Remembrance Day

This illuminated manuscript was drawn by Thomas George Fleet in 1916 to celebrate George Street Chapel's centenary year. He died the same year in France fighting in WW1. The manuscript was donated to the chapel and school by his father, John H Fleet.

We remember them.

Remembrance Day.

Video about the Architectural Heritage Fund - Featuring George Street Chapel

On 23rd Feb Lisa Thompson filmed at George Street Chapel for inclusion in a film she was making for the Architectural Heritage Fund to describe the grants administered by them, in particular the specific grants sponsored by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Challenge Fund and English Heritage.
We posted a record of the filming day on our blog on 10th Oct - Filming a Filming - but click on the link here to see the finished video for the AHF.

The Architectural Heritage Fund video 

New Notice Boards for GSC

Two new notice boards have been erected on the George Street elevation.

They replicate the original boards that used to hang on the wall.

New notice boards for George Street Chapel.

Manchester Eye Hospital

Manchester Eye Hospital is celebrating its 200th year looking after the sight of the people of Manchester. Their web site gives information about the history and development of the Eye Hospital which was started in 1814.

So, what connection is there between the Eye Hospital and George Street Chapel? Apart from the fact that they are almost built at the same time.

Well, one of the members of the chapel, Alice Dronsfield, was treated at the hospital in her old age, before 1886 when she died.

An obituary for Alice Dronsfield (1814-1886), published in the Independent Methodist Magazine and states that she had an operation at Manchester Eye Hospital and that she requested that the operation was carried out without anaesthetic.

About this time her eyes, always weak were attacked by disease, and she went to the Manchester Eye Hospital. With the injunction that chloroform should not be used she consented to an operation. “I committed myself,” she afterwards said, “in prayer to the care of God, asking Him to give me strength, and the doctor skill,” and she felt assurance that all would be well.

To celebrate the bicentenary of the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Mr Nicholas Jones, Consultant Ophthalmologist, has written its history. The book is entitled "Manchester Royal Eye Hospital 1814-2014: An Inside View". It is hardback, 294 pages and richly illustrated in colour and B&W. Details on the hospitals web site.

Mr Jones has said that she may have been given a local anaesthetic of cocaine to help with pain, but that chloroform at that time was usually given only to young fit people.

Rebuilding the Organ

The pipe organ was rebuilt in January 2014, but there was a lot more work to complete within the building after that. On 19th August we held a small choir practice with the Age UK Oldham Choir when the organ was played by Les Garner. The sound recording will be used in the introductory video to be shown to visitors, and it is used as the background music to video recorded of the pipe organ being rebuilt last January.

The choir sang two hymns, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' and 'Breath on Me, Breath of God'
The tune to 'Breath on Me, Breath of God', Trentham, was composed by Robert Jackson organist at St Peters Church, Oldham. There is a portrait of Robert Jackson (1842-1914) in Gallery Oldham.

Video of Drone and George Street Interactors

A short video shot by Andrew Fielding, recording part of the filming carried out by Lisa Thomson at GSC for the Architectural Heritage Fund on 23 September, 2014. It features the George Street Interactors and a drone camera flown by Louis Carraz.

The film is to be used by the Architectural Heritage Fund to demonstrate the work carried out at the four buildings that received support from the first grants awarded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Challenge Fund supported by English Heritage and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

Age UK Oldham received £100,000 from the fund to match fund the HLF grant, allowing our works to proceed.

Drone Over Jackson Pit

A great morning today, filming with Lisa Thomson for the Architectural Heritage Fund.
Lisa and Louis brought along a drone camera to get aerial shots of our re-enactors interpreting life in the cellar dwellings.
The film will be used to promote the work funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Challenge Fund.
The Challenge Fund awarded a grant of £100,000 towards our restoration works.

Heritage Open Days 2014

The chapel will be opened as part of Heritage Open Days.
Your chance to see the recently restored chapel before its 'official' opening.
Sunday 14 September :  10.00 - 15.00

Help Wanted for WWI Project

Font Ready to be Returned to Chapel

The font is now waiting to be returned to the chapel from Gallery Oldham.

Font from George Street Chapel, Oldham.
Ready to be returned to the chapel from Gallery Oldham.

Cushions for Pews

A slight lull in fitting out with decisions to be made about lots of small items, some more small snagging details to be completed, holidays and things being made to measure - like these bespoke cushions for the pews made by Andrew Lees of Oldham. Delivered in the best local delivery van in Oldham.

Llwynrhydowen Unitarian Chapel, Llandysul, Ceredigion

Friends of George Street might like to follow the restoration of other chapels around the country.
An HLF grant has been awarded to a chapel in West Wales that has connections with Dylan Thomas.
Report on BBC web site

An 18th Century chapel where the great-uncle of poet Dylan Thomas preached is set to be restored to its former glory.
Llwynrhydowen Unitarian chapel, a Grade II-listed building near Llandysul, Ceredigion, as been awarded £285,000 in grant funding for renovation.
The project will also develop a virtual museum recounting the story of Nonconformity in Wales.
It will also be included in a new faith trail leaflet telling the story of Unitarianism.
Yr Hen Gapel (The Old Chapel) was the first Arminian chapel in Wales when opened in 1733 and is known as 'the mother chapel' of Welsh Unitarianism.

Hat Pegs

Two types of hat pegs.
The early ones are made of wood - turned pegs fitted to a strip of wood and attached to the wall.
The later types are metal.

Staining the Casework of the Pipe Organ

The casework of the pipe organ has now been stained.

George Street Chapel, Oldham pipe organ.

Material Urgently Needed

As we are getting closer to the opening of George Street Chapel I am busily making costumes with our craft group but urgently need fabric and other items for costumes which range from children aged 5 to adult aged 82!
Please can you have a look at home and ask friends and relatives if they have any of the following they would like to donate to us :-
1 Old ‘scratchy’ blankets/army blankets
2 Dark heavy non patterned material – black/grey/navy
3 Mens braces – with button straps not clips
4 Old cotton material ( to make aprons & mop caps ) – heavy cotton lining from curtains is great – the more faded and worn the better – or worn out plain cotton tea towels
5 Flat caps both boys & mens
6 wing collar shirts – men
7 Dark waistcoats men & boys
8 Mens dark jackets & trousers
9 Mens scarves – not silk or heavy patterned
10  Any elastic / old buttons
11 – and just in case ……. You never know whatyou might find under your bed – CLOGS!!! ( bit of a long shot but worth a try eh?)
Thanks
Maggie
Maggie HurleyVolunteer &  Community Service ManagerBefriending Service – IT & Digital Programme- Chadderton Over 60’s Centre – Intergenerational Educational Projects – Activity & Community Groups – Community EventsAge UK OldhamDirect Line: 0161 622 9252  Head Office: 0161 633 0213
Fax: 0161 620 6197  Address: 10 Church Lane, Oldham OL1 3AN
Email:maggie.hurley@ageukoldham.org.uk  Web: www.ageukoldham.org.uk

Finishing Floorboards

The cracks in the floorboards have bee filled with papier-mache and they have all been screwed down and the screw heads plugged.
No daily works left on the capital works now. So the finishing off and fitting out works will get their own posts.

Making the plugs to cover the screws 

Filled, screwed and plugged.

Detail of a filled cracks and plugged screw hole.

Day 248 - Filling Gaps

Week 51 - Day 248
The gaps between the floorboards in the chapel are being filled with papier-mache. This will be applied in three layers.

Day 247 - Fixing Floors

Week 51 - Day 247
The chapel floor is the centre of attention for the next few days. The cracks between the boards are being filled in and loose boards are being screwed to the floor. The heads of the screws will be covered over by wooden plugs. Cracked boards which cannot be repaired will be lifted and replaced. Floor boards of this age are wider than modern boards, so it is important for the feel and look of a chapel of this age to retain as much of the original material as possible.

Day 246 - Fixing Floors

Week 51 - Day 246
The floor boarding all had large gaps between each of the boards. To fix the problem each board has been lifted and relaid, closing up the gaps. A new fillet has then been introduced at the edge to make up the total of all the gaps removed.

Digital Reconstructions of George Street

It is hard to provide all the work going into the digital reconstructions of George Street Chapel.
Here are some of the models for the surrounding buildings, though the elements comprise layers which relate to different time periods so that changes in windows and roofs can be programmed into the time line.
the chapel historical material s being provided by Andrew and Annelise Fielding and Roy and Gail Lees while the model itself and other details such as the topography, trams etc are being done by Julian Baum and Claire Duval of Take 27 Ltd.

Buildings below the Sunday School on the
east side of George St, Oldham.
Take 27 Ltd.

The terrace above George Street Chapel.
All these shops still exist, though the roof lines have changed
over the years as have the frontages.
Take 27 Ltd.

George Street Chapel and the terrace built to the north.
Take 27 Ltd.

The Sunday School looking down George Street.
Take 27 Ltd.

Day 245 - Last Minister Visits

The last minister at George Street Independent Methodist Chapel, Alan Scholes, returned today to see the works.
He was delighted to see the restoration works and really pleased and surprised to see the pipe organ restored to its original decoration. As a child he remembered it with the shabby paintwork which was over painted to tidy it up.

Draft View of the Evolution of the Chapel

I simple model has been created to help draft out the evolution of the chapel, which will help to direct the introductory movie and the interpretation of the chapel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de3GqUp2JDs&feature=youtu.be

Day 244 - Work to Flooring

Week 50 - Day 244
The carpenters were back today to address some issues with the floor boards.
To prevent sawdust entering the pipe organ it was covered in plastic sheeting.

Interpretation - Draft Movie

No physical work at the chapel again today, but all through the program there has been work going on in the background to interpret the history of the chapel. Some of that work has been to bring you a daily diary of the physical building works through this Blog and the Friends of George Street Facebook page.

There has been steady work carried out uncover more documentary evidence about the chapel, its tenants and those who worshipped there - and to pull together all the information to create an introductory video for visitors to the chapel and an accompanying book.

A draft of the movie is available for a short time on Youtube - click the link to be taken there. If it is not working it is because the video has expired and time for comments has passed. The video was edited to take into account comments. Revised version no won line until 7 March, 2014.

The video is being created by Julian Baum and Claire Lavall at Take 27 and researchers Andrew and Annelise Fielding with substantial support provided by the photographs of Peter Langley and the documentary research of Gail and Roy Lees. The link is to an 8 minute draft video so we can see all the sections we need to include and get the pace and content right. Already we can see that the movie needs to be extended to about 10 minutes.

There will be additional pictures and a narration over the top. There will be a book which will contain everything in greater detail, telling the story of construction, life, worship, decay and restoration at George Street Chapel.

Please have a look at this draft and pass back any comments you might have.

I know this is difficult as it is not finished and you may not have a complete a knowledge of the chapel and its history. However I am sure you realise that the movie can only be a snapshot of the chapel's 200 years life and those who lived and worshipped there - encapsulated in 10 minutes.

There will be two other shorter sections as stand alone movies to cover the cellar dwellings and worship in the chapel 

The link will only be online for two days, as it is only work in progress and we would not want it to be widely circulated. It is a means to getting to the finished movie.

Please email Andrew Fielding with any comments you may have and say that you saw the draft via this Blog site.    To    aandafieldingltd@gmail.com 

No Works at Chapel Today

No work at the chapel today.
The carpenter and painter arriving Friday or Monday.

Day 243 - Chairs

Week 49 - Day 243
Chairs delivered today from storage. They were originally used at a methodist chapel and will now find a new home at George Street where they will be used for visits that require seating, but can be stored elsewhere when the floors are needed to be clear.

Day 242 - Work began 12 month Ago

Week 49 - Day 242
The capital works began twelve months ago on Monday 4th February 2013.
Then we were getting ready for snow, this week its strong winds and rain we are contending with - but we have a restored and conserved building with lights and heating. Only a few more weeks left before the building is taken back by Age UK from the builders and we can start looking at some more detailed fitting out and interpretation without their being workmen or materials scattered around.
The blog remains as an archive of the works over the last twelve months. You can look up what happened by month and date or by clicking on the 'labels'.

Works started twelve months ago on 4th February 2013.

Day 241 - Facade Pipes - Fantastic

Week 49 - Day 241
The facade pipes were returned their place in the front rack today and look FANTASTIC.
The organ sounds GREAT.
I will be a real attraction at George Street Chapel.

Day 240 - Tuning the Pipe Organ

Week 48 - Day 240
The organ is now being tuned and all the pipes should be fitted on Monday.

Day 239 - Fitted Cupboard

Week 48 - Day 239
The doors were fixed to the built in cupboard we have reconstructed in-between the kitchen range and the wall. Only awaiting painting now.

Day 238 - Electrics for the Pipe Organ

Week 48 - Day 238
The electrician returned today to connect up all the wires.
The hatch over the electric air blower was started to be constructed.

Day 237 - Reproduction Furniture

Week 48 - Day 237
Whilst the pipe organ continues to be re-built two pieces of furniture were built in the cellar dwellings. These are reproductions based on example sin the next door cellar of 56, George Street.
There is a cupboard built into the alcove between the kitchen range on the David Street elevation and a partition / draught excluder that acts as a shelving unit in the middle cellar dwelling, formerly 14, Jackson Pit.
Both will be painted in a green paint to match the original next door.

Day 236 - More Pipes

Week 48 - Day 236
Todays work involved connecting up more pipes, this time for moving air from the bellows to the speaking pipes which play the notes.

Day 235 - Big Pipes - Small Pipes

Week 47 - Day 235
The shutters dividing pipes are in place. Smaller pipes and one big facade pipe in place.
Small ones to begin getting al the racks filled - the front pipe just to show off and see what it will look like when completed - awesome I think is the word.