FoPV Working Mornings - Forge Dam Store refurbishment!

Hello Conservation Volunteers

Well, refurbishment may be a little overstating it, but for those of you who knew what it was like it is certainly a magical transformation!

With the four wheelbarrows in there, a sink unit, the countertop, and all the other "rubbish" piled up it was a nightmare trying to get tools out on a work morning. Peter and Dave had done a reorganisation of tools two years ago which helped, putting tool hooks up and labelling up where they were supposed to go back, but we had to take out the wheelbarrows every time just to get to the everyday tools. Quite often we couldn't find what we wanted. Not to mention carrier bags of hi-vis vests, safety ropes and more rubbish.

What pushed us to do something was Ann having to vacate her store where we had 5 good awnings, used on the duck race day, plus a bag of spare poles (from a broken awning), folding table etc. With nobody having a garage spare there was no way they would all fit in the FD Store as it was, so the only option was to somehow reorganise it.

The first step was to have the sink disconnected and removed along with the unit. Andy from Parks kindly offered to come along and do that for us. We had asked for a cowl to be put on the disused chimney as it was open to the elements and water would come down it making the store even more damp, but didn't know when or if this would happen, but just so happened to find an old plant pot around the back which was an ideal shape and size to fit over it, so Andy popped that on!

......and then Mike and myself set to work. Mike likes wielding a lump hammer and soon took out the old countertop. The old lino on the floor which was trapping water underneath it was taken up, so that should help alleviate the damp (there are two air vents and big gaps in the brick work where daylight can be seen coming through to ventilate!)

The plan was to put shelving down the right-hand side where the sink and counter used to be. Measurements were taken and Mike went away to plan it out, order the wood and to then prefabricate the shelving and bring it to site as a flat pack.

With everything ready we went back another day to clear everything out so that we could fit the shelving in. The walls in there are a mess with layers of paint from years gone by all flaking off and falling to the floor, so I started knocking it off with a large screwdriver (ironically when we started sorting stuff out at the end we actually found a scraper) and gave it all a good sweep up.

On then to assembling the shelving outside before bringing the first one in to fit at the back into the alcove. With all good "flatpack" kits a certain amount of fettling was required to fit it in the alcove end which wasn't quite square, but it went in and was fixed to the wall. The second one went in easier. (Mike missed his vocation in life and should have worked for Ikea!)

The awnings and other duck race equipment are now neatly stacked on the shelves at the back, and with the rubbish discarded and everything organised and the hi-vis vests, safety ropes, first aid kits put into clear plastic boxes and stored on the front shelves, the first stage was completed for the right-hand side.

....back another day to sort out the left-hand side. Taking the tables out revealed two old milk crates behind (I'm sure they were used for something one day - now dumped - along with the old broken snow shovel held together with green garden wire which Ann had moved in!). There was an old cupboard at the back which was soon no more as Mike once again wielded the lump hammer (the newspaper on the old cupboard shelves was dated 1982). More scraping of flaking paint and sweeping up and we could then start to organise the equipment we were keeping.

It's amazing how much space we have created with some space left on the shelves for lightweight items. The four wheelbarrows now stack at the back out of the way but can be got to easily if required but no longer need to come out to get to the everyday tools. The tables are stacked against the wall near the back. Poles and plumbing rods are stacked neatly behind the door which can now be fully opened, and we found the base of an old tamper in the cupboard so that can be used as door stop. Anything used infrequently is stored at the back. We could host a party in there now!

Nothing else should now be put in there on the floor. Ann has a boiler to come out of her store, but if doesn't fit on a shelf and is left on the floor it will go in the skip!

Two large awnings for the duck race are to come out of Mike's garage and should stand in the gap between the two shelf units next to the fire extinguisher.

There are a couple of things we need to do for the tools hanging up, but it is finished now. It's actually been a satisfying job. Let us know what you think and please put the equipment back where you found it and not on the floor.🙂

Lyndon

Some photos of the store

Peter in May 2023 organsing the tools (the mirror has been dumped!)