This weeks work at Cotehele - June 12th 2012

This is my fifth week of Volunteering at Cotehele.

The most astute of you may have realised that this week I have been at Cotehele on a Tuesday rather than a Wednesday. This is due to work commitments and my weekly volunteer session shall permanently be moved to Tuesday with attendance on other days for events and open days.

My health and safety training day for the Imminent 'Look Sharp' event has also had to be rescheduled due to work commitements (This is the trouble with having 3 jobs!) and I am waiting for the new date to be confirmed.

In the meantime here are some images taken in the great hall at Cotehele of some of the weaponry I shall be handling and demonstrating (eep!) during the event:

Various suits of Armour, Shields and Pikes

Various Knives, Swords and Sabres

Various Guns, Swords and Pikes

From the National Trust Cotehele Conservation Volunteer pack pictures bellow:

"Our Look Sharp exhibition is an extremely popular events that allows visitors to get close to some of our bladed weapons and gives them the opportunity to hold them (as long as they wear gloves!). We require volunteers to help explain and demonstrate a selection of bladed weapons, and supervise visitor handling. Popular with both children and adults of all ages, this is a hands on event that is also enjoyed by the volunteers that supervise it."

When cleaning and preparing these weapons for public viewing it is important to take precautions in order to avoid damage to the weapons.

Unessecary polishing removes layers of metal and can lead to serious corrosion over time. After any required cleaning and polishing a layer of Renaissance (a microcrystalline wax) is applied, enough to give protection but not so much as too attract dust and warrent further cleaning which is damaging to the artefact. 

I am curently reading though my Cotehele Conservation pack getting to grips with various restoration and protection methods ready for future events at Cotehele in the coming months!

 

Look Sharp at Cotehele will be taking place throughout August if you  would like to book please call 01579 351346 The event itself is free although the admission price of Adult £9, child £4.50, family £22.50 still applies.