Roundup of 2020
Let us start with the weather. The rain in the early part of the year was atrocious; the wettest February on record! Then the middle of the year was more like the Sahara than Somerset.
We completed the re-roof of Nethersole House for King Edward’s School in Bath in March. This was a fantastic project which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Lots of intricate slating and leadwork all carried out with our own sand-cast lead.
Below – complete re-design and re-build of the gutters and dormers
2020 lockdown
We were very worried about our prospects as we went into lockdown at the end of March.
- What were we going to do about the wages? (fortunately, the government stepped in to assist with Furlough pay)
- What was going to happen when we returned to work?
- Would anyone be spending?
- Who would even be thinking about roofing?
In the end, we returned to work at the beginning of May, partly as a result of the weight of enquiries we were receiving, but mainly because the government had changed its guidance on how to get our labour force to site: “two people can travel in a van together providing that they have the windows open and do not look at each other”.
The volume of enquiries has not let up despite our worrying; something for which we are very grateful.
Our largest project in the latter part of the year has been the re-roof of All Saints‘ Church, Castle Cary. A lovely project with Welsh slating, sand-cast lead and plenty of timberwork.
Looking forward to 2021
As we look forward to 2021, we hope that things improve for those industries that have been so badly affected by Covid-19. We can’t imagine how impossible things have been for hospitality and tourism, but with the arrival of the vaccine, surely things will improve for everyone.