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Renovation of Hut 44
oo
In October 2003 David and Liz Wooding offered a group of friends a choice of buildings for restoration, and as a Group base.
At that stage Hut 44 was a bare, empty building, 60 Feet long x 18 Feet 6 Inches wide, with 2 Roof Trusses broken, (allowing the roof to sag down, and the walls to lean out), the top of the West wall was missing, most of the outer plaster-board on the South wall damaged, innumerable number of holes in the inner plaster-board of all of the walls, and virtually no window panes.  
After a Group meeting to decide a building plan, the first “working-weekend” in November 2003 work started to repair the Roof Trusses, and pull the walls “in”.
 To further support the roof, 2 transverse walls were built, plus 2 longitudinal, thus creating 2 small rooms, (Officers, for the use of) and a corridor to a Kitchen and Dining Area. This then left a 32 Feet x 18 Feet 6 Inches area for multi-purpose use.
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Interior work progressed steadily, patching holes in the plaster-board, building “Black-out Lockers” for both exterior doors, replacing 158 window panes, (leaving only 2 original), until Easter 2005, when major exterior work commenced. All of the plasterboard on the South wall was removed, wooden framework replaced where necessary, and new plasterboard fitted, covered with ample coatings of bitumen paint.
Over 60 Years growth of moss and lichen was removed from the roof !
Normally the main area of the building is fitted out as an 11-bed dormitory, either a WAAF barrack room, or Army barrack room.
Work is still on-going, replacement of the East wall being the next major project.
 Hopefully when complete, both the interior and exterior will have an authentic 1940’s appearance !