Two Wheels and Preserved Manuscripts
A while ago, we sent 280 old manuscripts to be cleaned and restored. It is important to us that these bits of history are preserved for years to come. They are nearly all back now and we are delighted with the results.
We had two of the original drawings by James Paine restored. These detailed the design that was used to create the East Block in the 1750s which had a tear right across it and seemed too fragile to handle. The tear is now almost invisible, along with the tatty edges, after being secured with Japanese paper strips.
We would love to get these framed at some stage and display them alongside photos of the hall, allowing you to see what might have been and what was built.
We know that some changes were made to Paine’s design as triangular pediments went out of fashion, so this part of the façade was removed, along with slight changes to the Venetian windows and the addition of a Doric porch. However, you can still see Paine’s symmetrical and Palladian design features prominently today.
The other manuscripts have been wrapped in acid free tissue before being boxed in Solandar boxes to preserve them. Solandar boxes are named after Dr Daniel Solandar who used them to store botanical samples on his research voyage to Australia and New Zealand on-board the Endeavour, along with Captain James Cook and famous Lincolnshire son, Joseph Banks. Solandar boxes are now used for historical manuscripts, books and papers.
Work has started on the Rectory and the scaffolding has gone up. The wallpaper has already been removed, the electricians have been in looking at the wiring and the floorboards are up. It is good to see things taking shape after the design process. The Rectory, which was designed by CF Penrose in the Victorian era, is a beautiful building with some gloriously breath-taking views to the rear.
We visited another impressive building this week, the Houses of Parliament, for an event connected to a campaign called ‘Fuel Your Inner Legend’. The campaign aims to tackle childhood obesity by exciting and encouraging young children to make healthier choices, as well as offering support to parents. Part of the campaign also shows children how being healthy can help them achieve their aspirations such as being a sportsperson or an astronaut.
Exercise is also a very important part of staying healthy. The Alford Wheelers had their annual cross country event on the estate a couple of weeks ago. With over 200 cyclists, it was certainly a busy day on the estate, and it was great to see the youngsters taking part in the event too! The weather was kind to them and our estate photographer, Damian, got some fantastic shots.
