Harris Your Place Q&A Series: Nigel, Painter and Decorator
A number of individuals and companies are responsible for the renovations currently taking place as part of the Harris Your Place project. This Q&A series sees us chat with those responsible about their involvement, and what their role is throughout the renovation project.
Tell us a little more about your ties to Preston?
Although I live in Fleetwood, my dad was born in Preston! I’ve worked nearly everywhere in Preston too. We worked at the Bus Station a couple of years ago, and we worked on the Sir Tom Finney Community High School not so long ago. There’s been that many jobs in Preston, I can’t remember them all!
Tell us a little more about the project you’re currently working on?
We’re currently working in the basement at the moment, painting the windows, ceiling and walls – making it look a bit better! We’ve worked all over the building on the different floors. You can end up doing about four or five jobs across the building just in one day. It’s not a bad job to be honest.
Tell us a little more about how you ended up working on this job?
Our manager allocates us all different jobs, and this can change from week to week. Last week, I was on a different job, and this week we were told we would be working on The Harris. I don’t drive you see, but with this job being quite local to us, it was easy to get here and get started on the work.
Tell us a little more about how you got into your career path?
When I left school, there wasn’t much choice, it was either go to sea or be a painter! I would consider myself an artist person, so becoming a painter and decorator made sense to me. And it’s not just about painting, the work involves getting everything prepared and making sure the base is right.
Harris Your Place
Harris Your Place is a £16 million project set to restore and reimagine the Harris for 21st-century audiences as a cultural learning space. The aim of this project is to protect the building and the architecture for future generations whilst enhancing accessibility options and positioning the Harris as a community hub for Preston and Lancashire.
The capital project is more than simply preserving this much-loved building; Harris wants to ensure that it remains a vibrant heart of the community. A place where people want to spend their time.
