2009 Award: Lorraine's grant was in three parts; funding towards the purchase of the book "The British Violin", a donation of wood which she used for a baroque violin based on Andrea Amati that she has seen at the Ashmolean Museum, and a one-week work experience placement with the restorer Matthew Wing in London.  Lorraine writes of this experience: 

"The best part of the grant was for me the one week workshop placement I had with Matthew Wing. Indeed I really would like to become a restorer and working with him was a great experience. I have been able to see really good instruments and we were both doing a through patch. It was really good because I hadn’t done one before and I must admit that I was quite scared about it. But Matthew being one step further than me, I always knew where to go. I really have learnt a lot during that week.  Thank you a lot for all that help, it really is important for me."

The pictures below show the stages of fitting the through patch in a damaged violin by N L Lambert.

1.  The damage to the front - a worm run has left a hole that needs to be filled

2.  Plate hollowed in preparation for fitting a wood shaving to match the grain of the front

3.  Shaving glued in place

4.  Outside of front with shaving glued in place

5.  Patch fitted over shaving

2010 Award:  A further award was made in three parts: funding toward the purchase of the book “A Century of Italian Violin Making” which she requested to increase her knowledge about modern Italian makers as she has been restoring a violin by Carlo Bisiach during her final year at Newark; a copy of the Voller Brothers book; and workshop placement with Elodie Egret.

Lorraine writes of this award: "I am really thankful for the support that the RAB trust has given me over two years. As last year, this year's award has been really useful; the books to gain more knowledge about instruments (which is really good when you are working in the restoration field) and the workshop placement to help me to understand the reality of working as a restorer for other shops, as well as improving my setting up technique.

Now working independently as a restorer, Lorraine has sent photographs of the continuing restoration work on the J. N. Lambert violin.

6. Hole in the treble bottom rib

7.  To make the rib graft as invisible as possible, Lorraine has used three separate pieces of wood

8.  The middle piece comes from a little piece of rib left on the top block of the instrument

9.  The inside of the front ready to glue to the ribs

10.  The front glued back to the ribs

11.  The bass side of the ribs

12.  The treble side of the ribs.  The body is now ready for retouching