Reviews for Restoration, the Story Continues ... BBC: Championing Some of the United Kingdom's Fading and Forgotten Architectural Treasures

The average rating for Restoration, the Story Continues ... BBC: Championing Some of the United Kingdom's Fading and Forgotten Architectural Treasures based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-10-22 00:00:00 Luis Martorell This is the second tie-in book to accompany the second series of popular TV series which ran on BBCTV from 2003-2009. Fronted by Griff Rhys Jones and two 'ruin detectives', Marianne Suhr and Ptolemy Dean, with great enthusiasm, the first series featured 30 listed buildings at risk. Viewers were asked to decide which one was to win A Heritage Lottery Fund grant. They generated £500,000 for the Restoration Fund to which the Heritage Lottery Fund added another £3 million. . Interestingly enough, it adds that the publicity generated for these buildings alone attracted more supporters. Restoration was certainly pre-austerity and groups of enthusiastic amateurs proselytised for their beloved building. In this book there are potted histories of what happened to the buildings that didn't win in Series 1. I hope they are all still in use and cherished. Listed buildings do unfortunately have a habit of having 'accidents' such as burning down or, in the case of a much loved pub in Maida Vale, being partially demolished by an impatient developer on the eve of it being listed. Now cash strapped councils may have less patience or interest in a derelict building if it's standing in the way of building housing. In the second series there were 21 buildings featured from 7 UK regions including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This book was produced by English Heritage and, as a result, has high production values. Philip Wilkinson wrote the text, there's beautiful colour photography throughout and also a section by Ptolemy Dean which features his idiosyncratic drawings. It begins with the big guns supporter wise. A welcome letter from Prince Charles followed by one from Simon Thurley, the then CEO of English Heritage, a further introduction to Restoration and how the buildings were chosen . My own local favourite, Severndroog Castle, near Shooters Hill in South East London features in this book and it's been completed. New uses for it have been found and its future looks assured. Would Restoration be made now? Probably not is the simple answer. Years of austerity and cuts have led to a change of priorities. Can you justify renovating an old building that most people don't notice anymore? When you're slashing budgets right left and centre? It's a real dilemma, I would argue that some old buildings are part of the fabric of a community but who pays for its upkeep and would its user numbers justify the expense? I particularly enjoyed Dean's chapter with his drawings and reflections on 'A Ruin detective's perspective'. There's also a wide range of properties listed here: a gaol, a workhouse, a radar station, a wool mill, even a salt works - perhaps not the usual down at heel manor house that might have sprung to mind. It is definitely a sign of the times that the bookshop from which I bought this book went out of business in 2011. A real shame. It was a pleasure to read this book as it was reminder of what an optimistic series Restoration was and how it brought much loved buildings in need of TLC to the wider public and maybe persuaded them to become involved.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-11-14 00:00:00 Yuji Ishikawa This is an excellent overview of Federal historic preservation law, and it's about as readable a summary of the statutes & regs as well as the history behind them. My students have always valued this book as a good resource and appreciated having it for future reference. The 3rd Edition is now out but I haven't read it yet. I'll do an updated review when I've finished it.