Yesterday, I happen to be near Oxford visiting my sister, and we went for lunch in the Boars Head, Ardington, a good selection of beer and great food, plus, service from a very nice land Lady, but what struck me was the restoration that has taken place since the last time I visited the pub.
From an old run down pub, still with it's character, a new quite modern pub has emerged, but what struck me more than anything, was the use of a new parquet floor. I have not seen one laid for some time so I was immediately drawn to it.
With a wet weekend envisaged I thought I would lend a hand at my lodge in Stratford, an old Methodist Chapel, it's open for the Heritage weekend, to allow the tourists and general public to see the inside of a Masonic lodge. To be honest there is not a lot to see, the Temple with it's square carpet, the honours boards, the bar, the pictures of past masters, and the obligatory tea bar for the warm cupper. For so many it's the stories we can now tell of freemasonry that might be the draw.
The building was built in 1866, as a primitive Methodist Hall, until it was purchased by local masons in 1939, but the war effort released us of it use where it was used by the RAF who gave it back in 1944 full of RAF and artwork, these, I'm told are till under the present paint.
Looking after an old building like this, is as many know, a never ending task, from simple repairs to major work, to repair work done many years ago. Our one big head ache is Asbestos, in old heaters and roofing, all of which are having to be dealt with. The old stone to the main front elevation is now I'd desperate need of replacement, so I have been looking at this over the winter, we plan to try and replace it next summer.
You might be wondering why we bother, well part of it is the investment the building now offers as prime real estate but it's also the need to maintain the ambience and majesty of this old building set into a traditional road of terraced property, all of which are also being looked after, so it's is partly for our neighbours, who would see a drop in their property price if we let it run down. Something other building owner might well be aware of but do very little to support, so often leaving maintenance out of a budget because the bean counters can't see the need.
As I type this, the sky is ever looming, growing darker by the second, I fear we are is for a lot of rain today.
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