A huge thank you to Victoria Oakley and her team at the V&A for taking the time and trouble to show me around the wondrous Ceramic Conservation Department and for being so patient in answering my endless questions and also to Alex Patchett-Joyce for all her advice about ceramic restoration. Any mistakes on the subject are entirely my own.
As always I want to thank my editor Alexandra Pringle who never stops caring and everyone at Bloomsbury, especially Alexa von Hirschberg.
Thank you also to Georgia Garrett and Linda Shaughnessy at A.P. Watt.
I also had excellent support and advice from Jeremy Cobbold and Michael Patchett-Joyce.
Finally, huge thanks to Harriet Cobbold Hielte without whose brilliant advice, help and support I don’t like to write anything much other than a shopping list.