Interpretation for George Street Chapel Oldham

Next few weeks will involve gathering together all the information acquired for interpreting the history, construction, alteration, use and conservation / restoration of this Grade ll* listed building for Agee UK Oldham.

SALTCOTE the Ecosal-UK Newsletter

Just finished putting together the first newsletter for Ecosal-UK. To be called 'Saltcote'
It will only be available as an online download.
Link to follow here.

Ecosal-UK Incorporated

Our work for Ecosal-Atlantis has successfully created a new organisation to coordinate the study and promotion of traditional salt making and its associated culture.
Today ECOSAL-UK became a not for profit company limited by guarantee registered in England No.08652326
Thanks go Viv Tyler at Business in the Arts North West for her business advice on creating the new organisation.
Fellow directors with Andrew and Annelise Fielding are - Tom Lane, Brian Irving and David Cranstone.

Video for George Street Chapel, Oldham

Latest video as part of our work with Age UK Oldham for the restoration of the former Independent Methodist Chapel at George Street, Oldham.

The Agehama Process of Sand Washing

A traditional sleeching method used in Japan.
The Agehama Process with a video showing the process in use.

ECOSAL-UK being set up

An organisation to act as the UK coordinator for salt heritage is being set up.
Facebook and web pages being uploaded in coming week for a not for profit organisation  ECOSAL-UK.
More info here and at
www.ecosal-uk.org.uk
www.facebook.com/ecosal-uk
www.ecosaluk. blogspot.co.uk

New Slate Roof to George Street Chapel

Continuing our video record of restoration work to the former Independent Methodist Chapel at George Street Chapel, Oldham for Age UK Oldham. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

New Stone Gutters at George Street Chapel Oldham

Yesterday spent a couple of hours recording one of the new stone gutters being put into place at the restoration of George Street Chapel, Oldham. Works being done for Age UK Oldham.

ECOSAL UK Cluster Meetings

We are organising a series of meetings for the UK Ecosal salt network.

Thursday 30 May -
Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside cluster
at Middlewich Town Hall 2pm

Wednesday 5 June - 
Welsh cluster
at Halen Mon, Brynsciencyn 2pm

Tuesday 11 June -
Southwest England cluster
at Helston Museum, Cornwall 11am

Friday 14 June -
Southern cluster
at Bournemouth University 2pm

Monday 1 July -
Cumbria, N Ireland and Scotland cluster
at Solway Coast AONB Disovery Centre 2pm

TBC - Sea salt making sites on the east coast
at Heritage Lincolnshire, Heckington

First cluster meeting of the Ecosal-Atlantis - UK Salt network.
Presentation by Andrew Fielding
at Middlewich Town Hall, Cheshire
hosted by Kerry Fletcher, Middlewich Heritage Development Officer

Second cluster meeting of Ecosal-Atlantis - UK Salt Network
Presentation by Andrew Fielding
at Anglesey Sea Salt Company
Brynsciencyn, Anglesey
host by David and Alison Lea-Wilson

The SW Cluster meeting for Ecosal UK

The Southern cluster meeting for Ecosal UK.

Animated Roman Soldier at Rio Maior, Portugal

This is a new image to advertise the inland salt making site at Rio Maior, Portugal. Rio Maior is a partner site in the Ecosal-Atlantis project we have been working on over the last two years.

I have created  a draft animated version see download below.

T-shirt promoting Rio Maior Salina and Ecosal

Latest video taken at George Street Chapel - Feb to April 2013

Our work continues at George Street Chapel from Age UK Oldham to help interpret the history of the former Independent Methodist Chapel.

Salt Network in UK proposed as part of Ecosal-Atlantis Route

The Ecosal-Atlantis leaflet we produced to promote a network of salt sites in the UK.
The printed leaflet was a fold out piece of print which opened up to A1 in size, each topic or regional area can be printed out on an A4 sheet. Download each page from here.
Folder holding all sixteen pdf pages.

Individual pages contained within the folder are:-

SIDE 1
Page 1 - 5 UK Regions and EU Partner Logos
Page 2 - The Atlantic Coast Partners & UK Salt Producers
Page 3 - Different Ways to Evaporate Brine in UK
Page 4 - Open Pan Processes in UK
Page 5 - Materials for Salt Pans
Page 6 - Victorian Salt pans and Rock Salt Mining
Page 7 - The Portuguese Route
Page 8 - The Spanish and French Routes

SIDE 2
Page 1 - The UK Atlantic Coast Route
Page 2 - Scotland
Page 3 - Northern Ireland
Page 4 - Cumbria
Page 5 - Wales
Page 6 - Cheshire, Merseyside & Lancashire
Page 7 - South and Southwest England
Page 8 - Culture and Salt

George Street Chapel Pipe Organ

Our work with Age UK Oldham has been concentrating on the pipe organ.
We are now in contact with a similar dated pipe organ in Gympie, Queeensland, Australia who have a similar pipe organ with almost identical facade pipe decorations.
This newly re-photographed image of the George Street Chapel pipe organ has revealed more detail of the decorated pipes. It also shows the gas lighting and some painted decorations on the wall plaster to the side of the two windows either side of the pipe organ.

Pipe organ at George Street Chapel, Oldham
Independent Methodist Chapel
Harvest Festival 6th October, 1895

The pipe organ at Gympie was ordered by James Lord, from the same organ builder, George Benson, as the George Street Chapel organ.

Recently Purchased Kick Wheel

Bought from Anglesey potter Richard Daniels, this old kick wheel - possibly from the Buckley area of North East Wales. Looking forward to spending time getting the hang of throwing - next item on the purchase list is a kiln! Probably a modern electric one....

Leach style kick wheel but with a cast iron wheel rather than a stone
or concrete weighted one.

Animated Ecosal Logo

Shockwave Flash animated Ecosal logo to be posted here. Small file and can run on a loop.
meanwhile here is the link to the Youtube video of the short sequence.

Ecosal-Atlantis Presentations - for a Proposed UK Route and Links to ERIH

Two presentations

Links to be included here.

Roof Construction at George Street Chapel

Draft sketch of the roof construction at the former independent Methodist Chapel, George Street, Oldham.

Vacuuming George Street Chapel

Having taken down the lath and plaster ceiling and stripped all the plaster of the walls the whole place is covered in dust - enter the industrial vacuum cleaner, with Ian the Site Manager from Lambert Walker. 21 March 2013

Links from George Street Chapel Blog

The work we are doing to update the Friends of George Street Blogspot site and the Facebook pages are being picked up by others.
MMS Organ Music Blog in North Carolina, USA has picked up the restoration work that is being undertaken with the chapel's historic pipe organ.

Video of George Street Chapel Organ Conservation

Our video recording ongoing work to conserve the pipe organ from George Street Chapel for Age UK Oldham.
The work is being carried out by David Wood Organ Builders, Huddersfield.

Decorated Wall Plaster at George Street Chapel

Decorated wall plaster uncovered during work at
George Street Chapel, Oldham.

Detail of the repeat pattern.

Work Starts at George Street Chapel

Scaffolding being erected in the first week of work
 to restore George Street Chapel, Oldham.

Sponsors meet the George Street Chapel Team

We helped to organise a meeting of sponsors and the team we are part of that is restoring the former Independent Methodist Chapel at George Street, Oldham. The meeting took place on Friday 25th January with the head of the HLF in the NW; Sara Hilton, the head of English Heritage, Henry Owen-John and Gavin Richard, the Development Manager of the Architectural Heritage Fund who administer the Andrew Lloyd Webber Challenge fund who have contributed match funding to Age Concern Oldham.

GSC Team with Sponsors

English, HLF and AHF
Henry Owen-John, Sara Hilton and Gavin Richards

Rear elevation, George Street Chapel, Oldham - Jan 2013

Front elevation George Street Chapel, Oldham - Jan 2013

Salt Making in the Snow

A practical exercise during a snowbound weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGMRwGcbssk

Dismantling Pipe Organ at George Street Chapel

Work for Age UK Oldham, to monitor the dismantling of the pipe organ at George Street Chapel, Oldham. November 2012.