…well, almost!
It’s finally here, after weeks and weeks of exhausting work I’m down to the last room that needs working, which is the front entrance lobby. Today was spent preparing for the new flooring and building a reception desk and then there’s 2 or 3 days work getting the rest of the room in order. My only regret is not being able to get rid of the front porch. If you know the building, you’ll notice a small porch to the front door, which I’m going to knock down so everyone has a much easier, straight route into the building with prams and pushchairs. It’ll also make the building much more attractive, as we can then sort out the frontage properly. But we need all the proper permissions in place and sadly won’t have that (or the time) to complete this before opening, so don’t hold it against us. Close you eyes as you enter and leave!

The offending porch
I’d love to say that we’re ready to open once the entrance room is finished but, of course, that’s only the main building/decorative works complete. We still have so much to do with regard to finishing the play areas, fitting bar and kitchen equipment, stocking up, etc. and then adding all the finishing touches, such as blackboards, signage and all that important stuff that you never really notice until you have to do it yourself!
But it still feels like we’ve reached a milestone. An unloved and dreary industrial building is starting to look like a brand new space. We can’t wait until it’s full of people!