‘Like painting Forth Bridge’ to repair windows at college
WINDOWS dating from the early days of Elizabeth College, which was established in 1563, have been renovated as part of ongoing work being undertaken at the school.
Maintenance man Steve Smith’s most recent job has been in the college’s main hall, where its six large windows have had their sash cords replaced and new glass fitted.
As well as the glass needing replacement, metal ornamentation has rusted and the wood has rotted over the years.
‘In one of them the whole metal bar at the top fell down because of the rust,’ he said.
The decorative sections have been sanded down and given a coat of rust-resistant paint.
Some of the glass in the windows dated from the college’s early days and was very different to that used today, being much thinner and lighter.
That meant that when modern glass was used to replace broken panes the windows became heavier, making them harder to open.
The windows in the main hall were removed and repaired and had new sash cords fitted. After taking the frames out Mr Smith had to fit new weights on the sashes in order to counter the weight of the window.
He expected that the windows project would be completed by the time the new term started, but it would a while before all of the college’s 70 or so windows had been renovated – and by the time that was done, it would probably be time to go back to the first windows worked on.
‘It’s a bit like painting the Forth Bridge,’ he said.
As well as the interior work there is much to be done to the outside of the main building, which has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, so much so that in some places render has fallen off.
College bursar Mike Spiller said
the work will be done in stages, starting with the exterior of the tower nearest the college entrance and gradually moving around the whole building.
It is not going to be something that takes place all at once, he said, and it could be his successor or even their successor who oversees the end of the work.
There will also be work on the front steps. ‘This will be the first time the steps have had work done since they were laid in about 1850,’ said Mr Spiller.
Old photos of people standing on the steps dating from the college’s early days show damage that can still be seen today.
The old pictures also show three fewer levels than exist now, indicating how much the ground level has dropped over the years.
