Wonderful people

The last couple of weeks have been filled with wonderful experiences, wonderful places but mostly wonderful people.  On 20th June, the eve of the longest day, Katie and I volunteered to help at the Summer Solstice at Avebury.  It was fascinating to see how the Trust manages the influx of people to the world-famous stone circle in the heart of this pretty Wiltshire village.  Lots of planning.   And I mean lots.   But the best bit was the people.  Not just those enjoying the long summer evening and pagan celebrations but also the other National Trust volunteers from across the organisation.

Summer Solstice at Avebury, 20 June 2014

British Weekend at Rittergut Remeringhausen

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, 21 June 2014

Great to meet Janet Tomlin, the General Manager who recently spent time at the Rittergut Remeringhausen near Hanover on an INTO mission, promoting the work of the National Trust at their ‘British Weekend‘.    Ben Dames from another World Heritage Site, the Dorset & The Jurassic Coast, who has been working closely and developing stronger links with the National Trust of Guernsey.   And Tim Butler, the National Trust Solicitor who is planning to spend part of his forthcoming sabbatical with the St Helena National Trust.   Wonderful people doing wonderful work for the worldwide NT movement.

Fly fishing at Dinton Mill

After an evening at Avebury of meeting and greeting, litter picking and generally making sure that the revellers were respecting the by-laws, Katie and I decided to pop in at Stonehenge on the way home.  A different vibe but amazing to be within the stone circle at sunrise along with many others, all conducting their own forms of ceremony and celebration.

The following Monday, I spoke to a group of Russian curators about INTO during a study visit to London and Wales organised by the British Council.   The participants were chosen from all over Russia through the national museum competition “A Changing museum in a Changing World” and I was thrilled to meet Julia Vronskaya of Yasnaya Polyana, Leo Tolstoy’s estate near Tula, which I remember visiting as a student many years ago.  Inspiring and fascinating to meet the crème de la crème of the Russian museum sector.

Our knowledgeable volunteer guide at 2 Willow Road

Later that week, I spent a beautiful day with our Director of Special Projects, Geoff Read, and INTO friend Lord (Donald) Hankey at the fabulous Dinton Mill.  It was like Wind in the Willows and learning to fish was a great backdrop to some good conversations about INTO.  We didn’t catch a sausage.  (Although that would have been rather nasty!)

We continued Secretariat team-building with a meeting and lunch in Swindon.  The capacity of the Secretariat has grown steadily but don’t always get together in person so it was great to be around the table discussing our different areas of activity: Bob Gordon – Accounts; Jackie Hunt – Membership; Julie Thompson – Volunteer placements; Geoff – Small Grants Programme and other special projects; Katie Jacob – Case studies and Communications.   I am so grateful to everyone on the team for everything they do for INTO.  Thank you all.

I spent Wednesday with Sarah Murphy of the Western Australia National Trust.  Sarah is responsible for the entire WA property portfolio of 60+ heritage places (of which 13 are house museums) – dealing with the collections, property management, conservation, volunteers and so on.   As interpretation and attracting new audiences were on Sarah’s agenda, we decided to walk and talk, visiting first the intriguing Modernist home of architect Ernö Goldfinger at 2 Willow Road and then English Heritage’s fabulous Kenwood House in Hampstead, London.   So much to learn from both of these places.   In the evening I attended Flanders Day celebrations at the National Gallery.   A drink with a view (!) and a great chance to find out more about Herita, Flanders’ National Trust, which recently joined our ranks.

Interesting interpretation at Kenwood

Great family activities

Dido Belle grew up at Kenwood

Finally, a few weeks after the fabulous launch, I caught up with Irena Edwards again, Chairman of the Czech National Trust.  When Irena and her husband visited our home last year, we showed them Northington Grange, a short walk up the road from where we live in the old Gas Cottage on the estate. Grange Park Opera have brought the majestic neoclassical mansion back to life and we wondered whether this might be something the Czechs could consider in the long term.  I was luckily able to get returned tickets for the dress rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades so we spent a magical evening talking about Czech heritage, listening to Russian music and singing, enjoying an Indian-inspired picnic with Spanish wine in the bucolic English landscape setting of the Grange!

These of course are the highlights.  I’ve missed out the every day running of the organisation, the long teleconferences, the endless drafting (Board papers, articles, press releases), the discussions about governance and funding, conversations with our member organisations … but please indulge some revelry in the rich tapestry of INTO’s work. Who knows what next week will bring!?  Stay tuned – and thanks for reading.

© Grange Park Opera