessed by ramp, to permit those in wheelchairs to enter the platforms of a couple of exhibits and have a better view of a third. Although the hall has general lighting, Querceus is specifying additional lighting and other electrical requirements, notably in the display area. Another contractor has been appointed to handle this.

The full details of the exhibition content remain ‘under wraps’ but Querceus is employing further companies to produce other, specialised items for the new displays.

Finally, upgrading the café is also progressing. Additional windows have been provided to give a view over the yard in front of the Shire Hall and the position of the main café entrance door moved. Pete Murphy has been largely responsible for this part of the work. The same floor fitting firm that has done work on the new hall is being engaged to fit a new floor covering and then the enlarged kitchen will be refitted.

Phil Ireland & Malcolm Keeley

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