TO DIANNE GOLDING-FRANKSON

Dear Dianne,

Your passion and dedication over Spanish Town comes across loud and clear. Add to that your ability to get things done, and the good way you have with people. This leads me to propose something. We need to put as many people as we can in charge of something they can take pride in doing and being credited for. And if I had my way, I'd ask you please to take charge of a Manchester House Preservation Project. You have already done major documentation of the ruins. But can you quietly take the entire project under your wings? Of course, dispensing praise to others right and left. :-)

There are overlapping methodologies in restoring buildings with those in restoring paintings. I know about the latter through my UNESCO and OAS training in art conservation, and my experience as Art Conservator at IOJ. And I can help you in any way you wish or that my capabilities allow. For instance, every single element of the structure has to be covered in the visual documentation, so it can be measured and analyzed. But the aforementioned laser scanner can do an excellent job of that. 

We on the outside aren't really hearing anything from Peregrine Bryant and his cohorts. We don't have any idea what they plan to do (except try making bricks) at Manchester House, the ST Barracks, or anywhere else. And in these exceedingly turbulent times, I wonder how much will, time, money, energy there is to stretch around. I'm therefore scaling down expectations, and hoping that those two structures, at least, will be given a major boost of some kind due to the February visit. Toward that end, I'm hoping there can be a start to finish documentation process by JIS, with a component to reach every student islandwide. In my opinion, there should be a major national discussion of the history, significance, preservation of these structures, as the foundation for a renewed thrust at preservation islandwide. 

What do you think?

Best Regards,

Trevor