Which yet survive: impressions of friends, family and encounters

Thanks to his diaries and his mother’s photos, John Mills’ account of his life is detailed and interesting. Called up for national service in 1946, he was stationed in Singapore, Rangoon and Colombo before returning to the UK for his chemistry degree and subsequent employment as a chemist at the national gallery. Mills spent time working in both the US and Mexico before finally settling back in London until his retirement. In between his fascination for paintings and restoration he developed an interest in oriental carpets, and went on to become an expert on those as well.