If any part of your college was damaged by fire, and the area in question had extensive period wood panelling, oak floorboards and richly carved furnishings, any successful replication will be greatly assisted by providing detailed photographs, stored on CD-Rom disks. These, along with our Panoramic Views , would give someone who may never have seen the original room in question a clear overview of the task required. We heard a cautionary tale from the bursar of one of the country's top independent schools, though professional confidence precludes us from identifying both the bursar and the school. However, if required, we have his permission to forward on any enquiries about this story. During the summer recess, as one of the boarding houses was being prepared for redecoration, an enquiry was made as to when the fireplaces were to be returned. It is at this point that I must explain that these were no ordinary fireplaces, but enormous, heavy, 17th century, Robert Adam- designed creations which required a team of men to lift and move. On further investigation, the bursar discovered that they had been stolen! Both had been professionally and precisely removed, and their loss represented a serious six-figure sum to the school. Whilst trawling through the internet, the missing items were traced to a legitimate antique fireplace dealer. By providing convincing photographic evidence, both fireplaces were successfully retrieved. The bursar admitted to us that over familiarity with heritage interiors can allow one to lose sight of their value, and not realise the ingenuity of someone determined to steal to order. Their return was, in part, due to skilled use of the internet, combined with hard visual provenance.
