I spent the day devoted to the minutiae of professional architectural history – new archival research, new discoveries, new attributions, all in honour of Richard Hewlings, a former Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Editor of the Georgian Group Journal who seemed to have been a friend, colleague and correspondent of nearly all the speakers, each of whom was only allowed ten minutes to pose an architectural historical question or announce an architectural historical discovery.

I was one of the many people in the room who has benefitted from his advice, archival tips and all-round expertise.  He joined what was the Historic Inspectorate of the recently established Department of the Environment in 1972, after, I think I am right in saying, reading history at Pembroke College, Cambridge (he has recently written a biography of Queen Anne).  The only thing I missed was more about his own work which was briefly evident from a photograph of him seeking out information from his card index of building craftsmen.