Take a look at the Notice Board !

Good morning, All,

If you're passing the Town Hall, please do take a look in the Notice Board on the Library side - it now has some notices in it !  It's just a small start at present, but we look forward to receiving lots of posters now that you can see we really are using it.  Notices will be changed/updated each Monday afternoon.

Enjoy reading what's there :)

A NEW OPPORTUNITY

We hope you have spotted the smart new notice board that is outside the Town Hall on the library side of the building.  It is not only for Town Hall events, but for any Community Group/event organiser to supply posters to be displayed.

We would obviously like to have posters for all upcoming events in the Town Hall (particularly the regular coffee mornings), but subject to space, will include other Community items.  At present, we propose the posters to be included will be in A3 format.  Just email your A4 poster to 

MTHRT@visitmoffat.co.uk

and we will do the rest.  Alternatively, drop your printed A4 poster into the Town Hall and we will enlarge it to A3 and place it on the board.  There is NO CHARGE for this new facility.

HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR TICKETS YET? SUNDAY'S JAZZ AT THE TOWN HALL WILL BE BRILLIANT!

I was very fortunate yesterday afternoon to sit in on a workshop being conducted by a young jazz pianist - Tom Gibbs from Glasgow - with the Moffat Piano Ensemble from Moffat Academy.  Also present was Champian Fulton giving the students advice about performing and their performance.  The Champian Fulton Trio supported by the Moffat Piano Ensemble will be performing from 12.30 p.m. on Sunday.  

Tickets are also still available for Tim Kliphuis supported by the Moffat Schools Jazz Group at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.  Tim has had many sell-out gigs in the region, but this is his first visit to Moffat and we very much look forward to enjoying his sound.

Tickets, £8 are available for both gigs until 5 p.m. on Saturday at Present Time, High Street, Moffat and will also be available at the door on Sunday.

TOWN HALL KITCHEN BACK IN ACTION

Saturday 14^th September saw the use of the kitchen for the first big event (the British Legion Coffee Morning) since its refurbishment.  The volunteer ladies were able to enjoy the new units, with the range of stainless steel fittings and appliances. 

The kitchen refurbishment has been the Community’s top priority for refurbishment since the original consultation on the fate of the Town Hall back in 2006.  Thanks to funding support from Scottish Hydro Clyde Community Fund and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme, the refurbishment has now been achieved.  Instock, a leading commercial kitchen supply company from Carlisle, together with a local joiner and electrician completed the refit in time for the coffee morning.  The new kitchen provides a much better working environment, and provides a greater range of facilities which can be used for catering during events

Peter Beck-Samuels, a Trust Board member, stated “It is great to see the kitchen refurbished at last, with up to date facilities and work surfaces.”  

The lovely new stainless steel kitchen

The volunteers enjoying using the new facilities

MOFFAT TOWN HALL REDEVELOPMENT TRUST A.G.M.

Moffat Town Hall Redevelopment Trust held its fifth Annual General Meeting on Thursday 22 August 2013.  There were a good number of members present who were greeted with a glass of wine/soft drink as desired.  The official business commenced at 7.30 pm when Peter Beck-Samuels, Chair, took the floor and welcomed everyone.  He also announced that, as previously indicated, with the Town Hall now entering a very new stage with the Trust having commenced managing the building in November, he would be stepping down as Chair.    In doing so, he thanked his Board for their support and work and also to Gerard Godfrey whose Project Management, particularly of the renovation stage, had gone above and beyond the call of duty and was continuing with him as a volunteer.  Jane McCulloch was also thanked for all she has achieved in the short time since she commenced her post.

The Trust has received many favourable comments regarding the cleaned stonework and looks forward to the official unveiling of all the completed outside works on Sunday 6 October 2013.

The works to the kitchen that had only recently been commenced were also mentioned and those present were invited to take a look at the bare room now that the floor has been lifted so that there is no longer that awkward step down into the kitchen.  The kitchen will be finished by mid September in time for the first coffee morning of the post-summer season.  After Peter Beck-Samuels had finished his report, Martin Brown, Vice-Chairman, proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Chair.

Under the agenda item "Election and reappointment of Directors", it was revealed that only one nomination had been received for the post of Chair, that of Lord Johnstone of Raehills.  It is entirely appropriate that he is taking this post as it was his family who originally gifted the land to the town for the Town Hall to be built in 1827.  Resignation from the Board had been received from Martin Tilstone who has taken up a post away from Moffat and will only be in the town at weekends.  He was thanked for all the time and effort he has put into his Board membership since joining.

The main business of the meeting concluded with Jane McCulloch making a presentation showing the progress of the Town Hall to date.  Following the business of the meeting, all present were invited to enjoy refreshments and to mingle.

AN EXCITING EVENT at the TOWN HALL on Sunday 27 September 2013

NEW THIS YEAR: Lockerbie Jazz Fesstival is spreading its wings to MOFFAT and there will be 2 gigs in MOFFAT TOWN HALL on Sunday 27 September. As well as tickets being available in person from Present Time, they are also bookable online a thttp://www.lockerbiejazz.com/index.php?pageID=166.
There will be a bar open for the event, kindly being run by THE STAG HOTEL, Moffat.
As you will see in the programme, at 12.30 p.m. will be the Champian Fulton Trio - hear a clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzCkDquycc4. 
At 4 p.m. will be Tim Kliphaus - hear a clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWRCYYurUI4
The timing of these gigs is just a few days before the official unveiling of the works that have been ongoing at the Town Hall since February this year.  It's all exciting stuff !!

Ongoing Kitchen works

I saw the early stages of the work being done on the kitchen yesterday evening.  The step down into the kitchen has now gone and so there is flat entry and exit to the kitchen from the Wedding Room.  The cupboard that was always kept locked now looks like a very useful storage cupboard - if it were in my own kitchen, it would make a wonderful larder!  The walls, where necessary, have new plasterboard and await plastering.  It's a large open space at the moment, but the potential is there to see.  It won't be long before it's a brilliant, much more usable kitchen!  You will be kept posted.

Scaffolding now removed from the Town Hall

I went away for a long weekend and, lo and behold! when I returned and drove up through the town, it was such a pleasure to see that the scaffolding had been removed from the Town Hall and the stonework was now revealed in all its glory.  Doesn't it look stunning?

In my view, that I believe is widely shared, the building now adds a real "presence" to the town centre.  The builders are working on the windows and there's still about 6 weeks' work to be carried out.

Here's a detail of the central gable showing detail of the sandstone carving.

KITCHEN REFURBISHMENT

The kitchen in the Town Hall is to be totally refurbished during the coming month.  The kitchen is extensively used by the Community for all sorts of events; particularly for the Saturday coffee mornings, where more than 200 cups of tea and coffee and home bakes are served by a willing group of volunteers. Much of the equipment is old and does not meet the latest health and safety standards.  It has always been the highest priority for the community for improvement to the Town Hall.  The Trust has been helped enormously by an enthusiastic group of volunteers in developing the plans for the new kitchen.

Thanks to funding support from Scottish Hydro Clyde Community Fund and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme, the refurbishment can now take place.  We are delighted that Instock, a leading commercial kitchen supply company from Carlisle, have been awarded the contract.  They will be using local joiners and electricians during the refit.  There will be a totally replaced floor, hygienic wall panels, new worktops, new cooking facilities including a microwave and an instant water heater; a refrigerator, and replacement crockery, pots and pans and tea and coffee pots.

The new kitchen will provide up to date facilities in the Hall, and will provide enhanced cooking facilities which will allow the Trust to offer more extensive opportunities than have been possible previously.

Peter Beck-Samuels, Chairman of the Trust, stated “We are delighted after a number of years that we can now proceed with the refurbishment of the kitchen, and meet the community’s top priority. It will enhance the facilities, and further improve the use of the Hall, especially with its external face-lift as well”.  One of the volunteers who helped with the planning stated “We are looking forward to using the new kitchen, which is well overdue”.

Moffat Baths Hall

During the renovation work of removing the paint from the sandstone, the Trust were delighted to find a section of carved sandstone that reads "BATHS".  We assume that originally there was stone carved to read "BATHS HALL" or might even have had the word "Moffat" at the beginning.  This carved stone would have been installed at the time of the hall being built in 1827.  A Community questionnaire is available, one of the questions being asked is for your view of whether the hall should continue to be called the "Town Hall" or changed. 

It is quite remarkable how, during the period when the small section of scaffolding was removed to allow the Gala stage to be put in place, there were many folk surprised at how attractive the hall looked without a coat of paint and we hope to be able to keep it as the natural sandstone.  In this blogger's view (not necessarily representative) a natural sandstone building would have a much greater "presence" in the Town Centre.

The original "BATHS" carved sandstone

Partial removal of the scaffolding with the Gala stage in place

The 2013 Moffat Run

Always a highlight of gala week in Moffat, -the 2013 Moffat Run from the Ram to Ericstane and back took place this this Tuesday evening.

Despite the weather being far too hot for sane runners, there were healthy numbers from running clubs across Dumfries & Galloway, Lanarkshire, the Borders and Strathclyde, as well as brave locals, including two game ladies celebrating their 40th and a "scrum" from the Rugby Club raising money for charity.

I was hosting a friend from Cumbria-representing St Bees Tri-ers and we trotted across to the Town Hall to register his entry for this year-(I pulled the excuse of a bad back!).

The Town Hall is very much the support centre for the race and as well as registration and toilets inside, the stage erected out front for gala week is used for the announcements, prize giving and general urging on of competitors:

Come in No 22 your time is up!

The sun may have deterred some runners, but not the spectators and several hundred had gathered to watch first the junior races and then the main event;

The first runners amazingly completed the 15K run in around the hour point and were happy to sit and eat their medicinal chips and shade their eyes from the psychedelic orange t shirts given to each runner in their goody bag, while their friends completed the race over the next 3/4 hour.

 

 

 

See you all next year!!!!!

A mini-unveiling in readiness for the MOFFAT GALA stage

WOW !!  Along the 10-year road to work starting on the Town Hall, it has oft been said that the building was "an old lady in need of a facelift".  Well, with MOFFAT GALA starting on Saturday, a section has been unveiled to facilitate the action that takes place on the stage.  What do we see?  We see a section of the facelift work, and how fantastic it looks!  

It's much easier with the paint removed to see the wonderful carvings in the sandstone and the colour of that against the grey stone makes it stand out even more.  

Here are some photographs to be going on with, but enjoy what you see during all the coming week's MOFFAT GALA celebrations as we look forward to a full unveiling in the Autumn.

Library Refurbishment Complete

We are very pleased to report that the refurbishment works to the library roof, both inside and outside are now complete.  Here's a photograph taken from inside the library showing the smart paintwork, as well as the new roof lights that have brought in much new daylight.

All works are currently on schedule - keep a watch on this page to see the next piece of completed refurbishment soon.

Jane McCulloch

Further to our announcement last week regarding Jane joining us as Community Liaison and Marketing Officer, here is a photograph of her.

Jane has "hit the ground running" and will be making contact with community groups in the coming weeks.

TRUST WELCOMES NEW APPOINTMENT

The Trust is delighted to announce that it has appointed Jane McCulloch to the short term post of Community Liaison and Marketing Officer.  Jane's role, which has been established with support from Dumfries and Galloway LEADER and Dumfries and Galloway Council Area Committee funding is aimed at engaging with the Community in Moffat as to how we can encourage further use and development of the Town Hall.  Jane started with the Trust yesterday, 19th June, and her contract runs until the end of December.

Jane has lived in Moffat for nearly 30 years, and has a wide experience of working with the Community in Moffat.  She comes to us from the Royal Voluntary Service where she has worked as Project Manager.

Jane will be making contact with Groups and Individuals in and around Moffat over the next weeks and months.  Two of her first tasks will be to establish a User Group for the Hall, and to forward the plans for the refurbishment of the kitchen which is due to take place in August/September of this year.

“We are delighted to welcome Jane as a member of the Team at this exciting time as the Hall starts its life, refurbished, as a centre for the Community of Moffat.

Dr Peter Beck-Samuels

Chairman

Here are the results of the Library having been closed for a few days the other week - it has now been replastered as can be seen in the photographs below.

     _

Library plastering

Following the few days' closure of the Library last week, the plastering work has been completed.  There will be some photographs soon.  Watch this space!

SIGNAGE

It's good to see that there is now signage on the scaffolding to let everyone know who is the Architect and who are the main Contractors and the sponsors:

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE TOWN HALL - PRESS RELEASE: 210513

Repairs to Moffat Town Hall are progressing rapidly, and on time.  The latest changes have seen the installation of the new roof lights to the library:

and the new beam put in above the stage inside the Hall.

In addition the old and peeling paint is being removed and is revealing the sandstone underneath.

Little can be seen of the Hall at the moment, but it is 'business as usual',

The Trust is grateful for the patience and understanding being shown by users and staff of the Hall, recognising the improvements that are taking place.

Peter Beck-Samuels, Chair of the Trust said "We are really pleased with the progress taking place.  It is exciting to see the old building being brought back to a good state of repair.  There have been no major problems detected as we get into the details of the work, and Ashleighs have ensured that the Hall remains in use as far as possible."

The next phase includes re-plastering of the library roof.  This will mean closure of the library for the period 6th and 7th June to enable the work to take place with minimum disruption.

Signed,

Dr. Peter Beck-Samuels, Chairman

01683 221 456

peter@peterbeck-samuels.orangehome.co.uk

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - 1st COME, 1st TO HELP on Tuesday 4th June 2013

As part of the redevelopment works, Moffat Library has to close whilst work takes place on the roof over that location.

We are looking for 4 volunteers to move books out of the library to a safe location for this period.  Those of you who would like to help with this important task towards the regeneration on Tuesday at the Library from 12.30 p.m. please phone Peter Beck-Samuels on 01683 221 456 or email peter@peterbeck-sanuels.orangehome.co.uk.

START OF ROAD TO REDEVELOPMENT

Back at the end of the 1990s, Moffat and District Community Initiative delivered a survey questionnaire to every household in the town, seeking views on what people felt was needed to be done to take the town into the 21st Century.  It wasn't until late 2001 that the Initiative was able to move from being a group of volunteers who regularly met round a table to being able to secure funding to have an office with someone working part-time.  This preamble is necessary in case it leaves you wondering!  The first item from the list that evolved from the survey was that walking in Moffat needed enhancing and so an Annual Walking Festival (that has become a sustainable event in the town's calendar) and various walk leaflets, etc. were initiated.

In 2003, work on another major request began - to introduce a project for the renovation of Moffat Town Hall.  For any of you reading this post and about to start your own public building redevelopment, probably the most important attribute is to have patience.  A large amount of research work was carried out by Moffat Initiative and it was in 2006 that it was decided that this project needed its own group.  Peter Beck-Samuels had recently joined the Board of Moffat Initiative and offered to lead such a group and so Moffat Town Hall Redevelopment Trust was born.  It has to be said here that it is unlikely the project would have progressed as it has without the work and leadership of Peter, for whom at times it has been a full time +++ occupation.

Here we are 7 years later with the very delightful sight of the Town Hall scaffolded and under green tarpaulin-type protection with workmen scurrying about.  Plus as you will have read in my blog the other day, real benefits from the redevelopment are already evident.   

So, readers just starting out on projects, when the going gets tough, remember the words of the Moffat Town Hall Trust blogger ..... have patience, patience, patience and you'll reach your destination in the end !

DISCOVERY OF A BEAUTIFULLY CARVED ORIGINAL SANDSTONE SIGN

Beneath what were discovered to be modern plastic signs saying "1827" and "Town Hall" the Builders found this beautifully carved sandstone sign on which can just be made out the word "BATHS".  This is from the building's original designation as the "Baths' Hall".  The Trust plans to have this sign renovated to be displayed in future.

Feedback from users of the Town Hall indicates that work undertaken/insulation installed is already making it feel a more naturally warm place, which is delightful news.  Also, the new double-glazed roof windows in the Library are making it a much lighter room.

From other photographs taken at Moffat Producers' Market on 12th May, you can see how, internally, the area of the stage has been "walled" off to allow the beam above it to be replaced  (already completed) and other remedial works to take place:

False wall is to the right of the windows

False wall is to the left of the pink wall

ROOF WORKS - Clearer Photographs

Further to the photograph previously uploaded, here's 2 clearer photographs showing the ongoing works to the roof, particularly the parts above the Library and the Corridor.  (Taken before the additional scaffolding/cladding was put in place!)

Community Liaison and Marketing Officer Post

The Town Hall Trust is seeking an individual for the above post.  Following is the Job Description:

 Summary of Post

This is a part-time short duration post, which is funded by the Moffat Town Hall Redevelopment Trust, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER Programme. The purpose of the post is to facilitate the transition of responsibility for the operation of the community elements of Moffat Town Hall from Dumfries and Galloway Council to the community in the form of the Trust.

The post holder will be expected to work with the Trust to promote the more effective engagement of local groups to take advantage of the community spaces within the Town Hall. The post will involve liaison with Council staff employed at the Town Hall to ensure the efficient and effective management of the resource. The Trust has identified that the upgrading of the building could lead to the creation of new commercial opportunities particularly relating to the use of the building as a wedding venue and possibly day or half day conferences. The post holder would be expected to set the groundwork for developing these opportunities. The transfer of the building from the Council to the Trust has generated considerable local interest. Part of the remit of the post holder will be to set up opportunities to engage local people as volunteers and create formal policies relating to the use of volunteers.

The post is for two/three days a week for the duration of 28 weeks commencing in June 2013 through to the end of December 2013.

The post holder will be engaged on a self employed basis on a fixed term contract and would be expected to commit for the duration of the contract. The working arrangements will be flexible. Although the post holder will be expected to maintain a high profile at the Town Hall and will be expected to liaise with the public there, the shortage of accommodation may mean that the post holder may have to operate from home or from the offices of Moffat Initiative for some of the time. From time to time some evening or weekend work may be required.

Background

The community, in the form of the Trust, has recently taken over responsibility for the management and operation of the community aspects of the Town Hall. The Trust, which was constituted in 2008 was formed to protect the long-term future of the building which is an important component of Moffat’s heritage. The Trust is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It has secured the funding to enable the exterior of building to be repaired to a high standard. The repair contract is ongoing and will result in the stabilisation of the building, its reroofing and the replacement of a beam, thus enabling the stage to be brought back into use. In addition, there will be repairs to the stonework, new paving at the front and some redecoration of the front of the building. The works are due for completion in October 2013.

Moffat Town Hall was built in 1827 and was constructed as a bath house and assembly room as part of Moffat’s development as a spa town. When it ceased to operate as a spa hall it was taken over by the Moffat Town Council and ultimately passed to Dumfries and Galloway Council.

As part of the partnership arrangements with the Council, the local authority will continue to occupy part of the building in order to provide customer services and library facilities. Other Council services are provided on an occasional or peripatetic basis. The relationship between the Council and the Trust is governed by a series of formal agreements between the parties.

Moffat Town Hall has been described as “the beating heart of Moffat”. Because of its location and accessibility it is used by a number of community groups. Local organisations are able to hire the main hall, a reception/meeting room and kitchen facilities on an hourly or sessional basis for community or commercial events. These include concerts, plays, shows, coffee mornings, meeting and a whole host of miscellaneous uses. At the present time a commercial market operates on Fridays and there is a producers’ market once a month on a Sunday. This mix of uses provides the Trust with a projected net income from lets of about £12k per annum. There is a commitment on the Trust to save £5k per annum to cover the maintenance of the exterior of the building

.

Opportunities for the Postholder

There is tremendous scope for the post holder to stimulate the increased uses of the community spaces within the building, particularly as the Trust plans to upgrade the facilities in the building, starting with the upgrade of the kitchen, which is due to be carried out during August 2013. The funds are in place to enable this work to be carried out. A number of people have volunteered to work with the Trust to carry out tasks such as redecorating the public spaces. The post holder will be expected to work with community groups and volunteers to set up a user group which will feed ideas to the Trust for the further improvement of the facilities and the community ambiance. It is the Trust’s intention to engage volunteers to carry out tasks such as the redecoration of the building. Our aim is to create a “happening” place.

It is envisaged that during the first few months of the contract the postholder will concentrate on engaging with local groups to encourage the increased use of the building. In the latter part of the contract it is anticipated that the emphasis will shift towards deveolping and realising opportunities of a more commercial nature.

There are small budgets for the providing resources for volunteers (£2,000) and for marketing expenses (£2,000).

In the longer term both the Council and the Trust would like to re-organise some of the space within the building to create a one stop shop delivering an integrated range of services to the community.

Financial Management & Reporting

The post holder will be responsible to the Board of Trustees, specifically reporting in person to the Chairman of the Management Committee on a regular basis and providing a progress report to each monthly Board Meeting.

The post holder will ensure that time sheets, financial and other records are kept, sufficient to meet the requirements of the Trust and funders, such as the Council and Dumfries and Galloway LEADER programme.

Interviews

Shortisted candidates will be invited for interview during the week beginning 3 June.

More cladding and scaffolding!

This week additional scaffolding and protective covering has been added to the Town Hall.  It's great to see ongoing progress!

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR ALL USERS OF THE TOWN HALL

‘BUSINESS AS USUAL' _ PRICES HELD UNTIL 2014

By hiring the Town Hall you will now be investing in its future

The repair and refurbishment of the Town Hall is progressing very satisfactorily.  I hope that the disruption is minimal for you; as far as possible it is ‘Business as Usual’.  But if you have any concerns or issues, please let us know, and we will do what we can.

I thought it was worth telling you about our future plans over the coming months.  The capital programme is due to be completed in October, with a formal hand-over date from the Contractors aimed at October 5^th.  We have blocked out a period of a few weeks in August – September when the kitchen will be refurbished: there are no coffee mornings booked during that time, but the main hall will still be available as long as the kitchen facilities are not required.  We have installed wifi into the Hall so that groups can take advantage of accessing on-line services if appropriate.  We are establishing the procedures for groups to use this service.

Our charges during April 2013 - March 2014 remain the same as last year.  This reflects the fact that there is some disruption during the year; and it also gives us a chance to ‘take stock’ of our income and expenditure for the year.  It is great to see that bookings are already increasing, but equally we have increased expenditure since we have taken over management of the Hall.  The main issue for us is that we have to pay VAT on all bookings.  We are absorbing those costs this year, but will have to review our position for next year.  We have also to take on Performing Rights Society costs for having live and recorded music in the Hall, but have decided not to pass on those costs to users, since it is often seen as an unfair charge.

We will be reviewing charges for 2014/15 later in the year, but will be announcing them by the beginning of January 2014, so that there is plenty of notice before they come into effect in April.  As part of that review we will be looking at the option of offering discounts for multiple bookings of the Hall.  Await further news!

It is an exciting time for the Trust, and we hope to see further developments as and when we having the necessary funding.  The more that the Hall is used, then the more that can be achieved, and the lower the costs can be.  We will have a Community Engagement Officer working for us during the latter half of the year to ensure that we are making the most of the Hall for the Community.

You can keep up to date with developments by going to our website, or by logging on to our blog:  http://www.moffattownhall.blogspot.co.uk as you have done today.   Please let us know if you have any suggestions or queries.

Yours sincerely,Peter Beck-Samuels

ROOF WORKS

I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I had noticed work taking place on part of the Town Hall roof.  Here's a photograph:

If you look to the rear of the building you can see a straight line piece of tarpaulin and then a pitched roof with tarpaulin.  Under the straight line is the long corridor off of which are the toilets.  The pitched room is the library.  Both these areas suffered additional damage during the 2012/13 winter gales.  Not there when I actually clicked for the photo to take, but there was a Southwest Roofing workman going up and down the ladder working on the pitched roof yesterday afternoon.

It's unfortunate that it's not possible to tell from the photo, but it was a very bright and sunny blue-sky afternoon with fluffy white clouds!

Fathomed it out !

Here is the promised photograph of the Town Hall now under repair.  I noticed yesterday evening that large areas of the roof are now under tarpaulin and the roofing company are busy with the necessary work.

Building action at the Town Hall

It's great to see action at the Town Hall - scaffolding up, builders' vans around the place, etc.  The people in charge of the site appear to be working happily in their office under the stage.

I had hoped to include some photographs I recently took to show the Town Hall in its state of being worked upon with scaffolding and protective wrapping over it.  Unfortunately, I just cannot figure out how to transfer the photographs I took on my new Android phone onto my computer to be able to attach them here!  I have tried USB connection and emailing, but I can achieve nothing at all !!

When I've spoken to someone with the same phone who has figured out these matters, the photographs will appear!!  Watch this space !

BUSINESS AS USUAL

There seems to be a little confusion around Moffat regarding the Town Hall.  It will be BUSINESS AS USUAL whilst the refurbishment works recently started are ongoing.

Garden Trail Coffee Morning



A successful coffee morning was held on 16 March to raise funds to be shared between Moffat Book Events for the "Murder in Moffat" weekend (don't forget to buy your tickets!) and for the Garden Trail on 28 July.  (The total raised was over £400.) There were the usual stalls - cakes, books, guess the weight of the cake, bric-a-brac, etc and additionally our local "Pampered Chef" (Thomas MacDonald)  was there and any funds he raised were to additionally be used to share between those benefitting from the funds raised.  A good time was had by all and lots of folk went home with raffle prizes from the wide selection that had been donated. 

Thanks are very much due from the recipients of funds to Tina Fox and her team of helpers for organising the coffee morning.  It is well recognised that a huge amount of work goes into coffee mornings before the event. 

Have You Seen This Chicken!!!

Caprice the Town Hall Chicken

Well - if you haven't then you are unfortunately too late!  Caprice became the talk of the town for a week or so - especially as initially rumoured to be a Cockerel! - when she escaped from the last Producer's Market (held on the second Sunday of each month) and took up residence on the roof.

Appeals were made for her capture, especially in view of the arrival of the Ashleigh builders the next day - but she proved tantalisingly elusive and quick on her feet.

Eventually though, via a cage provided by David Major, she was captured earlier this week and is back home safe and sound.

It all happens at the Town Hall!

Eggsciting stuff!

The Builders Move In!

After an extensive tendering process to ensure that the Town Hall Trust achievedthat very delicate balance between getting value for money in terms of the building work planned for the Town Hall, but at the same time ensuring that the builders chosen had the necessary skills and track record in dealing sensitively and safely with historic buildings as well as  the financial security to see the job through- a main contractor has been appointed.

The builder chosen is called Ashleigh and they have a good history in the area, having a base in Dumfries and doing work for example for the Loreburn Housing Association, Annan Academy, Samye Ling and very relevently at the Easterbrook Hall and the Memorial Church on the Crichton site.

 

Work will start next week and trust members will be weighing in this weekend to clear out the under stage storage area so that it can be used as an office by the contractor and reduce the need a little for portacabins on the frontage.

The first visible signs of progress will be scaffolding go up and then the inital focus will be on the Library roof.

As explained previously, there will be a real emphasis on keeping as much of the hall as possible safely open and allowing regular activities like the markets and coffee mornings to continue.

Hallelujah-Work On The Town Hall Starts!

The two pictures that you see below are not the world's most obvious "Before and After" competition(I'm not very good on these, but I think the outside loo and Town Hall Trust Project Manager Gerard Godfrey have disappeared!)-(Ooh and the ladder has moved).

Gerard Gets Stuck In!

Tea-break before the rest goes!

As Chairman Mao said-"The long march starts with a single step" and this was a first step in the refurb of the Town Hall.

You are probably thinking that this looks a little Mickey Mouse and why are we using Gerard rather than a professional contractor and a cast of thousands?  Are they trying to save money?  How long will this take them with one man and his hammer?

Well.....the latest date we have for the arrival of the builders to start work is March 13th-not too far away.

However, there are amazing amounts of administrative bureacracy in working on a listed building and consents were gained many moons ago that required work to start by now or we would be faced with re-applying and further delay.  So our Project Manager gamely swung in to action last week and with permission from Historic Scotland, a scar on the building has been removed and work has started.

Thursday, 7th February, 2013

We are getting lots of interest in new bookings for the Hall since we took over management! 

Keep looking at the Events Diary on the left to see what is happening for the coming week!

Come along to the Hall and purchase something from the Markets; or browse at the coffee morning whilst supporting the Upper Annandale Youth Football Team. There is still opportunity to come and try your hand at Short Mat Bowling!

Have you tried short mat bowling?

We are delighted that the first new booking in the Town Hall is for short mat bowling. It is similar to bowling outdoors, but without the inclement weather!  Many regulars at Beechgrove Bowling Club, as well as some new faces turn up every Tuesday afternoon [2 p.m to 4 p.m.] to try their skill on the green short mats.  The first 2 afternoons were 'sold out' with more than 20 players trying their hand.  Andy Armstrong, who arranged the sessions, is delighted to be using the Town Hall as the venue, and at the turn out which has resulted.  The 'season' lasts until March, so come along and have a look; it is a great social environment as well as healthy exercise!  If you want more information give Andy a ring on 01683 221580.