Another Blog of interest!

This is a fascinating read....

www.thoughtsonconservation.blogspot.com


.... I particularly the guidance post on buying your first toolbox for Conservation!

Conservation at Calke Abbey and Sudbury Hall

The National Trust Museum of Childhood based at Sudbury Hall is currently undergoing a period of transformation - enter the conservators to go through the entire collection producing condition reports, taking photographs, and carry out necessary treatments.




I was able to volunteer on the project for a couple of weeks:
a fascinating experience, and also an eye-opener for how quickly conservators have to assess and treat objects in big projects!

Hanbury Hall

A return visit to Hanbury Hall enabled Simon and I to see the completion of a newly restored paint scheme in one of the upstairs rooms - paint analysis undertaken for the National Trust had revealed Walnut-effect paintwork. This has now been recreated, and the results are remarkable, especially the reproduction of wood grain.


Our visit also allowed us to see the flowering of the restored plant garden at the back of the property.

Stratford-upon-avon

Whilst Simon was taking photos for a wedding just outside Stratford, I decided to be a tourist for the day and visit the "Birthplace of William Shakespeare!" That American and Japanese tourists really seem to love this town, must be due to the Medieval architecture that has survived so well. Some of the smaller cottages are also quintessential picture-postcard territory. The other major lure of the town must surely be the RSC - former home to some of the most popular English actors. The Swan Theatre is excellently placed overlooking the river Avon. At the moment, the company is involved in the cycle of history plays - it currently being the turn of Henry IV.

New Magna Carta book

Simon and recently did some photographs for a new publication by Lincoln Cathedral on the Magna Carta to accompany the tour of the document to America. The Magna Carta has now returned to Lincoln, and the book has been published in England. To celebrate this fact: the Chancellor of the Cathedral gave his lecture "Magna Carta - an icon for the 21st century? on Saturday. This was a really interesting lecture, and well delivered. The Chancellor argues that the Magna Carta is not so much important for what was written down, but rather what it inspires in its readers - an aspiration for freedoms and democracy. The influence of the Magna Carta is self evident, and not only in the obvious choice of the American declaration, but also in aspiring democracies across the world. It is true that not every constitution that has been inspired by the Magna Carta has survived its attackers, but what is perhaps more important are the attempts and dreams of those who have dared to believe. The Chancellor's final point was that Magna Carta presents us with a challenge: to continue the struggle for basic freedoms for all people that was codified at Runnymede in 1215.
It only remains for me to say do look out for the book - the photographs in the first couple of chapters are great!

HMS Discovery at the Waterfront festival

As part of the Waterfront festival in Lincoln this year, Brayford Pool played host to a full-size replica of HMS Discovery, the ship which took early settlers from Lincolnshire to Virginia. Much smaller than you would imagine, the ship is remarkable due to its incredible journey across the Atlantic.

Lyme Regis

We've just returned from a Camping Holiday in Lyme Regis. Having not been camping since my Guide days, I was a little apprehensive about the tent, especially given it was one of the smallest at the tent show! However, Simon's large car more than mad up for it, and we certainly managed to take absolutely everything we could possibly have wanted!

As well as enjoying the beach and fossil hunting in Lyme Regis itself, we visited the local 'Philpot Museum', which provided a fascinating picture of local history - the old fire engine was particularly sweet. We also visited Sherbourne Abbey, the Cerne Abbas Giant, the Dorchester Museum, the heritage centre at Charmouth, a cider brewery and winery in Axeminster, and a lovely house owned by the National Trust at Shute. It's truly amazing how many places you can visit in 5 days when you put your mind to it.

We were also lucky to catch the start of the 2nd Fossil Festival before we left. The Natural History museum had brought their new table-top 'Scanning Electron Microscope' to demonstrate.... whilst it does quite have the same resolution as the full size version, it's still an impressive museum. On the Friday night we also attended two lectures: one about the evolution of man, the cyclical nature of Ice Ages, and how man continues to survive by Christopher Stringer - interesting, also perhaps a good argument for why not to get too worried by 'climate change' and 'global warming' since maybe it's all part of a natural cycle of events. The second lecture was given by Hugh Torrens, and described the geology of Dorset, and the people who have worked to describe and explain - an engaging speaker on a fascinating subject.

On the way back to Lincoln we stopped off in Wells, visiting the Cathedral and meeting up with some friends. The Cathedral is wonderful, and the newly cleaned Chapter House looks very white - sometimes we can forget just how dirty the stonework actually is!