Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 60
of the hallway, was still in remarkable condition. Frank
replicated additional panels needed to extend the vintage
Lincrusta dado over a blocked-up doorway.
oak-grained Lincrusta ‘linenfold’ design, which is still
available,” Frank explained.
He added: “Sadly more storm damage and water ingress
has occurred since our first visit. In November 2023, with
the suspended ceiling down, I carefully salvaged some
historical Lincrusta sections before other building
renovations took place.”
Royton Town Hall, Oldham
The refurbishment of Royton Town Hall, Oldham has
been a major project involving multiple agencies: Oldham
Council; Kepczyk Pearce Sanderson Architects,
Handforth, Cheshire; Royton Historical Society, overseen
by Seddon Construction, Bolton.
Frank stabilised the salvaged pieces (now dried out) and
made moulds of each design. From these he handmade
replica panels to make the repairs and reinstate the
Lincrusta designs around the entire room.
The Town Hall was constructed in 1880 as a purposebuilt municipal building for the Royton Local Board of
Health and was opened by the Board’s first chairman,
James Ashworth, in the same year.
The ‘Lincrusta room’ restoration will be completed in July.
ECJS Dining Car No.189
ECJS Dining Car No.189 is one of the world’s oldest
surviving dining carriages. Built by the Great Northern
Railway Carriage works in 1894, it was a third-class dining
car with 42 seats in three saloons. It worked on the
London–Edinburgh/Aberdeen ‘races to the North’ run as
part of the Flying Scotsman and operated for 33 years.
Constructed in durable and rot resistant teak 189 then
became a workshop on a Yorkshire farm, where it
remained for six decades. But in 1998 it was a week away
from destruction.
Amanda said: “KPZ architects contacted us in February
2022 regarding damaged historical Lincrusta discovered
above a suspended ceiling. Frank’s first inspection was in
April 2022, with the suspended ceiling in-situ.”
“We were excited to identify two historical designs from
the Lincrusta archives from around the 1880s - potentially
the oldest known surviving Lincrusta! The top-most frieze
is a ceiling paper cut down. Below that is a botanical wallpaper design. There are similarities to designs by Dr
Christopher Dresser, a renowned industrial designer in
the Arts & Crafts era. Lower down the wall there is a later
Below, Royton Town Hall - First Glimpse above the suspended ceiling
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