North East Herts MP, Oliver Heald, yesterday unveiled the newly restored main window at the United Reformed Church Hall in Ashwell. The hall was extensively updated and refurbished several years ago, but the main window had to be left until agreement was reached between NHDC Conservation Officers and the URC over the form the restored window should take. After detailed discussions, conservation metalworker John Wade from Scunthorpe was commissioned to cast new outer metal frames to the exact pattern of the original metal window. These were placed each side of a new double-glazed sealed unit in such a way that the window looks as it always did but with the benefit of new technology and energy saving measures.
The work was funded by grants totalling £10,000 from NHDC Community Fund together with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Churches Trust.
Stuart Izzard, NHDC Community Development Manager, was thanked by the Elders of the church for his commitment to making the project happen.
A Service of Dedication was held on Sunday 2 February led by Revd Chris Ball of St Mary’s Ashwell. The window was then dedicated by Revd Ball and unveiled by Oliver Heald QC MP.
Commenting, Oliver said “This is the final step in the refurbishment of the URC Hall, which is used by many community groups in Ashwell. It was remarkable to see the thought and care that had gone in to replicating the original window while bringing it up to today’s energy conservation requirements. I congratulate all those involved in this excellent project.”
Photo shows from left: Mrs Jackie Embury, Church Treasurer and Elder; Revd Chris Ball, Oliver Heald QC MP and John Wade, specialist metalworker.