‘…that’s why we don’t eat their pies’ was the rather lame ‘joke’ on the shop floor when one of my big brothers worked at Walls sausage and pie factory many years ago. Well, the walls at 109 now really do have ears – lots of them growing at an alarming rate. To explain, any level of rainfall heavier than a spit results in water pouring through the 4th floor ceiling (and bringing it down), giving the space that ‘inside/outside’ feel that interior designers often seek to create (the plastic buckets and newspapers on the floor sort of spoil the effect though). Ergo: damp, mouldy walls and ceilings that now have a life of their own, and the top right hand corner of the room has sprouted ears that expand everyday, so that the biggest one is already like a huge hearing trumpet thrusting forth from the wall – maybe all our conversations are being amplified across Merchant City – oh, I do hope not!
We are still packing and dismantling shelves but last week saw huge progress and now the 4th floor is all but packed away, with only the staff office area left. When we are all engaged in our ‘packing’ work, everything seems more or less normal, but when we are sitting at our computers absorbed in our various ‘office’ tasks, everything seems so surreal now, as the echo in the room is more pronounced, the strange absence of members, visitors and users is something that none of us can get used to, and Helen works away on the computer that used to be in the top right corner but is now an island in the middle of a bare floor.
Not long now, I hope, before we finally move into Parnie Street – I reckon by the end of September / beginning of October – ish, and we can leave all this behind. I am surprised at my lack of sentimentality at leaving 109 but when I look at the growing ears, any dash I may have disappears, replaced by thoughts of creating a new Library space at the Mitchell Library.
We still need help with packing and painting the decant space at Parnie Street, so if you can help, please do contact us, and do come up and see our ears – they are a ‘site’ for sore, er, ears!
