I was invited to a private party at the Cabinet of Curiosities a couple of nights ago - a thank you from Francoise and Pierre to all the people who had helped them, before the renovation work starts.
They asked people to bring their own glass, and had local cider, Weobley Ash apple juice and Lucky 7 beer available (but no wine).
They'd also subtly changed the displays throughout the house, as they do every time they open to the public. I'm sure there were more of the dressed little mannequins around the house - those wooden models that artists use to get poses right when they're drawing. I noticed a little fisherman this time. They're made by an artist called Maizie Healy (I think I have the name right - I wasn't taking notes!).
My favourite this time, though, was a large 19th century book which was open on a page of experiments.
I don't know what the book was - it would have been rude to move it to see the cover - but the author was describing an experiment where he electrified rose hips with "electrical fluid" (with the help of his servant!) to see if they would grow better than a control group of rose hips that had just been steeped in water. And he was successful!
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