Gallery boss Andrew on surviving lockdown and what comes next

‘Gardening, walking the dogs, indulging a passion for ships and being rubbish at home schooling!’

Scarborough Art Gallery and Woodend are now open and their boss Andrew Clay back at work – but this how he has survived lockdown. Whatwasworkingfromhome like?

As chief executive of Scarborough Museums Trust it’s my job to support, encourage and lead by example. I am fortunate to have a fabulous team who are all dedicated to what we do. The management team and I continued to work and our big message was though the buildings were closed Scarborough Museums Trust/ Woodend had not shut. In a strange way, this has been one of our most innovative periods of activity.

The Rotunda Museum, the art gallery and Woodend were experiencing a period of change anyway so the lockdown has enabled us to give more time to things like policies and procedures, systems and processes.

How did it differ from going to the office every day?

My wife works for the NHS so I’ve had to be at home three days a week for my youngest daughter, six-year-old Jennifer. I also have two dogs – Hugo is a 10-year-old labrador and Edie is an 18-month-old pug – so you can imagine the office at home was very different. Our house is quite small but I do have a study which we call the Quiet Room, which is very much my room, so is crammed with old furniture, books and pictures. There’s a log-burning stove for winter months. I have apenchantforantiqueneedlework so it’s comfy in a vintage sort of way. My commute is down the stairs via the kitchen, interrupted by dog walking and home schooling – which I’m completely rubbish at.

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Part to play ‘Culture is fundamental to our recovery’