Devon County Show
Thatching Advisory Services visited the Devon County Show on Thursday 18th May, despite the weather not being at its best, there were the usual large crowds enjoying the vast array of livestock, agriculture, services and products available.
TAS dropped in on The Devon and Cornwall Master Thatchers Association. On their stand that day Mike Dray, Jason Rose and Lee Hawkins were happy to share their knowledge and experiences with the people that visited their stand. Lee was busy demonstrating the construction of a pheasant which would be attached to the ridge of a property on completion as a final flourish.
The Association, founded after the last war, are dedicated to maintaining the high standards of workmanship and caring about thatched houses and their owners.
Thatchsayf – Munster Thatching Services
Richard O’Loideoin of Munster Thatching Services in Ireland recently completed his training to become an approved contractor for the application of Thatchsayf fire retardant.
Thatching Advisory Services carried out the training with Richard and his team on a newly-thatched property in Kenmare, Co. Kerry. The 230m² roof, recently thatched by Richard, was treated with ‘coloured’ Thatchsayf.
The weather was certainly on our side and made for perfect spraying conditions.
National Society of Master Thatchers – Annual Conference 2012
TAS recently attended the National Society of Master Thatchers Annual Conference and AGM.
The event, which was held at the Burley Hotel in Hampshire, was very well attended and included some excellent presentations.
The conference was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues as well as meeting new ones. It was also a chance to obtain a copy of Marjorie and Roger’s new book Thatches and Thatching.
NFU – Thatch Fire Presentation
Rob Norcott recently gave a presentation to a number of NFU policy holders in Hungerford, Bekshire.
The presentation 
explained the various fire protection products and systems available to the owners of thatched properties.
The event, which was organised by the Hungerford NFU Mutual branch office, saw Rob attend in a support capacity alongside the NFU Mutual thatched property insurance representatives.
Thatch Alert – Peter Brugge
Thatching Advisory Services approved thatcher – Peter Brugge has taken delivery of a TAS -33 Thatch Alert Chimney heat monitoring system. Peter will now be able to advise the owners of thatched roof properties on the benefits of the system, especially if there is either a wood burner or open fire in the property.
Suffolk Preservation Society
Full details of the Suffolk Preservation Society autumn conference – ‘Fire and Thatch: a burning issue’ where Rob Norcott from Thatching Advisory Services was invited to speak, were recently published in the Winter 2011 edition of ‘Suffolk View’, the campaigning publication of the Suffolk Preservation Society.
Copies of the publication can be obtained via their website: www.suffolksociety.org/News/
The National Stud
Thatching Advisory Services recently supplied its Thatch Firewall membrane for the National Stud on Newmarket Racecourse on behalf of the Jockey Club. The original thatch roof, which was destroyed by fire in March 2011, also had 100mm Thatchbatts specified and will also benefit from the installation of a Thatch Alert Chimney Heat Monitor System.
Dropmore Infants School – Buckinghamshire
Thatching Advisory Services recently completed the spraying of Thatchsayf on the new thatched roof of Dropmore Infants School. Buckinghamshire County Council requested that TAS carry out the spraying of the fire retardant once the new thatching was completed in early November.
The roof was treated with the coloured Thatchsayf, which complemented the dark brown wooden cladding, which surrounds the Grade II listed building. The school is one of only a few thatched schools in the country.
The roof, which is 223m², was thatched by Steve Bowen.
Thatchsayf – Grant Batchelor
TAS Approved Thatcher, Grant Batchelor recently completed his training to become an approved contractor for the application of Thatchsayf.
The training took place on a property in Weedon Lois, Northampton, which Grant had recently thatched. The treated roof area was 191m².
New vehicle for TAS
Thatching Advisory Services recently took delivery of a new vehicle. The vehicle has already started clocking up the miles following a number of Thatch Alert installations and Thatchsayf spraying contracts across the country.
The most recent being an installation of Thatch Alert at the National Stud on Newmarket Racecourse on behalf of the Jockey Club.