Nic Boyes Stone Conservation Consultant

A fine time was had attending Building Lime Forum Annual Gathering, this time in Brighton. The presentations each ‘raised the bar’ and I was struck by the openness and mutual trust amongst delegates; scientists, building professionals and academics in sharing recipes, working practices, successes and failures in the field.

👀

⏰ Last chance to book!

Come with us behind the scenes at Tarlair’s Art Deco lido and see how this Category A listed pool building is being brought back to life.

Your guide will be Declan Cahill, a 2016 SPAB Scholar and building surveyor for the conservation elements of the project.

Declan will provide insight into the research that informed the proposals of reinstatement, the survey and development of the repairs, and the design philosophy behind the new extension.

Book now at https://ow.ly/GhJQ50QT2ZI

📅Tuesday 4 June
📍Macduff,

Must 👀

Have you ever walked past St Bernard's Well in Edinburgh?

This elegant Greco-Roman building houses a natural spring, once believed to have healing powers, and the interior tiled room is rarely open to the public.

Join our guided tour of Dean Village to look inside!

Led by tour guide Estelle Meyer and stone conservation expert Nic Boyes, we’ll also explore the area’s fascinating industrial history and discuss some of the conservation and building maintenance issues we spot along the way.

https://ow.ly/9xnS50RoiL0

📅 Saturday 11 May, 10am - 12pm
📍Dean Village, Edinburgh

Photo: Rosser1954 CC By SA 4.0

Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’ bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,
Wi’ murd’ring pattle!

I’m truly sorry man’s dominion,
Has broken nature’s social union,
An’ justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion,
An’ fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
‘S a sma’ request;
I’ll get a blessin wi’ the lave,
An’ never miss’t!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It’s silly wa’s the win’s are strewin!
An naething, now, to big a new ane,
O’ foggage green!
An’ bleak December’s winds ensuin,
Baith snell an’ keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste,
An’ weary winter comin fast,
An’ cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell -
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro’ thy cell.

That wee bit heap o’ leaves an’ stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou’s turn’d out, for a’ thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter’s sleety dribble,
An cranruech cauld!

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o’ mice and ‘men
Gang aft agley,
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!

Still thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me
The present only toucheth thee:
But, Och! I backward cast my e’e.
On prospects dear!
An’ forward tho’ I canna see,
I guess an’ fear!

Happy Friday everyone.

Much fun was had presenting Old Buildings, New Roles in CLIMATE EMERGENCY to The Falkland Society this week.

A fine day was spent in East Lothian visiting previous and future projects.

Ruskin Reading; Today!

Friday 9th December 2022
18.00 Start

Wishing you all a fine weekend.

That date! Delighted to attend STBA Annual Conference: Sustaining Buildings

Delighted to attend SPAB Scotland STBA Annual Conference: Sustaining Buildings

Accidents happen and when they do to built heritage, an effective yet sympathetic repair is required. In this case, vehicular impact to historic stone balustrade resulted in catastrophic deconstruction and fragmented components. First principals of conservation require detailed recording, labelling and making safe of the remaining structure. Then a repair strategy is worked up to determine which of the original components can be repaired and which must be replaced. Replacements were sourced in a stone that is geologically compatible to the host stone and carved in the spirit of the original design. The balustrade was then reconstructed according to the original design and best traditional masonry practice.

Thrilled to have our project at Bishopton Parish Church shortlisted for the Sir John Betjeman Award 🤞

A fine day was had in the Leven Valley.

Looking up an old friend this week.

Fancy a 20% discount on SPAB membership?
Head over to our website for this amazing deal, available for July only!

Use code JULY20 to claim your discount (new members only).

Www.spab.org.uk

Trams to Newhaven on Twitter “👀 Did you know? In December, the 1898 & 2022 were place in the plinth of the Statue. Find out more 👇 https://t.co/sI3fXt5wd3 ”

As 2021 draws to a close, I take this opportunity to count my blessings and look forward to meeting all the conservation challenges of 2022. Happy New Year to you and your families.

It is a pleasure to be involved in this initiative to communicate directly with our future, just as our predecessors from 1898 have communicated directly with us.





https://youtu.be/P2iBozsSz5w

Robert Burns Time Capsules - Interview John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Councils Archaeologist and Nicolas Boyes Conservation Consultant Vlog on the resealed 1898 capsule and the new capsule stamped...

Fond memories from Dazu 2019

A fine afternoon was spent attending and presenting ‘Your Career in Conservation’ Conference provided by on behalf of ICON