Some of you may already have noticed some people working at height on the church spire, and you may have read about it on notices around the village. Last autumn we discovered that the shingles—the wooden tiles—on the spire were letting water on to our new bells’ installation, so some repairs were made to help us through last winter. With the arrival of spring we began to work on a plan to replace all the shingles and thus secure a safe and watertight spire for the future. We have been so fortunate in being awarded a grant by Enovert Community Trust to help us carry out this work. The PCC are grateful to Andy Vivian who helped to put our application together. We feel truly blessed to have been awarded the whole sum that we asked to be considered. Our chosen contractors, Dawson’s Steeplejacks from Weston-Super-Mare, are making such a valiant effort to complete the work as soon as possible under the watchful eye of Ben Dawson. Their work entails stripping off the old shingles, treating the underlying boards, and fixing on the waterproof felting and battens. They will then construct a platform at the very top of the spire and refurbish and paint the weathervane. Lastly, they will put on all the new red cedar shingles, which should last another 40 – 60 years. If you visit the churchyard, do be careful of work going on above you; and if they are at ground level say a cheery ‘Hello’ to the lovely lads who are carrying out such a vital job with skill and bravery up there in the wind above our village. Jane Curtis
