We have some updates on St Mary’s National Lottery Heritage Project. First the good news. The Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan Choir concert on 26 April, ‘Raising the Roof’, was a great success. We sold 88 tickets, and the Memorial Hall was at capacity audience. We had a fabulous time with the music and refreshments, and the feedback we received was very positive. We apologise to those folks who did not know the venue had moved from the church to the hall, and to those disappointed when the white wine ran out. But the entertainment, and the excellent cheese, more than compensated. A huge thank you to everyone who helped, in the choir, setting up the hall and serving refreshments.

News about the roof is less good. More dry rot has been found in the south side of the nave roof, and a dry rot expert out on site recently has confirmed that the problem is extensive and that we are going to have to replace more timber than we expected. Also, we do not know at this stage whether the north side of the nave has dry rot, or not. There are two upshots to this; construction work will extend into June, and the cost of the project will increase considerably. We will have revised costings next week, but we know already that it will be a large five-figure sum.

Douglas Fir rather than another wood is being used to replace the timbers. The reason is that oak is not a suitable material because its natural acids would attack the lead in the roof. The natural resins present in Douglas Fir are also a deterrent to insect infestation. Douglas Fir is slow growing so is hard. The material originally used would have been pitch pine, but this is no longer readily available.

The photograph shows the old and the new timbers together – you can see why replacement is necessary.

The heritage project is going much better. We have commissioned a hand-made case for the permanent display of the Pugin Bible, which is being made in East Leake. The Bible itself is currently being assessed for conservation, as some of the paper has deteriorated over time. The church history webpages and display are being sketched out and we will be coming out for volunteers to help with their design.

There are also events for your diary.

• On 7 June, The Wymeswold church appeal fund is organising a safari supper – a great way to meet new (and not so new) people.
• We have three workshops on local history commencing 9 June – please email PCCWymeswold@outlook.com if you would like to come along. They will be informal and entertaining.
  Monday 9 June 7.30pm – Last wills and testaments (religious belief; family life)
  Monday 16th June 7.30pm – Probate Inventories (how people made a living; what their houses and their contents were like).
  Monday 23rd June 7.30pm – Settlement documents and indentures (the lives and experiences of the poorer members of Wymeswold’s community).
• Details of the Wymeswold Festival of Archaeology and History in July will follow shortly.
• Save the date: the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society has agreed to hold a workshop/event for us on Monday 29 September 10.30am at Holy Trinity Rooms, Barrow-upon-Soar. They only do weekdays, and we have to go to Barrow for Wi-Fi access (it is an interactive workshop). Email PCCWymeswold@outlook.com if you would like to come along to this, numbers are limited to ten.