Mary Reid

How could anyone do a day's work with a view like this from the office window?

The Royal School of Needlework is located at the back of Hampton Court Palace, with this glorious view towards the Long Water and the Jubilee Fountain. But inside are even more stunning things to look at. This is the organisation that trains and employs specialists to conserve and reconstruct old and very precious embroidered fabrics.

When I called in some of them were working on a dress made around 1740 with the most intricate and colourful floral embroidery.

The School has its own archives which deserve to be seen by a wider audience. They also take on modern commissions and had recently completed a colourful altar frontal for Canterbury Cathedral.

I learnt that all the apprentices learn the art of Coronation embroidery, using raised gold threads; they keep the skill alive, waiting for the next opportunity to use it, for this was the body that created the Queen's astonishing Coronation gown.

And believe it or not, even beginners can join classes and learn from some of the most skilled craftspeople of their generation.