C O N T E X T 1 0 5 : J U LY 2 0 0 8 11 is my belief that the Wells and Exeter Cathedral conservation programmes had a profound effect upon him and that he took away as much as he gave. Peter Burman is heritage consultant and visiting professor in cultural heritage management at the Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus. The building comes first The first time I met John was in 1986. I was at the English Heritage offices in Savile Row to discuss a publishing project, little realising at the time the impact this meeting would have on my future or the importance the books would assume over the years to come. A few weeks earlier I had been throwing out back issues of the Architects’ Journal at my office in Gower Publishing and by chance came across a series of short practical articles written by John and Nicola Ashurst on conservation techniques. The concept of a book on this subject started to take shape. This was the starting point for the extraordinarily influential five-volume series Practical Building Conservation. It was a real pleasure working with John and Nicola on the volumes, as their enthusiasm was so evident.With John it was a team effort, for in spite of his extensive knowledge and experience, the practical skills of the numerous specialist craftsmen employed by English Heritage informed the writing of these books. John’s influence in the field of conservation has been far-reaching in quite a subtle way. He was never a man to shout about his achievements; his quiet approach has always been a sensitive and caring one. His name will continue to be associated with a desire to instil the awareness and expertise required that are sympathetic to the building, and the insistence that the building should always come first. Jill Pearce is managing director of Donhead Publishing. Learning through doing I first met John in the late 1980s when our careers at English Heritage overlapped briefly. He was a natural teacher, a loyal colleague and became a good friend. It was from him I gained my firm belief that in the difficult and obdurate world of conservation, there is no substitute to knowing what you are talking about in a way that can be understood by others. Knowledge and understanding, simply communicated, win arguments, not bluster and rhetoric. John was a great believer in learning through doing, and learning through talking. He did not seem to believe in summing up. He always gave the impression that talking matters over in the pub afterwards was what counted, and that what everybody had to say was worth listening to. It was only in retrospect that one realised that what he really wanted was for us to work things out for ourselves. He didn’t change. Near the end of my time with English Heritage, when John was an independent consultant, we were on site with him discussing the possibility of using Berkhamsted Castle (which consists of large fragments of upstanding flint walls surrounded by a partially drained moat) as a venue for training those about to carry out condition surveys on the English Heritage estate. John suggested that we try to find some primary flint facework. I think he already knew what the result would be: after an invigorating search, we could not find any.When we looked closely, all of the flints had been reset in repair mortar in a massive mid-20th century campaign. Eventually John pointed out to us an area of about one square metre that had not been consolidated.We left with a completely different understanding of the site from when we arrived. John believed that knowledge was to be shared; it did not reside in an individual. He would say that what he showed us that day could be discovered by anyone who looked closely enough. This is what I will remember him for, because it gives hope for the future. His wisdom, consistently offered, never involved ranting about the poor current state of affairs, but always suggested that the best things happened through optimism. I have difficulty in following his example, although I know he was and remains right. David Heath, a historic buildings consultant, was formerly chief conservation architect with English Heritage. The pied piper For those who worked with him on a regular basis as craftsmen and conservators, John was an exceptional conservation architect, with a rare practical understanding of materials and a passionate interest in history. The breadth of his technical experience encompassed the survey, repair and conservation of ancient monuments and historic buildings, as well as the technology of traditional building materials. He was a gifted writer, lecturer and artist, and a special person whose expertise and qualities attracted people to him and his subject. Many will remember him for his abilities as a lecturer. John’s unique presentation style was authoritative and humorous, and he had the ability to inspire many people to pursue a career in conservation. An early interest in the theatre and the work of the great architect and set designer Inigo Jones greatly influenced his accomplished lecturing style. His distinctive technical drawings, which illustrate his publications, are immediately recognisable. John was responsible for establishing the heritage conservation degree course at Bournemouth University. He was instrumental in the development of the English Heritage training centre at Fort Brockhurst, which continues at West Dean College as the building conservation masterclasses. These training courses, an important part of his legacy, will continue to influence conservation work. John was approachable and caring, which enabled him to relate to people at all social and professional levels, from craftsmen working on sites to architects and surveyors responsible for specification and management of work. Close colleagues will remember his sense of fun and gentle and even temper, which made working with him such a pleasure. He was without pretence or personal ambition; he was motivated by an empathy with our heritage and the people engaged in its conservation; and he was an inspiration, a gentle person, of enormous warmth and humility. He had both respect and love for life, people and nature. Golden retrievers became an essential part of his life. Dog ownership was a litmus test of his assessment of others. John’s sense of humour, on occasions, left him in uncontrolled fits of laughter, head buried deep in his hands. It will be these and other fond images that will help fill the enormous void left by his passing.We must simply say our sad and final farewells to the ‘pied piper of conservation.’ Colin Burns is a consultant master mason specialising in training for consolidation of ancient monuments and conservation of historic buildings. CatherineWoolfitt is an archaeologist, conservator and director of Ingram Consultancy.
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