Sadly, this week saw us bidding farewell to three of our volunteers at the RTH. Natalie England and Rebecca Khurshid have moved on to paid work, while Carolina Sanchez, an intern from Switzerland, has come to the end of her Work Overseas period. All three have been working on the silhouette project mentioned in earlier blogs. Taking all the information from the seminal McKechnie encyclopedia, as well as every issue of the silhouette newsletter, and turning it all into what is probably the largest data base for silhouettes online, was a huge undertaking. It seems almost miraculous that we are nearing the end of this work. However, nothing could even have been attempted on this scale were it not for the hard work and dedication of people like Nat., Rebecca and Carolina. Best of luck to all three.
The Isis Gallery exhibition of the works of Harry Adams has now finished. The paintings, all of which were in soft and muted shades, were set off particularly well in the setting of the RTH and we all look forward to Isis Gallery’s next exhibition.
Summer bookings to utilise the spaces at the RTH are now starting to multiply and it is encouraging to know that all through the summer the old house will be primped and admired as it slowly returns to its former glory.
Two rooms, in fact, will have been completed by the time summer starts. The housekeepers room at No.10 could indeed be finished by the end of next week. Once that has been done the wine cellar will be next on the list as this requires very little to be done. As the walls and ceilings in the large kitchen have been completed for some time, it will soon be possible to utilise that space once more. Work on the installation of the huge kitchen range will take some time yet, but it is entirely possible to get the feel of an authentic Regency kitchen even before the range is installed.
The kitchen at No.13 however, is slotted for use as a work-shopping space. It’s interesting to see the differences in the dimensions and lay-outs of the two different kitchens, especially given that all the houses in Brunswick Square were built from the same basic plan. Just as is done to-day, however, individual owners could choose not only the mouldings and fittings, but could also make adjustments to the plans. Comparisons between the two kitchen areas illustrates this point wonderfully.
A rather touching phone-call recently came from a couple who wanted to hold their wedding anniversary celebrations at the RTH. Why? Because this is where they held their wedding reception back in the ‘90s. If houses really had personalities I’m sure that No.13 would applaud that decision.
It was sad to see a neighbouring house being stripped of all its original interior fittings and fixtures which were dumped onto the pavement en route to the dump. Curator Nick and I went to have a look and, with help from volunteer Paul Cheswell, managed to liberate some original hinges, knobs, brackets and even wood. So don’t forget us if you or neighbours ever do a similar house-strip. Before you call the skip, call us.
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