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This was a delicate, emergency dismantling Preston operation to remove unsafe roof slates from the roof of the former Orphanage on Mount Street, Preston. The building was opened on September 19th 1872 and was formerly called St Joseph’s Orphanage for Roman Catholic Girls, which ultimately became St Joseph’s Hospital and treated soldiers from the First World War, including some Belgium troops, and apparently, it was the hospital which treated George Formby in his last days and where he sadly died on March 6th 1961

The roof structure of the former Orphanage has very steep pitches and due to the age and condition of the building some of the roof slate was beginning to become dislodged, particularly during the recent stormy weather.

The task in hand was to start very early on Saturday AM and under a temporary emergency road closure we mobilised a c.100 foot mobile elevated work platform (or Cherry Picker as they are informally known) and removed a section of roof slates to help prevent them ‘shuttering-down’ onto the road and pavement below.

As an added safety control we also removed a section of roof structure so that any other slates, which became loose would drop inside the building structure rather than outside.

The whole of the demolition works were complete in a few hours, which enabled us to get the street and pavement back open as soon as possible.

During the works the operative on the platform reported that he was sure he heard a Ukulele playing and a song about ‘Cleaning Windows’! 😲

Emergency demolition Preston

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