Summertime (and more pictures)

We've finally reached the summer holidays. Unfortunately we haven't reached Financial Close, but I'm sure you're as bored of reading that sentence as I am of writing it.

The run up to the summer break is notoriously fraught as tempers get frayed due to rising temperatures and exhaustion. Post-decant living has added to the stress levels. I must be the only person in the UK who was relieved that we had a rotten summer, as that held complaints about the temporary accommodation overheating at bay.

In some ways it's an enormous relief when term ends and most of the regular school inhabitants troop off for the best part of six week, and you know they'll come back relaxed and more prepared for the slings & arrows of BSF, but anyone who thinks we sit around drinking tea throughout the summer obviously has no idea what schools are like at this time of year. Everything really swings into action in preparation for the new school year. Walls are painted, rooms are deep cleaned, stock is delivered and cupboards are cleared. Of course the pressure's off a bit particularly (ahem) if the server is off for the best part of a week leaving us 'phone and e-mail-less.

The builders are working full throttle to make the most of a student-free school to do drainage, piling and electrical works. They are pretty pleased to be doing "real building", so here are some freshly snapped pictures to show you what real building looks like. Apologies if I mis-identify anything.

I'm pretty sure these are drain parts.

Soon this will be deep, drain-shaped excavation.

This is the courtyard right outside the dining halls. In September this will be full of new drains and re-surfaced ready for the students to return.

This is what the front of the school looks like. This is about piling as well as drains.

Some piling earlier.

Nick took the last three photos as he was all hatted up and ready to enter the old building. Hard hats and flourescent jackets look mighty unpleasant things to wear on a hot and humid day. The photo above used to be the reception area and meeting rooms. It's been completely gutted and I was shocked when I saw how different it looked.

I thought this was a picture of the old server room until I stared at it harder and realised it's actually my old office. Take this to mean that it's unrecognisable.

Again, C23 really didn't used to look like this.