I have really come to enjoy this annual four day adventure at West Dean. Everyone is so engaged, and everyone brings so much knowledge. So different from lecturing a class of two hundred undergraduates.
On the way we had a rainbow on the road. Rather cool.
I was battling with a stick, just a few days away from a hip replacement operation. Everyone was exceptionally helpful. I was given a bedroom a few steps from the lift and everyone helped carrying my food trays and papers.
View out of the front door
We reinstated the evening sessions with some gentle work vegetable tanning fish with tea bags – yes, tea has tannin in it, but Yorkshire is better than Tetley.
We had many fascinating discussions aided by the group being so diverse with a bookbinder, a modern empirical taxidermist/sculptor and conservationists with wide backgrounds
And we had time to gather thoughts and opinions on a few artefacts, one of which was a lunchbox I bought twenty years ago in Bahir Dar on the side of Lake Tana. A beautifully made item.
Another great success for West Dean and the Leather Conservation Centre. Many great new friends made.