We have been lucky enough to receive another set of airborne photographs from alumnus Melville James, showing the progress on the site. This time not only has he provided wonderful current images, but he has also tried to match the angles up to recreate a modern version of an image taken in the 1930s. The building seems so much bigger from above, whereas at ground level, so much of it is hidden. 

  

The two images below show the site now (in black and white ) and the site in the 1930s. Much and little has changed - the general site is little different, albeit the we own much less land than we did then, but there are many more trees and the buildings have expanded to reflect the growth in the School.

  

It has been a hot week to be roof laying, but the the team have managed to keep going most of the time.  This image was taken on Wednesday and by Friday, only a small section remained to be fitted. 

Inside the main hall the Thermocell cladding has been fitted to both end walls (one only needs high level panels, as the climbing wall will be fitted up to that level) and the window through to the events space has been fully formed. 

  

Outside the scaffolding forms a great pattern across the rear of the building, allowing access to the high level detail and gutterings. In the woods towards Staff Village, the balancing pond has been dug out and the drainage connections to it formed. Going forward it is hoped to add bee hives to this area too, to form an ecology area for use by the animal management courses. Inside the building, plastering has started behind what will become the shower cubicles, in readiness for the cubicle and panelling systems. 

    

Below the start of the external walkway to the rugby pitches is visible. This will allow pupils to exit the changing rooms at pitch level, or use the stairs to reach the astroturf. 

The walkway ballustrading is still to come, along with the earthworks that will form a path through the trees on the upper surface. The first of the external door to the building were also installed this week and the windows are now arriving on site. The timeline remains tight, but we are still on schedule for completion at the end of October. 

  

  

It will be a busy few months ahead now, as the finishing of a building aways requires lots of fine adjustments and tweaks, but it is exciting to think that shortly the pupils will get to enjoy what has been being built. 

 Cat Thompson and Nanci Austin