Clarity

Throughout the project we have had to face shifting goal posts. I guess that is probably normal but to the uninitiated its quite alarming when you think you have a plan and things suddenly change. The land for example - we thought that the plan was in place but the land had other ideas - same with the stopping up order for the back alley which we now think is resolved and the issue with the stopping up order for the drain, the laborious process of getting the mortgage, legal paperwork, dates of trustees from the past, changing the direction of the baptistery to fit in with piling, delays because of the coldest winter for decades. I don't think I would be exaggerating if I said that something new has cropped up every week and dutifully my brilliant colleagues on the building team have risen to the challenge and I want to publicly thank them for their efforts

Of course all of this is behind us but doubtless there will be other issues before the team can take a sabbatical in the Bahamas (please God if you are reading this!)

There is a bit more clarity coming through now and a less fuzzy timeline is coming into view.

On 19th April we have our church visit to site. This is important because we have a full leaders meeting the next week along with what may well be a penultimate site meeting with architect and builders on the 20th April at which time I have requested a final bill to be presented. This will enable the leaders to decide what to do with any surplus - we still have a kitchen and floor covering to find and a decorating budget but I'm sure we will get there.

The AGM on the 28th by which time everyone will have seen the building, the leaders will be in a position to close expenditure and we can make plans to finish our bits in the building before we open. At this point that date is dependent on the builders and others finishing their work.

CB