School building ‘dangerous’: £1,000 needed

Over £1,000 is needed immediately for essential external repairs the Rushden’s Queen Street School building, which is in a dangerous condition.

Brickwork is crumbling and tended to become much worse during recent wet weather; cement and mortar foundations of the pinnacles have decayed away; chimney stacks are tottering, almost without visible means of support as mortar is now non-existent; the steps are unsafe.

The council of the Independent Wesleyan Church, which owns the building, is so concerned that it has already allocated £100 from church funds for immediate work and launched a drive to raise £1,000. A target board has been erected outside the church.

The Rev. Gordon Bellamy, minister, said that the chimney stacks will have to be pulled down and rebuilt and it is likely that the whole of the premises will have to be refaced.

‘Tremendous Blow’

Mr. Bellamy said the news had come “as the most tremendous blow.” The need for internal and external repairs had been recognised for some time and the church had been going ahead with installing a new kitchen and repainting some of the rooms. Then, at the end of the summer the property steward, Mr. Bryan Pratt, informed the council that the external state of the building seemed to be in a dangerous state and a careful investigation revealed the extent of the work needed.

The hall is used for Broadcasts by Rushden Temperance and the John White Footwear bands, by clinics and many other associations for their meetings and annual events. Because of this, said Mr. Bellamy, it was hoped that these organisations would come to the rescue.