St. George?s Town Hall roof will be fixed in time for the Peppercorn Ceremony and the arrival of the first East End cruise ship to dock at Ordnance Island this year.

Mayor Mariea Caisey said that renovations to the roof have been going faster than she anticipated. The renovations will be finished by next week. The roof was damaged in 2003 during Hurricane Fabian. Temporary measures were taken to ensure it did not leak.

Renovations to the rest of the town hall were completed by October, 2004. Ms Caisey said she could not take credit for the repairs to the roof because it had been placed on the agenda by former Mayor E. Michael Jones.

?The Corporation crew have worked non-stop, day and night, to get this job done and they need to be commended,? she added.

The Town Hall is over 200 years old having been built in 1805 before the country?s capital was moved from St. George?s to Hamilton.

Ms Caisey said the Corporation crew were also busy sprucing up the town for the summer season, when thousands of visitors will tour the world heritage site.

The first cruise ship of the season docks on April 24, in time for the annual Peppercorn Ceremony. This year the ceremony will be held on April 26.

The ceremony marks the day the annual rent is due for the State House.

The State House is one of the oldest standing English buildings in the New World. In the early 1800s it was rented to the Masonic Lodge, St. George?s No. 200 at an annual rent of one peppercorn to be paid if demanded on the Feast of St. John.

Payment is made during the Peppercorn Ceremony on the Wednesday nearest St. George?s Day, April 23.