This weekend, a team of volunteers from MDAODS have worked tirelessly on Phase I of a thorough sort out and reorganisation of our society’s premises – Adastra House on Shrewsbury Road.
A little bit of history…
Adastra House was originally a chapel erected by the Wesleyans in 1807. It was a simple rectangular construction measuring approximately 30ft x 24ft. In 1817, the space proved inadequate so it was extended to almost double in size. A gallery was added to provide further seating in 1842 at a cost of £50. The building was used for worship and church functions until 1975, including housing a Wesleyan Day School between 1870 and 1891.
The property was acquired by Market Drayton Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society in 1979.
Adastra House, the home of MDAODS
We are very lucky to have our own premises that we are able to use for rehearsals, set building and storage but over the years, it has become a little bit too weighted on the storage side of things! In order to reclaim some space for people and to create a more welcoming environment that celebrates all things Amdrams, some serious decluttering was overdue.
We picked a date and turned up with enthusiasm and a willingness to put in some hard work. There was no fixed plan of attack, but everyone gravitated towards an area where they felt they could make a difference and magic happened! Decisions were made about what should stay and go and Lynda Gough organised the disposal of everything on the “go” pile with military precision.
Anything metal was sorted to take to the Scrap Metal Merchants which generated some income for the society.
Some items were advertised for free on Facebook and were collected by happy, grateful people who proved the proverb “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.
A mountain of bin bags were transported to the local tip.
By avoiding the need for a skip, we saved money and felt good about the recycling/reusing. Huge gratitude to Shropshire Gas for their support with the mammoth task.
Rosie’s Kitchen
Clearing out Adastra House was hard work and we were all so grateful to Rosie and Ali Parrington who provided a delicious selection of sandwiches and nibbles to keep our energy levels up.
Rosie and Ali are the owners of Rosie’s Kitchen in the indoor market. They sell a range of sandwiches, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes with various fillings and a selection of hot and cold drinks. There are vegan options available. I love their baked potatoes which are very generously filled (just the way I like it!) If you haven’t given them a try yet, I do thoroughly recommend them for a lunchtime treat. Check them out on Facebook here!
The results of our labour…
There is still much to do to transform Adastra House into a well organised space with all the functionality we require of it, including being a venue for social events. However, we have made a huge impact already. The sense of space in the main hall is lovely and by putting a smaller table in the kitchen we have so much more room for seating now when we have our tea breaks.
I think I can safely declare Phase I a success and I for one am already looking forward to Phase II which will include curating the Aladdin’s Cave of Props.
The date for Phase II is yet to be decided but will be announced in due course for anyone that wants to help.