In 2014 I began a Professional Doctorate in Heritage at the University of Hertfordshire. The following year I left the UK for a 4-month sabbatical to the UAE and I started this blog to document my journey (see original ‘About’ below). That four-months turned into 2 wonderful years. For various reasons during that time, not least I was incredibly busy, I stopped blogging. Now that I’m in my final year of the DHeritage, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit this blog and post about my continued adventures in heritage.
My research focuses on the creation of community identity within new towns and planned communities and I examine the authoritative voice of heritage within these communities. It traces the utopian impulse that led to the formation of these communities from Plato to Le Corbusier. The notion of authority weaves through the research as I trace the legacy of the 19th century utopian socialists Charles Fourier and Robert Owen on modern urban planning as well as art-critic John Ruskin’s views on architectural preservation which remains influential in building conservation practices today.
Original About In December 2015 I am embarking on a four-month sabbatical to Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, as Director of the National Museum. This blog is about how I am finally following in my family’s footsteps and embracing adventure abroad, my preparations-or lack of- for the imminent move and my life once I arrive as a single girl with a shy streak and a suitcase full of shoes.
At the Edge of the Unknown 
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