On the inaugural Historic Building Conservation (FdSc) Foundation of Science Degree, (Distinction) two years full time at Kingston University, Specialist course recognised by the RICS The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and its pathway to the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and Full membership of the RICS.
Under National Experts Prof Peter Lakin UEL, and Len Conway dean of Building Crafts College included inspection and remedial work using traditional building crafts skills guaranteeing sympathetically undertaken conservation work, i.e restoring castles in Scotland.
On a visit to Venice, Ca' Foscari University of Venice link Invited to inspect their research into new cleaning and restoration approach to stone work of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Piazza San Marco, European art collaboration project requested the WebGL VR version link of Palladio's St. Giorgio Maggiore’s Church in Venice to help explain to the monks a proposed art installation.
Kenwood House
The Scottish court system has a long memory as it played a key role in the abolishment of slavery, During what is described as the Golden age of Enlightenment, the Scottish judge who blocked the transportation across the sea in the Somerset case in 1772 wishing to have done more, Scotland was bankrupted during the ensued power grab the clearances, parliament and independence was taken by the rich and powerful in England, a recent attempt to gain the right for a vote on the countries future was blocked by English courts.
One of the most important legal rulings in history was made by William Murry 1st Earl of Mansfield a Scottish judge appointed Lord Chief Justice in 1754 in London who helped transform British legal system, when he outlawed the transportation of slaves in England across the Oceans to Jamaica in 1772, hoping to have done more in setting the path for the abolishment of slavery. (William Murray and Kenwood House)
While Britain was put in high stakes card game with the wealthy who where paid off, creating a larger resection than any financial collapse in history, while it took a war in America for it to end 1865 nearly a hundred years later, while modern day slavery servitude is at higher rates than ever in history.
Historic Desert homes
Met a prominent Local in Dubai who showed me his most precious belonging, a small photograph of an old simple house, where his grandfather was born and explained how money was relativity new to them and to be patient as they learn how to handle it properly.
Visit to abandoned French Foreign Legion Desert fort in UAE, followed by meeting foreigners with contacts exporting Architectural heritage, including Ornate wooden doors which where being sent abroad and turned into luxury tables for trendy coffee shops, complained heavily stating their cultural significance and architectural historic importance.
I went on to study a full time two year FdSc. Science Foundation degree in Historic Building Conservation: receiving a distinction in every unit, Removing architectural detailing, fixtures and fittings to protected Historic Buildings is a crime damaging national cultural heritage.
And to became involved in photogrammetry, (see ArtScience) the Technology used to create Digital Twins of Historic architectural structures in Syria including Palmyra's Arch of Triumph which was destroyed and a replica was created example link. the same Technology is mentioned in the press to create replicas for museums and return i.e. the Parthenon sculptures to Greece and other World culturally significant artifacts.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Hindu Temple
Had the Honor and great pleasure of escorting around central London members of The Travancore Royal family (was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore.) the custodians of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Hindu Temple. in Kerala in the Tamil Nadu region in the southeast of modern India,
On the the days of equinox the 5000 year old temple aligns with the Sun passing exactly through all the window openings in the gopuram (monumental entrance tower) in succession, at approximately 15 minutes intervals. (see Architectural daylight analysis.)
The Indian Government are building a museum to the history of the temple, which gained international attention with discovery of priceless Gold artifacts in a number of large volts with volts never to be opened, an important religious site and strictly for followers of the Hindu faith.
In 1999 Gordon Brown, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, sold approx half of the UK Gold reserve, devaluing the Gold market, costing British taxpayers an estimated £2-7Bn, it was shortly after apartheid in South Africa, making funding changes difficult for their new government who's Gold mines are a major source revenue, see India's governments recent handling of the estimated US$1tn of Gold artifacts at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Hindu Temple, reported to be opening a museum. (see Jewellery ind The Goldsmith Company)
St Brides church and Museum of Print making
St Brides church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1672, the St. Brides Foundation trust is the Museum of Print making and inspiration of the iconic tiered Wedding Cake, mentioned the Science Museum was suited to displaying pieces of my pioneering 3D Printing, Wedding ring design and manufacturing and industry White Paper on Computer Aided Design for The GOLDSMITHS' Company. (see Innovation and Jewellery Ind)
The institution of marriage: Weddings are at the lowest rate since records began in England, the last 10 years has seen legalization introducing Gay and lesbian marriages, since 75% of their divorces are lesbian couples and the main reason given is intolerable behavior, children involved have warned of abusive behaviour within the relationships.
"Request from SHOWstudio founded by British fashion photographer Nick Knight CBE, to push the boundaries of communicating fashion with innovative collaborations, Created this 3D model of a downloadable wedding dress template by British fashion designer, free template to experiment with creativity, before the digital tools we have today to simulate cloth"
3D specialist for the LGS London Graphic Systems, specialists colour management and print technology for the creative industries in London.
"He is also fulsome in his praise for the expert advice and assistance of John Robertson at LGS, which owns the 3D printer used" Print Week
Eastbury Manor House: Glow installation
As a cultural connector helped organise the Digital laser building survey inspection of Eastbury House built 1566-1572, Grade I listed Elizabethan Manor house link by team from Architectural Survey department lead by Prof Peter Lakin heritage specialist of Building Craft College and UEL after restoration works was carried out.
Cultural connector Glow 2016 light exhibition at Eastbury Manor House, planetary light installation by Grace Crannis MA RCA.
GOLDSMITHS’ Hall London
Design and Craftsmanship Exhibited in the Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council Awards at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. (see innovation) and technical author for The GOLDSMITHS' Company (see jewellery Ind)
Founded in 1327, The Goldsmiths Company is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London, independently keeping Gold Standards since King Henry VIII added Lead to Gold to make himself seam richer, consumer protection for 700 years and continues to support the trade today. The Leopard, the Assay Office London, for authenticity Makers are Legally required to test and Hallmark precarious metals.
Positioned at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street, north east of St. Paul's Cathedral, the magnificent Hall, opened in 1835, is one of London's hidden treasures.
The statutory function of the Company continues as consumer protection through the operations of The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office. All items sold within the UK with elements of gold, silver, platinum or palladium are legally required to be tested by an assay office laboratory and hallmarked, Other responsibilities of Assay Office London include the annual examination of coins manufactured by the Royal Mint, and hold the Chancellor to account described as the trial of the Pyx, and the charitable trust.
The charitable function continues to fund education and social projects The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths opened it in 1891 The Goldsmiths’ Company’s Technical and Recreative Institute. for an area of South East London with a under represented proportion of young people participating in higher education in the Arts and Humanities, this continues today as Goldsmiths, University of London and in 2007 opened the Goldsmiths Center for training of craftspeople of London.
Buckingham palace
Met the master craftsperson tasked with laying dutch metal, 24K gold leaf in the restoration work of Buckingham palace staircase, when the late Queen Elizabeth II took one look at the finished result and requested the work to be finished in a way so as not to look new and garish, a technique was used to artificially age the Gold leaf so as not to look plastic.
Gray’s Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn:
Graduation to achieve Accredited Chartered Manager AMI Administrative Management Institute. The oldest administrative standard and those for the courts system.
Gray’s Inn has been home to lawyers since before 1388 AD and is today one of the four Inns of Court responsible for the education and training of barristers before and after their Call to the Bar.
Built from reclaimed oak from a the Spanish armada, with portraits hanging of past High Court Judges, and standards of the Courts in Stained class.
William Morris Gallery
William Morris Gallery Walthamstow, won Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2013 after redevelopment and conservation work was carried out, museum dedicated to the life and works of William Morris a British textile designer, poet, artist, fantasy writer, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement, who was born in Walthamstow in 1834.
Glasgow School of Art
As a schoolboy studied the life and work of the Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist, Charles Rennie Macintosh taking myself off visiting his work from Tea rooms, to Hill House and the carpentry workshops preserving his work across Scotland, my Great Grandfather was the Borough Surveyor for Ayrshire and may well have known him and the Glasgow school and Vienna Secession which Macintosh visited at the time, before shortly being mistakenly arrested for being a Spy by the English on a short stop off to paint on the way back to Scotland. the same region arrested a monkey on suspicion of being a Frenchman.
Had the great pleasure of exploring the Category A listed Glasgow School of Art, over a decade before the fires devastated the masterpiece of Architectural light design, the sculpture studio on the top floor was a unobstructed curved glass canopy capturing daylight from all angles, as a schoolboy told my research was better than they find at degree level. (Historic Environment Scotland: Category A listed Buildings of special architectural or historical interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style or building type.)
Buddha Mountain Khao Chi Chan
Invited to Thailand by family of Senior Thai officer, turned down an offer to enter the seedy Patpong market. instead stood among the statues of the Shaolin Styles at Viharnra Sien (Anek Kusala Sala) Chinese Temple.
And looked upon the Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain), at the largest collection of Chinese artifacts outside of China, devout Buddhists touching in reverence the cast metal statues of the Buddha have caused the fine detailed decorative patterns to fade over the centuries making them only visible to the trained eye.
Trinidad and Tobago National Trust
Preferred Member of national trust of Trinidad and Tobago, returning to highlight of previous visit a remarkable historic retractable roof in Sande Grande for drying Cocoa, sadly informed by the owner it had been demolished. The National Trust protect 51 sites and added the Post Office in Sande Grande in 2019.
National trust being the only profit making government department from running talks and tours etc, during Covid its coppers where used to fund struggling companies at the start of the Pandemic.
Architects from the Trinidad who I have helped train generally dislike the Colonial past of the Island, and what its architecture symbolises, Currently their is a 4 year American University study 3D scanning heritage sites and interviewing local experts to document the past, and invited climate experts to give free public talks. (see Arch)