Repair work to church spire
Fixing grills to the spire windows. The steeplejacks in their bosuns chairs. Photo: 0021SB-8
STEEPLEJACKS have been braving the chilly weather to complete repairs to a village church spire that was damaged in the recent high winds in January.
One of the pinnacles around the spire of St Andrew’s Church, Helpringham, was damaged by the storms and could have crashed down into the road if swift action was not taken, explains churchwarden Terry Markham.
Steeplejacks W Hird and Son of Yorkshire bravely scaled ladders fixed to the steeple and swung around in bosum’s chairs to complete the repair work last week to one of the pinnacles holding the flying buttresses that support the church spire.
Mr Markham said: “The pinnacle at the north west corner was buffeted by the wind until it beny the steel pins holding it together and shifted them right over.
“Any more high winds could have bend the whole lot over, as happened the other year at Folkingham and they have only just got their’s fixed.”
The steeplejacks built up scaffolding around it, removed the damaged pinnacle to rebuild it with stainless steel fixings instead of the iron and steel pins that had corroded and bent.
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Weather for Sleaford
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
