Conservationists

[John Paul Adams]

The latest "in flight" magazine on GNER trains from kings Cross to the
north (etc), Livewire, contains an interesting interview with a relatively
young stone mason working at York Minster.

The interview is quite thought provoking and forward looking, but two
paragrahps might be of interest here.

"There has been a move to replace less and less, as the people in charge
take decisions that are increasingly conservation-based. They'll try and
save more of the original but somtimes the practicalities seem to go out of
the window - a conservationist will make a decision on something that's
more appropriate to the inside of a museum than outside a building."

"Stone has a natural lifespan. That's what we say to people - the building
is as original as it can be. We believe what we do is more in keeping with
the original than trying to save it for ever and a day until it turns to
dust. Perpetuating the craft is more important than trying to sell a
glorious ruin to the people."

Some of the magazine is on the GNER website but not the interview. Worth
getting a copy. I am on a GNER train to the north again tomorrow, so will
try and remember to rip out the whole page rather than a small section!

John

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