Saturday, April 25, 2009

English Heritage

In The Sunday Times I discuss English Heritage, conservation and the fly on the wall documentary stitch-up involving a couple of Tarqunns.

5 comments:

  1. Enjoyable article. However, the roof tiles at Apethorpe are Collyweston not Westmorland.

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  2. I'm not sure about all of this. They say history is important because you need to understand the past in order to understand the future. I thought in the past they'd use the materials to build something more appropriate to the future. There seems to be more sustainability in that. Besides, history - isn't the world going to end soon or are we bored with that story?

    Anyway, look at corfe castle or tintern abbey, ruins are so much nicer than mock pristine. Cheaper too, I'd imagine.

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  3. A bit harsh on Victorian church restorers - they often did a very good (and necessary) job.

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  4. English heritage = bastard child of the NT and nature conservancy, well meaning, misguided, lack of cash due to recession will thin them out. An acquaintance has a listed Pele tower, he would cheerfully stand them agin the wall and shoot 'em.
    Interesting article, wots happened to the colour supplement ? getting a bit manky these days.

    An extremely earnest young burd from Nature Conservancy told me that I can't handle crested newts, I said if that's the case then I won't bother moving them I'll just run the little bleeders over with the hired JCB. She went back to her office and consulted with their lawyer.
    I told him to go screw himself, then send himself an invoice for £645.

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  5. Malty, if those swine come back point out that you are yourself a considerable National Treasure and they can go screw themselves. The hell with them, invent a past life, say you were once King John and by God that gives you precedence over any newts, crested or not. If they argue look offended and bleat, "you are disrespecting my views! i am entitled to tolerance!" - then throw in some slurs about fascism and the BNP, works for me.

    Good article. i was in York the other day and tried to visit the Minster - no go, £6 entry fee beyond the vestibule. Fuck 'em.

    Durham's Cathedral has undergone some interesting changes. The insides are now all grey and quiet and that feels right; but they were once brightly painted (or so i've read - i haven't seen it myself) and would have been much more crowded and lively, i guess. And i suppose that was right too, at the time.

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