WCBC: Malcolm's blog

The finishing touches!

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:17:20

Well I'm on sabbatical now and have my head in books rather than in bricks. So no more blogging about buildings from me for the time being. The contractor is still doing the finishing touches - door furni ...

Ring out the old, ring in the new

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:51:12

Well we've done it! We've got our main lift commissioned which means we finally achieved our disability access to the Sanctuary which we have hankered after for so many years.
Praise the Lord!

On the home straight

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:13:06

Had a site meeting today which was very encouraging. There's a lot of clearing up going on, the toilets (all except one) should be finished by the weekend, the fire alarm is being tested on Thursday, t ...

Taking Philippians 1.6 literally....

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:10:05

I'm beginning to wonder if our contractors are taking Phil 1.6 literally. For those of you who don't have a bible to hand it says, "he who began a good work amongst you, will carry it on to completion ...

Behind the Sanctuary

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:46:33

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new space at rear of Sanctuary

Going up, going down!

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:53:27

Well I did get a ride in our new lift this week but sadly it didn't get handed over to us. Another example of the frustrations of dealing with multi-national companies. Just when you think you have someth ...

We have LIFT OFF!

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:55:49

"I have good news and bad news!" was the way Dave the foreman addressed me yesterday. Turns out the platform lift down to Stockley Hall had been commissioned and handed over to us to use. Not only that, ...

Don't queue for the loo!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:10:37

The biggest issue of the week seems to be the loo! With the ground floor toilets not ready yet, and the work going on to remodel the first floor area, the gents loo is out of order (well not quite - bu ...

Let there be light...

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:01:52

Another week over and perhaps the most encouraging thing to report is that when you walk up the main stairs now you can switch on the lights!!!! It may only be a small step for mankind but believe me, ...

Somebody open a window!

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:38:04

So the heating was ON! And in fact it was so hot we had to open a window, which is not bad going in November. The race is now on to finish the rest of the work. I've seen the main lift going up and down, ...

Something new on the skyline

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:25:24

Well there it is, as you drive up St James's Road east towards the church you will notice a glistening chrome finger pointing to the sky from the back of the church building. Its the flue to the new boi ...

Pictures and Certificates

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:38:26

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Loan certificate found under floorboards (we hope it has been repaid!)

The pigs are surely flying!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:15:49

Yep, Thames Water are digging the pavement as I type....

Pigs were seen flying!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:06:02

Hip Hip Hooray, we finally have our new electricity supply bringing 3phase into the building to power the main lift and increase our capacity. Yep, despite the rain the men from EDF hooked us up at las ...

Frustration!!!!!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:51:26

Oh Lord give me more patience please??!! Yes we are still waiting for Thames Water to connect the new main. Today two different people from Thames Water left messages on my phone, one saying the job will ...

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:19:45

So here I am a week later still waiting for Thames Water. Apparently they came last Wednesday but because the pavement wasn't "marked up" they left. It was Friday before their surveyor arrived again to ...

Dave the Prophet

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:03:55

Back in June when I first met Dave the Forman he looked at the plans for the first time, walked around the site, shook his head and said they want it finished for September but this will take till Christmas. ...

A beautiful set of stairs

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:13:19

Another triumph, or so it seemed! You remember Les Dawson and his piano playing, "I play all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order!"? Well we have a beautiful set of stairs which means i ...

Good progress?

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:56:14

I had to laugh this afternoon. I attended a meeting of the Trustees of the Particular Baptist Fund, (who have, incidentally, given us a loan and a £10,000 grant for which we are very grateful). Its not tha ...

Heating pipes

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:27:20

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some of the pipe work for our new heating system

Thanks to The Beatrice Laing Trust

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:39:36

I had a wonderful surprise on Saturday when I opened my post. There was a letter from The Beatrice Laing Trust. They write, "We were delighted to hear that work on the renovation of your church buildings is ...

What's that doing there....?

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:32:54

I wandered into the kitchen on Sunday and thought to myself "What's that doing there?!" On Friday the electricians had helpfully put a fuseboard right where the new kitchen door will hit it. So I realised ...

Onwards and upwards!

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:54:04

Onwards.... How exciting, the last couple of days I couldn't even get my car in the car park because of all the working men's vehicles. So we have the usual crew on site plus electricians, heating engineers, and ...

Pictures of where things will go

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:58:50

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Drainage laid for new wc block

Climb every mountain...!

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:31:42

Hello! Here I am back again from a simply wonderful holiday in Switzerland and I promise you that I didn't sing any songs from the Sound of Music to embarrass my family and friends. But back to work wit ...

Something to get excited about...

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:33:26

Okay, I'm exaggerating a little. Its not that exciting. Not as exciting as a beam and block floor might be to give us something to walk on! Not as exciting even as sight of EDF and a new 3 phase supply of ...

The hare and the tortoise

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:43:11

Now I trust you have heard Aesop's fable about the hare and the tortoise. The story goes that the hare challenged the tortoise to a race. Off he shot but then stopped for a rest and fell asleep. Meanwh ...

I'm back!

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:57:13

Hello again, here I am with an update that is much overdue.
In fact there hasn't been much to say as not much has happened. It was funny really as a couple of weeks ago Dave the architect was trudging ...

Beams and foundations

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:40:31

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This shows the new beam going in which will support the new bridge/walkway across to the RDC office. You can see the existing one still holding up the existing structure, but it is very badly corroded.

Drip, drip, drip

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:06:04

It started in the staff meeting when Ken the Housekeeper said to me, "Why are they digging up outside Spurgeon Hall?" "I've no idea!" I replied. But of course I needed to find out.

"Well the thing is, ...

Red and yellow and green and blue.....

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:05:30

Excitment yesterday when the ICI Dulux colour consultant arrived. Jane in the office insisted on seeing the new colour schemes first! But she may need to be patient for a week or two. Jemma the colour c ...

"I appoint you to uproot and tear down, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1.10

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:44:01

Jeremiah, the prophet in the Old Testament, was a young man who tried to warn the people of Judah of the trouble they were getting themselves into. However, he accepted the inevitable, that the Lord wo ...

Onwards and upwards

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:20:29

Work is coming along steady at the moment. Or at least it was until the building inspector turned up on Thursday! He - sorry, SHE successfully wound up Dave the foreman and succeeded in putting back his plan ...

It never rains but it pours!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:27:55

Never has this saying been so true! As the country has suffered, alas, so has West Croydon Baptist Church. And of all the days to have a flash flood, it had to be on my day off! How inconsiderate is tha ...

More Pictures

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:42:35

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looking through the new opening into the entrance lobby from where the boiler/oil tank used to be.

Haircuts

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:51:19

Last week I had my hair cut and two local ministers walked past me in the street without recognising me! I know it made me look so much younger!?! Anyway I came in on Monday to think the Contractor had ...

There WAS something in the air....

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:27:07

Yesterday afternoon when I went in after the guys went home I discovered there was something in the air - a pigeon!! Having left one of the doors open into the light well a pigeon had found its way int ...

There's something in the air....

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:45:52

After a couple of good weeks of progress we're beginning to hit up against a few snags. Went in today to see Dave the Architect to find Kevin the Contractor a little sniffy about Peter the Quantity Surv ...

11 new pictures

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:27:15

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The old disused oil tank, looking through where the boiler room used to be.

And the walls came a-tumbling down!

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:14:06

You wouldn't believe the difference taking a few walls down makes to the feeling of space in the church! Yesterday as I walked around the site it was amazing the feeling of space in the kitchen and in ...

End of week 3

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:53:13

Dust, dust, dust! Just as we expected, once the demolition started the dust gets everywhere. You can taste it when you walk in the door, but fortunately the Sanctuary hasn't suffered too much. The wall ...

More Pictures

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:35:47

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Demolition man with his "toy"

Unless the Lord...

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:25:38

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain." Psalm 127.1
Of course, this building project is not just about bricks and mortar. It is the fulfilling of a vision that we believe God ...

Blink and you miss it

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:50:06

These demolition boys don't mess around do they?! First the toilets disappeared within 24 hours, then I went into a site meeting and by the time it was over the first of the staircases had disappeared. The ...

Did the ground move for you?

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:23:53

So there we were, just about to pray in our staff meeting this morning, when all of a sudden the whole building shook! Was this one of those pentecostal moments we asked ourselves? Jane became ever so ex ...

The WCBC Boiler, RIP!

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:14:13

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The old boiler

Lifts have their ups and downs!

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:13:48

So I discovered the problem with the lift and its something about not enough head room at the top of the lift shaft. Predictable, but laughable, 2 weeks into the job and we've already found a niggle. There's ...

Maybe tomorrow...maybe wednesday...maybe next week...!

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:08:00

We'll really know something is happening when the demolition starts. It was going to be Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, and now its next Monday.........maybe!!!

I went in to see the foreman t ...

Souvenirs

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:35:07

The New Wembley! Doesn't it look great! The thing is, when they were pulling down the old Wembley people were scrambling after souvenirs. I have to say that I haven't been overwhelmed with people wanting s ...

Week 2!

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:18:30

I go into week 2 with a certain amount of relief that our temporary arrangements for all our children's groups on Sunday went smoothly. Considering that half of our church accommodation is out of bounds ...

The road is long...!

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:06:10

To understand the significance of what we are achieving with these building works you need to go back to the early '90s. When Roger Standing came to the church as Pastor he instigated a feasibility study ...

Hooray!! The work begins!

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:35:44

So this is it! At long last, after years of preparation, (maybe decades for some!) the builders have arrived. Already the electricians have been stripping out the ground floor toilets ready for demolitio ...

Derek comment

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:21:57

Excellent news.
I'm pleased it's finally started.

What could possible go wrong! - I'm sure you crossed all your "i's" and dotted your "t's"

grin

Stu comment

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:15:00

eh? crossed "i's" and dotted "t's"? is this some old-man expression i've never heard of? lol
either way, its pretty exciting that the work is finally beginning. i cant wait to see it all completed.............

Sam comment

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:25:02

oooo a new feature hehe...took the football off the front page mind guess it is the closed season at the moment mind ;-) how much work is actually going on this time (i've kinda missed 8 months of stuff lol)

Derek comment

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:33:15

Try selling it at the Autumn Fayre?

Nelda comment

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:49:13

Maybe, like the Arsenal stadium, Highbury, we should have offered the members a chance to buy a piece of history, e.g. a piece of wall, a piece of floorboard, bits of the old boiler - the list is endless!!

me comment

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 21:12:42

lol cant believe that thing actually worked...looks rather...ancient to say the least

Derek comment

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 09:23:27

Are you sure it's the boiler, the second pictures looks more like the 'Safe'

me comment

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:06:23

did they shovel coal into it by any chance?

Andy T comment

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:17:52

The Pastors and Deacons of West Croydon Baptist Church were shocked today at the mystery disappearance of the churches toilets - a church spokesman said "At the moment we have nothing to go on."

MALCOLM comment

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:18:13

HO! HO! HO! I thought I was the one supposed to be telling the jokes...! The old ones are the best (except when it comes to toilets eh?)

Derek comment

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:57:51

Sandra comment

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:26:56

Have you considered the Antiques Roadshow - or even Ebay for some of the Relics like the Boiler - sure you cluld raise a few Bob....

Sandra comment

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:45:13

Well, you thought they were showing you "grey", but I thought you were colour blind? Perhaps we are going to get Sky Blue Pink.....

Malcolm comment

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:03:40

Ah, now you have me worried!
Well I'm busy arranging an ICI colour schemer to visit - the same person who did the church scheme so hopefully the sky blue pink won't extend to the corridors too!

Derek comment

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:02:52

I remember trying to persuade a pigeon to fly out of Room 1 (which is next door to the office) a few years ago. I think we managed to catch it with a pillow case (not sure how we came by a pillow case either!)
Spurgeon’s Pigeon has returned then!

Derek comment

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:29:38

Wow - 3 blog entries in the space of 20 mins, you must be twiddling your thumbs

Malcolm comment

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:17:20

It's called, "playing catch up"! But as everyone knows, with Rupert away I've got nothing else to do but put my feet up, drink tea, and play computer games.....!

Sandra comment

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:44:52

The water mains problem seems to be catching...we had the same problem at home last Friday - not Water in the house but Water everywhere outside. A temporary Fix from Thames Water, but then they promi ...

John comment

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:16:12

So what's been happening this last week?
Any more pics?

Sandra comment

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:54:59

Are you're sure they are not all grey...

John comment

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:32:17

So did you need the 3 phase supply specifically for the lift?

Malcolm comment

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:52:59

Yes, the main lift up to the first floor needs a 3phz supply.

Paul Scotting comment

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:03:09

Kia Ora from New Zealand Malcolm. I keep trying to email (from work) but the email bounces. How are things? Looks like you ahve been busy. Drop me a line on email when you can got some news for you. Paul

JC comment

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:09:06

Most building/engineering project over-run, because they are full of unexpected problems, that are unforeseen at the out set.

Have there been any major/interested problems so far?

Malcolm comment

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:44:19

Yes, I agree with you. The issues we are grappling with at the moment are fitting the main staircase (which doesn't seem to fit!), getting Thames Water to connect our new main, and there's a complicate ...

JC comment

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:38:21

Thank for the speedy response, you must be sitting at your computer most of the day.
It’s is interesting reading about the developments.
I know you're busy but any chance of another video update (lik ...

Sandra comment

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:08:19

Can almost see you shouting from the rooftops in all your excitment this week! 4 entries in the blog this week (and the week isn't over yet).

Malcolm comment

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:18:22

Yes, and the heating is ON!! so rejoice!!

Derek comment

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:33:40

that's a shame, I so liked our 'fighter jet turbo' heaters

Sue comment

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:14:35

Looking forward to the new posh loos!

Jacqui comment

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:45:43

Keep up the excellent work Malcolm. Its all looking fantastic. Well done. God bless you.

Antony comment

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:52:42

I think we need a big beer on completion!!!!!!!!!!

(Amen to that - Sue)

Sue comment

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:55:10

Looking forward to doing my huge Health and Safety Assessment!

Thanks for all your hard work - you are a star!

selina webb comment

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:40:01

congratulations we are so pleased for you!!
love selina and scott

Anthony Holmes comment

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:25:01

A wonderful achievement for which many congratulations are in order. The video clip showing the look of joy on Marion's face when she used the lift, for me is far more eloquent than mere words.

Adrian & Nikki comment

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:23:38

That's fantastic news.

You've done an amazing job with the building project.

Adrian & Nikki

Anthony Holmes comment

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:57:27

Isaiah chapter 9, if I'm not mistaken. On a more serious note, the Wednesday evening growth group facilitated by Ken have been praying for, (among other things), both the works and for you, Malcolm. I a ...

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