Christmas is in sight, one more cello to complete. The final one for this year, an impression of the wonderful Gore Booth Stradivari of 1710 which I have had the good fortune to study. I’ve spent most of this year making, repairing or just looking at cellos, but next year starts with work on a copy of the Alard Stradivari violin. It should be a welcome change as long as I can still focus well enough to see the little thing clearly. The Alard was one of the most beautiful of the violins at the Ashmolean Exhibition, one of the great and memorable highlights of the year- well, to be honest, my entire career. I have some rather nice old wood, a deep nut brown all the way through, which comes from a small and limited source I’ve used sparingly in the past. So no room to mess up. SuperHubert is still putting up with me, there seems no respite in the auctions and the number of curious and interesting instruments passing through the workshop, so next year, I hope, will be full of variety and new things to learn, make and write about. And not so many missed deadlines.
Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year to everyone.