Umthelela wonakalise umgwaqo emathuneni esonto. Izingcezu ezinkulu ze-asphalt kanye nodaka zazilele otshanini obuzungezile. Eduze komgwaqo, njengesiqephu se-chess esiphukile, kulele izinsalela zesiqongo sesonto esineminyaka engu-150 ubudala. Emahoreni ambalwa edlule, wema phezulu kwesonto, ephakeme ngaphezu kwegceke lesonto. Ngenhlanhla, isakhiwo saseVictorian sawela phansi hhayi ophahleni lwesonto. Ngenxa yezizathu ezingaziwa manje, iSonto likaSt. Thomas eWells lingenye yamasonto ambalwa aseNgilandi anenqaba ekhoneni elisenyakatho-mpumalanga.
Uhlu lwabantu okufanele bashayele ucingo kulesi simo esiphuthumayo lufushane. Ucingo luphendulwe nguJames Preston oneminyaka engu-37 ubudala. UPreston ungumakhi wokwakha nokwakha imibhoshongo omsebenzi wakhe usekelwe cishe kuzo zonke izakhiwo zomlando ezisencwadini yomlando yaseBrithani iLadybug: iBuckingham Palace, iWindsor Castle, iStonehenge, iLongleat, iLadd Cliff Camera kanye neWhitby Abbey, ukubala ezimbalwa nje.
Ukuwa kwesiqongo kwaqoshwa kuvidiyo ngumakhelwane wami ngesikhathi seSiphepho u-Eunice ngoFebhuwari. Lapho ngihlangana noPreston ezinyangeni eziyisithupha kamuva, wangibonisa indawo yokusebenzela lapho kwakwakhiwa khona isiqongo esisha wangiyisa eSontweni likaSt Thomas. Ngemva kokushayela amamayela angu-20, uPreston, onezinwele ezinde futhi onsundu, wangitshela ngezinhlobonhlobo zamatshe aseNtshonalanga Yezwe. Ngokombono wejiyoloji, sisezansi kwebhande le-oolitic limestone elalihambahamba e-Oxford naseBath kuze kube seYork futhi lakhiwa ngesikhathi seJurassic, lapho iningi lamaCotswolds lalisezilwandle ezishisayo. Bheka indlu enhle yaseGeorgia eBath noma indlu encane yomaluki eGloucestershire, uzobona amagobolondo asendulo kanye nezinsalela ze-starfish. Itshe lokugeza “liyi-oolitic limestone ethambile” – elithi “oolites” lisho “amatshe amancane”, libhekisela ezinhlayiyeni eziyindilinga ezakha lona – “kodwa sinetshe leHamstone neleDoulting bese uthola itshe elichotshoziwe.” Izakhiwo zomlando kulezi zindawo zivame ukuba yi-limestone ethambile enezimpawu zamatshe e-Bass kanye nezindonga zamatshe e-Lias,” kusho uPreston.
I-limestone ithambile, iyaphuka futhi ifudumele ngethoni, ihluke kakhulu etsheni lasePortland elilula kakhulu esilisebenzisayo engxenyeni enkulu yeLondon ephakathi. Ababukeli abavamile bangase baqaphele lolu hlobo lwamatshe, kodwa uPreston uneso elihlakaniphile. Njengoba sisondela eWells, wakhomba izakhiwo zetshe laseDortin lapho kwakhiwe khona iSt. Thomas. “I-dulting iyi-limestone ye-oolitic,” kusho uPreston, “kodwa inombala ophuzi futhi ilukhuni.”
Uchaze izingcezu ezahlukene ze-mortar ezazisetshenziswa e-UK. Zazivame ukuhlukahluka ngokuya ngendawo yendawo, kwathi ngemva kwempi zabekwa ngendlela eqinile, okwaholela ekufiphaleni kwezakhiwo nge-mortar engangenwa amanzi evalwe umswakama. UPreston nozakwabo babeqapha ngokucophelela izingcezu zokuqala ze-mortar, bezihlukanisa ukuze bakwazi ukuthola ukwakheka kwazo ngesikhathi senqubo yokulingisa. “Uma uhambahamba eLondon, uzothola izakhiwo ezinemithungo emincane emhlophe [ye-lime]. Uzoya kwenye indawo futhi zizoba pink, pink sand, noma red.”
UPreston wabona ubuqili bezakhiwo obungabonwa muntu. “Bengilokhu ngikwenza lokhu isikhathi eside,” kusho yena. Ubelokhu esebenza kulo mkhakha kusukela eneminyaka engu-16, lapho eshiya isikole ukuze ajoyine inkampani efanayo lapho asebenza khona iminyaka engu-20.
Ubani oneminyaka eyi-16 oye washiya isikole ukuze abe umakhi? 'Angazi!' Uthi. “Kuyaxaka kancane. Wachaza ukuthi isikole “asingifanele ngempela. Angisiye umuntu ofundayo, kodwa futhi angisiye umuntu wokuhlala nokufundela ekilasini. yenza okuthile ngezandla zakho.”
Wazithola ejabulela i-geometry yokwakhiwa kwezakhiwo kanye nesidingo sazo sokunemba. Ngemva kokuphothula ekolishi njengomfundi eSally Strachey Historic Conservation (usasebenza enkampanini eyaziwa ngokuthi i-SSHC namuhla), wafunda indlela yokubaza abantu nezilwane, kanye nendlela yokusika amatshe ngokunemba kwemilimitha. Lo mkhakha waziwa ngokuthi ukwakhiwa kwezakhiwo zasebhange. “Ukubekezelelana kuyimilimitha eyodwa ohlangothini olulodwa ngoba uma usaphakeme kakhulu ungayikhumula. Futhi uma ugoba kakhulu, awukwazi ukwenza lutho.
Amakhono kaPreston njengomenzi wezakhiwo ahambisana kahle nelinye ikhono lakhe: ukukhuphuka amatshe. Esemusha, wayekuthanda ukukhuphuka izintaba. Eseneminyaka engama-20, esebenzela i-SSHC eFarley Hungerford Castle, waqaphela ukuthi ithimba lalishiye ingubo phezu kodonga olude. Esikhundleni sokukhuphuka futhi, uPreston wasebenzisa izintambo ukuze azikhuphukele. Umsebenzi wakhe njengombhoshongo wesimanje usuqalile kakade - futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ubelokhu ehla eBuckingham Palace futhi ekhuphuka imibhoshongo nezintaba ezicwebezelayo.
Uthi ngendlela ecophelelayo, ukukhuphuka ngezintambo kuphephile kune-scaffolding. Kodwa kusajabulisa. “Ngiyakuthanda ukukhuphuka ngezinsika zesonto,” esho. “Njengoba ukhuphuka umbhoshongo wesonto, isisindo salokho okukhuphukayo siya sincipha, ngakho uma ukhuphuka uba sobala kakhulu. Kwehla ku-zero futhi akuyeki ukukhathazeka ngabantu.”
Bese kuba khona ibhonasi phezulu. “Imibono ayifani nalutho olunye, bambalwa abantu abayibonayo. Ukukhwela umbhoshongo kuyinto engcono kakhulu ngokusebenza emotweni yekhebula noma esakhiweni esinomlando. Umbono wakhe awuthandayo yiWakefield Cathedral, enesibhoshongo eside kunazo zonke emhlabeni.” Yorkshire.
UPreston waphendukela emgwaqweni wasemaphandleni safika endaweni yokusebenzela. Lesi yisakhiwo sepulazi esiguquliwe, esivulekele isimo sezulu. Ngaphandle kwakumi ama-minaret amabili: endala, empunga eyenziwe ngemfucumfucu enombala we-moss, kanye nentsha, ebushelelezi futhi ekhilimu. (UPreston uthi yitshe eli-Doulting; angiboni umbala omningi o-orenji ngeso lami elicacile, kodwa uthi izendlalelo ezahlukene zetshe elifanayo zingaba nemibala ehlukene.)
UPreston kwadingeka ahlanganise endala bese ebuyisela izingxenye zayo endaweni yokubeka imikhumbi ukuze anqume ubukhulu bento ezoshintshwa. “Sichithe izinsuku sinamathelisa amatshe ambalwa ndawonye sizama ukuthola ukuthi kwakufanele ibukeke kanjani,” kusho yena njengoba sibuka izinsika ezimbili elangeni.
Kuzobekwa imininingwane yokuhlobisa phakathi kwesipikili kanye ne-weather vane: itshe eliyinhloko. Isimo sayo sembali esinezinhlangothi ezintathu sadalwa nguPreston, ethembekile kulokho okwaphukile, zingakapheli izinsuku ezine. Namuhla ihleli ebhentshini lokusebenzela, ilungele uhambo oluya eSt. Thomas.
Ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, uPreston wangibonisa amabhawodi ensimbi amade egcekeni ayefakwe esiqongweni maphakathi nawo-1990. Umgomo kwakuwukugcina isiqongo siqinile, kodwa onjiniyela abazange bacabangele ukuthi umoya wawunamandla njengoka-Eunice. Ibhawodi elijiyile elinjengepayipi lokukhipha umoya lagoba laba uhlobo lwe-C njengoba liwa. UPreston nethimba lakhe kwakuzodingeka bashiye i-capstan enamandla kunaleyo abayitholile, ngenxa yezinduku zokubopha zensimbi engagqwali ezingcono. “Sasingakaze sihlose ukwenza kabusha umsebenzi sisaphila,” kusho yena.
Endleleni eya eSt. Thomas sadlula eWells Cathedral, omunye umsebenzi kaPreston nethimba lakhe eSSHC. Ngaphezulu kwewashi lezinkanyezi elidumile endaweni esenyakatho, uPreston nethimba lakhe bafaka amasleti amaningana ahlanzekile.
AmaFreemason athanda ukukhononda ngomsebenzi wawo. Bakhuluma ngomehluko phakathi kwamaholo aphansi, ukuhamba ibanga elide, izinkontileka ezisheshayo, kanye nabakhi besikhathi esigcwele abakhululekile, abaseyingcosana. Naphezu kokushiyeka komsebenzi wakhe, uPreston uzibheka njengomuntu onelungelo. Ophahleni lwesonto elikhulu, wabona izinto ezimbi zilungiselwe ukuzijabulisa uNkulunkulu, hhayi ukuzijabulisa abanye abantu. Ukumbona ekhuphuka esiqongweni njengohlobo oluthile lwesithombe kuyajabulisa futhi kuyamjabulisa indodana yakhe eneminyaka emihlanu uBlake. “Ngicabanga ukuthi besinenhlanhla,” esho. “Ngifuna ngempela.”
Kuyohlala kukhona umsebenzi omningi. Izikebhe ezingalungile zangemva kwempi zihlala kubakhi bezakhiwo. Izakhiwo ezindala zingamelana nokushisa kahle, kodwa uma i-Bureau of Meteorology ibikezela ngokunembile ukuthi ushintsho lwesimo sezulu luzoholela eziphephweni ezivame kakhulu, umonakalo obangelwe yiSiphepho u-Eunice uzophindaphindwa izikhathi eziningana kuleli khulu leminyaka.
Sasihleli odongeni oluphansi oluseceleni kwethuna laseSt. Thomas. Lapho isandla sami siphumula onqenqemeni oluphezulu lodonga, ngizwa itshe elidilikayo elenziwe ngalo. Sagoba izintamo zethu ukuze sibone umbhoshongo ongenamakhanda. Ngesinye isikhathi emasontweni azayo – i-SSHC ayikhiphi usuku oluqondile ukuze ababukeli bangaphazamisi abakhuphukayo – uPreston nezisebenzi zakhe bazofaka umbhoshongo omusha.
Bazokwenza lokhu ngamakhreyini amakhulu futhi banethemba lokuthi izindlela zabo zesimanje zizohlala amakhulu eminyaka. Njengoba uPreston ecabanga eshabhu, eminyakeni engama-200 kusukela manje, abakhi bazobe beqalekisa okhokho babo (“iziwula zekhulu lama-21”) nomaphi lapho befaka khona insimbi engagqwali ezakhiweni zethu zasendulo.