The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse

The question of the staircases. The preferred view was to have them dismantled and taken away for stripping. This was felt to be a drastic solution. The other solution is more time consuming and that is stripping by hand. To do this a shave hook is used with a Stanley knife and a a few smaller spikes to probe and remove paint in any nook-or-cranny. It will be finished by using a wire wool and then where required a light stain will be used to make sure all areas match and then it will be waxed.

In the top left of the picture, you can see what used to be the servants staircase. The spindles were painted on this due to some new spindles having to be inserted. The handrail had suffered over the years, everything including cigarette burns. This handrail had the paint removed, it was then lightly sanded and stained. Thus preserving many of the scars of use, including cigarette burns. Finally it was varnished. The servants staircase is much simpler in design and the painting of the spindles, highlights that this staircase is in the functional area of the house.