VENTURE ROOM

VENTURE HALL RENOVATION - SUMMER 1999

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY THE VENTURE SCOUTS

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THE ROWSWELL HALL

ANDY LANNIN AND MARK HUTTON IN PAPER STORE

There was a time many years ago that collecting paper was a viable source of income. However, when the bottom fell out of the paper market in 1842 nobody told the 3rd Gidea Park scout troop. It is for this reason that when the RVU came to renovate the venture hall they had five tons of paper to work around. This was thoughtfully stored in the old scout store, which would become the new venture store. The RVU spent around two weeks working round this paper. Some of it was moved out of the store and to the other end of the venture hall and the rest of it was left in the store. Bits of wood were used to prop the paper away from the wall so that demolition could continue.

By now Andy Jones had ensured that if we were going to refurbish the hall, we were going to do it in style. The plasterboard from the walls had been removed to fit insulation left over from the new hall. Initially it was agreed that the ceiling would be left intact and we would add a layer of insulated plasterboard to the plasterboard already there. However the expense of this special plasterboard and the fact that we wanted to put an extra light point in for the pool table lead to the complete removal of the ceiling. By now the project size was escalating. All walls and ceiling were to be removed and replaced with insulation, the whole place was to be rewired and we were altering some of the main internal walls.

ANDY THE ELECTRICIAN

ANDY WIRES CELING

JAMES FINISHES NEW WALL

Above (top): Mark and Andy in the old scout store removing the last of the old shelves.

Above (left middle): James removing the ceiling being careful to save the plasterboard for reuse. Above (left): Andy Jones rewiring the ring main to include an extra three thirteen amp sockets. Andy Lannin sitting on his back side whilst the two expelled guides stand and watch.

Left: Andy Jones rewiring the lighting circuit.

Below Left: James finishing off the relocation of the old scout store wall. The old scout store would now be the new venture store.

There were two chaps who had provided unequalled levels of commitment to the project. Their names shall forever be set in history as the Romford Two; Dave Gardner and James Logan. However, at weekends, if extreme pressure was exerted upon them, some of the younger members of the RVU would turn up and lend a hand. Pictured below are two rare shots of younger RVU members helping out.

CHRIS

MIKE

SMILER

There was one chap who always took to work with a smile and never grumbled, he was an inspiration to fellow workers. Here he can be seen putting the final touches to the new trophy cabinet framework and drilling holes in the roof. The holes in the roof were obviously not holes in the roof itself, this would be crazy. The holes were drilled in the beams above where the plasterboard and insulation would sit and were to allow circulation of air to prevent damp setting in.

After many weeks of working round the paper, Andy Lannin finally sorted out a deal with a company who would take our paper away and give us a small amount of money in return. So one day during the week a huge container arrived at the hall, removing many trees along the way..

THE PAPER CONTAINER ARRIVES

To keep the church happy it was important that they never knew about the carnage inflicted upon the foliage, so we sent Mike Heinson and a saw up a ladder with the instructions to take no prisoners. The paper container was filled one weekend by a large group of helpers, and it still took the best part of a day to fill. The regulars, James and Dave, were joined by Tony, Andy and Dorothy Jones; Mike Heinson, Andy Farnese and Nick Eary.

FULL CONTAINER

TAKE NO PRISONERS

Coming up to midway through the project there was a pressure on the RVU to actually get something finished rather than just removing various walls and ceilings. Our first priority was the new venture store. If we could finish this off it would give us somewhere to put the stuff that came out of the old store. At the time, all the kit we had removed from the old venture store was dotted around in the main hall. This was fine during the school holidays as none of the groups had meetings, but as September loomed it was important that the main hall was emptied ready for the start of the new term.

Dave drilling ventilation holes in the beams.

James stapling sheets of plastic over the insulation.

Above (left): Mark and Andy fitting plastic over the insulatin on the ceiling.

Below (left): Nick Eary fitting insulation into the walls of the new venture store. By this stage some of the plasterboard had gone up on the walls.

Once the insulation was into the walls and ceiling, a layer of plastic was fitted. This was to stop moisture from the room getting into the insulation. The insulation was fitted with a ventilation gap behind it, leading to the outside. As well as clearing the main hall of all the old kit we also had a delivery of building materials as well as all the old materials stored there. This would also all have to go before september. The best place for these materials was on the walls. Most of the plasterboard was trashed when we removed it and so was replaced with new.

Once the new venture store was plasterboarded, attentions turned to the other areas of the venture hall that were still not completed. The last of the insulation was being fitted into the roof and walls, the last sections of plasterboard were being put up and the electrical fittings were being wired up in areas where plasterboard was present.

Below left: Andy Farnese finishing off the insulation.
Below Right : Andy Jones attempting to figure out what all the wires are for.

WHAT ARE THESE FOR?

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