OPP Day 19 – Final Day

I cannot believe that today was our final day of the Open Palace Programme! Luckily, I feel as though three weeks has been a perfect amount of time. To summarize, here are my top five experiences in no particular order.

• Behind-the-scenes at Kensington Palace

Having the opportunity to see the textile collection at Kensington Palace was probably my overall highlight of the trip. Not only were we able to closely inspect three garments, but also, see the storage room. I made sure to note down specifics such as the design of the storage box labels and how the textiles are being conserved.

• Stowe House

Our visit to Stowe came at a perfect time. Between Brighton and London, Stowe allowed us to have a break and a breather in the countryside. There was so much to learn and enjoy at Stowe House from the 2nd Duke of Buckingham to the intricately painted and decorated ceilings. All of our sessions were informative and sparked my curiosity for building conservation.

• The Royal Pavilion

You have to see it to believe it. What made the Royal Pavilion so great was our tour guide who was obviously so passionate. I will never forget how overwhelmed I felt in the space.

• Museum of Bath Architecture

My favourite activity in the entire programme was at the Museum of Bath Architecture designing an engagement program for a specific audience. It was also a lot of fun to chip away at Bath Stone and have that hands-on experience.

• Conservation at Hampton Court Palace

Our talk on preventative conservation at Hampton Court Palace was very in depth. It was great to hear about the ten agents of deterioration and actually apply this knowledge to a room in the Palace.

I am very sad to leave such a wonderful people who have made my time on the programme truly memorable. Everyone in the group was so lovely and enthusiastic. I could not have asked for a more amazing group of people.

As for now, I begin the long journey back home tomorrow. I have a lot of University readings to complete on the plane and a conference paper to write! Needless to say, I hope it is a productive flight.