St Alban's, Tattenhall

Resignation of a Trustee

Mrs. Sue Orme is downsizing on her commitments and has decided to resign as a trustee of the Friends. She was a founder member and has taken the association from a nervous and unsure group of people, keen to preserve St Alban’s but without the knowledge of how to do it, to its present position which is that of making a significant difference. Sue’s contribution has been tremendous, she has been the bridge between the new brash, keen people eager to make things happen NOW and the old guard with their gently, gently approach.

Thank You for everything Sue.

Appointment of Two New Trustees Two new trustees have been appointed Mrs. Sam (Samantha) Green and Mr Graham Spencer. Sam (a young mum) brings youth, enthusiasm and a whole range of new contacts to the group and Graham, a Parish Councillor and Trustee of the Barbour Institute, a completely different range of experiences. We welcome them both and hope they enjoy their time with us.

Our First Big Project   The Restoration and Decoration of the Porch The porch roof has caused concern for some years. Many of the tiles have slipped. The roof was leaking so the lining plaster became soaked every time it rained. The bad weather of winter 2009/2010 accelerated the deterioration.

An appeal for extra funds was very successful, so during May it was decided to make a start on a total restoration. Baker and Davies a well known Chester roofing firm were employed to repair the roof. They removed all the old tiles repaired the woodwork and replaced the good tiles and finished off with replacing all the broken tiles with matching new ones.

The inside of the roof was replastered by Michael Grech of Tattenhall Plastering Services who gave his labour free of charge.

Finally the whole porch was repainted by Graham Wheatley from Newton; the wood was done in a very dark brown and the plaster in white. The finished result is stunning.

Reference books give different dates for the construction of the porch. One book gives a construction date of 1874 and has copies of bills to support that date. The use of different tiles from the main building and the different floor tiles and floor level would suggest it was a later addition. A little investigation reveals 1870 carved into the wooden frame, so I will have to go with that.

The final unknown is the style of the porch. In some texts it is called a Shropshire porch, in others a Cheshire porch. Does anyone have the definitive answer to this?

The porch is one of the building’s most attractive features, frequently being used by photographers as a backdrop in wedding photos.

Happenings in the churchyard and church 

Draught-Proofing    The draught around the external vestry door has always been an issue, it is said to be the reason the organist plays with gloves on during the winter.At last we have tackled the problem by adding draught-proofing strips round the door. Sean Roberts, the joiner from Canal Side, has made a wooden frame for the door with draught strips recessed into it. Regrettably the frame for the door cannot include the area around the hinges or the lock so draught can still come in there. The overall result has been superb. This is the most exposed corner of the building so the improvement is most noticeable. A rumour has been circulating to the effect that a used pair of organist’s gloves has been for sale on eBay!!