I shall spare you. It’s quite safe. You’ve followed the story of life here at Snaptophobic Towers through the year. You don’t need to be reminded, and neither do I.
Instead, here’s a summary of my watching, listening and reading for 2025.
Continue reading A Year in Review – 2025It took me quite some time to feel strong enough to pick up clearing Paul’s stuff from where I left off earlier in the year. His side of the wardrobe had become something of a dump for unwanted clothes over the years.
Feeling the time was probably right, I gathered some bin bags and began the task. One bag of good clothes found their way to the local charity shop. Two bags were filled with ratty stuff at which even moths would turn up their noses.
Right at the back, though, was a surprise. It wasn’t a secret door that led to a magical snow-covered forest. It was a school blazer.
A little back story may be called for.
Continue reading The stuff you find…There have been cats in this house since 1997. We made it a policy to adopt or foster, from our local Cats Protection homing centre, cats other people tended not to want because the moggies were old, or missing limbs or eyes, or had other infirmities.
Our first cat was Misty. She was a lovely silver-grey tabby, but was withdrawn and aggressive. Paul spent weeks, during his lunch hour, visiting the shelter to gain Misty’s trust. It transpired she was deaf, and the other cats in the shelter would bully her. It was no surprise, then, she had gone into her shell. We were allowed to home her, and once she was here she blossomed into a beautiful furry friend. Her purring rattled tea cups!
Eventually, as such things go, Misty died. Almost immediately, we went back to the adoption centre “to be chosen again”. This time, an absolute unit called Tom stole our hearts. He was a large black and white cat, with front legs like a British Bulldog, with his back legs bringing up the rear like a pantomime cow. One eye had been lost, but he could see well enough with the remaining one. He was also diabetic, and needed insulin injections. He also made it quite plain he liked the look of us, and he duly found his way to our home.
Continue reading It never gets easyI mentioned the British Museum’s YouTube channel in my last post, in a sort of desultory fashion. One of my favourite things is Curator’s Corner. The museum publishes the Corner in “seasons”, and we are in Season 10 at the moment. Do go and have a gander. Essentially, one of the museum’s curating staff is given 15 minutes or so to talk about their favourite pieces.
As I type, the latest video in the Corner is about some of the Sutton Hoo treasures, and how they reveal Anglo Saxon links to far corners of the world in the 6th century CE.
I have been discovering new channels – new to me, at least – on YouTube. I have been much taken, for example, by a couple of large and well-known museums that have embraced video to allow somewhat deeper explanation of their collections.
Part of what I enjoy about such channels is the care and attention that objects receive when undergoing conservation. I watched one video from the Victoria & Albert museum where a conservator worked on gently repairing an 18th century fan. I wanted to share it with you, but I can’t, oddly, find the video on the channel now. You will have to make do with this video instead, where a portrait is being carefully removed from a modern frame.
You can see a whole load more videos like this on the V&A YouTube channel. In fact, the missing fan video has now resurfaced. Here it is:
The British Museum also has a channel.
Watching these videos is something I find relaxing and educational. Often, the thought strikes me conservation and restoration is just the kind of work I would love to be involved with.
Yet, when I was at school, back in the 1970s, careers guidance never mentioned “museum conservation”. It was office work, typist, accountant, hair dresser, car mechanic, the armed forces… The thought of steering my educational qualifications towards becoming a conservator would never have entered my head. I had no inkling that such a career even existed. A whole different life might have been mapped out for me if I had known.
I now find, at my advancing age, that I am disappointed I won’t get to be a museum conservator. I will have to make do with the careful repair and restoration of models I manage to break instead!