‘You’re the top!’ *

Today (31st January), our roofing expert Peter Fincham finished slating the roof of our new storage building, next to Roman Circus House. He used high-quality slates from Spain, supplied by Collier & Catchpole. The building was designed to fit in with the surviving Army buildings here in the former Artillery (Le Cateau) Barracks, such as the former Sergeants’ Mess (originally the Officers’ Mess), Roman Circus House itself (formerly the barracks NAAFI), the barracks dining hall and cook-house and, slightly further away, the artillery riding school and infirmary stables, as well as the garrison’s boundary wall, all built between 1875 and 1937. Our storage building is in traditional red brick with a slate roof, one storey, and just large enough to hold the Trust’s stores. When we have moved all our stuff into the storage building, we will renovate the storage room in Roman Circus House and open it to visitors as part of the circus centre – specifically, as our ‘archaeology in action’ room.

Peter said that he enjoyed roofing the new storage building, and it has already been approved by the Borough Building Inspector.

It’s looking good!

The images show Peter finishing the roof, and standing beside our new (and newly finished) storage building. (Thanks to Peter for the photo.s.)

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* This is from a famous Cole Porter song – ‘You’re the top’ – in the 1934 musical Anything goes:

‘… You’re the top!
You’re the Colosseum.
You’re the top!
You’re the Louver Museum …
You’re the Nile,
You’re the Tower of Pisa,
You’re the smile on the Mona Lisa
I’m a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I’m the bottom you’re the top! …’

Listen to a version of the song at www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6oGytt0Hiw

(Roman Circus House was built in 1937.)

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