I worked as an English teacher in Spain for many years, but my long standing interest in art made me think about changing careers and lead me to the conservation BA at City & Guilds. I am now in my third year and looking forward to graduating and being able to put my new skills into practice.

I have done several summer placements in the conservation departments of different institutions: Westminster Abbey, the Tate Gallery (sculpture), the Museum of London (applied arts) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (sculpture).

This year I am undertaking a research project on the deterioration of amber, focussing on the environmental conditions which are appropriate for display. I have also just finished conserving a polychromed limestone sculpture of a boar’s head. The head is an old pub sign from Reading which was removed when the building was demolished and donated to the town’s museum. The sign will now go on display in an exhibition called “Reading A to Z” and will then become part of the permanent collection.