The Fire - 1980
February 13th : Hart District Planning Committee passes our plans unanimously.
March 12th : Submission to D.A.C. of interior so far. County architect raises ceiling objection, so meeting arranged for April 8th
March 20th : Vicar and four ringers went to John Taylor's to see completed Tenor bell and next five being cast – in theory from melt down of our own bells. We still hope for tower to be ready for bells by July, but Frank Simpson delayed on other work so no progress made.
April 5th : Diocese gives us grant of £30,000 which is vital.
April 8th : Meeting with two architects of DAC. Problem not the ceiling, but each proposed radical and extravagant new roof construction. This is totally unacceptable. During the month, Archdeacon Finch achieves a Peace Plan with Derek Wren who makes a small modification to south-east roof.
Q.S. produces disturbing new cost figures. We should now think of £475,000 of which we can now account for £305,000. We may have to be content with construction of a shell rather than complete job. We discover value of Crystal Cup (sent for safe-keeping to Winchester Cathedral in 1978) only about £5000 and not the supposed £30,000 – so no hope from there.
April 19th : Frank Simpson's tower plans are passed by Hart District's consultants.
April 27th to May 4th : Yateley house-to-house collection a great success. When most such efforts raise under a thousand, ours produced £8,000 and much good will encountered. Followed by over £1,000 on May Day sales of Jean McIlwaine's productions etc.
Martin Tollit has now arranged for Mullens and Co. to handle all our investments which they will do free of charge – a great saving at best interest.
May : It seems now that that at least the basic building can be achieved. Nearly all the St. Peter's churches in England have been written to by David Lewes and his family, while the Vicar embarked on writing to 300 charitable trusts which eventually achieve some £5,000 and £3,000 respectively.
A year after the fire on an estimated total cost of £470,000 we have a deficit of £85,000. Our assets include £30,000 raised before the fire for a church hall.
May 29th : Executive Building Committee (EBC) appointed of Bob Kent, Ramsey King and Reg Warner to act with full authority of PCC in all matters concerning the building. We hope this will save much time in the PCC and committees. Andrew Leslie has now retired as Church Warden and been replaced by Barry Kent, as he is moving soon. He has been a wonderful source of strength and guidance in this first and vital year since the fire.
June 4th – July 4th : Archaeological dig by Southampton University. Revealed the Saxon south and west walls; mapped north wall; found four coins, two of 13th century. Arcade demolished to facilitate the dig.
June 29th : First warning by Ramsey King as scraping progressed that rot in the tower from before the fire is now apparent and extensive.
June : Good month for funds. Summer fair £950 – Brian Lillington's Sponsored Bus Ride from John O'Groats £420 - £635 from trusts and £500 from other sources.
July 28th : Both Archdeacons came as DAC representatives to clear up several matters including how to deal with a critical letter from the Council for Places of Worship.
August 8th : Visit by Cecil Hewett, tower expert from Essex. Helpful, but did not achieve a great deal. Outlook on rot more cheerful. Seems to crystallise alternative approach to rebuilding tower into a) Restoration of timber, bells secondary or b) mainly steel frame interior. Cost of a) liable to be prohibitive.
September 22nd : Tenders opened from six contractors. Best offer clearly by J. M. Jones & Sons, Ltd. Of Maidenhead for a fixed price of £257,825 and contract period of 45 weeks.
October 2nd : PCC confirms tenders, but because information not received in advance, and because of the pressure under which the architect has been placed to get the work underway, there are many unresolved matters, and this made the meeting not too happy. Difficulties of working between the EBC and the architect are becoming apparent. Successive meetings always help, but communication between meetings a recurring problem.
October 15th : Site meeting fixes details for start on November 10th. With contract price fixed new figures allow for total cost of £410,000 with £20,000 yet to find.
November 4th : PCC discusses many interior questions. Brian Hooper often produces useful list of points. Whether to have a pipe of an electronic organ still unresolved, as also partition problem.
November 10th : Work begins! Immediate problem arises when it is found that many graves (c.1750-1860) have zinc liners remaining. These require official permission for disposal and 48 hours of frantic activity ensued which produced both a home office licence and a Faculty – with doubt remaining as to which was needed! Three holes dug in path up to oak tree and 27 liners buried there, dignified with a brief funeral service.
November 27th : Good progress. Entire old floor levelled, graves filled with rubble or cement. South wall cleared away with tow walls of choir vestry. Concrete floor base mostly laid. Window stones carefully removed, but most have crumbled.
December 2nd : Resignation of EBC accepted by PCC. EBC had worked hard and achieved much – not least the inexpensive reconstruction on the ground of the tower roof. But now work underway there seemed no way of reconciling the authority of the EBC with that of the architect when so many changes and decisions were needed as work progressed. Appreciation of the EBC's efforts was sincerely expressed.
December 10th : DAC meeting (with Vicar and architect) pleasantly approves interior so far, under Archdeacon of Winchester's chairmanship. Encourages pipe organ. Ask for old walls to be marked on floor. Partition problem still open.
December 16th : Start of builder's two week holiday. Floor concreting has been completed, and difficult concrete ring beam on north wall and chapel south wall successfully made. Support columns prepared. East end will not now be taken down, but receive concrete facing.