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Bob Snowden, Project Director, writes: The most important news received in January was the award of a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund for £35,900 to pay half the cost of refurbishing the Bow Room as a heritage information centre, alongside its use as a quiet space in St Stephens. While most of the grant is to be spent on work to the Bow and its access by a sweep of steps similar to those in place before the Bow was sealed off in 1973, a good slice is to help meet the cost of providing information panels, leaflets, an information pack for school pupils and also an interactive information panel, which will provide detailed information about the survival of St Stephen’s during the last 1000 years. To obtain the historical information required for this, 24 volunteers (at present) are scouring the record offices and other sources for potential information. Six volunteer research teams have been set up guided by a local historian, Todd Gray, and a team of heritage interpretation specialists lead by Chris Reed and Russ Liley. John Dobson has taken on the task of trying to keep everyone in step and aware of each others work – akin to trying to keep two dozen blood hounds which are going off in different directions on a single leash. (But, of course, head teachers are doing this all the time!) There is some semblance of order though. The volunteers have been allocated to the research teams with each team responsible for specific tasks mainly identified by the time period prior to 1540 (Normans etc.); 1541 to 1664 (Tudors/Stuarts and civil war ending, for us, with the disastrous fire in St Stephen’s during its repair after its closure during the Cromwell years); 1645 to 1900 (covering the discovery of the crypt and other changes in the 19th century); 1901 to 2000 (especially the blitz and the rebuilding which followed); 2001 to 2012 (the Project story); and with a final team of ‘floaters’ who are being asked to look at topics across these time periods such as the wardens records, memorials and gravestones etc. Once all this information is collected, it is to be interpreted by our specialists. There are also plans for eight public lunchtime talks about various aspects of the St Stephen’s history. These are to be given by known experts in the chosen subject. As the last of these is planned for May 2014, the effect of the St Stephen’s Project is clearly going to be present for several years to come! Refurbishment works are now moving on apace and it is easier to imagine the eventual outcome of all this work. I’m told that the contractor is due to finish these works in five weeks. Then begins the task of furnishing the place. I suspect there will be much discussion yet to take place! At present we remain on target for the public opening on 19th July. We had considered the idea of having a Parish gift day in mid-February to help raise funds for the furniture and servery equipment to go in the newly furbished St Stephen’s but on looking through the list of Parish members, it became glaringly clear that all have contributed so much to the Project already that it would be improper to pressure for even more. Having said that, we still have to find the funds for these items and any contribution will be gladly received. A list of items has been prepared and it is intended this will go with a covering letter to some of the organisations likely to share St Stephen’s and also to our professional consultants and other local trusts etc. It is getting harder to raise funds, partly because most potential supporters have already been approached, partly because of the current economic climate and partly owing to the onset of fundraising exhaustion! We remain confident we will get there though.Please continue with your prayers for the Project.
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