Its my first blog for some time i know, and its not because i haven't wanted to, nor that i have nothing to say (i always have something to say, ask the wife) but since the success of the AGM in August and all that was achieved during at that time and since, and believe me despite what you may or may not have been told or may or may not believe, your Owners Association all the owners involved and the committee have by Bulgarian and actually any standard, particularly given all the many complications that exist at the Village, have done remarkably well, and for this period we have chosen, “as felt it was right” to step back a little and let the wheels turn and the OA establish its mark and rightful position at the Hill and Park. During this time we to have been extremely busy preparing our strategy for the coming season plus planning and prepping the essential repair works program necessary to get the complex to the next stage, that has meant designing and establishing repair solutions and selecting appropriate materials required to properly expedite the works. Which as you can imagine is not a straight forward task given the extent of the issues, the poor original material selection and the even worst application of said materials this combined with the limited funds available has meant that following on from our LCR (location condition report) a carefully planned remedial works strategy has had to be put together between ours selves and the OA, that best improves the integrity of the buildings and serves the needs of the owners, and this month we are happy to advise that we have commenced the process of rolling out this program of remedial works activities.
To be honest i am not the best self publicist, and as a rule preferring to DO rather than TALK.
Whilst i love the written word, as a dxlexic it frustratingly, does not come easy for me and for me to get things from my mind to the page, it has to in the first instance just feel right. This is why i choose now and why i choose to title this blog 100 years, as this week past saw Bulgaria and Bansko celebrate 100 years since the end of 500 years of Ottoman / Turkish rule / slavery, yes 500 years you read right and when you also remember that during this last 100 years 44 of them, from 1946 to 1989/90 where spent in communism that means as a nation, out of the last 600 years only 56 years where enjoyed as a free people! and only 23 years have passed since the end of communist oppression. Think about that!
My Dad always told me (and he traveled a lot, he was a merchant sea man) when in Rome do as the Romans do, i also have been lucky enough to have traveled well and worked abroad extensively and have taken my Dad words and advise further and believe that to enjoy a country, any country best and to get the most from it you must understand and respect its people, not just turn up and expect a mini England, get immersed enjoy it for what it is, this doesn't mean forgive the waitress / waiter for being either rude or generally miserable nor trying to rip you off, or the developer that took you money and run, no amount of oppressive and dreadful history forgives this, but more understand and more knowledge about the place in which you have invested and like to visit cannot be a bad thing, to this end i have put a number of links below which you might like to read, like us English its a nations History that shapes us and makes us who we are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian–Ottoman_Wars
To celebrate this 100 year the Bansko municipality has erected a very appropriate and quiet elegant memorial, with a lovely sculpture that depicts a contemporary image of the mountain flower Edelweiss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium_alpinum a wonderfully interesting flower that is quite prevalent and very well protected here. Chantal with her school attended the unavailing which was presided over buy the Bulgaria parliamentary speaker.
Complex General repair works activities moving forward:
With the massive swing in temperatures we have experienced in Bansko last season 2011/12 withtemperature down to -35deg and this year summer up to + 40deg then again as the autumn has drown in during the day temperature reaching over 20deg but at night in the minus the Buildings and there materials as the Park and Hill and right across the region have suffered massive movement in expansion and contraction stretching to the limit even the best and most well built developments to the limit with most suffering fabric break down in some shape or form. Here at the Village most of the problems have occurred with the tiling systems both internal and externally floor and cladding the roof also have suffered significantly. The problem is that its never practical nor cost effective to replace everything and start again thus we have been working with our partners and friends at Baumit (baumit.com) the number one german building material supply specialist to select the absolute best materials necessary to fix each issue we have before us, this means one solution for in side, one for external, one for floor one for wall one for roof etc, etc
Our first target was the Hill Main Steps which have become a right mess and more than a little dangerous, this presented a great test for the products we have selected and if you see the images below we feel looking good, we even re-done the timber hand rails and re secured them.  |
| A vast improvement and a good place to start in ernest the remedial works program. |
We are now moving internally and from next week will be working through each block intern at both the Hill and Park, repairing all common area floor tiling. In our survey of the works we found movement in some instance in excess of 15mm huge in construction terms.
Reinstatement of the mains water pathway area.
Further to our repair of the Hill 4 inch mains water pipe outside reception we are this week coming starting the ground works and reinstatement project, again carful and considered planning was required as in the process of uncovering the damaged pipe serious flaws in the construction of the reception steps where uncovered and under pinning of these was considered necessary as part of the ground works, proper support of the main pipe will be engineered in and allowance for suitable expansion made, further the area of reinstatement we be future proofed as correct footing will be put in place such that this section will suffer no further subsidence. Also to be built in to the project will be correct drain away provision and detailing in order to minims potential for further water ingress to basement areas.
Progress and update images during the project will be posted.
The next major project to get under way and will also start during next week will be the roof repair at the Park serious project here also, with the majority of the issues arising out off the typically poor initial, material selections and bad installation practices and detailing.
By working in new BS type construction detailing and installation methods we will by the end of the project regain the necessary roof integrity currently missing from the complex.
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| Just love this time of year the sky and mountains provide assume sights. |
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| One beautiful early morning sky from the balcony |
Along side all this and as most of our IPM clients are already aware our pre winter season checks and reports are going out making sure that not only is the complex in as good a shape as we can get it but also the apartments with in it.
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| Very pleased with the Hill sign, i surprise my self some times |
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| You know when you have got something right when people use it, particular when its the locals |
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| Up dated Park sign |
Crown Interiors has also been very busy and over the next few week we will be reviling some of the wonderful project we have completed and are currently working on.
Bansko what's going on:
Having just finished what was the best summer season ever in Bansko certainly in my 7 years here (summer here being my favorite period, so much to do and see) Ulen excelled with their summer program and extra facilities plus making the gondola fully open all summer. And yes THE BUZZ is back in Bansko and the town is a wash with new investment and new investors, Both home grown and international with at least 10 project that that we know of that have sat dead for years springing into action and not insignificant project either at the start of the hill coming to the St John Village, a Bulgarian invest from Varna is completing this project and a good job there doing of it, our friend in the Russian Villas opposite us have re-kick of there development planning to complete their spa and conferencing facility for march next year, and many many more in and around the town.
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| A vast improvement, i feel we will be one of the first regions to complete construction in Bansko |
New restaurants that are promising an additional diversity to the Bansko night life will be ready for this season (more details soon) a new improved super market at the beginning of the town, that is selling a vastly improved range of products. the golf course is just a different place now and alive the new hotel with is great restaurants and wonderful boutique spa, which my girls all 3 of them said was like chilling in Paul Getty’s personal spa, bless them.
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| A very interesting new build restaurant, the interior also interesting done in the style of an old church |
The narrow gauge railway has a new investor a swiss/uk group looking to make a proper tourist attraction out of this amazing and unique line, the second highest in Europe and one of very few operating narrow gauge lines in the world.
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| New improved Super market at the beginning of the Town and a good improvement at that |
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| Additional shop units added |
Why you ask and why now, well its like this Bansko is a beautiful place Mother Nature saw to that and that has, and will never change, but the word on the street and thats local street, is those with the money always know when to spend or can pay for the information necessary to know when to spend thats the same world wide and right now the word is something big will be announced very soon if not per season certainly in the new year and that something is very important to the future success of Bansko and the region, you must remember that some very important and very powerful people have invested heavily here and see this resort as there legacy, and what we do know is that a collective of these very powerful and influential people have placed a petition on the desk of the prime-minister pushing heavily to sign off on the new Gondola, now its never over until the fat lady sing as they say, but with one major investor sinking in the region of 600 million into the town over the last 18 months you have to think it might just happen!
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| Who wouldn't like it here |
Thats it for now, thank you for choosing Crown and thank you for letting us serve you.
