Restoring The Ceiling Painting At Buntigsdale Hall

A Memory of Market Drayton.

I was posted to the Hall after RAF basic training at West Kirby, where an Air Vice Marshall saw a mural illustrated map, another conscript (John Young) and I created, in the Education Hut. His intention was for Peter Melrose (a National Service aircraftsman, who was a scenic artist from Gainsborough Film Studios) and I (an artist from an advertising agency), to work on training booklets and posters. During our stay we were also asked to restore the beautiful 18th. century, mural ceiling of the Officers' Mess, which had become dirty and tobacco fume stained. The ceiling is quite high and I do not like heights. Conversely, Peter was complely at home on the two rickety, lanky pairs of wooden steps, strung apart by a plank to stand on and another to hold, whilst we craned our necks backwards to carry out the work. The steps swayed and creaked alarmingly and Peter took great delight in rocking them to scare me. With time, I became used to the heights. Firstly we washed the surface, area by area, gently with shaving soap, as green soft soap was unavailable. Then rinsed each piece to avoid possible bleaching by the soap. Then, we applied linseed oil to the surface which brought back the true colours very successfully. Finally, using our own oil paints we retouched any faded or flaky parts . The work took several weeks and the Officers became frustrated by not being able to use the Mess. Flight Lieutenant Jeferies who suggestion it was to do the work was being pressed by them to get the job done and we were forced to work evenings as well as daytime. However he was very good to us and used to bring us dinners some evenings. One evening he asked if he could bring us drinks and we eagerly requested beers. He said he could not bring beer, because he did not drink beer and he was not really allowed to buy us drinks and had to smuggle the to us. He said we would have to have his tipple, which was pink gin. So pink gin it was! After several weeks it was finished and it looked very good and we received commendatory letters for our efforts. When working over the portico of the entrance we noticed a poem left by the two Italian artists who originally created it. I remember it began "Mutton hot and mutton cold, Mutton young and mutton old...". A relic of the hospitalty they received during their stay at the Hall! We appended our own epitiaph in a rhyme. It may have mentioned pink gin instead of beer! It was a very pleasant stay, but I was keen to get back to my then girlfriend, now my wife and my career. I returned there with my wife, in 2002 and the lady of the house kindly allowed us to see the ceiling. Alas, during some repairs, the roof was left uncoverd and rain penetrated, seeping down to the hall where the ceiling was and severely damaged it, causing much flaking. She did ask if I could repair it again, but I had to decline because of other commitments. and I was 72! If anyone is interested I have a few photos of the ceiling and the damage, I would endeaver to email to you. Also, if anybody remebers me I would be deighted to hear from you. I guess Francis Frith would pass on my email address.
Ron Gilbert.