A MELKSHAM builder has made it to the finals of the regional Building Excellence Awards, having spent his entire working life in the construction industry.
George Parks, a self-employed builder specialising in extensions, has been shortlisted for the ‘Best Local Builder’ award in the Local Authority Building Control’s awards scheme for the West of England.
George, who lives in Melksham and has been a builder since starting as an apprentice in his teens said, “I’m honoured to be in the final of this award; I’ve never been part of something like this before. I just do my job and try to take care of my customers – I’ve never looked for gratitude, so it’s a big thing for me.”
George was nominated for the award by Wiltshire Council’s building control department. He will attend the final ceremony at Bristol’s Marriott Hotel next month.
“It’s important to me to thank everyone who has helped me over the years,” George continued. “Especially all my past and present customers; tradesmen Pete Alford, John Thayer, Andy Fletcher, Ashley Groves and Melksham Scaffolding; and my two employees Callum Parks and Colin Peerman.
“I’d also like to thank Andrew Milsom and the building control team at the council – I couldn’t do what I do without them and they make everything safer for builders and for customers.
“I absolutely love my job and I feel lucky to have such a great team around me. My name’s on the van but I couldn’t do it on my own. Customers put a lot of trust in us, so doing a good job and being honest with people is my first priority. Seeing people happy when we’ve built something they love makes it all worthwhile. It’s just day-to-day work for me so to be put forward for this award is the biggest bonus in the world.”
Andrew Milsom, a senior building control surveyor at Wiltshire Council, has overseen George’s work for around 15 years.
He said, “We have built up a rapport with George over the years and nominated him for this award because he always produces such good quality work, and by being so reliable makes ours and his customers’ lives that much easier.”
To find out more about the LABC’s Building Excellence Awards visit www.labc.co.uk
![Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.](https://scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/505444438_18038424887647822_3264519508333556874_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=gXZQJoHTNiEQ7kNvwHezuPI&_nc_oc=AdlrJvMDapuork_EjycPOcegNeMnCA37GEIudkxkTeCfTgvB5iijE05ojpwlYCd5gN8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=QNvAO5SMZpVXmVytNQqVSQ&oh=00_AfPCRkqHgOSMvuudIx2c3c6tPfxG8yxgXENMsL7kQCav3g&oe=685475CA "Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.")
