Monastery of Kremasta

The Feminine Thread.....

High in the hills of Crete sits the Monastary of Kremasta a place that, after the Second World War , was left to fall in ruin. One local nun refused to let that happen. With no formal training, only faith and determination, she began to repair and restore the monastery stone by stone. Over time, local conservation groups and the community rallied around her, and today five nuns remain there . They paint holy icons, embroider linens gather herbs from the mountainside to make creams, oils and liqueurs...

For me this is conservation in its purest form, not grand or curated, but humble, heartfelt and alive....

Its The Feminine Thread in action, the instinct to nurture and to hold beauty in a Place to serve future generations. Experiences like this continue to shape and inform my understanding and authorship of The Feminine Thread, how heritage lives through people and place as something innate, intuitive and profoundly human.

#intangibleheritage #peopleandplace #crete #thefemininethread

Collaboration is best practice……

It was a pleasure to speak in St Albans last Friday on Best Practice and Collaboration between the Public and Private Sectors. 

Thank you Fiona Fowell, Alexia K. Katie Fowler and those who curated the day and fellow speakers who shared their insights; to everyone in the room for your openness—especially when I asked you to go to your memorable place.. my appreciation! 

Im my experience (regardless of sector) the most powerful thing we can do is pause, get curious, and connect with a place to get the baseline. 

Get intuitive…. as when we feel a place before we frame it in process and policy, we begin from a human start point that benefits the communities we’re here to serve and shape place narratives that have authenticity and meaning. 

Curiosity, intuition, and collaboration aren’t soft skills. They’re essential tools in shaping places that are inclusive and lasting.

And heritage? Well it unlocks that collaboration. Because it connects us to a shared past and gives us the insight to move forward with care, clarity, and confidence.

And when we collaborate across disciplines and sectors, we create legacy in Place. 

Tim Murphy Jack Barber Gerard Livett Michael Collins St Albans City & District Council The Institute Of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) 

hashtag#Heritage hashtag#Placemaking hashtag#Collaboration hashtag#BuiltEnvironment hashtag#Intuition hashtag#Curiosity hashtag#RTPI hashtag#BestPractice hashtag#Legacy

Suffolk Design Festival

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in the Suffolk Design Festival 2025. It was a privilege to be part of such an inspiring celebration of design excellence across the County.

Chris King Katie Fowler Ben Woolnough and all the council officer teams across Suffolk such a thoughtful and engaging event. Your collective commitment to promoting good design is truly making a difference and was wholly complemented by the engaging opening message from Anna Rose. 

A special thank you to the University of Suffolk for hosting the event and actively participating. The contributions from lecturers and students alike added real depth to the day.

To everyone who joined my workshop. I’m grateful for your open-mindedness, curiosity, and willingness to engage with the concept of the nine degrees of awareness! It was a joy to explore with you how deeper awareness can shape more intuitive and meaningful placemaking with heritage at its core. 

Leon Crascall BSc (Hons), DProf, FHEA 

Hana Loftus 

RIBA East 

hashtag#SuffolkDesignFestival hashtag#UniversityOfSuffolk hashtag#Placemaking hashtag#DesignLeadership hashtag#Heritage hashtag#ConstructiveConservation hashtag#NineDegreesOfAwareness