Nathan's News
March 2008
Entry posted: 05/03/08
Hello dedicated readers, the blog is finally back!
I know it’s been a while but I am sure such all-consuming events as Christmas, New Year, the American presidential election campaign and Brucie’s birthday celebrations have been keeping you stimulated in the mean time.
Just so you know, there has been a changing of the guard on site at Vogue1. Roger has now moved on to a site closer to home. And so it is now I, Nathan, who will keep you informed of all our on-site happenings. And happening it certainly is.
On the external front, the concrete frame is now 100% completed. This has allowed the scaffolder, the window fitter and in particular the bricklayer to fly up the outsides like a rabbit chasing a carrot. Albeit a rabbit with wings, or really sharp claws that is… actually more like a squirrel I suppose… Do squirrels chase carrots? Actually, thinking about it, can carrots even run? ANYWAY, we may even see some metal cladding in March - fingers crossed!
The inside of the building is starting to come together nicely too. Both the plumber and electrician are well on their way up the building and our first boiler flu is popping out through the roof. It’s now over to the dryliners and plasterers so the next few weeks should see us making some real progress.
The show flats have also come on leaps and bounds. Kitchens, baths, basins, tiling, mirrors and even the terrace balustrades are now in place. The grand foyer, which leads to the show flats is almost complete, with the tiled feature wall looking absolutely red hot.
All of which means good news for anyone out there chomping at the bit to come and have a look at the finished product as I can announce that our show flat will be opening on schedule in mid March.
Well it’s been nice to meet you all and I’m looking forward to keeping you all in the loop when I blog next time!
Regards, Nathan.
November 2007
Entry posted: 09/11/07
Hello Folks and fans of this column.
Sorry it’s a bit late this month but things here have got a bit of a shift on. We are now averaging about fifty-five blokes on site on any given day and the wind is being kind to us at the moment (touch wood!).
We have completed the concrete frame to the main part of Block A (The private section), which only leaves the four duplex units on the top. These in turn should be ready for external walls and cladding by December.
On the internal front the plumber is well on the way with fitting the ventilation systems as well as the remainder of the soil and vent pipes. The Electrician is also continuing to fit out the common areas with lighting and all the other control cables needed for TV reception, door entry systems and smoke detectors etc. And a right complicated tangle it looks too! I’m glad he knows what they all do, ‘cos I certainly don’t!
The partition men have started fitting out the show flats in as much as the internal partitions have been erected ready for the electrician and plumber to fill them with cables and pipes.
The external façades are now being clad in brick and decorative panels so at last the jigsaw is starting to look a bit like the picture on the box! The windows are due to start later this month and then we will be on the way to getting water tight, which is always a good milestone to reach.
Well that’s it for this month, see you all later, which will be the last one before Christmas.
Regards Rog
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October 2007
Entry posted: 12/10/07
Hello Blog readers, this is Whitechapel calling.
The weather has not been terribly kind to us at Vogue1 this last month due mainly to a bad case of wind. No, nothing to do with the local greasy spoon I mean proper wind – the kind that stops the tower crane from operating. And so things are - as my wife often describes me – all behind.
The roof finally got cast to Block B (the affordable housing block) but the staircase has not been completed. This gives us a little more space to perform in, which means Block A (the private sale units) should get a bit of a shift on - if the wind abates a tad.
We have cast the first half of the 5th floor slab in Block A and started the columns and walls that hold up the 6th floor so things are moving, but not as fast as the lads upstairs would like. On a more positive note we have started the outside cladding system and the facing brickwork should be following on later this month.
The super sparks are continuing their sterling work and have commenced the power supplies to the individual units. The Plumber is also on board now and is currently (or is that an electrical term?) erecting soil and rain water pipes in both blocks.
What is more significant is that we are in the process of constructing a temporary sales suite on the upper ground floor in one of the commercial units. This means that our sales negotiators will be able to appraise you of all the delights to come in more comfortable surroundings.
This suite will contain a life-sized model of a kitchen and bathroom so you will be able to get a feel for final product at an early stage.
Just to close I’d like to thank all of you who took the trouble to phone in for a chat or raise a general enquiry, its been a pleasure to hear from you.
Well I must dash, the tea and bacon sarnies are getting cold. I’ll speak to you all next month.
All the best
Roger
October Image Gallery
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September 2007
Entry posted: 20/09/07
Hello Blog readers every where.
It’s Roger here again, talking to you from Whitechapel.
Well the sun finally came out and across the land brickies are now tanned back to their usual leathery hue. The good weather means that we have been making good progress here at VogueE1 with the completion of the 4th floor of Block B. This means that there’s only the 5th floor and the roof to go. When that happens it will give us a bit of storage space and in a tight site like this we do need a bit.
Pressure on space got so bad at one time that we were considering taking a few ideas from the film “The Great Escape” where they lost the excavated material from the escape tunnels by letting it run down their trouser legs and scattering it over the neighbours’ gardens. But after some thought it occurred to us that the sight of ten or fifteen Tom, Dick, and Harrys shuffling up and down the commercial road with both hands fumbling in their pockets might prove a little much for the local residents! Anyway my Dickie Attenborough impression isn’t what it was.
By comparison Block A, the private sale units, are only just about up to the 3rd floor. However, this block is about twice the size of Block B, so fair enough I say.
The crack (or some might say cracked!) team of sparks, along with the boys from the local electricity board, did their stuff and we now have the main power unit installed for both Blocks and the separate supply for the fire-mans lift.
During the rest of September we are hoping to start the external cladding. I was hoping we’d have started already, but then it wouldn’t be construction without a few technical hitches! Once this eventually happens there will be a fairly dramatical change to the outside views of the place and it will begin to look more like a proper honest to goodness building.
The plumbers will be moving on-site at the same time as the bricklayers so, hopefully, things should really start to get going.
Just one last thing. If any of you out there should want to discuss anything about the project please feel free to give me a call. The switch board at Loughton will be pleased to give you the number.
Speak to you next month. Roger
August 2007
Entry posted: 01/08/07
Well it might have been raining cats, dogs and loss adjusters over much of the country, but for us here at Plumbers Row progress this last month has actually been quite productive.
Though it might look like a bit of a dog’s dinner from our crane cam (or the MD’s eye view as some of the dust monkeys have taken to calling it), we’re just about to complete the last section of the first floor slab, this means that very soon the lower ground floors, upper ground floors and first floors will be completed to both Blocks A & B.
A good concrete floor is a thing of beauty. You could have Meat Loaf, Robbie Coltrane, and all the least successful members of the local Weight Watchers club Irish dancing on the first floor and it still wouldn’t jiggle your jelly.
Block B, the housing association block, is slightly more advanced than Block A. Here we’ve completed the second floor, and the shuttering to the soffit of the third floor is well on its way too (for any of you reading this who might not wear a hard hat for a living, that’s a GOOD thing by the way.)
On the lower ground floor our crack team of sparks have started fitting out the electrical intake room, which was, at one time the concierge’s kitchen and toilet. That must have been a lovely culinary arrangement for him, poor chap. Can’t imagine Gordon Ramsey having to rustle up a cappuccino of white beans with grated truffles right next door to the loo.
Anyway, once the electricians have worked their magic we’ll be ready for the electric board to pull in the main feeder cables for both blocks and the fireman’s lift. Fingers crossed this means we could have the power on by the end of August! Good job too. A tradesman can only work so long without a badly tuned in radio blaring in the background.
Before I sign off I should point out that Plumbers Row now has the much more upbeat marketing name of VogueE1, which I’m the first to admit probably has a bit of a better ring to it. After all this is the part of London famous for its Rag Trade and plumbers are not generally known for their sartorial elegance as a rule.
Over the next month we’re hoping to get both blocks complete to the third floor, which should enable us to start the Metsec frame work and hence the brickwork. And that’s where we’ll leave the story for now. As a cliffhanger it’s probably not quite on a par with 24 or Heroes I admit, but with the kind of summer we’ve had so far this year ANYTHING could happen between now and then.
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