Hello to you all. As some of you will know I volunteer at Gawthorpe Hall which is in Padiham, east Lancashire. The textile Collection there was started by Rachel B Kay-Shuttleworth, she had a large collection of lace and every type of embroidery from around the world. She taught both lace and embroidery.   We have been waiting for quite some time for essential conservation work to be done on the building. Last week we were told that the Hall would close on 19th April and would not reopen until 2016. When the Hall closes everything will be packed away. Rooms that are having work done will have all the furniture removed to the nearest available room. Everything has its own cover ready for the big event. All the exhibition cabinets will have to be emptied and all the pieces carefully packed away. Even the cabinets will have to be securely covered. It will take quite a few weeks to get everything ready for the workmen and once the work is finished every room will have to be thoroughly cleaned before anything can be put back. Quite a task. That does not mean people will not be able to  see the Textile Collection - the office is in a separate building - it just means it will be very difficult to get too much out because the store rooms are in the basement of the Hall and the site is a hard hat area. It will mean carrying boxes a long way. The textile staff will be doing outreach work with local people and research into Rachel and the Collection will carry on. It won't be a time to relax. During the last year the costume, whitework and quilts have been reviewed and checked against the database and more photographs taken. The best site to read what is happening will be the Textile Collection site - it is kept up to date regularly. www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk RegardsDianne Derbyshire(in a dull and wet Preston)
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