YP Comment: Heritage for all
In so many of Yorkshire's timeless stately homes, it's not just the architecture that attracts visitors and historians from around the world in such numbers '“ it's also the unique nature of the priceless exhibits on display. This is particularly pertinent at Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire where a six month restoration programme has restored its famous double portrait of '˜Mrs Charles Thellusson with her son Charles' to its former glory when painted by Thomas Lawrence in 1804.
Work which would not have been possible without the benevolence of English Heritage, it should be remembered that it was John Major’s government a quarter of a century ago which created the then National Lottery with a specific remit to conserve Britain’s history for future generation. This was one political gamble which did pay off and yield dividends unforeseen at the time.