Happy New Year, and hope you are all recovering from the festivities and recent snow.

Managed to escape the limitations of the dreadful weather conditions in Hampshire this week and successfully set up the Scagliola exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill on Monday.Seamus , Sarah and myself have worked very hard over the last few months to produce a selection of pieces showing the variety of techniques and colours and finishes that can be produced.
There is an illustrated display/explanation board showing history, techniques and list of where the best historic examples can be seen.
The exhibition runs until April and we shall be offering a lecture and brief demonstration in March (This will not be a tutorial)It will last in total an hour and a half and cost £10.Contact Whitchurch silkmill to book a place.Will post contact details and phone number as soon as date finalised-probably 13th or 14th March.


East Dene here in Bonchurch have agreed recent quotation and work starts there soon to replace some 8'x6' painted ceiling panels and to restore the damaged paintwork on the plaster pilasters in the reception.

We also met the trustees of Northwood House in Cowes. They came to watch lecture at East Dene on work carried out there.As a result, they have now been instrumental in the start of what is hoped will be  promising network here on the island.
Next week, I am delivering the second promotional illustrated lecture to young people in Portsmouth, encouraging "Taster days" of heritage skills.This will culminate in the Spring with an open day at Southsea Castle..

The SERCSAG group has now re branded to become the HSN(Heritage Skills Network ) South East and we meet on the 21st in Reading. Will update news on that. There should shortly be flyers encouraging a heritage hub of skills throughout the South East.I will let you know as soon as they are produced..
Please look regularly at the NHTG website, and in particular, the South East section, for events.
http://www.nhtg.org.uk/regionsandhomecountries/southeast/index.aspx.Follow link for SHIPS inclusion.
Righty ho, will now attempt to include pictures and rejig the website.

Autumn 2009-everything coming together.

Dockyard:

There has been for the last few months a new initiative to look at a use for the Block Mills building, ever since the exterior was restored and taken off the at risk register in 2008.The Block Mills is a Grade 1 listed building, being designed by Marc Brunel, and the first machine"Factory" in the world, indeed one of the seminal buildings of the Industrial revolution.It produced ships' blocks and remained open until 1965.

 

There is now a consortium/steering group, trying to use this wonderful space to house heritage training, in a way which allows maximum  access  to the 500,000 visitors who pass through the Victory Gates each year.

Training would include us, Historic Ships, who want to base a training facility here, and possibly Highbury College, and other parties, running a mix of accredited courses and commercial links, with apprenticeship opportunities etc .Watch this space. Important meeting in November.Will know the future then.

Cell Block

I would like to see the cell block now used as a possible marketing suit specifically for education.As you know ,the plans are already in "Proposal" form and could be adapted for this purpose.I think the one disadvantage of the Block Mills is that it is too far from the main thoroughfare, and everyone likes visiting prison cells.(See the Location heading on the home page)

Of course, there is the Mary Rose museum &multi million pound development underway now and nothing is written in stone. The entrance to the dockyard will soon look entirely different,giving a reassessment of use of space.

Course writing

Since the NHTG/Construction Skills adn EH have begun to look at training, a national structure is  emerging, based around the NVQ level 3  and CSCS cards.

After autumn 2010, it will be necessary to hold one of theseCSCS cards in heritage construction, to work in the field.There are also plans to introduce a level 4NVQ using the livery companies and their mastercraftsman recognised status.This is still a work in progress.

Meanwhile, myself and Seamus Gordon have written a level 2 qualification for OCNW, which we hope will be the feed into the level 3 NVQ

Find your Talent

I have been asked as part of a government initiative to visit secondary schools in the Portsmouth area to promote a taster session event in traditional craft skills.

I shall be doing this with George Terry from Highbury, although independently.-through SHIP

Highbury have been extremely helpful to me, and I have an excellent relationship with them.Highbury also sit on the SE SERCSAG(South East Region Craft Skills Action Group),

group as I do, and George works with Construction Skills nationally as their plaster course advisor and writer.

Highbury also hosted me receiving the Scagliola bursery.

Bursledon Brickworks

SHIP attended the September traditional craft skills demonstration day-with Seamus doing scagliola demos.

It was an interesting day meeting practitioners, some of whom had been members of our course. Phil Oatley was there with his decorative plasterwork.Excellent quality. 2 names he mentioned. I was Richard Walker-had I ever heard of him ?, and the other was Celia, whom he said had changed his life by informing him of architectural context to our practical studies.He knew that this extra knowledge had given him the edge when tendering for work.Clients were impressed that he had an understanding of the whole picture so to speak.

Unfortunately Bursledon no longer stock materials, which is very sad, since many small businesses bought supplies at a very reasonable rate from him.It has all now been sold to a contractor, for financial reasons.Times are hard and they have been struggling to manage the admin of the sales side.

 Whitchurch silkmill exhibition  Jan-March-2010

We are now preparing for that. Anyone who has a really nice piece of scag to loan, we would be more than grateful to show it  for 3 months.

Art in Action July 2009

Waterperry House Oxford/Cole and Sons/wallpaper

Brilliant trip where I met Cole and Sons .They had a small marquee and hand blocked wallpaper demonstrations. Very exciting and a possible link with them-watch this space.

Lectures and demonstrations

SHIP is building on these and it is proving a good way of getting known.Another gilding study day for NADFAS is scheduled in conjunction with the Kings theatre.

A.P.C Seamus and I have been awarded membership of the Associate Plaistering Company in a teaching capacity because of our work in promoting Scagliola

Commercial Work

East Dene

Sarah Lupton of Historic Building Survey , Seamus and myself have been working to repair and restore a ceiling. Phase 1  has now been completed and phase 2 starts shortly.

The ceilings are described by Pevsner as "Sumptuous" and are stencilled painted/papered and gilded panels set within a framework of gilded decorative mouldings. East Dene was the home of Algernon Swinburne the poet and MP JHenry Snowdon, governor of the Isle of Wight, and reputedly host to Queen Victoria and the Zsar.

The house has been neglected for some years but now has a renaissance as a wedding venue. The events fund further restoration.See events for images.

These are just some of the most recent activities.

NOVEMBER will be the decider as far as the centre is concerned.

NHTG SE.New website

SHIP is featured on the front of the newly created  regional website of the NHTG-Nationall Heritage Training Group.      page.http://www.nhtg.org.uk/regionsandhomecountries/southeast/index.aspx

SERCSAG

Many of you will know that I am now included as part of the steering group for the South East -SERCSAG, which includes English Heritage , Construction Skills and NHTG, and has  been formed specifically to address the shortages of skilled practitioners within the heritage/construction field...There are also commercial companies, public bodies and training institiutions represented within this group, and  I am being supported and encouraged as SHIP grows.

DOCKYARD VISIT-USE OF LECTURE THEATRE

Mark Hinsley of NHTG, Lyndsay Riddell, project developer for EH and Tony Herridge of Cliveden Conservation visited the cell block in November.Pete Lambert, the dockyard surveyor showed us around and I am delighted to say that we now are able to use the fantastic facilities within Boathouse 6. They are truly excellent and provide self contained purpose built lecture and study area. We can of course use boathouse 4 for messy activities.Meanwhile we are now nearing planning application, for the cell block proposal and shortly there will be an exhibition of proposal plans in the visitor centre.

Most of my time has been taken up working on building the commercial side of the project, although there is also progress on the funded courses front too...............watch this space.

BROCHURE

Sarah Lupton has produced a fantastic brochure which has just gone to print.I cannot thank her enough for all the time she has spent, to make it perfect.It will mean that now the marketing of leisure courses and events will really get cracking.

SCAG BURSERY

The worshipful Company of Plaisterers are presenting SHIP with a bursery in Feb--and Seamus has agreed to use the money to put together a presentation/demonstration package and organise all the initial materials.The dockyard has agreed to house equipment for us. ..... will write more about this after the event.

WHITCHURCH SILK MILL

Has agreed a 3 month scag exhibition early next year, to include a weekend of demonstrations, and a special event,lecture/demonstration to an invited audience.We would like to reflect the history, process and future of scag-so keep this in mind if any of you would like to produce any pieces this summer.The exhibition space is a lovely glass affair, viewed on all sides, ceiling to floor and measuring about 2metres x4metres.

The silk mill has just taken on an apprentice-aged 67, so there is hope for me yet!

KINGS THEATRE

Another thank you to Kelly,for coming to the open day last Saturday.She was brilliant, and Simon carried her beautiful screen up to the small  bar, where she handed out loads of pamphlets and told loads of locals(and a group of Harley bikers) all about the history of the Matcham theatre, work done on the restoration and about courses and SHIP.

Glen's Black and Gold columns looked fabulous too,and he and Seamus popped in.There were about 500 visitors, and at some times it seemed as if they were all in the room with us.Glen and Kelly are continuing to carry out work in the theatre

NEW THEATRE ROYAL

Seamus finished some marble faux panels, which I believe are being put in place as I speak.Michael Philipson, the theatre manager is thrilled with the work and will definitely call upon us again for more work. I am hoping to go and see them next week.

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

Creative partnerships have just moved to Portsmouth and are partly arts council funded.They pay for school based /creative projects,usually over  a year or so.SHIP has gone onto their database and details are circulated to local schools who then connect and work together on an art based piece of work.For example a mosaic, playground installation, or in our case, it could be a trompe l'oeil or plasterwork project.Anyway, it would be good if a school makes contact.

NADFAS

The gilding study event in November proved a great success,in large part because of Richard Walker, who presented a charm offensive like I have never seen.We had fantastic comments and spent the day demonstrating and talking about the history and processes of gilding.On the strength of this, I have been asked to go to the South of England area meeting at the beginning of March to talk about SHIP and market similar days.This has huge potentail for us and for the possibility to lecture at boathouse 6, using overhead projector for close up of demonstrations.

LECTURES

I am working with Seamus and Paul Bailey , a previous student and lecturer, to put together some high level lectures to again deliver in boathouse 6.-watch this space.

Also, we are hoping to put together a special dockyard lecture(Celia) and Spinnaker tower walking tour and talk, delivered byRichard. Some of you may remember this was the subject of his dissertation, so I think this will prove really informative and an interesting experience.Very entertaining to say the least.

APOLOGIES

The courses arising from the exhibition are being organised now.It has taken time to match venues and numbers and types of activities, but I hope to have them delivered in April.It is taking time to transfer materials to the dockyard etc...........

The last three months have just flown by and although the exhibition has now been and gone, it is suddenly hitting home that this is just the beginning.We had 12,000 visitors through the show, with over 800 comments in our visitors book ranging from Colin Steward saying "Lovely skills that I imagine would make a wonderful use of the old cell block", and Nick Bowes "A difficult time to find funding, but this is an essential project".
To be honest every comment could be written on these pages. They were all wonderful. Children loved the demonstrations and came back to see them on their way out of the dockyard. They asked so many questions and spent time writing down their thoughts.
The exhibition really has served to bring all the aspects of the project together. The conversion, the training and funding side and the commercial one. It has been a mammoth undertaking, involving everyone giving up time and effort before, during and after the exhibition.
This is how it went-roughly- and only my version.
Peter Goodship the chief executive of the dockyard agreed way back in the winter that we could hold an exhibition to promote the cellblock project, and Tracey liased with Pete Lambert re the possibilities.
There were nightmare along the way, but this is a new experience for us all, and despite the problems, everyone helped, whether by exhibiting-since we would have looked bad if there had been nothing displayed-to setting up-to clearing up It was like the end of year show at university, only at Glastonbury .The only thing we did not have was the music, except that twice a day the tide would hit the side of Boathouse 4 making the most incredible din against the metal and drowning any attempt at conversation.It was build your own stage, install lighting and make plinths and -rain and pigeons and a squirrel to contend with. Water gathering from the gents lavatory and  conversations with the characters who inhabited the dockyard-.and the constant worry that none of the art work was damaged-especially Sandie Allison's Frozen Ice installation..
Opening We opened on Saturday 16th with a few words from Celia  and her antique hat.She was so encouraging and has always supported our efforts and done all she can to keep the project going.
Glen Filer had arranged for a professional colleague of his to come to do a feature for his SALVO magazine-Architectural salvage-working to restore and reuse.Magazine goes to the entire industtry.
Demonstrations: We had the wooden chalets as demonstration areas.The photos are posted on the events and courses page, although if I can work it out, I shall put some here too.
Seamus demonstrated graining, and worked on an alabaster panel for the New Theatre Royal.. Sue Viner ,a friend of Glen Filer,displayed her beautiful water gilded icons and her botanical panels. They were wonderful. She ground pigment and mixed and worked with her egg tempera.Kelly on the other hand showed some of her contemporary style by using coloured acetate and layering up pieces on gilded panels.
The two Johns inhabited the third area, either in J Tappy's case cycling from the Hayling ferry, or coming from Waterlooville as John Vardon did-They carved away relentlessly and were such ambassadors for the project ,showing as much enthusiasm on the last as the first day.They both belong to the Solent Carvers and details for their  website can be found on our links page.The chain carving and large panel provoked much conversation.I do hope that we shall be able to work together and hope to arrange some short courses in the near future.
Tracey worked in the other area  casting  little plaster elephants which were especially enjoyed by children.and allowed very small quantities of plaster to be mixed. The scagliola "levi" piece was polished in between. Without many exceptions, most people did not know what scag was, or knew of the possibility of working with coloured plasters.This worked really well and I think Tracey was extemely good at demonstrating and explaining processes.
Rolling presentation
Sarah Lupton came up with an amazing rolling presentation.I had no idea how fantastic that was going to be.It drew all the strands of the exhibition  and project together in a very succinct manner.It was aesthetically beautiful, whilst being informative.We shall hope to include this as support to our funding bid.Sarah's mum lent the projector and Tracey let us use her laptop.Very generous considering it was for over a fortnight.
Gilding degree course display and dissertations
We displayed  gilding  samples and experimentation panels from the degree course, plus the paperwork that went alongside.We had gold leaf and all the equipment on show too, plus the fantastic photographs from the Windsor Castle workshops.This  exhibition within an exhibition served two purposes. One to show the public how skilful the processes involved are and to show visiting colleges the levels of skill required to become a competatnt gilder.One of thre most important considerations of the exhibition was to showcase our skills to local colleges, with the intention of gaining affilliation through one of them.
Again the dissertations were examples of the academic side of the degree course, and were meant ro show how important the theoretical and philosophical aspect of restoration work can be.
The displays
Given that the area for staging the artwork was literally an empty space in an industrial setting, Kelly provided the perfect solution,which was to build a scaffold tower to echo the whole  feel of the place. This worked so well and enabled spotlights to be mounted on the tower and also to act as a central focus for the Conversion proposal plans. They were part of, but separate to the exhibition-a perfect solution.Photos of the existing cells and the proposed digitally produced ones "Told the Story " of the project as you walked around it.Brian Poole of Adams Poole  has been so generous in giving  hours of his time to work on his exciting proposal to use a glass and steele outer staircase to enable access to this very narrow building. I cannot thank him enough and can only hope that we are able to realise the project.
After using much white paint and soapy water, the display boards and plinths sprang to life. Tracey's neighbour Bonnie, her husband and son came in to do lots of the hard gritty work and Jill spent hours lifting anf moving things that she should not have done.Phil fixed lighting and Glen brought along Rachel and Justin to hang up, screw up and fetch and carry heavy items.Simon and his mate put up the scaffolding and came back the following week with John Fowler's plasterwork. A 2mx1.5m panel copied from a Jacobean Strapwork ceiling, which had been made in John's bedroom , on the 3rd floor and then carried down 3 flights of stairs put on the lorry and then stood up on end for the remainder of the exhibition whilst John worked on it.It will be the canopy for a four poster-bed.The dragonfly had its legs fitted and the two fireplaces fixed back to back
The rocking horse was positioned so that it could be protected from little feet pushing into stirrups and I caught a lady combing her hair in kelly's mirror.Loads of tourists had photos taken next to Tracey's guitar .
Sales
Sales were enough to cover costs of the exhibition, although it would have been really good to have sold more especially for the people who had invested so much time and money in putting material together. I think the exhibition must be viewed as an investment for the future.
Courses   
We have many people interested in taking courses and about a third of visitors were local-within a 30 mile radius. I expect that over the next months we shall be able to build upon the efforts made in putting this exhibition together.For those who filled in forms, please be patient and I shall be contact you in the near future.
People know who we are now and we have evidence to show that people are interested in these skills and want to learn.
Sir Colin Stansfield Smith, architect and trustee of the dockyard, Peter Goodship, the chief executive and Pete Lambert the dockyard surveyor were all delighted with the project and by the standard of work shown.This is so important and acts as a springboard for the progression of the project.
I an hoping to be operational in the cell block in the autumn of 2010, but to be building  a commercial clientel between now and then. There will be opportunities to teach, demonstrate, sell and become part of the cell block skills agency.To all who have helped, such a big thank you and please stay in touch.
To all who have visited and support us, please continue to do so. We need all the help we can to bring this project to fruition.watch this space........
Finally congratulations to Sandie who got married last week and is now Sandie Allison. We were all mortifed when one of the uprights of her installation shattered when being packed away. Sandie, you were so gracious about it, when most of us wanted to cry.
Watch this space for further updates:
September 10th Meeting SERCSAG. English Heriatage Headquarters, Guildford

E. Heritage. Construction Skills. NHTG, Commercial concerns, trainers and government  funding bodies

Updated re the progress of project and findings of exhibition.Were very impressed with visitor numbers.

Highbury college attended for the first time and as a result will host the next meeting at the end of November. They were impressed with exhibition and we shall work towards having a future relationship. Meeting arranged to have visit to college

Have spent the last month meaning to update this diary. Time is just flying by and now the exhibition is just 6 weeks away. My time is spent between meetings, commuting, trying to do some practical work and emailing.

Plans for the exhibition are gaining speed and Tracey has enlisted some help from Kelly and an electrician. I am extremely grateful to them for giving up so much time and am leaving them to organise the staging of all the exhibits.

They are very enthusiastic and extremely generous with their time. There is now a growing interest as word gets round and we have a good range of practitioners who have agreed to submit work. We would appreciate some more offers of demonstrations though, even an hour or so. This is what shows people how skilled we all are!!!!!!!!!!!

I am working with Sarah Lupton, to put together a rolling presentation. We were disappointed that Dillie could not open the exhibition for us, but have asked her for a digital video message-which would really be great. We will add this to the presentation.

Adams Poole are supplying a display of cell block drawings and may have an example of how a cell could look when converted.

Celia has agreed to open the exhibition on Sat 16^th and we shall endeavour to get as much press coverage as possible.

Advertising: We are advertised in Hampshire Open Arts Book, which has been published to advertise all the artists who are exhibiting during the festival.

The books are now ready for collection - Tracey has them, so if you are able to distribute some, then please contact Tracey. We are not limited to numbers, so as many as possible please.

There are also going to be postcards, which again will be ready in the next few days.

If you can think of anyone who you feel should be specially invited then please email me and I shall make sure they are on the list.

Final End of Year Show

The final students managed to produce some fantastic work. There seemed to be more visitors than ever-most disbelieving that the course was finishing. What a shame and what a loss.

Let’s hope this exhibition will go some way to getting as many people as possible to help to stimulate enough interest to take the cell block one step nearer to provide a new home to house these unique skills.

English Heritage, all the local colleges and Conservation companies are aware of the project now, so fingers crossed that they will all come to see us.

Project Progress

The exhibition will be used to focus and promote interest. We are inviting the Trustees of the dockyard, and all interested parties, with the aim of submitting planning permission shortly after end of exhibition, with a funding application for conversion of the cell block following.

 First ever Diary entry,so hello to anyone who is wanting to follow the progress of Skills Heritage in Portsmouth.I would just like to thank my son Jamie who is helping me with the website, or should I say, I am helping him.This is using a combination of email &skype from his home in Barcelona.I would welcome any comments or suggestions as we manage to expand the site. Any pdf photos of work or useful information will be much appreciated.

Thanks  too to Tracey who is organising the exhibition. More about that later.

Cell Block Conversion:

Meeting scheduled for Wednesday 2nd April,to put together a proposal for submission to the board of the Historic Property Management Trust. This will request they submit a funding application for the conversion of the Cell Block.They are a already a charity, and as such, will make application much easier.

Skills heritage in Portsmouth will then lease the building and can concentrate on finding match funding for the set up and equipment costs.

The following week,Clare Charlesworth, of English Heritage will meet me at the dockyard to discuss the project . Part of her remit is to address the shortage and training of heritage skill, so this, hopefully, will be a very valuable meeting. Fingers crossed.Clare lives in Old Portsmouth, which I hope is all the more encouraging.

NADFAS are now enquiring about courses and hopefully many of their members will come to the exhibition

Exhibition:

We already have a healthy list of interest, about 20 to date. Boathouse 4 is a vast space, so we can accommodate plenty more. Tracey has been working really hard in getting the brochure details together.They will be available in June 

We especially need more plasterwork and faux finish and trompe l'oeil.

Will write again soon.

Debbie