I feel a bit disloyal to the Foundry. The problem is that i have to pay to get in, and it costs £6.50. I do still maintain my belief that the wave is the best moulded resin wall in the country. When resin walls became in vogue, most wall makers shaped them to include massive bucket like features - which are rubbish. The foundry has wonderful technical smears. Climbing the wall on features by any given line should be at the easiest - a challenge. I haven't been for ages, so all the problems were pretty new. Ed sent me a mail yesterday which said :
"By no means did I attempt every problem there, but I did a heck of a lot of the ones that looked interesting/challenging and I have to say that I really didn't think there was anything more than about 7B. There was one harder thing up the middle of the steep section that starts from standingon a fat sloping rail then campuses up small slopers that I didnt do, but I only gave this one go as it was hot and minging.So, in summary, fun and a good workout, but dont expect to fully challenged.... Also of note is the fact they have finished the frame for the new woodie in the furnace. Looks like a basic board at around 40-45 degrees. Good size. Assuming they get the holds right (ie: make use of woodas well as resin) then it should be good."
Which is pretty much exactly my experience. I think I did pretty much everything on the steep side of the wave with three exceptions, and all without having to try too hard. It wasn't cold last night either. I think I have hot hands disease. Basically, bad skin that feels a bit hurty - plastic rash I used to call it. Of the three exceptions, the stand start slopey rail thing he mentions was hard - left it too late, and it was too warm, there was a long orange and black spots problem which I thought I was going to flash and then fell off the top, but didnt have the beans to get back there, and finally a yellow long problem that I didnt even try.
Al Williams was in. Good to see him, its been a while. Also Kristian CLemmow.
Managed to prune the school members list by four which means four new members. These are Lucinda Hughes, Helen Keene, Vicky Barrett and J-J-J-J-J-J-J-JAMES FOLEY! Someone was very pleased with the news. In fact they all were. So, like an old masonic golf club the school has had to change with the times and welcome its first lady members. Regards our future, there was a meeting on the 4th amongst the existing tenants; as you know - we didnt think anyone wanted to take on the management of the building, but I spoke to Nic on sunday and it all seemed quite positive. We spoke again last night after agreeing on the newbies, and Nic has sent the following :
1) The folk who managed the Burton Street project (a similar sized school in Hillsbrough which is now a model for council buildings that have been handed over to the community) were met by Kieth and Izzy (other school users) and the guy there was very encouraging.
2) It was identified that there are a number of substantial funding sources available one of which has placed the school as 1st on it's reserve list. This is more promising than it may at 1st seem for reasons I can't be arsed to type at length.
3) Andy Jackson from the Heeley Development trust is keen to get involved.
4) Sheffield Art space is very interested in the devopment of the school to provide space for art (somewhat predictably)
4) There was a general motivation to make an effort to develop the school by about 15 different school users.
(point 4 is obviously significant) Clearly, the school is the best place for the school.
8 comments:
YES FUCKING YES!!!!!!
YES! FUCKING YES!!!!!!!!!!
I think i need a lie down!
I thought the same about the problems at the foundry though the orange and black i found taxing. good effort getting to there i thought 7c (+) for that, which shows either it suits you or i'm shi and know nothing about grades.
anyway, gonna go to stanage far end to try low rider with jim and lee later...
ps i'm not a lady
About time...
I've got to say i'm very dubious about the whole managing the building thing, its making a 30k loss, how if we manage it do we offset that 30k loss let alone carry out maintenance or in any way offer compensation for the council loosing a million pound asset?
It's not that i'm not up for trying just that I think its a bit shortsighted to not be looking for other things until the council have firmly agreed to something that is financially viable for all those involved.
Much as I hate to be a pessimist, I find myself agreeing with Paul. As I explained to our newest member Miss Helen Kean last night, whatever the ins-and-outs of the various committee decisions are there comes a point where you have to confront the bottom line, which as always = MONEY. There is a 30K gap in the finances for the running of the School, and the fact is that whatever happens this gap MUST be filled. If the users manage the building then where does it come from? Options:
Increased rent.
Increased number of tenants.
Funding from community groups.
Council subsidy.
From Nic's e-mail it seems the middle two are being worked on which is promising. The last seems unlikely (!). The first is probably reasonable up to a point.
But even if it can be done, are the council, still going to own the building while we manage it? If so, what guarantee will they have that we aren't making a mess of their million pound pile? Administrative nightmare anyone? The solution to that is to buy the place = financial nightmare!
My gut feeling is that this is a delaying tactic. Absolutely fine by me cos I like the School where it is, and unlike Paul I don't see an urgency anymore to look for new premises - once the council is in decision making mode it usually takes a while.
yes but once the school members are in decision making mode it takes a while if it comes to january and they say sorry we can't delay it any longer where does that leave us?
BTW dobbin - just got a call from Rich, he didn't seem to have a clue about his membership passing or the current code.
interresting
just re read this
why does lucinda want to join when she's owner of the biggest wall in sheffield.
is it because its got no training facilities?
In fairness to Lucinda she probably put her name down before The Works was even a twinkle in anyone's eye. I used to see her up there a lot about 4 years ago.
Paul, fair point. But I do feel that if the artists are serious about this then they could buy quite a lot of time due to their good relationship with the council so far, who seem prepared to listen. Personally I think that we should wait until we have been served with a definate "you're out" notice before we find somewhere else. I agree there's no harm in looking but that bit is taken care of already by Sheffields main commercial property owners:
Lambert Smith Hampton
Fearne Greaves
Spacia
Council
Who have big lists of these things. Incidentally, there's a unit a couple of doors up from Currt Tonight (same road as Sheaf) that looks suitable.
I´m assuming my subs have continued to go out by DD as no one has said otherwise (I never bother to check the detail on my statements and i´m abroad). Can you confirm this Dobbin?
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