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Wharf Station rebuilding - Progress report, 22nd February
Progress towards completion of the new building at Wharf Station is now gathering pace. The museum ground floor ceiling has been boarded out and skimmed with plaster, edges and gaps filled with intumescent filler and "the electrics" have now been replaced. Yesterday morning (Monday), the display fit-out team arrived; during the day they started to paint the ground floor ceilings grey and started the construction of the ramps and the boards that will hold the graphics panels and showcases. The floor covering on the top floor is due to be laid today (Tuesday). We are planning to put the big exhibits back in the museum during the week commencing 7th March
The new ceiling in the café and the ground floor offices/stores/cloakroom has been replaced and all the lights re-connected. The area is currently being used as a workshop - but will start to be cleared from today.
The kitchen ceiling has been removed, fire boarding added and the "staykleen" ceiling is well on the way to being replaced - the work should finish today. The electrician is also due today to replace the lighting (removed to work on the ceiling).
The shop re-opened last Friday afternoon (18th Feb) and it looks totally different. New pendant lighting; hidden, high level uplighting fluorescent tubes (completed yesterday evening); a Welsh slate (tile) floor; a new coat of paint; slatboarding to display goods all along the platform wall. The Pendre gang have all worked hard here to complete the transformation - and it looks great; here's hoping the general public like it and what we have on the shelves.
Progress towards completing the other items on the snags list is ongoing, but will not stop the moves towards opening the new building. If you want to savour the delights of "Ed's Shed", please come along this Sunday, for the last supper (or dinner) will be served there this weekend. The facility will be closed on Monday 28th and the items that are to be transferred will be moved across and fitted in the new kitchen; the installers will be on hand that day to complete the familiarisation and snagging. The existing café building is for sale.
After cleaning the equipment and training of the staff with their new equipment, it is planned to open the new café to the public from Friday March 4th. We will be using the old furniture (tables/chairs) for a while but plan to renew all the seating and such-like over the next few months once we see how people flows and the rooms' use pans out. Additionally, the offices will be cleaned out over the coming days and we expect that they will be available for occupancy by Friday 4th March as well.
Over the last couple of weeks, we have made the penultimate grant drawdown claim from the Heritage Lottery Fund (the ninth) and will be able to claim no more until the project "has been completed to their satisfaction"; that will be sometime in July/August, when the final bills have arrived and have been paid.