Christmas heralds a new beginning for St Mary's

As the clergy prepare for one of the busiest weeks in the church calendar, the project team are putting the final preparations in place to ensure that the works can begin unhindered in the New Year. After many months of planning, fundraising and development meetings the project will finally get underway in the North East corner of the church on 9th January. Some of the first changes that visitors will notice will include:

· The Vaults and Gardens Café will be closed from 3rd January so that both the café and the old library above it can be refurbished.

 · Partitions will be erected beneath the organ and between the nave and the Adam de Brome chapel to allow for conservation works to be carried out (the nave will remain accessible via the high street entrance until the summer)

· The scaffolding will continue to grow up the tower and spire in preparation for stonework repairs and cleaning

Over the past few weeks the scaffolding has been advancing at a steady pace and, as I write this entry, it has now reached the viewing platform at the base of the spire. The photographs below were taken by a member of our new volunteer photographer team on the day when some of the key loading beams were carefully lifted into place.

All photographs courtesy of Natalie Nolan, Volunteer Photographer

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all of the staff, clergy and project team at St Mary’s to wish all of our readers and visitors a Merry Christmas and we look forward to you joining us in the New Year to share more of our exciting project developments.

Lucinda Williams, Heritage Education & Volunteers Officer

December 2011 - Project Update

As the scaffold grows taller, progress continues behind the scenes to prepare for the commencement of the works in January and the team have turned their attention to communications. On Sunday the 27th of November there was a drop-in session in the Old Library for parishioners and visitors alike. Members of the project team were on hand to answer questions about the project and plans were available to view. On Sunday 11th December the church's Education Officer Lucinda Williams will be in conversation with Canon Brian Mountford during the morning Eucharist discussing details of the new education and volunteers programme and how we plan to bring the stories of St Mary's to life.

Photograph by Natalie Nolan

On Thursday the 17th of November the development project was featured in the Oxford Times and we hope that the Times will run several follow-up features on various aspects of the project. To view this article, click HERE.

More details will follow in future newsletters on a community project to decorate the hoarding around the church and we anticipate that the scaffold will be have printed images focusing on the heritage of St Mary’s on several sides of the tower.

Sophie Slade, Project Coordinator