And so the press interest continues! This time we get a mention in the ‘Professional Builder’.

Our Orangery is finally finished and it means now that all our guests will get a stunning view across and up the lake while eating. The builders have done a great job and this oak framed building is already getting many a kind comment. While the workmen were here they posed for a picture and we sent the image to a national magazine read widely by the construction industry. To our utter amazement – and to the delight of the builders – the picture and story were published and we reproduce the article below.

A group of Welshpool builders in Mid Wales have been putting their own slant on an iconic black and white picture which has been seen all over the world. In 1930 a photographer with a head for heights clambered up the Empire State building to capture an image of workmen having their lunch sitting on a girder hanging precariously in mid air over New York. They were part of a workforce of three and a half thousand men who built an incredible storey a day. Dyfrig Jones of DRJ Builders of Llanerfyl and his team have been constructing an orangery at The Old Rectory on the lake at Talyllyn – mid way between Dolgellau and Aberdovey – and during a recent lunch break took time to pose for their picture. “As a boy I often looked at that poster of the men lunching so far up and was inspired by the casualness of it all and I suppose seeing how that Art Deco building was constructed encouraged me to join my father Dewi in the family business. During the last few weeks we have been erecting a fantastic oak framed building at a five star bed and breakfast at Talyllyn and this seemed the ideal backdrop with the snow covering the peaks across the valley for our own picture opportunity,” said Dyfrig, pictured appropriately reading his regular copy of ‘Professional Builder’. “Of course health and safety issues were simply ignored back in the 1930’s but for our picture we made sure we had the right scaffolding and air mats were to hand,” Dyfrig added. “We were only a few feet above the lake – how the Americans managed to be up so high I simply do not know!” Eighty years ago the fearless American workers finished the one hundred and three storey Empire Building far ahead of schedule and well under budget – the owners of The Old Rectory on the lake say they are hoping that DRJ Builders will do the same!!!