The Stocks - an exercise in perseverance!
Denise Gandhi
The myriad of different Council approvals needed to take on the restoration of the Stocks made even the most resilient of SGA paper-pushers, wonder if it could be done. But we did it. One can succeed where only fools usually tread! Competing instructions, hints, opinions, observations and advice of at least five different departments, along with English Heritage's technical department meant the project was off to a rocky start. Technical drawings of the Stocks by SGA member Sylvia Reid went a long way towards dispelling some early inconsistencies. But once Chris, Ken, Rebecca, and I removed the Stocks, all sorts of other unforeseen decisions needed to be made.
Oh no -all the posts are completely rotten. What now? Elm? Oak? Which type of Oak? The Borough Engineer says new, or newish. English Heritage says elm looks good. The Conservation officer says reclaimed might be appropriate. Construction Management says, 'Don't dig too deeply and watch out for any archeological artefacts!' It took us a few weeks to find a compromise of old air-dried, but not reclaimed oak. What do we do about all the nails, screws, plywood and other packing from a botched repair job 30 years ago.? Bin them. We were left with three hand-wrought nails from the 17th century and two pieces of wood so sodden that weeds had a new habitat. Several phone calls later, we had become experts in hand-wrought nails and found a supplier with the exact size we needed; only time would heal the effects of the weather.
Chris Lack took control of the joinery and metalwork which were restored to pristine condition. Shaun Rigg kindly liaised with highways contractor Accord Jarvis for sponsorship of the new base. The Stocks were reinstated to their former home on April 12th. A new plaque still needs to be arranged and next year, we will replace those unsightly railings.
Gosh what a difference! Many thanks to Chris, Shaun and Sylvia for making it happen!