[BITList] Our pyramid is collapsing - send for the Welsh! -Africa, World - The Independent

[HUGH]

Mike,

When the latest central heating was being dreamed up, I was on the
Congregational Board of our church (aka Board of Management).  The Church of
Scotland (aka Edinburgh) had their own expert who vetted and vetoed our
suggestions, and those of British Gas.  In the end he had his way, or no
grant would be forthcoming.  I had nothing to do with the installation, saw
no drawings or diagrams, and only saw the completed system years after, when
I undertook the supervision of said system.  A bloody shambles, illiterate
engineering-wise.  The expert's advice had been broad brush, quite sensible,
but translated into reality by people who couldn't pump up a tyre on a bike.
Grossly wasteful of gas was only one of the faults.  So, employing ones own
consultant isn't always the complete solution.

On the roof debacle, the consultants were the firm who had acted in a
similar capacity when the church was built c1960.  They toured the place a
few times with me in tow, took all the drawings away (so far not returned),
organised a laser survey which told me nothing I didn't already know, had
test borings of the woodwork done, and produced a report.  Their report came
to no firm conclusion about anything - their fee didn't run to that -
they suggested replacement options only.  Those and such as those
extrapolated like mad and wrote their own conclusion on a "we never liked 
that
kind of roof anyway" basis.

Hugh.