Heart of Oak Update on 22nd March 2012

By: Felicity Cole
Added: 10 December 1999

 On the 22nd March Hugh Harrison, and his conservators Liz Cheadle and Laurence Beckford were able to demonstrate to the audience gathered at old Forde House, the careful and skillful process of removing the layers of dark varnish from the wood, and the process of re-carving the missing pieces of the panels.
 
The public were then invited to 'have a go' themselves! Excited people stepped forward to work on the conservation of the Tudor panels and to learn about the laborious process involved.   They were then able to watch Laurence Baeckford carving the missing elements on one of the panels and explaining the process. The air was electric!
 
This was followed by a presentation from Hugh Harrison on the work that his team is involved with throughout the UK and internationally, which took us through centuries of fascinating ancient wood work, from the 11th century to the 1970s.

Dr Riall, the projects historic researcher, then updated the audience on the various avenues of research he has been taking and put forward the various theories that he is in the process of persuing.

This was followed by a colourful presentation by Kate Green, the arts Co-ordinator for the project,of all the arts related workshops that had been delivered, "...a small teaspoon of the banquet of arts workshops that the community had been involved with so far.."