A High Tide & A Cracking Talk

G and I went to a wonderful U3A talk today by Tamsin Wimhurst about the David Parr House in Cambridge. He was per a census, an Artworkman who worked for F R Leach and Sons who did high quality interior design work in churches, stately homes and palaces as subcontracted from the likes of William Morris. David Parr survived an abusive childhood to become a key worker / artist for the firm. He lived in an ordinary terraced house in Cambridge, but over 40 years transformed the interior using techniques he learnt and ideas from his work. He even salvaged items from places he worked on, so all the ornate door knobs and finger plates in the house are different. When he died his widow carried on living there and his 12 year old granddaughter Elsie moved in to keep her company. Elsie lived there for 85 years until her death. Tamsin heard of the house and interviewed Elsie, then set up a charity to buy and preserve the house. For more info see https://davidparrhouse.org/

Before the talk we walked down to the key for a blip. The tide was very high overtopping the edge of the quay. I've added an Extra showing the car park under water.