Well finally, after months of form filling, copious correspondence and lots of waiting, the big day arrived when I heard the results of our four architect picked builders’ quotes for our Cash for Khazi project. Anxiously I opened the email attachment and gazed in horror at what I saw. Having just had my eyes tested I was confident that I was getting the decimal point in the right place but it took several blinks as my eyes glazed over and my brain struggled to take it all in. They ranged from £134,445 to £181,257 PLUS VAT. Now that is a huge number of pennies that would need to be spent to pay for it and given that I have only had one successful grant application out of 20 or so, for just £2,000 it was obviously a total non starter. The PCC and our architect all agreed and the project in its current form was kicked into touch, or was it the long grass ? A little research suggests that there is a subtle difference between touch and long grass which I hadn’t fully appreciated. The long grass option implies that it then gets hidden and never returns, whereas in touch means that it can come back but in a different form. So with suitable Belstone fortitude we take a throw in and the ball is again in play for plan B, a Baldrick. This is much simpler. No extension, no expensive stonework, just a complete overhaul of the existing vestry which will still be big enough to function and house the Khazi. The plans have been modified and we are once more awaiting quotes which hopefully will be in the price bracket that is justifiable and affordable. With the benefit of hindsight that is probably the route that we should have chosen to begin with, but then hindsight is hindsight ! I’ll keep you posted.
Mothering Sunday falls on the 26th March. Join us for a family friendly service with suitable refreshments and posies for the ladies at 9.30 am. Simon Herbert
