LIFESTYLE 48 hours in Belfast; food tour of Europe; Madeira wine; and arts and crafts to try in the New Year

HOURS IN ...

BEL FAST

Spend a couple of days in Northern Ireland’s capital to discover how the city that survived the Troubles is now a UNESCO City of Music, says Sarah Riches

Above: Explore the city’s industrial past at Titanic Belfast

Right: The impressive Belfast City Hall elfast locals have long had

Ba dry sense of humour, a taste for beer and a love of music. As Paul Donnelly, a political mediator and DC Tours guide, explains: “At the height of the

Troubles, the Harp Bar – the home of punk – had security grilles on blacked-out windows to reduce the impact of bomb blasts. That’s the length we went to for a pint.”

Over just two days in the capital you can meet residents to learn about its troubled past and enjoy its music scene. DAY 1 Belfast started life as a village that sprang up on the banks of the River Lagan in AD 688. It makes sense, then, to begin your tour by the water. The river is lined with artworks, including Andy Scott’s Beacon of Hope – dubbed ‘the Thing With the Ring’ – which depicts a woman holding a hoop to symbolise thanksgiving. Amble north towards John Kindness’s sculpture, The Big Fish, then cross the river to east Belfast to see glasswork inspired by fantasy series Game of Thrones, which was filmed across Northern Ireland. By now you’ll be deep in the city’s shipbuilding quarter, so look out for SoundYard. Walking beneath its 500 rods activates sensors to make them chime, a nostalgic nod to the sound of shipbuilders’ hammers striking steel.

The riverside path guides you towards Titanic Hotel – the doomed vessel was designed, built and finally launched in 1912 in Belfast. After browsing Drawing Office One’s exhibition, hop over the road to Titanic Belfast, which delves into Belfast’s former cottage industry –

linen production – shipbuilding past and the construction of the Titanic.

When you’re ready for lunch, return to the hotel to dine on curried chowder in Drawing Office Two, which brims with natural light thanks to triple-height skylights. Note the bar’s Villeroy & Boch tiles, which also lined the Titanic’s pool.

After lunch, visit Crumlin Road Gaol on the city’s north-west border where children were once imprisoned alongside men and women, some of whom were banished to Australia or hanged on site. In the 1960s and 1970s it was used to incarcerate political prisoners Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness and Bobby Sands. The jail closed in 1996 before reopening as a museum, complete with a tunnel that connects to the now-derelict courthouse opposite.

If the sky is blue, continue north to Belfast Castle or take in Cave Hill Country Park. Alternatively, check out the city’s music scene to discover why UNESCO awarded Belfast its City of Music status in 2021. You won’t have time to visit all of the capital’s 80-plus live music venues, but for a taster take the Belfast Traditional Music Trail. This begins at the Second Fiddle music venue, where you can hear Jason O’Rourke on the concertina and Cormac O’Briain on the uilleann pipes.

“There are 50,000 traditional Irish tunes, which were written down in 1792,” explains Jason. “Before that it was an oral tradition, with tunes passed down through the generations and learned by ear.”

Musicians play tunes in sets of two to five. “If someone starts a set, they decide how many tunes are played, so it’s a big no no to interrupt,” adds Jason. “When the leader wants to change tune, they’ll shout ‘hup!’ to let the others know.”

You can then move on to McHugh’s, where Ciara Cullen plays the accordion and dances a slip jig – if you’re feeling brave, you can learn the brush dance.

Stop for dinner in the pub before ending the night at The MAC, which hosts comedy and plays, or listen to a harp performance or attend a céilithe dance at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, an Irish cultural centre. DAY 2 Built in 1906 to mark Belfast’s new city status, Belfast City Hall sits proudly in the centre. Its permanent exhibition explores the period from 1613 to the present day across 16 rooms. Highlights include a mayor’s robe embroidered with gold thread, traditional children’s games and a display about locals who made it big, from filmmaker Sir Kenneth Branagh and Grammy Award winner Sir Van Morrison to author CS Lewis.

Once you’ve finished you’ll be in the perfect spot to begin DC Tours’ History of Terror walking tour. Paul Donnelly begins by explaining the background to the Troubles (1968–1998) – the conflict between Protestant unionists who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK and Catholic nationalists who wanted to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

You’ll then hear the human stories behind the conflict, such as Paul’s friend who was blown across Castle Lane by a bomb in 1972 and still refuses to walk down the alley. That same friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time on four other occasions. “He wasn’t even a target,” says Paul. “I tell him he’s like a cat with nine lives.”

The tour ends in time for lunch. On weekends pop into St George’s Market, which was built in the 1890s. Today its 250 traders sell everything from potato bread and Irish whiskey marmalade to antiques. Meander south through the city past Queen’s University to the Botanic Gardens, which were established in 1828. In summer the park blooms with roses, while winter sees it dusted with snow. On chilly days warm up in the Tropical Ravine and beneath the Palm House’s glass and steel dome, or spend a few hours exploring the Ulster Museum, home to a 87m-long handwoven Game of Thrones tapestry and Peter, a taxidermy polar bear.

A string of restaurants and bars line the street between the gardens and the city centre. Go for an early dinner at Molly’s Yard, a converted stable that serves dishes such as fish of the day alongside Kilmegan Irish cider.

Prefer gin? Then order a glass of mother’s ruin from The Crown Liquor Saloon. Built in the 1880s, the former gin palace features original gas lamps, stained-glass windows and beautiful Victorian tiles.

The pub is opposite the Grand Opera House, which has hosted Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and Luciano Pavarotti since it opened in 1895. Ballet dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Darcey Bussell has also performed there. With its illustrious history, onion-domed minarets and velvet and gilt interior, it’s grand indeed, so it is.

Top: Enjoy a gin at The Crown Liquor Saloon, with its gas lamps and Victorian tiles

Above: Just one of the 250 traders at St George’s Market

Below: The Palm House at the Botanic Gardens

Move on to McHugh’s, where Ciara Cullen plays the accordion

and dances a slip jig ''

Feast for the senses

Graham Layer crosses continents and welcomes a return to taste appreciation after succumbing to COVID-19 earlier in the year

Graham Layer

Past VicePresident, RCSEd OVID-19 eventually caught up with me

Cin early summer and a couple of months later I was still suffering from the weird after-effects of altered taste and smell. I have still enjoyed my food, but the secret has been in textures, not just appearances.

It is surprising how much visual inputs contribute to what you think you are eating, even though you may not necessarily taste it. Slippery pasta, crunchy granola, flaky fish, muscular meat, individual peas and beans, and so on. Those wonderful senses of the palate had nearly fully returned as I enjoyed a Cornish holiday for a week with surgical friends.

Cornwall has amazing seafood and I made a return visit to Porthmeor Beach Café, a favourite next to the Tate in St Ives. Newlyn’s Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar, an informal café with a queue, served us a fine lunch. It is tapas style so you can sample a range of delicacies. The fish, bacon and corn chowder was excellent, as was the crispy squid, but the best was battered local hake with fries, buckets of mussels and fantastic scallops cooked in Cornish dukkah (a mix of sesame, coriander and cumin) with red peppers.

The Gurnard’s Head is a pub on the north-western clifftops of Cornwall with an enviable reputation. We had a satisfying lunch prior to a coastal walk. Soup and trout were followed by tempura pollock, hake and duck leg. The latter was unusual, covered in a bizarre orange sauce and a fried duck egg, and the fish dishes were somewhat heavy. For those who could manage a further course, panacotta and sticky toffee pudding were enjoyed. All the dishes were mediocre and not up to the outstanding expectations that went before them.

No 2 Fore Street was a brilliant find on Mousehole Harbour and is aspiring to fine dining. The twice-baked parmesan and crab soufflé was ingenious with crab sauce and moules marinières. Wonderful main courses included an enormous bisected lobster with caper mayonnaise, hake saffron risotto with samphire, and lemon sole in panko crumbs with a bucket of moreish fries and truffle aioli. Some also coped with the most delicious tarte Tatin or an oozy rich chocolate fondant. An impressive restaurant.

Kota in Porthleven is very special indeed. The chef is Jude Kereama, who is half Maori, half Chinese Malay, and has an expanding local hospitality empire. This restaurant appears in The Good Food Guide and The Michelin Guide and has multiple AA rosettes. Our dinner was magnificent. The restaurant is on the inner harbour and has a great ambience. Amuse bouche of leek soup with truffle oil was accompanied by blue cheese on a biscuit, and served with bread and miso butter. This was followed by scallop with crispy onions in an Asian sauce, which melted into lobster ravioli swimming in a tomato consommé. And then chunky monkfish with a crispy coating with pollock, in a coconut lemongrass bisque with a saffron mayonnaise and greens in seaweed butter. For meat-eaters, there was tender pink lamb two ways with a pea puree. Dessert was light honey and almond cake or a white chocolate mousse with meringue and strawberries. Petits fours of chocolate and hazelnut macaroons, and a fudge of white chocolate and passion fruit (which balanced the sweetness), concluded a superb meal. This place is going far. Book now. Back in London,

Kota in Porthleven is very special indeed. This restaurant has multiple AA rosettes

and our dinner was magnificent ''

The Jugged Hare at the Barbican is convenient for concerts, but does stop serving early. The food is meaty with jugged hare and suckling pig on the menu, but also trendy cauliflower steaks and smoked fish pie.

About Thyme in Pimlico is a colourful institution serving generous tapas-style food for sharing. We enjoyed both seafood and ham croquettes, charcuterie platter, anchovies, meatballs and goat cheese. You can’t go far wrong here and the daily choice of different dishes is wide.

I also returned to Dishoom at Kensington and Covent Garden in early post-COVID recovery – the spice was a good idea, otherwise there was no detectable flavour in the curries. Heat dominated from mouth to oesophagus to stomach, clearing the upper respiratory tract on the way through.

For the Edinburgh Festival this year I revisited The Outsider, which has great castle views. The restaurant is eclectic, but has seafood and some French-influenced dishes, rillettes and a variety of mussel preparations – but also venison and some gnocchi. A well-established place with an energetic and lively atmosphere during the

Festival! International Surgical Week was held in Vienna in glorious sunshine, and I recommend The Guest House hotel and its dining room, the Brasserie & Bakery, which spills out onto a delightful outdoor terrace opposite the opera house and Hotel Sacher. The food is contemporary, generous, beautifully presented and takes account of health more than many carbohydrate-laden menus. A classic prawn cocktail with massive crustacea, fresh oysters and an amazing steak tartare surmounted with a quail’s egg started dinner, followed by a grilled whole Dover sole for dissection, all of which were outstanding. The oddly named ef16 is hidden down an alleyway north of St Stephen’s Cathedral and serves exquisite food as a tasting menu in an outdoor courtyard. Some ingredients are sourced and foraged locally. We started with amazing tempura prawns on a wonderful green salad with a tasty mango sauce, fabulous ravioli, wild boar with pasta, and beef with local mushrooms and gnocchi. Well presented and to be strongly recommended. Zum weissen Rauchfangkehrer in the inner city was enjoyable, despite being popular for eons with tourists. To the music of a live pianist, our party delved into the Austrian menu, with the inevitable Wiener schnitzel, tasty local sausage and then multiple slices of powerfully flavoured ox with mushrooms. No trip to Vienna is complete without a coffee house visit, and I sat outside the famous Demel close to the Hofburg for iced coffee and a shared Sachertorte with fluffy cream. It is a great institution. A trip to family on Vancouver Island, Canada, saw me at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria taking afternoon tea served on a three-layer cake stand in the Lobby Lounge. It was elegant service with various teas; savoury sandwiches; salmon blinis; scones, cream and jam; and a selection of cakes. Expensive, entertaining and worthwhile – the waiter adding to our experience with his tales from 42 years in post. The Jugged Hare at the Barbican is convenient The Deep Cove Chalet, north of Victoria, now has the best food and service ever. French chef owner Pierre, has been there for 50 years and is a lavish cook – fabulous cross-sectional beef Wellington and perfect fresh halibut. Many guests were impressed by rabbit and anatomical sweetbreads, and the fiery preparation of the crepes suzettes. Nearby in Sidney, Beacon Landing, now called Riva, has a new chef serving Italian fare. Outstanding prawn carbonara was expertly cooked with juicy ingredients, herbs, garlic and parmesan – plenty of textures and great flavours. But for superb seafood, Sea Glass in Sidney on the edge of a marina at sunset is the place, with a terrace over the water. We never reached the main course mega-towers, but shared a selection of over-generous starters, including battered cod tacos smothered in mango salsa, aioli and pickled red onion, and a ‘surf and turf ’ with giga prawns and fillet steak. Welcome back, world of flavours.

Main image: Main image: scallops with an Asian twist at Kota in Cornwall

Inset: a tempting plate of oysters served with prawn cocktail in Vienna salmon blinis; scones, cream and jam; and a selection of cakes. Expensive, entertaining and worthwhile –the waiter adding to our experience with his tales from 42 years in post. service ever. French chef owner Pierre, has been there for 50 years and is a preparation of the crepes suzettes. Italian fare. Outstanding prawn ingredients, herbs, garlic and parmesan –

MADEIRA MAGIC

Carole A Boyle DipWSET

Dental Editor, Surgeons’ News

Richard Lane DipWSET

Wine educator, journalist and podcaster The Wine List hat makes Madeira so different

Wfrom other wines? First, it is a story of longevity – you can still buy, for a price, Madeira made from grapes grown in the 19th century. And it has been around much longer – according to legend, George, Duke of Clarence, when confronted with a death sentence in 1478, chose to be drowned in a butt of his favourite Malmsey Madeira.

Madeira’s longevity arises from its unique aging process – it is ‘maderised’ (cooked) to produce deliberate oxidation that avoids the spoilage associated with most conventional wines. This method was first developed after British merchants came to the island in the 17th and 18th centuries. They observed how quality was improved after wine had spent time in the holds of ships sailing to colonies in North America and the West Indies. This led to Madeira wine being used as ballast on long trips.

Such deliberate heat and oxidation is today replicated in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vessels called estufas. This rapid process results in wine being ready to consume the second year after harvest. However, the more gradual canteiro process associated with higher-quality wines is more labour-intensive. Wines are instead matured in oak barrels in lofts where temperatures can reach 40°C and they can age for decades. These wines change colour as they mature, turning brown and developing smoky dried-fruit aromas. They accumulate high alcohol levels due to fortification with alcohol spirit after fermentation and from evaporation as the wines mature.

Even at 100 years of age, Madeira retains its distinctive nutty flavours. More recent vintages are more affordable

yet will still offer flavour complexity. But madeira is not always sweet; it can be dry, but always with high acidity and alcohol levels between 17% and 22%.

There are many styles of Madeira based on chosen grape varieties, level of sweetness, how long the wine has been aged and whether it is single vintage or from multiple years of grape harvest. The more expensive wines tend to be labelled according to specific grapes, of which there are four ‘noble’ varieties: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal (or Bual) and Malvasia (see panel, below).

These are all quality Madeira wines made from white grapes. Yet the majority of ordinary Madeira wine is made from the black grape Tinta Negra and here ageing is included in the labelling with three, five, 10 or 15 years. The older the wine the more complex the flavours. The high alcohol of Madeira wines suggests a cautious approach is advisable, with small, sherry-like glasses being the serving vessel of choice. But the good news is that once opened, a Madeira wine will retain freshness, being already oxidised, and should remain drinkable for weeks and months after opening.

Madeira is a wine of its place – a Portuguese island in the Atlantic with subtropical weather, which is generally too warm for grape growing, but an ideal destination for winter sunshine. Grapes are generally grown at altitude to slow grape ripening in the mild year-round climate, the high rainfall mitigated by good drainage in Madeira’s volcanic soils.

The story of Madeira’s wine is embedded in the history and culture of the island itself. Distinctive family names still dominate Madeira wine labels today – notably Blandy’s, Henriques & Henriques, and D’Oliveira.

No visit to Madeira would be complete without a visit to a Madeira lodge. The most accessible are located in the capital, Funchal. Blandy’s, which is the largest, offers tours of the aging lofts, a museum of wine-making equipment and a history of the company. D’Oliveiras offers tastings set in an atmospheric room surrounded by bottles.

This festive season don’t dismiss Madeira as just another fortified wine to be enjoyed at the end of a meal. Madeira makes an excellent aperitif and many can accompany food. And remember, there is no need to drink it all on the day – the rest of the bottle can be enjoyed well into the new year, and perhaps into the year after that.

Left: There are different varieties of Madeira Inset left: Tourists have the opportunity to press the grapes that will become Madeira Inset right: Blandy’s is one of the original producers of Madeira

Even at 100 years of age, Madeira retains its distinctive nutty flavours. More recent vintages are more affordable yet will still offer flavour

complexity ''

THE NOBLE MADEIRA VARIETIES

• f ff cial is dry or ef ffa dry with the ffffff st colour and citrus and nutty ff omas. It is ideal as an aperitiff

• Verdelho is medium dry with more sugar, giving notes of candied fruits. It is versatile and can accompany a meal.

• f oal is medium sf eet and darkff with cff ffffff ed coffee and fffffff te flaf ours. Pff fect to pair with rich cheef f s or fffffff te def f ff fff

• Malvasia – also called Malmsey – is more full-bodied, and the sweetest and darkest in colour, but is balanced by high acidity. It works well with richer desserts and on its own at the end of a meal.

Tasting notes Tasting notes

Six of our favourite Madeira wines

ffffff fs Duke of Clarence Rich Mfffff a Available from Waitrose (£12.49) Deep golden brown with honey and raisins on the nose. A rich, full-bodied and soft-textured wine that is immediately appealing. An ideal entry point into the world of Madeira wine.

f fffffff s & Hfffffff s 10-f f ff -old f ff cial Mfffff a Available from Waitrose (50cl, £19.99) Perfect before dinner – dry with aromas of nuts and orange peel.

f fffffff s & Hfffffff s Vff delho fff f f ff -old Mfffff a Available from Waitrose (£24.99) Full of figgy fruit and racy acidity. Well balanced by gentle sweetness.

ffffff fs 15-f f ff -old Bual Mfffff a Available from Waitrose (50cl, £24.99) Christmas in a bottle. Rich and nutty, and fantastic when paired with cheese.

ffffff fs 10-f f ff -old Mffff f y Mfffff a Available from Waitrose (50cl, £18.99) Goes well with dessert or with a cheese board. Sweet with candied fruits and a long finish.

f fffffff s & Hfffffff s 10-f f ff -old f ffff f y Mfffff a Available from Majestic (50cl, £22.99) Deep brown with intense flavours of dried fruit, chocolate and coffee. Ideal to sip and for contemplation after dinner.

Creative minds

From ceramics and metalworking to mosaics and printmaking, Ann Shearer lines up 12 arty opportunities to try your hand at in the new year

Looking for a new challenge in 2023 or even a last-minute Christmas gift? Many makers and designers offer workshops and classes, as well as kits and gift vouchers. There is a huge variety of classes available, both face-to-face and online. I hope some of you will try a craft course in 2023 – you never know, it might change your life!

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop’s courses are a great way to explore sculptural methods. There are artist-led courses in stone and woodcarving, ceramic sculpture and more. In February 2023 it will run clay portraiture online, an eight-week course where you will create a portrait sculpture working with images of a person of your choosing. Find out about courses and gift vouchers at www.edinburghsculpture.org

Bryony Knox, an award-winning silversmith, teaches creative metalwork courses for all levels. You can make an embossed copper box in a morning, a dachshund in a day or even an Arts and Craft copper clock in a week at Knox’s studio in Leith, Edinburgh. To find out more go to www.bryonyknox.com

Would you like to weave your own unique Would you like to weave your own unique Would you like to weave your own unique wearable scarf using materials such as wearable scarf using materials such as wearable scarf using materials such as lambswool and Shetland wool? Well, head down lambswool and Shetland wool? Well, head down lambswool and Shetland wool? Well, head down to Coburg Art Studios in Leith, Edinburgh, and to Coburg Art Studios in Leith, Edinburgh, and to Coburg Art Studios in Leith, Edinburgh, and sign up to one of James Donald’s weekendsign up to one of James Donald’s weekend sign up to one of James Donald's weekend weave workshops, or his Tuesday and Thursday weave workshops, or his Tuesday and Thursday weave workshops, or his Tuesday and Thursday 11-week evening classes. These cover many 11-week evening classes. These cover many 11-week evening classes. These cover many aspects of weaving and textiles. Find information aspects of weaving and textiles. Find information aspects of weaving and textiles. Find information and vouchers at www.pickone.co.ukand vouchers at www.pickone.co.ukand vouchers at www.pickone.co.uk SilverHub Jewellery School and Studios was established in Edinburgh in 2008 by jeweller and artist Lisa Arnott. She has since been joined by Jessica Howarth and guest designers. The school delivers day and evening leisure classes, as well as a very successful foundation year in jewellery design and making. The Flourish Jewellery Project, in which SilverHub is a partner, offers everyone an opportunity to try out one-day taster sessions at the school. To find out more or book a place go to

www.silverhubstudios.com

Seeing the joy of a loved one appreciate a hand-knit can often be just as fulfilling as wearing one yourself. Ysolda Teague is a Scottish knitwear designer who offers online knitting courses, free tutorials and patterns for her knitwear designs through her website, www.ysolda.com. Her latest collection, Knitworthy Six, has six accessory patterns spanning a wide range of techniques, each of which has been thoughtfully designed to both challenge adventurous beginners and satisfy experienced knitters.

Edinburgh Printmakers

is a creative hub for printmaking and the visual arts in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh. It offers weekend, evening and one-off courses for those looking to experiment with printmaking. Set against the backdrop of a remarkable heritage building, the atmosphere is creative and inspiring. Keep an eye on

www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk

for the new courses and workshops in the new year or buy a gift voucher for the arty person in your life. Sally-Ann Provan is one the UK’s top Sally-Ann Provan is one the UK’s top milliners and teaches a variety of milliners and teaches a variety of hat-making workshops and short courses, hat-making workshops and short courses, either online or at her Edinburgh studio. either online or at her Edinburgh studio. Options include blocking felt hats, where Options include blocking felt hats, where you can make a fedora, trilby or cloche in you can make a fedora, trilby or cloche in the colour and shape of your choice; the colour and shape of your choice; fascinator-making; beaded headpieces fascinator-making; beaded headpieces and hair vines; and, new for 2023, and hair vines; and, new for 2023, pillbox and smartie hats. pillbox and smartie hats. Provan also offers one-to-one Provan also offers one-to-one tuition at the studio or online. tuition at the studio or online. Details and dates can be found Details and dates can be found at at www.sallyannprovan.co.uk www.sallyannprovan.co.uk

Trained in Greece, Helen Miles has more than 20 years’ experience designing and making mosaics. As an experienced mosaic teacher, she runs small, creative workshops from her studio in central Edinburgh. Choose from a one-day Introduction to Mosaics workshop, a weekend class in Classical Mosaic Techniques, a private lesson or a gift voucher to cover all or part of the costs. Perfect for beginners as well as those who want to learn more about this ancient art. Classes for 2023 are now live at www.helenmilesmosaics.org

Linda Farquharson Linda Farquharson Linda Farquharson runs small runs small runs small linocut workshops from her linocut workshops from her linocut workshops from her studio near Dunkeld. On a studio near Dunkeld. On a studio near Dunkeld. On a day course you’ll learn day course you’ll learn day course you'll learn the techniques of relief the techniques of relief the techniques of relief printing, cutting and printing, cutting and printing, cutting and printing your own printing your own printing your own ‘block’ to create a ‘block’ to create a 'block' to create a small edition of small edition of small edition of linocut prints. With linocut prints. With linocut prints. With three students on three students on three students on each course, you are each course, you are each course, you are assured lots of assured lots of assured lots of personal tuition. Just personal tuition. Just personal tuition. Just bring a simple sketch bring a simple sketch bring a simple sketch and lots of enthusiasm and lots of enthusiasm and lots of enthusiasm – and be prepared to go – and be prepared to go -and be prepared to go home with inky fingers! home with inky fingers! home with inky fingers!

Further details and gift Further details and gift Further details and gift vouchers at www.linocut.co.ukvouchers at www.linocut.co.ukvouchers at www.linocut.co.uk Sally-Ann Provan is one the UK's top milliners and teaches a variety of hat-making workshops and short courses, either online or at her Edinburgh studio. Options include blocking felt hats, where you can make a fedora, trilby or cloche in the colour and shape of your choice; fascinator-making; beaded headpieces and hair vines; and, new for 2023, pillbox and smartie hats. Provan also offers one-to-one tuition at the studio or online. Details and dates can be found at www.sallyannprovan.co.uk Cyan Clayworks is an artist-run ceramic studio and educational space in Edinburgh that was set up in 2012 by Fiona Thompson and Chris Donnelly. The studio offers individual tuition, regular courses for adults and a membership scheme. Options include evening and day taster sessions and longer courses lasting four to six weeks covering different approaches to ceramics such as wheel throwing, hand building and surface decoration. Details and booking details are available at www.cyanclayworks.co

Glass Lab Edinburgh is a new studio founded by artist/designer team David Mola and Jeff Zimmer. They run classes in stained glass, glass fusing, glass painting and sandblasting for beginners and more experienced students. They also sell tools and materials for stained and fused glass; take on commissions; and repair stained glass for homes, churches and businesses. Classes run in the evenings (six-week terms) and on weekends (one- and two-day options). See www.glasslabedinburgh.com for details.

Cyan Clayworks is an artist-run ceramic studio and educational space in Edinburgh that was set up in 2012 by Fiona Thompson and Chris Donnelly. The studio offers individual tuition, regular courses for adults and a membership scheme. Options include evening and day taster sessions and longer courses lasting four to six weeks covering different approaches to ceramics such as wheel throwing, hand building and surface decoration. Details and booking details are available at www.cyanclayworks.co Cyan Clayworks is an artist-run ceramic studio and educational space in Edinburgh that was set up in 2012 by Fiona Thompson and Chris Donnelly. The studio offers individual tuition, regular courses for adults and a membership scheme. Options include evening and day taster sessions and longer courses lasting four to six weeks covering different approaches to ceramics such as wheel throwing, hand building and surface decoration. Details and booking details are available at www.cyanclayworks.co

Lucy Engels is a quilter and visual artist who creates unique quilt patterns that coax out your inner artist by allowing you to put your own personality and stamp on what you are making. Alongside quilt patterns, she has created a range of English paper-piecing kits for beginners and seasoned quilters alike. Engels runs quilting workshops online and in person in Edinburgh. Sign up to her email list at www.lucyengels.com to find out more.

Learning curve

Louise Wilkie on the museums’ first human tissue donation since the 1990s and its anticipated role in strengthening women’s healthcare

Surgeons’ Hall Museums made the headlines in September after accepting a new human tissue specimen for the first time since the 1990s. The specimen is a tension-free transvaginal tape (TVT) and attached tissue, which was surgically removed from the donor in April 2022.

In August 2021 Lisa Megginson contacted the museum to ask whether her medical device could be donated, to end what she describes as 'a horror story' on a positive note. Indeed few people learning about her physical and emotional journey since having the TVT procedure could fail to be shocked and moved.

While the museum immediately realised the importance of the device, this unusual offer of donation presented many legal and ethical considerations.

The collections are by default closed to human remains. However, as we are one of the few museums legally permitted to hold contemporary human tissue and have the expertise to conserve and curate these sensitive collections, we feel a responsibility to consider such offers on a case-by-case basis. This specimen is an excellent example of why we do just that.

As far as we are aware the museum has never received a specimen directly from a patient. In the past, collections have come from the hospital, pathologist or surgeon. We had to consider the ethical considerations, not to mention the practical issues involved.

After consulting external experts and seeking advice on informed consent for tissue donation, the museum felt confident to proceed.

We also had the generous support of the operating surgeon, Professor Hashim Hashim, and the Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The TVT was removed and transferred to the museum directly

Louise Wilkie (left) and Lisa Megginson with the tension-free TVT specimen

Louise Wilkie Curator, Surgeons’ Hall Museums

References

1. baus.org.uk/patients/ sui_mesh_complications. aspx 2. www.birmingham prostateclinic.co.uk/ bladder/treatments 3. First Do No Harm – The report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, led by Baroness Cumberlege, 2020 from the hospital, where it was mounted and preserved in fluid by Cat Irving, our Human Remains Conservator.

The TVT procedure was introduced in the 1990s as a new, minimally invasive surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The British Association of Urological Surgeons estimates that just under 24,000 surgeries took place for treatment of SUI between 2014 and 2016 in the UK1 .

It is estimated that around 10,000 of SUI cases between 2006 and 2016 used the TVT procedure2 .

The synthetic mesh, most often polypropylene, is introduced via a curved trocar and is used as a sling under the urethra to reinforce the weakened ligaments. Due to the small incisions, patients could be discharged faster compared to more traditional approaches. The limitations were limited visibility for insertion.

It is only by having a physical representation that we can tell this story. Exhibiting a surgically removed device enables the visitor to see for themselves the impact on the patient.

Interpretation of the donated specimen will make it clear that many women have experienced no side-effects to this procedure. However, it will also highlight the significant physical complications that can occur and perhaps, more importantly, give attention to the wider issues and obstacles that faced those who had complications.

As such the device enables the museum to explore issues highlighted in the First Do No Harm report, overseen by Baroness Cumberlege3. These include concerns surrounding informed consent, patient advocacy, rapid uptake of the procedure, lack of long-term monitoring data and defensive reactions from the medical community.

As the report states: “We know there are some excellent surgeons doing their best to care for meshinjured women, but … we have also heard from women whose doctors, surgeons and GPs ignored or dismissed their concerns.”

In another first, Megginson was awake during and watched her own TVT removal surgery. This was due to a need for closure and because of a declining confidence and trust from many years of convincing an entrenched medical community of her plight. While this chapter in women’s health may cause embarrassment to some in the medical profession, we hope that by highlighting this story and issues uncovered in the First Do No Harm report, we will only strengthen and progress women’s health, and help, as the report urges, “to build a system that listens, hears and acts with speed, compassion and proportionality”.

A sparkling symbol of your achievement.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, in collaboration with Hamilton & Inches, has created a collection of luxury jewellery for its membership. The first of its kind. Inspired by the iconic sun symbol crest, each piece perfectly encapsulates the College's unique and fascinating heritage.