Le ngozi yonakalise indlela emangcwabeni ecawa. Iziqwenga ezinkulu ze-asphalt kunye nodaka zazilele engceni ejikelezileyo. Kufuphi nendlela, njengesixhobo se-chess esaphukileyo, kukho amasalela esakhiwo secawa esineminyaka eli-150 ubudala. Kwiiyure ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo, wema phezulu kwecawa, ephakame ngaphezu kweyadi yecawa. Ngethamsanqa, isakhiwo saseVictorian sawela phantsi kungekhona ngophahla lwecawa. Ngenxa yezizathu ezingaziwayo ngoku, iCawa yaseSt. Thomas eWells yenye yeecawa ezimbalwa zaseNgilani ezinenqaba ekwikona esemantla-mpuma.
Uluhlu lwabantu abamele batsalele umnxeba kule meko ingxamisekileyo lufutshane. Umnxeba uphendulwe nguJames Preston oneminyaka engama-37 ubudala. UPreston ngumyili wezakhiwo kunye nomenzi weenqaba omsebenzi wakhe uxhomekeke phantse kuzo zonke izakhiwo zembali ezikwiLadybug Book of British History: iBuckingham Palace, iWindsor Castle, iStonehenge, iLongleat, iLadd Cliff Camera kunye neWhitby Abbey, ukubala ezimbalwa.
Ukuwa kwesi siphepho kwabonwa kwividiyo ngummelwane wam kwincopho yeSiphepho uEunice ngoFebruwari. Xa ndadibana noPreston kwiinyanga ezintandathu kamva, wandibonisa indawo yokusebenzela apho kwakwakhiwa khona isiphepho esitsha waza wandithatha wandiyisa eSt Thomas' Church. Emva kokuqhuba iimayile ezingama-20, uPreston, enombala omhlophe nomdaka, wandixelela ngeentlobo ngeentlobo zamatye kwiWest Country. Ngokwembono yejoloji, sisezantsi kwebhanti yelitye le-oolitic elalijikeleza eOxford naseBath ukuya kuthi ga eYork kwaye lenziwa ngexesha leJurassic, xa uninzi lweeCotswolds zazikwiilwandle ezishushu. Jonga indlu entle yaseGeorgia eBath okanye indlu encinci yomenzi wezinto eGloucestershire, kwaye uza kubona amaqokobhe amandulo kunye neefosili zeenkwenkwezi. Ilitye lebhafu "lilitye le-oolitic elithambileyo" - "ii-oolites" zithetha "amatye anqabileyo", ebhekisa kumaqhekeza angqukuva awenzayo - "kodwa sinelitye leHamstone kunye nelitye leDoulting uze ufumane ilitye elityumkileyo." Izakhiwo zembali kwezi ndawo zihlala ziyilitye elithambileyo elineempawu zelitye leBass kwaye mhlawumbi neendonga zenkunkuma zaseLias,” utshilo uPreston.
Ilitye leLimestone lithambile, lithambile kwaye lifudumele ngethoni, lahlukile kakhulu kwilitye lasePortland eliphantsi esilisebenzisayo kwiindawo ezininzi eziphakathi kweLondon. Ababukeli abaqhelekileyo banokubona olu hlobo lwamatye, kodwa uPreston uneliso elibukhali. Njengoko sasisondela eWells, wakhomba izakhiwo zelitye laseDortin apho kwakhiwe khona iSt. Thomas. “Ilitye leLimestone eliyiOolitic,” utshilo uPreston, “kodwa liorenji kwaye lirhabaxa ngakumbi.”
Uchaze iintlobo ngeentlobo zeemortar ezisetyenziswa e-UK. Zaziqhele ukwahluka ngokwejoloji yasekuhlaleni, emva koko kwixesha lasemva kwemfazwe zamiselwa ngokuqinileyo, nto leyo eyakhokelela ekutshiseni izakhiwo ngemortar engangeni manzi evalwe kumswakama. UPreston kunye noogxa bakhe babesoloko bejonge iimortar zokuqala, beziqhekeza ukuze bakwazi ukubona ukwakheka kwazo ngexesha lenkqubo yokulinganisa. “Ukuba uhambahamba eLondon, uza kufumana izakhiwo ezinemithungo emincinci emhlophe [yelayimu]. Uza kuya kwenye indawo kwaye ziya kuba pinki, zibe yisanti epinki, okanye zibe bomvu.”
UPreston wabona ubuchule bokwakha obungabonakaliyo kwabanye abantu. “Ndisoloko ndikwenza oku ixesha elide,” utshilo. Ebesebenza kweli candelo ukusukela eneminyaka eli-16 ubudala, xa wayeka isikolo ukuze ajoyine inkampani enye awayesebenza kuyo kangangeminyaka engama-20.
Ngowuphi umntwana oneminyaka eli-16 ubudala oye washiya isikolo ukuze abe ngumakhi? 'Andazi!' Uthi. "Kuyamangalisa kancinci. Wachaza ukuba isikolo "asindilungelanga. Andingomntu ofundayo, kodwa andingomntu ohlala phantsi ndifunde eklasini. Yenza into ngezandla zakho."
Wazifumana eyonwabela ijiyometri yokwakhiwa kwezakhiwo kunye nemfuneko yazo yokuchaneka. Emva kokugqiba ekholejini njengomfundi kwiSally Strachey Historic Conservation (usasebenza kwinkampani eyaziwa ngokuba yiSSHC namhlanje), wafunda indlela yokukrola abantu nezilwanyana, kunye nendlela yokusika amatye ngokuchanekileyo ngemilimitha. Olu qeqesho lwaziwa ngokuba yibhanki yokwakhiwa kwezakhiwo. “Ukunyamezelana yimilimitha enye kwicala elinye kuba ukuba usemde kakhulu ungayisusa. Kwaye ukuba ugoba kakhulu, awunakwenza nto.”
Izakhono zikaPreston njengomyili wezakhiwo zihambelana ngokugqibeleleyo nezakhono zakhe: ukunyuka amatye. Njengomntwana oselula, wayekuthanda ukunyuka iintaba. Kwiminyaka yakhe yama-20, esebenzela i-SSHC eFarley Hungerford Castle, waqonda ukuba abasebenzi bashiye ingubo phezu kodonga olude. Endaweni yokunyuka kwakhona kwi-scaffolding, uPreston wasebenzisa iintambo ukunyuka yena. Umsebenzi wakhe njengenqaba yanamhlanje sele uqalile - kwaye ukususela ngoko ebesihla eBuckingham Palace kwaye enyuka iinqaba kunye nee-spyers ezintle.
Uthi ngendlela ecokisekileyo, ukunyuka ngentambo kukhuselekile kune-scaffolding. Kodwa kusachulumancisa. “Ndiyakuthanda ukunyuka iingcango zecawa,” utshilo. “Njengoko unyuka inqaba yecawa, ubunzima bento oyinyukayo buya buncipha, ngoko ke xa uphakama uya ubonakala ngakumbi nangakumbi. Ihla iye kwi-zero kwaye ayiyeki ukukhathaza abantu.”
Emva koko kukho ibhonasi ephezulu. “Iimbono azifani nezinye izinto, bambalwa abantu abazibonayo. Ukunyuka kwi-spire yeyona nto ilungileyo ngokusebenza kwi-cable car okanye kwisakhiwo sembali. Imbono yakhe ayithandayo yiWakefield Cathedral, ene-spire ende emhlabeni.” Yorkshire.
UPreston wajika wangena kwindlela yasemaphandleni saza safika kwindawo yokusebenzela. Esi sisakhiwo sefama esiguquliweyo, esivulelekileyo kwimozulu. Ngaphandle kwakumi iiminarets ezimbini: endala, engwevu eyenziwe ngamatye amdaka anombala we-moss, kunye nentsha, egudileyo nekhrimu. (UPreston uthi lilitye elirhabaxa; andiboni orange ingako ngeliso lam elicacileyo, kodwa uthi iileya ezahlukeneyo zelitye elinye zinokuba nemibala eyahlukileyo.)
UPreston kwafuneka adibanise endala aze abuyisele izinto zayo kwindawo yokubeka iinqanawa ukuze afumanise ubungakanani bento etshintshiweyo. “Sichithe iintsuku sincamathisela amatye ambalwa ndawonye sizama ukuqonda ukuba yayiza kujongeka njani,” utshilo njengoko sasijonga izikhonkwane ezibini elangeni.
Inkcukacha yokuhombisa iya kubekwa phakathi kwespire kunye ne-weather vane: ilitye eliyi-cap. Imo yayo yentyatyambo enamacala amathathu yenziwe nguPreston, ethembekile kwi-original ephukileyo, kwiintsuku ezine. Namhlanje ihleli kwibhentshi yokusebenzela, ilungele uhambo oluya eSt. Thomas.
Ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, uPreston wandibonisa iibholiti zentsimbi ezinde ezifakwe kwispire phakathi kweminyaka yoo-1990. Injongo yayikukugcina ispire ingashukumi, kodwa iinjineli azizange ziyithathele ingqalelo into yokuba umoya wawunamandla njengoka-Eunice. Ibholiti enkulu yombhobho wokukhupha umoya yagoba yaba yi-C njengoko yayisiwa. UPreston kunye neqela lakhe kwakuza kufuneka bashiye i-capstan enamandla kunaleyo bayifumeneyo, ngenxa yenxalenye yeentonga zokubopha zentsimbi engagqwaliyo. “Besingenanjongo yokuphinda siwenze lo msebenzi sisaphila,” utshilo.
Endleleni eya eSt. Thomas sadlula eWells Cathedral, enye iprojekthi kaPreston kunye neqela lakhe kwiSSHC. Ngaphezulu kwewotshi yeenkwenkwezi edumileyo kwi-transept esemantla, uPreston kunye neqela lakhe bafake iisleti ezininzi ezicocekileyo.
AmaFreemason athanda ukukhalaza ngomsebenzi wawo. Bathetha umahluko phakathi kwemivuzo ephantsi, ukuhamba umgama omde, abakhi abangxamayo, kunye nabakhi abasebenza ixesha elizeleyo ngokukhululeka, abasancinci. Nangona kukho ukusilela emsebenzini wakhe, uPreston uzijonga njengomntu onelungelo. Eluphahleni lwecathedral, wabona izinto ezingaqhelekanga zilungiselelwe ukonwabisa uThixo, kungekhona ukonwabisa abanye abantu. Ukumbona enyuka esiporweni njengomfanekiso othile kuyamvuyisa kwaye kuyamvuyisa unyana wakhe oneminyaka emihlanu uBlake. “Ndicinga ukuba besinethamsanqa,” utshilo. “Ndifuna ngokwenene.”
Kuya kuhlala kukho umsebenzi omninzi. Ii-mortars ezingalunganga emva kwemfazwe zihlala kubakhi beemayini. Izakhiwo ezindala zinokumelana nobushushu kakuhle, kodwa ukuba i-Bureau of Meteorology iqikelela ngokuchanekileyo ukuba utshintsho lwemozulu luya kukhokelela kwizivuthuvuthu ezixhaphakileyo, umonakalo obangelwe yiSiphepho u-Eunice uya kuphinda uphindwe izihlandlo ezininzi kule nkulungwane.
Sasihleli eludongeni olusezantsi olujikeleze ingcwaba laseSt. Thomas. Xa isandla sam siphumla kumphetho ophezulu wodonga, ndiva ilitye elidilikayo elenziwe ngalo. Sitsale iintamo zethu ukuze sibone i-spire engenantloko. Ngesinye isihlandlo kwiiveki ezizayo – i-SSHC ayikhuphi umhla ochanekileyo ukuze ababukeli bangaphazamisi abakhweli – uPreston kunye nabasebenzi bakhe baza kufaka i-spire entsha.
Baza kukwenza oku ngeekhreyini ezinkulu kwaye banethemba lokuba iindlela zabo zanamhlanje ziya kuhlala iinkulungwane. Njengoko uPreston ecamngca kwindawo yokusebenzela, kwiminyaka engama-200 ukususela ngoku, abakhi beemayini baya kuba beqalekisa ookhokho babo (“izidenge zenkulungwane yama-21”) naphi na apho bafaka khona intsimbi engagqwaliyo kwizakhiwo zethu zakudala.