Friday 3 February 2012

Salle des Spectacles revisited

Last January we went to a village meeting about the new Salle des Spectacles. We wrote about it here. We ended that post with a 'to be continued...'

January 2011
Well, the 'to be continued' moment has arrived; after a fashion. There has been progress. For a long time, as is common with these types of projects, nothing happened.

January 2012
No acitivity last spring, none during the summer, nor in early autumn. Then a flurry of signs went up and, what can only be described as a posse clutching clipboards, wandered round chatting vociferously every Monday morning.

October 2011
Finally in October they started taking the tuiles [tiles] off the roofs of the barns that are to be converted. The re-roofing has now been as good as finished and they've also constructed the new join which will link one original barn with the other.
a nice new roof & the 2 barns are now linked
The freezing weather we're having at the moment has put paid to any work on site right now but since November they have been busy most days of the week.

 the renovation 'players'
It is all to be completed by June of this year, well in time for the annual 'quatorze juillet' celebrations. We'll see....
... and let you know.

18 comments:

The Broad said...

We have found that projects in our village and in the neighbouring towns have ended up being well worth the wait and that once the work well and truly begins the French really do get on with it. From the roof already done it looks like it should be well worth the wait.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@The Broad - There was some kerfuffle about sub-contracting outfits refusing to bid...
But if the architect's impression we saw last year is anything to go by it will be lovely. The new roof looks great and we're so glad they didn't use modern tiles.

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Niall and Antoinette:
Well, activity does seem to be gathering pace, so perhaps the project will be completed after all. So good to see that the tiles have been reused for the roof. That is certainly a promising start.

the fly in the web said...

Is the old chateau listed?
If so it would account for the tiles...if not, how nice to have an architect with eyes!

Perpetua said...

How exciting and how promising the work already completed. A very enterprising adaptation of a somerhat historic building. Our salle des fetes is the former school, but sadly a 1960s/70s building, so of no architectural value at all. Still, with only 212 inhabitants, the commune is lucky to have one at all!

Diane said...

I am sure they will be ready by the 14th. Too important a date to miss :) Diane

Anonymous said...

I bet the paperwork for that project was astronomical...you know how the French love bureaucracy and triplicates.

SP

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Jane & Lance - it is quite a major project for such a small village as ours. The photos actually don't do the roof justice; the tiles are excellent.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Fly - sadly the ferme fort [as it is now] isn't listed and the dwelling house is looking forelorn. To be fair, it has little curb appeal in its present guise.

It's the barns that are being converted and we have no idea what will happen with the house.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Perpetua - our commune is only 502 so not that big either. The present building is poky & a real blot on the landscape. It definitely does need replacing, so this is a good use of previously abandoned buildings.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Diane - I think the potential loss of face will make sure they do get things done in time. This year the '14 juillet' was held in a marquee down by the Aigronne as the current salle des fetes isn't up to scratch.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@SP - the mayor's desk was probably groaning under the weight :-)

the fly in the web said...

Good job we're not still in France or Mr. Fly would be over in a flash to try to buy the house!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Fly - but it woud be an ideal pied a terre for when you became ennuyé of the tropics!

...And as an 'extra' treat you'd have us for neighbours up the road -- what else could you want? ;-)

Tim said...

It did look terrible on that corner... but, hey-ho, a good job is always worth waiting for.
Love the new header... now you will have to come up with a range of almost B&W headers for each season to go with the background... bonne chance.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Time - it certainly will help 'prettify' the village, no bad thing.

Cuby said...

I wonder if projects happen at the speed that happens here in Cornwall which is known as 'Dreckly' which is essentially it gets done but just don't hurry us!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Cuby - sounds very familiar :-)