Brought up about 20 miles from Belfast at the height of the Troubles, the roots of Hilary McGrady's future career can be traced to her childhood. 'My father was a builder, my mother had various jobs. As the youngest of a big family circle, I had a solitary childhood that made me find my own pastimes. I spent my time roaming around the fields, and that love of nature has been with me ever since." She also loved the arts, 'in the widest sense', she recalls, and after school she went on to study Fine Art then Graphic Design at art college. 'I'd been accepted to do Law at Queen's, but at the last minute I decided to follow my heart. It didn't go down brilliantly at home. My father said I would end up drawing pictures on the pavement - that was his understanding of the arts in terms of job prospects.'
Hilary's exposure to the country houses that form such a cornerstone of the National Trust was limited. 'In Northern Ireland, the National Trust largely kept a low profile during the Troubles for obvious reasons. I didn't visit country houses; it wasn't something my parents would have thought of doing.' Her first introduction was a memorable school trip to Mount Stewart. It opened a different world to me, and I guess that is at the roots of why I'm so interested now, and feel so passionately that people of a young age and every background should have access to art and collections and the history and stories they tell.'
Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
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Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques