The Arts Society Wrekin is funding the fourth Wrekin Arts Award. The Society hopes to attract applications from talented emerging artists with roots in the Wrekin area looking to build and develop a career in the arts. We will consider applications from all branches of the Arts and Crafts, including for example, visual arts, music, drama, dance, design, textiles, ceramics, restoration, heritage and curatorial work.

The Award is in the form of a grant of £2000 to help enhance the winners skills. All applicants must be 17 years or over on the 11th of September 2026, there is no upper age limit. The winner of the award should have a clear idea about how they intend to spend the award and must be prepared to report back to The Arts Society Wrekin how it has benefitted their career.

Your application must be submitted  before midnight on Friday 11th September 2026. No applications after this deadline will be considered.

The Application Form, Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Statement are available on our documents page Please use this link:

https://www.theartssocietywrekin.org.uk/AboutUs/Documents.aspx

If you have any questions or require an APPLICATION FORM in Word format  please email The Wrekin Arts Awards Committee by:

theartssocietywrekinaward@gmail.com

I am thrilled to share with you all the exciting news that Wrekin’s wonderful, hard-working volunteers have been recognised and rewarded with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups and was announced in The London Gazette and on the Department of Culture’s (DCMS) website earlier today.

The volunteers will receive the award from Mrs Anna Turner JP, Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, at an event to be organised in the new year.

As a charitable organisation run entirely by volunteers, the Society depends on many members giving generously of their time and efforts. Following a busy and successful Golden Anniversary year, this is certainly the ‘icing on the cake’ and something for which we can all be rightly proud.

I am sure you will want to join me in congratulating the volunteers whether or not you are an active volunteer yourself – it is an incredible honour for our Society.

If you are fairly new to Wrekin, volunteering is a great way to get involved, make new friends and learn new skills. There are opportunities to support committee roles as well as heritage projects and arts in the community. See our website www.theartssocietywrekin.org.uk or contact any committee member for more information.

My thanks to everyone.

Amanda Zaadstra

Chairman

What an enjoyable, informative and thought provoking morning! The exhibition was beautifully curated within the spacious Rose Paterson Art Gallery and, although the explanatory notes next to each of the artists' pieces were excellent, having Nicky there to explain in more detail the story behind her creations was spell binding. Nicky really brought the exhibits to life with her knowledge of social history and her passion. The range of materials used and their provenance provided an extra dimension to pieces which were already engaging. It was lovely to see such skill on display.

The Weston Park staff welcomed us with great coffee and excellent shortbread which were greatly appreciated! Altogether an excellent event

Claire Warburton

…..and from Nicky Ilsley,

Thank you for organizing this and for your kind and thoughtful comments. They were a delightful group and it was a pleasure to meet everyone. Great questions and lots of enthusiasm which makes for a memorable and enjoyable event. It has been a long 3 years in the making and it is wonderful to be able to share it all with an appreciative audience. 

£360 was donated to the Rose Paterson Art Gallery from the visit

Glasgow has a certain caricature to its identity and we were pleased to discover there is so much more to Glasgow than this.  We had the services of a knowledgeable and personable guide throughout the packed two and a half days, which added so much more than with self-exploration even with written information.

Our tour bus took us through the city centre on route to Glasgow Green which is the oldest part of the city dating back to the 15th century, our guide pointing various original buildings which were built as the city grew.

Our main visit was to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which has an eclectic collection of art, of which the Salvador Dali painting of Christ of St John on the Cross is a recommended view.  We were introduced to Charles Rennie Macintosh and his wife Margaret’s art and furniture and in another gallery was a Spitfire on display so there was something to please almost everyone.  The organ recital at lunchtime was very popular with seemingly all of Glasgow and we could see why – it was good.

On our way back to the hotel we detoured via the Riverside Transport Museum. This is part of the Riverside development programme.  This modern building is in complete contrast to most of the Victorian buildings we had seen before. It was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and won a European Museum of the year Prize in 2013. 

Street art is up and coming in many cities, including Glasgow.  We had a walking day of street art and prominent architecture only dampened a little by the rain.  There is some dramatic street art in Glasgow, some in unexpected places, so a guided tour is ideal.  On one of our other journeys we happened to see a new piece of street art in construction.

Charles Rennie Macintosh (not the inventor of raincoats that help indigestion, but the world-renowned artist) is a prominent son of Glasgow and our group explored many of his treasures.  Prominent among this was a visit to the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Macintosh and furnished in his style.  We had an enjoyable afternoon tea here, served with due pomp for the occasion.  We were free to explore the Macintosh museum after.

Our visit to The Burrell (art) Collection was enhanced by our guide being an accredited guide for this gallery.  We also visited Glasgow Cathedral and Glasgow City Chambers, also made more impressive with the added knowledge of our guide.  In the evenings we had the option of eating together at nearby restaurants, most of the group joined this.

The research for this visit and the organising would have been considerable but the itinerary went well and the group enjoyed themselves.  There was other art to still see in Glasgow, something for individuals to come back for.  Some of the group chose to stay longer in the city for some self-exploration.  The travel and hotel bookings were done individually with recommendation of a hotel, a short walk from Glasgow Central train station.  Individuals in the group were free to take part in as much or as little as they wished, most joined in all activities.  People left with smiles on their faces!

Deepak and Sue Kalra

  A group from The Arts Society Wrekin enjoyed a conducted tour around the gardens led by Ann Holland head gardener, who has carried out extensive work in the walled garden, woodland and elsewhere on site with the owners Kathy Moynes and Mark Pollard. 

We saw a wide range of plants, shrubs and trees and were shown photographs of the area before the recent development of the gardens took place. The transformation has been remarkable.

This was followed by tea /coffee and delicious homemade cake whilst sitting in the sunshine.

Afterwards some of us visited the lake with Kathy before we went home. 

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon in Shropshire. 

Many thanks and well done to Ann, Kathy and Mark and to Nicky Lipscombe who organised a most enjoyable visit. 

Liz and Richard Shortridge 

I think we knew from the start that our walk around Digbeth was going to be interesting; our guide Jonathan Berg was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the many different forms of art we would see.
We began at Grand Central station with Ozzy the Bull breathing down our necks: a work of art created for the Commonwealth Games in 2022.  From here we walked amongst the bustling crowds in the modern part of the city, stopping to look at several sculptures: one commemorating the victims of the 1974 pub bombing, another representing an athlete and a beautiful war memorial depicting hands cradling the world.  From here we moved back in time to a different era in Digbeth’s history, where Jonathan showed us lots of colourful and different paintings, on buildings and walls.  Our route took us past old buildings which were being modernised by organisations such as the BBC and were being used to film programmes Master Chef and Peaky Blinders.  Indeed, we could see preparations being made to film an episode of Silent Witness. (I wonder if they’ll find the body in the canal?)
We walked along the canal, which had its own interesting buildings, many of which were decorated with either art or graffiti .( We learnt that the difference between art and graffiti is that graffiti is illegal, while art is commissioned, or at least, allowed) 
Eventually our route took us into the old part of Digbeth with the oldest building in Birmingham, The Old Crown pub, where we were to have our lunch.  It was certainly a varied and fascinating walk, and, I think for many of us, it showed us a part of Birmingham we had never seen before.
Our thanks to  those who organised  the outing, and to Jonathan Berg our guide, who made it so memorable.

Barbara Tritton

On a chilly Thursday in March a group of abound 40 Arts Society Wrekin members set out for Worcester by coach. We had a very smooth journey from RAF Cosford arriving at Worcester Cathedral in plenty of time for Coffee in the well-appointed cathedral tea rooms.

We were then split into groups and all enjoyed a very interesting tour of the cathedral. The guides were exceptionally informative and interesting. We were able to observe the splendid architecture which spans many periods of history including the original Norman style, the later Gothic style, and the Victorian additions and restorations funded by the Earls of Dudley. The circular Chapter House and the original crypt were also notable. We were all impressed by the magnificent stained-glass windows especially the one depicting the creation story.  We saw the tombs of King John and Arthur, Prince of Wales (older brother of Henry VIII). We were all intrigued by the story of a 15th century pilgrim who was buried, fully clothed in the cathedral and was unearthed during excavations as late as 1987. His staff and boots remain on display.

After the very interesting cathedral tour, we were able to have lunch and then gathered at the Royal Worcester China Museum. We were treated to an informative talk about Royal Worcester porcelain and bone china.  We were able to handle exhibits from the museum and heard about the delicate work of decorative painting, the amazing process to apply gold gilt and the skill involved. Amongst other things we were able to see and handle a plate from the dinner service made for the royal wedding of the then Princess  Elizabeth and Prince Philip and marvel at the multiple dinner services  commissioned by the Sultan of Oman for himself and other Arab leaders.

We then headed back to Cosford by coach and were treated to Marcia’s delicious  home-made muffins  which made the journey back go more smoothly.

All in all, a very interesting day out and our thanks to Barbara Noble and Marcia Street for their excellent organisational skills in making the day happen and go so smoothly.

Helen Hibbs

We were transported to Cornwall in the1800s and the development of the Newlyn School of artists. Drawn by the brilliant natural light and the desire to paint in a fresh and realistic style, the colony developed into a thriving community. Between 1855 and 1890 there were 130 artists just in Newlyn but then they began to disperse to other parts of the peninsula. The first recognised Cornish artist was John Opie 1761-1807 but there is a catalogue of names who will forever be associated with the area - Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, Henry Scott Tuke, Harold and Laura Knight ( first full female Academician) Alfred Munnings, Ben Nicholson, Peter Lanyon, Alfred Wallis and so many more! A wonderful day out.

Linda Clutterbuck

Margaret Watson returned to Albrighton to give a virtuoso performance of music from Bach to Presley.  Carols were included together with an explanation of the hidden mechanism of these complex but beautiful instruments.   Mandy, Sarah and their Red House team then served an excellent tea.  This was a very well organized and enjoyable 'bling free' launch to the Christmas season.

In the evening Margaret returned to Horsham with her huge harps in the capacious boot of her Ford Galaxy car.  She left a very happy Arts Society audience.

JHB and MB

What a brilliant study day!  Steve King delivered a most interesting and entertaining day. Most of us grew up enjoying this decade but we learnt so much about this significant period in pop culture.  The influence of the Beatles and Sir  George Martin on the music scene was extraordinary. We also learnt of the other key contributors to this wonderful decade
A very popular day.   

                                   Louise Nixon

The Arts Society Wrekin celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new publication and a series of events for its members and the young artists it supports.

The main celebration at Weston Park was a joyous occasion with fabulous weather to enjoy drinks and canapes in the Orangery. The venue was of particular significance as it is where the Society first formed as Wrekin Decorative and Fine Arts Society and held its first meetings. We were delighted to be joined by two past presidents from those early days, Joanne Porter, formerly Countess of Bradford (1986-2004), and David Brown (2004-2009). Over 100 members and guests were treated to entertainment by Bertie Pearce, one of our favourite Arts Society lecturers who is also a member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star. He regaled us with tales of working on cruise ships with some magic thrown in.

A small, dedicated team produced an illustrated book ‘Fifty Treasures around the Wrekin’, to mark this special anniversary and to highlight the lesser known / newer artistic and historical treasures in the wider Wrekin area. The treasures were nominated by the membership; every member household was given a free copy and they are now available to purchase for £8 per copy (post and post packing extra).

WDFAS became a charity in 2012 and has made support of Young Arts a priority. In this celebratory year it was decided to use the surplus from our events to sponsor several school projects.

A class of Year 2 pupils joined a tube lining workshop at Craven Dunhill and also toured the Jackfield Tile Museum to learn about the tile heritage of the Ironbridge Gorge.

A group of Year 9 students enjoyed a glass fusion workshop at Ercall Wood Academy whilst a group of Year 10s from Abraham Darby Academy attended glass fusion workshops at Jackfield.

These activities were arranged with the aim of encouraging creativity and to display the handiwork alongside that of some of our talented members in an anniversary exhibition ‘Beyond the Lecture’. An impressive display of over 200 art works was put on for members, young artists and the wider public in a gallery at Jackfield in late October. It was all beautifully displayed and a joy to see some of the young artists when they found their artwork. The feedback from visitors was excellent; more than 300 people visited over four days.

The Arts Society Wrekin has provided prizes for winning artists at the annual ‘Halls Young Artist’ competition at Weston Park for several years. This year the theme was ‘Gold’ in our honour.

Other charitable activities over the year have included:

Sponsoring ‘Creative Arts’ sessions for six Telford schools with EKO (Educating Kids Outdoors) in the Capability Brown Parkland at Weston Park.(A comprehensive report showing how EKO have supported schools in our area with the help of our donation can be read in Documents.)

 Sponsorship of Telford College’s annual art competition, now a regular commitment.

 A master class for students in anatomical sculpture.

The biennial Arts Award is now in its third cycle.

We expect to announce the winner in January 2025.

The Society retains regular contact with previous Arts Award winners and were pleased that the two sculptors, Jacob Chandler and Michael James Potter, were able to contribute to the special exhibition - visitors had an opportunity to ‘meet the artists’. Michael also ran the sculpture masterclass, and Jemma Finch, a 2022 Arts Award finalist, ran the glass fusion workshop at Ercall Wood.

Kate Woodman was joint Frank Hartill Award winner in 2020.

Kate's mother has sent us a brief resume of her progress to date:

Kate had a busy gap year - she took the gap year diploma in acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama which involved going down every Saturday all year with two intensive weeks at the beginning and end of the course and she really enjoyed that - learnt lots. She also produced, directed and played Cecily in her version of 'The Importance of Being Earnest', re-imagined in the 1950;s, at the Edinburgh Fringe which was a huge project but really rewarding. They had a great time performing there playing to full houses, albeit in a tiny 45 seat venue! She continues to be busy auditioning professionally and is doing well there, but it's a very competitive business! She played a lead in a short film with the National Film and Television Centre in the summer which was really good experience, and she also did some work experience on a couple of shows at the Birmingham Hippodrome and Grand Theatre Wolverhampton.

She has now nearly finished her first term at Cambridge which she has loved. She has been involved in lots of things as you might imagine!  We went down last week to watch her in her first Cambridge show - the Freshers musical - which was great, and we are going down next week to watch her in another, darker, musical theatre production which has already played the Camden Fringe this summer (not with Kate, obviously!)  called 'The Chaplain' - she is playing the role of the Chaplain and at the moment is deep in line learning! . She's also enjoying playing college netball and tennis and has taken up rowing - she's off on a College rowing camp in Seville the week before term starts in January. which sounds brilliant! The academics are intense, but she is managing with it all and balancing everything - but has very long and full days!

No date yet on when The Count of Monte Cristo directed by Billy August will be out, but that will be very exciting when it finally is released - it did premier at the Rome Film Festival in September."

(Kate plays 'Louise' and was filming out in Turin summer 2023)

Some years ago WDFAS funded regular organ lessons for a very talented and passionate Albrighton teenager. We were thrilled to hear that during this special anniversary year, Claudia Grinnell has been appointed as the first female Director of Music at Saint Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, a fantastic achievement.

At this challenging time for the arts in schools we are proud to make support of Young Arts a prime objective. We are convinced that creative opportunities for young people are really important and that investment in young talent is very worthwhile. 

We are delighted to announce that the auction of the three donated art works realised a total of £355. Together with the donated Christmas cards and generous donations from two of our exhibiting artists we now have £500 towards another Young Arts project. This may fund a Masterclass or workshops in schools - we will keep you informed when arrangements are made.

                                                 
A huge thank you to all the exhibitors and helpers who came together so effectively to make this such a wonderful and successful event. Without your contributions our special 50th Anniversary Exhibition could not have taken place. The variety and quality of 100+ member artworks were outstanding and it was lovely to see the fantastic work of our Young Arts and Arts Award recipients being well received too.

I particularly want to thank the exhibition sub committee of Tim Roberts, Jenny Bickley and Corrie Williams who have given their time and contributed so generously whilst working alongside me during the last year of planning.
The event attracted nearly 300 visitors over the four days we were open and I have received many positive and encouraging comments both verbally and written from members, guests and the general public. Although the event was run as a showcase and celebration of our Society’s support of the arts there is likely to be a small surplus which will go towards future Young Arts projects and the Arts Award. 

Amanda Zaadstra 
Chairman
The Arts Society Wrekin

Wellington Orbit

Tuesday 1st October 2024

The Arts Society Wrekin members attended a private showing of the film LEE at the Wellington Orbit Cinema. The Society previously had a lecture by Antony Penrose about his mother Elizabeth Lee Miller, always known as Lee.

On that occasion Antony Penrose gave us a moving account of her varied and extraordinary life. He has devoted himself to her archive and memory. Following on from the lecture we were interested to see the film.

This is a biographical film about Lee Miller who was a Vogue fashion model. She became an acclaimed War Photographer.

The film stars Kate Winslet as Lee and Jude Law as Penrose. The latter himself makes an appearance as an extra and was involved in the production.

Kate Winslet gave a seductive and steely performance with great acting by the entire cast.

Wellington Orbit is a very comfortable 60 seat cinema in the centre of the town. It is very close to the station. There is parking in Market Street Car Park and at the Station Car Park. There are a number of disabled parking places in the station approach immediately outside the Orbit.

Some of our members were previously unaware of this venue and were pleasantly surprised by the comfortable and intimate cinema. There are well advanced plans for the conversion of the upper floors to create an exhibition space and a centre for various Arts related activities.

David Milledge

19-22 August 2024

28 of us were lucky enough to participate in this most successful visit. Our thanks go to David Milledge and Liz Allan for organising it.

The majority of us stayed in The Royal County Hotel, where the opening dinner was held in the Bowes Room on the 19th August. We assembled the next day for a walking tour of Durham City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We were split into 2 groups, each with a Blue Badge Guide, utilising a Vox Audio system. Having negotiated the rather steep and largely cobbled streets, we entered the Cathedral, which has been described as “the largest and finest Norman building in England.” It was largely constructed between the late 11th and early 12th centuries, to house the bodies of St. Cuthbert and The Venerable Bede. We were fortunate enough to see The Peace Doves Installation by the artist Peter Walker, as it is only on display until the 4th September. This artwork is made up of 15,000 individually hand-made paper doves suspended above the Cathedral’s historic Nave (see attached photographs). Each dove contains a message of peace, love and hope, written by members of the public.

After lunch, several of us went on a self-guided tour of the Castle – for centuries the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham. In 1837 the Castle became home to University College, the oldest college of Durham University. One of the areas within the Castle is the Bishops’ Dining Hall, which was re-modelled as a dining room in 1751 by Bishop Butler in the Gothic Revival style and is truly magnificent. Today it is the Senior Common Room of the University and we were privileged to be able to eat there that evening, thanks principally to the efforts behind the scenes of Liz Allan.

We set off by coach on Wednesday 21st August to Bishop Auckland, home to the Auckland Project. One of the highlights was the morning presentation by Bob McManners, a retired GP from Bishop Auckland, who was at medical school with a TASW member, Frank Wilson. Bob is an Arts Society lecturer, an artist and author and has been heavily involved in the Auckland Project since its inception. Bob, in his very passionate, humorous and moving address, explained the history of the Project, which has resulted in the regeneration of the town, including the creation of 2 galleries, the Faith Museum and the restoration of the Castle and its Walled Garden. Bob described how he and his colleague Gillian Wales acquired at auction a painting by Tom McGuinness called “Durham Big Meeting 1968” (see photo attached), which was transported back in Bob’s Austin Metro with Gillian lying flat on the back seat, holding up the painting for the 35-mile journey home! This painting was one of the first to be displayed in the new Mining Art Gallery, which contains more than 400 artworks, recording the mining heritage of the region. We were able to explore this wonderful Gallery at our own pace and to watch a very moving video which brought home the dangers inherent in the miners’ work.

The building in which the Gallery is situated is a former bank building, acquired by the Project’s founder philanthropist, Jonathan Ruffer, who has donated (and continues to donate) millions of pounds to the cause. In addition, he has donated some of his own priceless art collection, which can be seen in the Spanish Art Gallery. This has the largest display of Spanish Golden Age art outside London, the highlights of which were explained to us by a guide.

We had a welcome Spanish buffet lunch before going on a guided tour of Auckland Castle, the country palace of The Prince Bishops of Durham. At the heart of the Castle is the Long Dining Room, which contains the life-size paintings of Jacob and His Twelve Sons by Francisco Zubaran (1598-1664). 12 of these paintings were purchased by Bishop Trevor at an auction in 1756. Having been outbid for the thirteenth painting, he commissioned the prominent English artist, Arthur Pond, to make an exact copy. When the Church Commissioners decide to sell these paintings, Jonathan Ruffer intervened. Not only did he purchase the artwork but also the Castle, and placed them in a charitable trust for the benefit of the people of the North East. The Castle was renovated over a period of 3 years and was opened to the public in 2019. Time did not permit visits to The Faith Museum nor to The Walled Garden – there is so much more to see!

We ate independently on Wednesday evening, giving time for a more detailed look at some of the excellent restaurants and hostelries in this beautiful City.

Diana Wareing

Wednesday 31 July was a very warm and sunny afternoon. The Society’s Summer Picnic was held in the extensive and varied gardens of Eyton Hall, a Grade II listed house near Wellington. This annual summer event has its roots in a “get together” event held at Coalbrookdale as we were emerging from those awful lockdowns, when people were still anxious about gathering together in confined spaces. The picnics have proved popular ever since.

Kathy and Mark were exceptional hosts. 70 members and friends/family set our tables and chairs in the shade of their trees on the lawn at the rear of the house (which is actually the front architecturally).  Many members picked up their free copies of “50 Treasures Around the Wrekin” and some extras were bought from the stall set up by Tim Roberts. Some of us went in classic or vintage cars which were another attraction for those who were interested. Morgans, a Lancia, Jaguars and an Aston Martin were on show. A member’s 1932 Rolls Royce was a stunner!

Beautifully created intricate scale models of nearby Wappenshall Wharf and the Thomas Telford Longden-on-Tern aqueduct made and loaned by Bear Yeomans, were on display in the dining room of the Hall.

The recently restored walled garden was absolutely fascinating, particularly for the keen gardeners, but it showed why walled gardens were so popular with large houses for producing fruit and vegetables not usually grown in this country – it was too hot so stay in there for long because of the sun’s heat!

There was no charge for entry, but a £10 donation was suggested. I understand that with the donations on entry, the raffle, the sale of plants and conserves, a total of £1,000 was raised on the afternoon. As requested by Mark and Kathy, £950 was given to the “Friends of Friendless Churches” to support its work in restoring little used churches and the specialist restoration skills which could otherwise be lost. This was eligible for matched funding, so the amount raised for the charity was actually £1,900!

The nearby church of St Catherine’s which appears in 50 Treasures, was open to allow members to see the colourful window by David Evans which is included in the book.

A further visit is planned for Spring 2025, to tour the garden with the Head Gardener who planned its restoration together with Kathy. It should be a worthwhile and colourful visit.

Terry Lipscombe

10 August 2024

Twenty five members of the Society were guided on a fun walking tour by Jonathan Berg to experience the vast and varied range of Street Art in Birmingham . Outside London, Birmingham has the greatest number of Street Art installations of any city in the UK.

 We assembled on New Street Station’s concourse, the home for Birmingham’ best known piece of Street Art, Ozzie the Bull. Since its installation, footfall in the concourse has increased by 40,000 per week due to  people who come to view the mechanical monster.

Outside the station entrance, there was ample evidence of aesthetic improvements to the street scape, including the statues of animals, a great favourite with children.

Jonathan drew attention to the intended demolition of some of the City’s iconic buildings including the Electric Cinema with its Art Deco frontage and the distinctive brutalist buildings that line Queensway.

Then onto Holloway Circus with its pagoda and stone lions that guard the “entrance” to Chinese quarter and, outside the Mailbox, a giant red Anglepoise Lamp.

One highlight of the tour was the Peace Garden, a little- known serene space. The gardens were re-designed as the Peace Garden in 1995 in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II. The First World War Memorial colonnade, which had been built as part of the Hall of Memory was relocated here when Centenary Square was laid out 1989. Railings and gates with doves of peace were sculpted by Anuradha Patel and notably, during the G8 summit in 1998, world leaders each planted one of their own native trees here, symbolizing peace and unity.

Next, The Lovely People, designed by acclaimed spray artist Temper (Arron Bird), installed in The Cube in 2010 to emanate a quirky, but much-loved photo opportunity within the building, each of the six sculptures, being made from contrasting materials, with a bronze body and a bright red heart, to immortalise inspiring people from Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

This statue/sculpture outside the ICC is The Battle of Gods and Giants by Roderick Tye. It was intended to symbolise Birmingham's struggle to rebuild itself.

Inside, the ICC there are stained glass windows and other items that we have walked past many times without appreciating them.

 Terminating in Centenary and Chamberlain Squares with many more familiar Statues e.g. The “Golden Boys” Boulton, Watt and Murdoch , Queen Victoria, Gormley’s Iron Man and a new work, A Real Birmingham Family ,by Gillian Wearing. depicting two local sisters, each single mothers called Roma and Emma Jones, with their two children. Emma is depicted as pregnant with a second child. This statue provoked much debate as to what constitutes a “real family”.

The tour concluded with a very pleasant lunch in The PureCraft Bar and Kitchen.

 If future walking tours with Jonathan Berg are arranged, be sure not miss the experience.

John Withers

On 22nd May a group visited the Silk Museum in Macclesfield. Everyone was looking forward to an interesting day not deterred by the awful weather as we boarded the coach. I think most of us were pleased we weren’t having to drive there in such appalling conditions.

Everything was well organised and we were dropped right outside the door so we had only a few steps to enter into a bygone age. The group was split into 3 groups to tour round the pattern shop, the small museum and Paradise Mill.

Macclesfield was once the world's largest producer of finished silk. Built in 1862, Paradise Mill is the sole survivor with the original handlooms still in situ. The mill produced luxury silk goods for an international audience including retailers such as Liberty of London, until it finally closed in 1981. One loom has been restored and it was interesting to see how everything was created. From the designer who then put the intricate design on to punch cards, preparation of silk onto spools and how the precision designs were then weaved on the handlooms. We learned about the lives of the millworkers who created silk here throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

It was also unbelievable seeing the original pattern books as most looked as though they had only been done yesterday… many resemble patterns we see today in our textiles. These patterns would have been put onto punch cards as these formed the jacquard processes still used today and more importantly the basis of our computer systems which are now a necessity in our technological world.

Work is now well underway to restore two of the nineteenth century silk Jacquard handlooms thanks to £16,000 funding granted by the Association for Industrial Archaeology.

Silk Jacquard handweaving is a highly time-consuming skill and The Silk Museum has secured funding from The Radcliffe Trust to work up a plan for the conservation of the looms alongside creative placements for emerging craftspeople.

The only downside to the day was time had been allowed to wander around Macclesfield to see other places of interest. However, the torrential rain had not stopped, so it was decided to start our return home earlier than planned.

Despite the weather, everyone agreed the day had been so informative and a chance to step back into a bygone age. Another successful, well organised trip.

Lynne Hancher 

This is the tenth year that The Arts Society Wrekin has been involved in judging the end-of-year exhibition at Telford College which, this year, took place on the same day as our AGM. Students on the Level 2 Art and Design course were asked to create a piece of artwork inspired by a visit to Sunnycroft, a National Trust Victorian villa in Wellington. Monetary prizes were awarded for the first, second and third winning entries and also for three highly commended pieces.

The winning entry, by Violet Howard,  is shown. 

At the Moat & Gardens   

Recreation & education for people with disabilities

2 January 2024

 David Milledge

The ARTS Society Wrekin

info@theartssocietywrekin.org.uk

 Dear David,

I trust this letter finds you well. On behalf of everyone at the Moat and Gardens, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to you and the society members for your incredibly kind donation. Your ongoing support means the world to us, and we truly appreciate your dedication to our cause.

The funds you have generously contributed will play a crucial role in the realisation of our new Visitor signage project. Your contribution has brought us one step closer to creating a more welcoming and informative environment for our visitors.

Once again, thank you for your kindness and generosity.

                                            Yours sincerely,

                                                       Stephen Jimson

                                                                 Manager

Wrekin goes to Warwick

 Three years after Adam Busiakiewicz's excellent Zoom talk on Warwick Castle's 'Forgotten Collection', we finally made it to see the luxurious Great Hall and State Rooms. We were also able to visit Lord Leycester Hospital after its recent £4.5million restoration and improvement. Our groups were guided by the knowledgeable Brethren who live there.

 The visit to Warwick castle was very enjoyable, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, pitching his talk perfectly to us as his audience.

 Then the visit to Lord Leycester’s Hospital was interesting in a lovely historic building with extensive gardens which seemed to be in an old world of its own. Well worth the short walk from the castle. 

 The coach journey there and back was comfortable, the driver was very good and got us to our destination on time despite heavy traffic and the M6 closure. We got home on time too. 

We thought that the time spent at in Warwick was just about right. Enough time for the tours and no waiting around. 

Thank you for organising the day Nicky." 

 Pam Winwood

To mark our 50th anniversary a book of 50 Treasures Around the Wrekin is in preparation.

The book will be on similar lines to the recent West Midlands Area publication. Treasures of The Wrekin Area suggested by our members are now being worked on to produce our publication. Tim Roberts,

Jean and John Dimmock have been out photographing the treasures and a small committee led by Jim Tranter are working on the entries. An elegant and interesting book is in production.

It is intended that the book will be issued free of charge to our members. Further copies will be available to purchase. 

Rather than ask for commercial sponsorship for the cost (which would involve inserting advertisements) the committee have decided to appeal for donations, large and small from our members with due acknowledgement in the book.
If you are able to help this project by making a donation, please contact Jim Tranter tranter.jim@gmail.com

2024 will be a very special year for The Arts Society Wrekin

Despite gloomy weather warnings, 50 members enjoyed the Society’s annual picnic on 27 July. We were very kindly invited by Sir Algernon and Lady Heber-Percy to visit their magnificent gardens at Hodnet Hall. The gardens were beautifully colourful and the walks in the landscape, around the lakes were extensive, yet generally gentle for those who were less keen on walking any great distance. Members were invited to take their classic cars if they had them but only three braved the forecast. There were two Morgans and a stunning Jaguar XK120.

Everyone took their picnics, which seemed to range from a box of sandwiches with a flask of tea, to right royal spreads with cake and wine! There was plenty of seating for all at the garden tables outside the recently re-modelled tea tooms, which were open for shelter if the rain should have arrived. Mercifully, it did not and although there were some menacing black clouds, there was also a lot of warm sunshine. 

A lovely afternoon thanks to the generosity of our hosts at which £500 was raised. Half of this went to the Society’s fund towards the 2024 Arts Award and the other half, at Sir Algernon’s request has been donated to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, which of course the Society supports and of which he is the President.

Terry Lipscombe

On Monday 5th June 2023 an audience of 100 Wrekin members, guests and visitors, met at the historical St. Andrew's Church Shifnal to hear from three young Wrekin Arts beneficiaries and to learn about two other 2022 candidates who were unable to attend in person.

Claudia Grinnell played a very varied organ recital from five composers. Starting with her initial interest in the organ as a schoolgirl chorister in Albrighton, she has progressed with a first class honours degree from Peterhouse College Cambridge, to becoming the accomplished sub-organist at Winchester Cathedral.

 2022 Award winner, Michael Potter, from Newport has become a figurative sculpture/artist. His career is also thriving. He has a studio at Pitchford Hall to work on his commissions and also starting to train students. He has exhibited in Shrewsbury & Weston Park and has future commissions in Birmingham.

 Jacob Chandler, a young sculptor from Wellington, has works that that can be seen in Telford Town centre & at Rugby M6 Services. Further works are to be installed in The Dingle, Shrewsbury this summer as part of the Shrewsbury Arts Trail. Jacob showed us examples of his sculptures on the large picture screen that have an athletic theme. Both Michael & Jacob have made useful contacts for the future, and are both recognized for their art.

 The youngest award winner Kate Woodman, is a budding actress, who sent a video (shown on screen) of an amusing & innovative monologue from Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona; there were two other exhibitors, Jake Bushell, a photographer from Jackfield and Jemma Finch glass artist, from Bridgnorth, who provided a portfolio to illustrate her work. To help all these very talented enthusiastic young people achieve success and obtain important future projects is rewarding, assisted by their initial award from The Arts Society Wrekin.

 We later enjoyed a glass of wine & excellent canapes in the large church grounds, enabling members to mix in the warmth of friendship & lovely sunshine.

                                                                                                             Daphne Wiggett

April in London with TAS Wrekin

What a lovely time to visit London for our group of 38 from TAS Wrekin. Ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III & Queen Camilla, London was bright and bustling in the late Spring sunshine.  Nicky Lipscombe along with Liz Allan & Jenny Bickley had organised a stimulating and interesting three days with two of London’s Blue Badge guides Simon Whitehouse and Katherine Alcock.

The first morning found us gathered outside Tottenham Court Road tube station, greeting Arts Society friends old and new, for our rendezvous with Simon & Katie.  Once we were plugged into the listening devices, our guides taking a group each, we were off on a walking tour of Soho, Seven Dials and Covent Garden. 

First stop London’s first new build theatre in 50 years ‘@sohoplace’ owned by Nica Burns who with Max Weitzenhoffer are Nimax Theatres co-owning and running six other London theatres.  Then into the quiet tranquillity of one of London’s garden squares, Soho Square, with its eclectic mix of buildings from the last remaining Huguenot church in London in its present form - a 19th century red brick gothic arts and crafts building - to The House of St Barnabas, a grade I Georgian building notable for its later red tile exterior writing ‘House of Charity’ a reminder of its mid 19th century role as a refuse for the homeless families and later for women. Today it is a not-for-profit private members club still supporting those affected by homelessness with the original donation box there on the outside.  Leaving Soho Square, we saw the site of the London Showroom of Josiah Wedgwood where the Great and Royalty alike came to see displayed and choose their dinner services. The narrow streets around this area include the HQ of Soho House private members club opposite a building with a blue plaque depicting where Karl Marx lived 1851-86. 

Following a delightful lunch at the Turkish restaurant, Bistro 1, we headed for Covent Garden, pausing by St Martin’s Theatre home to the longest running play Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mouse Trap’. Continuing our walk, through theatre-land where in its day Chippendale had his workshop, Canaletto had lived, Joshua Reynolds had his studio and Hogarth had set up his Academy. On to Seven Dials: tucked away to the northwest of Covent Garden, a unique star shaped 17th century street plan of seven streets converging on a small roundabout with a central column bearing six sundials, the column being the seventh.

Then to the beautiful and simple St Paul’s church designed by Inigo Jones which bounds the west side of Covent Garden.  Entrance is through its tranquil garden; the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden lies behind its east facade. Known as The Actors’ Church it is a vibrant place of worship and of entertainment, its walls lined with memorials to many actors: Vivienne Leigh, Diana Rigg, Noel Coward, Charles Chaplin to name a few. 

And finally, Covent Garden with its 17th century majestic houses again designed by Inigo Jones to attract the wealthy, who later moved out as it became the fruit and flower market, and now an area of shops, street entertainment and restaurants.  In the north corner is the Royal Opera House behind which is Bow Street and a smart new hotel housed in the former Bow Street Police Station and Magistrates Court. Opposite is the entrance to The Royal Opera House and its new roof top bar open to the public with magnificent views over London - where you can also glimpse into the workshop of the Royal Opera House’s costume department.  A wonderful way to end an enchanting day with our excellent Blue Badge guides.

Day two: on a bright chilly day with our guides Katie and Simon we boarded the Thames Clipper at Tower Pier for Greenwich. There is nothing quite like being on the river Thames

amongst the bustle of its commercial, tourist and pleasure craft as we travelled past the

many restored warehouses, impressive new buildings, Canary Wharf, and the Isle of Dogs.

First stop on dry land to marvel at the restored Cutty Sark - the fastest sailing ship in its day - before entering through the gates of Sir Christopher Wren’s Royal Hospital for Seaman which became the Royal Naval College.  Much of the work was carried out by his assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor - it was designed to reflect the growing power and wealth of Britain as a maritime nation and stands on the site of a royal palace, birthplace to both Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I.  Queen Anne of Denmark commissioned Inigo Jones to build the surviving Queen’s House which he completed for the wife of Charles I, Queen Henrietta Maria.  Situated between the two symmetrical sides of the naval college buildings it is now a maritime art gallery with its famous tulip staircase, housing the Armada portrait of Elizabeth I and the newly conserved Solebay tapestry commissioned by Charles II and designed by his Dutch resident artist Willem van de Velde the Elder.

When the Royal Navy College moved out, the buildings passed to the Greenwich Foundation in 1997 with the historic rooms open to the public. To the left is the domed chapel of St Peter and St Paul with its very fine neo-classical interior rebuilt in 1779 after a fire. The dome of the Painted Hall mirrors that of the chapel, built as a dining hall with its extraordinary painted interior by Richard Thornhill completed in 1726, now fully restored.  Onto the raised area at the far end of the hall there is an inconspicuous door on the left which leads into a small room where Nelson lay in state following his death at the battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805. 

After a traditional lunch of pie and mash at the nearby Goddards we headed to Greenwich Park where could be seen at the top of the hill the distinctive red time ball on top of Flamsteed House.  One of the world’s earliest time signals first used in 1833 to distribute time to ships. Still working today - at 12:55 the ball rises halfway up the mast, at 12:58 it rises to the top, at 1pm exactly the ball falls.  Next to it is the Royal Observatory home to Greenwich Mean Time and the prime meridian.  Our walk led us out on to a small residential road where the meridian line passes, across which you can stand - one foot east and one foot west.

A number of our group were staying at The Tower Hotel with wonderful views of the adjacent Tower Bridge and St Katherine’s dock behind.  A brisk walk on our final morning to Guildhall, the administrative and ceremonial centre for City of London and its Lord Mayor.  Only open for tours once a month when the Court of the Common Council meets, we were met by our Guildhall guides in the courtyard.  Entering through the modern building designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1954 to replace those destroyed in the second world war, through into the magnificent medieval great hall whose damaged roof was replaced at the same time - the far end set up ready for the meeting.  On the balcony the two giants Gog & Magog, legendary pre-Roman guardians of London, watch over the great hall. Around the hall hang the flags with the crests of the livery companies of the City of London.  The great hall hosts the annual Lord Mayor’s banquet amongst its many functions as well as hosting Royalty with a wonderful painting depicting the Royal Family as well as banquets they have attended.

Impressive and notable monuments in the great hall include those to Churchill, Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington.  Our tour ended in the Guildhall art gallery, open to the public, in its basement the remains of London’s roman amphitheatre only discovered in 1988.

Some of our party enjoyed an additional afternoon tour of the City with Blue Badge guide Simon. Our London visit was a great success: very well organised with lots to see and learn with our excellent guides, and in good company. Thank you!

Carolyn Cundy

Graham Hollox, Secretary of the Friends of the Red Church, has forwarded the following information which might be of interest to TAS Wrekin members.

Recently i hosted a brief visit to the Jackfield Old St Mary’s Chapel (the Red Church) by a group on a walk in the Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival. It has been suggested that the information covered might be of interest to Arts Society Wrekin, hence this brief introduction.

The church dates back to 1767 and the small churchyard became the site of over 1200 burials. A badly controlled demolition of the church in 1961 damaged many graves and memorials in the churchyard and the site has since been neglected by the relevant authorities. I am one of a number of volunteers who have started a volunteer group "Friends of the Red Church" and we plan to bring to light stories and contributions to local heritage from those baptised or buried there and to restore the churchyard to a more respectful and respectable condition. 

We have already found it is the last resting place of significant figures in ironmaking, one of most accomplished designers for the Coalport China Company and a "Lord of the Manor of Wrockwardine" as well as people from all walks of life in the early years of the industrial revolution.  An interesting range of stories is emerging reflecting the social history of those times as well as tragedies such as the Coalport Ferry disaster of 1799 and the cholera pandemics of 1832 and 1834. We now have permission to expose and cap the foundations of the church to make them obvious and do what we can to restore and make-safe damaged graves, both part of a long-term plan for the site.

We are keen to bring the site to the attention of a wider audience and In the past couple of years, I have given a number of talks to local groups including the Shropshire Family History Society and Broseley Local History Society. Hence i am wondering if something similar might be of interest to your Society? While the site is a bit restricted another possibility would be to host a visit for any interested members.

Please let me know if any further information would be helpful. We do have a facebook page under the name of our group and our website is www.broseley.org.uk/redchurch

Many thanks

Graham Hollox

Secretary, Friends of the Red Church

Michael James Potter, winner of the iWrekin Arts Award 2022/23 was invited to attend our meeting in November to receive his prize.

Michael is a sculptor who works in the classical tradition. He has made a career for himself and is largely self taught.

Michael has recently opened a studio in the stables at Pitchford Hall (which we have recently visited.) He is beginning to obtain some important commissions. The committee were most impressed with the examples of his work, some of which he brought along, and his very well thought out presentation. We are confident he is a most worthy winner.

Review of the Visit to York 11-13 October 2022

Having joined the Society during the pandemic, this was my first trip involving an overnight stay. I would like to start by saying how much I enjoyed both the quality of the programme and the friendliness of the Group.

 We were lucky enough to be accompanied throughout by Sarah, our Blue Badge Guide. Sarah was a real boon – so knowledgeable, cheerful and seemingly indefatigable.

 We started the visit with a Walking Tour and Overview of York, with Sarah summarising the City’s 2000 years of history and pointing out various landmarks. This was followed by a tour round Fairfax House, a Georgian gem, filled with superb furnishings. We made our way in the evening for a Group meal in the impressive surroundings of Bedern Hall, which used to be the refectory for the Vicars Choral.

 The second day of our trip took us to York Minster. We had a comprehensive tour of this beautiful building, noting in particular the magnificent East Window, which has recently been restored. We managed to make a brief walk along the City Walls, during the only short spell of rain which affected us during the tour – for the remainder of the time, we were blessed with glorious sunshine and blue skies.

 In an action-packed afternoon, we visited All Saints’ Church over the river to see the famous “Pricke of Conscience” window and then moved on to the Jorvik Viking Centre, where we had a surreal ride around a reconstructed Viking village. After a short period of recovery at our hotels, some of us went for a meal at The Fat Badger where we were entertained, with much laughter, by the Liverpudlian manager (the fish and chips were excellent!).

 On the final day, most people went on a tour of the Chocolate manufactory, followed by a trip to the Yorkshire Museum. After lunch, we made our respective ways back to the Midlands. We had walked and learnt a lot over the short time we were in York and, importantly, we had all enjoyed the experience.

                                                                                       Diana Wareing

As a recent recruit to Wrekin Arts Society can I say how impressed I am with the quality of things you organise. All the committee members are welcoming and approachable.

The visit to Acton Round started with coffee in the house which was stuffed with the interesting and macabre artifacts collected by Thomas’s father. After being introduced to all the committee members and looking around we walked to Thomas’s workshop.

For the next hour and a half Thomas told us the history of and demonstrated how he makes Scagliola (plaster made to look like marble). I knew nothing about this before the visit but it was so interesting, the time flew by. I would have liked to see him doing some of the intricate hand decoration he does on some on the pieces, perhaps that could be another visit? Thomas showed us some pictures of finished items. There was a table, Louisa, his wife had sculpted the four griffin feet and he had made the top - it was exquisite.

After the demonstration we walked through the delightful garden and back to the house for a delicious lunch. There were several different homemade quiches and salads. This was followed by homemade meringues, and strawberries from Louisa’s polytunnel with cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience

Linda Curtis

REVIEW OF THE VISIT TO THE STOURBRIDGE GLASS MUSEUM AND THE RED HOUSE GLASS CONE  

On arrival at the Glass Museum, after a pleasant cup of coffee and an informative introduction by the curator, we began our tour of the newly opened museum.  Interesting and knowledgeable information was given by our volunteer tour guide, who described some of the fantastic and possibly quite priceless exhibits.  It is quite amazing what can be achieved with molten glass in talented hands. 

 Passing through to the Hot Glass Studio we were treated to a demonstration of the process of creating a bespoke piece of glass. 

After a good buffet lunch in the Red House Café a tour of the Red House Glass Cone site was made, where we were given a comprehensive and interesting description of the manufacturing process. One can only wonder how items of such beauty and quality were produced whilst tolerating such intense heat.  It was interesting to find that the end product had to be allowed to cool slowly in the most complete and now unique ‘Lehr’.  

It was a splendid day, so thank you to Nicky for the organization and planning. 

Carol Wassell 

FIRST COACH OUTING for over 2 years for The Arts Society Wrekin

 On 12th May, 21 of us went to the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.   This purpose built school is home to 175 budding dancers from the age of 11 – 19 of both sexes, some from overseas countries.   We were given a potted history by their Principal Jessica Ward – herself looking too young to have already been at the helm for twelve years. We were impressed by the general ethos of the staff and  the planning of the curriculum to combine  dance with good all round education.   We were lucky enough to sit in and watch a rehearsal of a few show dances they are performing with other dance schools in Birmingham and London, to raise funds for Ukraine.

 We then went on to visit the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bournville – the interior of which is simply beautiful with frescoes, icons, and artefacts all from the old Yugoslavia.   The best bit was the last bit – Father Nenad’s beautiful singing in front of the Madonna Icon.  

 Phoebe Nattrass 

 PS Places are still available for the second self-drive visit on 16th June

On a wet and blustery day 50 members of the Society met at Weston Park to view the restored and newly installed Coade Stone Sun Dial plinth returned now to its rightful place in the formal gardens.   After admiring this rare Coade stone piece we hurried indoors to for a warming cup of coffee and to listen to Curator and Head of  Learning, Gareth Williams,  tell us the extraordinary story of  how in 2017 the head gardener at Weston found this rare sundial base buried in a bed of nettles.  With the generous support of The Arts Society Wrekin, the plinth was sent to Phil Thomasson, a Dorset based conservator, for restoration.  Unfortunately  the actual sundial was missing but a new sundial was made by Robert Foster of Jackfield.

Gareth, whose depth of knowledge and extraordinary memory never fails to amaze, continued to entertain, inform and amuse us with the stories of the hugely successful craftswoman and  businesswoman Eleanor Coade who invented and produced the artificial stone in the mid eighteenth century.  After a short break Gareth, whose book on Weston Park is to  be published in June, then gave us a fascinating insight into the history of the house and its various occupants and its astonishing collection of furniture, paintings and artefacts.

We then moved into the newly decorated and very grand dining room to  enjoy a delicious lunch provided by Barry Fairhurst and his team

In the afternoon we divided into two groups for a guided tour of the house to admire the fabulous  collection of paintings - including portraits not only of the families who lived at Weston but also of such colourful characters as King Charles’ mistress (a scheming slut!), Thomas Cromwell and Roger Grenville, the Captain of the Mary Rose.

On behalf of all of us I would like to thank Terry and Nicky Lipscombe for all their hard work in organising this day and of course the incomparable Gareth Williams.

Caroline Thewles

On Monday 6th December a full house of 70 Arts Society Wrekin members enjoyed the Christmas themed Talk and Tea at The Red House, Albrighton. The special guest was The Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire., Mrs Anna Turner JP. She received a cheque from the Society towards the publicly funded artwork she has commissioned to commemorate the impact of Covid upon the people of Shropshire. A donation was also made to The Albrighton Trust (Moat). A new table saw is needed to facilitate the creative activities of the disadvantaged young people who meet at the Trust. The main event was a talk, by Bertie Pearce, on Victorian Pastimes. Dressed the part in waistcoat, bowler and bow tie Bertie whisked us away to a time before television, computers and mobile phones and introduced us to the recreational activities of Victorian families. It was a time when leisure was really appreciated and transport, for example, made more activities possible.There were many illustrations including some of the great Victorian artists such as William Powell Frith who painted “Derby Day”. Bertie pointed out the various activities, sometimes very dubious, taking place in these heavily populated paintings. They warrant a closer look! Now Bertie is a member of The Inner Magic Circle so for good measure he threw in a clutch of magic tricks. His sleight of hand had us bemused and delighted as a sliced skipping rope was knotted and then made whole and a white handkerchief became red and then bi-coloured. Did we guess under which paper bag a bottle was hidden? Of course we didn’t! Bertie has a wonderful repartee and interacts so well with his audience, a skill I think he has honed on cruise ships. I’m sure he left most of us wistful for family times of the past when we sat around a table with cards and board games. If you haven’t attended a talk by Bertie Pearce, look out for the next one and book in plenty of time. You will be educated and amused by a consummate entertainer. A splendid afternoon tea prepared and served by Mandy and her catering team at The Red House rounded off this very special Talk and Tea. Of course, thanks must go to our Arts Society Wrekin committee members who worked their own magic in organising the afternoon. Despite the gloomy weather, I, for one, felt the day was brighter and a bit of Bertie Pearce magic had put us all in a more festive mood.

                                                                               Lin Oxtoby

Bertie Pearce will be appearing at Codsall Arts Festival in April 2022

Day of Special Interest review: Treasures of the Square Mile – Ian Swankie

First of all a very big thank you to Liz Allan for organising the event and thanks also to Nicky Lipscombe.

42 of us assembled at The Red House Albrighton and after coffee - thank you to those who helped with this - and a few technical glitches, Ian began his very interesting lecture. The first part was about the Medieval Guildhall.

The current building began construction in 1411 and was completed in 1440 - the grand entrance to the hall was designed in the Hindoostani Gothic style by George Dance the Younger and added in 1788. Ian showed us a photograph showing how tightly packed the buildings used to be with a very narrow Guildhall yard and then showed us a present day view with the enlarged courtyard and the new Modernist and Post-modern architecture.  Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was the first architect to work on the new plans and these were approved in 1939 but because of the war work did not start until 1955. Gilbert's son Robert took over the project when his father became ill. He used polished concrete and there is now a double row of pyramidal concrete shells forming a cloister like feature connecting the new with the old. The Alderman's Court is a sculptural form designed to reflect the gothic detail of The Guildhall and it is in here where the Aldermen meet to elect the new Lord Mayor of The City of London. In 1985 Richard Gilbert Scott then asked to design the new art gallery for the east side. The gallery was not opened until 1999 as the remains of a Roman amphitheatre were rediscovered. These remains are now on display in the basement of the gallery for all to see - definitely worth a visit!  The outline of the original arena is marked with a polished black circle on the paving of the courtyard in front of the hall.

Part 2 of Ian's talk took us inside the art gallery - the gallery houses a selection of wonderful paintings by artists such as Rossetti, Hunt and Millais. Amongst them 'My First Sermon' by John Everett Millais showing the subject - his daughter- sitting and listening intently to the sermon - what makes this already wonderful painting more interesting is another painting by him -incidentally, Ian told us, painted straight after this one, called 'My Second Sermon' which shows the subject taller and far less interested in the sermon, in fact she is asleep! Ian told us another interesting story about the statue of Margaret Thatcher; hewn from one piece of Carrara marble by Neil Simmons, her head was whacked off by a young man who obviously did not agree with her politics. It has been put back on but one wonders how worried Mrs Thatcher would have been looking at the picture taken of her by the side of the statue looking highly unimpressed! Ian showed us a number of works which are worth a visit. One shows The Silent Ceremony when a new Lord Mayor is sworn into office which details paintings of all the 'Fire Judges' who decided which buildings would be built after The Great Fire of London. This is particularly useful as a record as most of the original size paintings were damaged after being stored in the crypt during the war. Another exhibit which deserves mention, and one which Ian particularly likes is, 'A London Study; Concrete Pavement with Dead Leaves' by Mark Boyle. This is from a set of exhibits from Journey to the Surface of the Earth; Mark and his wife Joan Hills threw darts randomly at a map of the world to select a thousand small square sites, they then visited the sites and their surface texture and appearance were exactly recreated. What an amazing project! Lunch was then served and what a delicious lunch it was! Time to reflect on all we had heard and to catch up with friends and acquaintances that many had not seen in person for a long time. 

Part three was a whistle stop virtual walking tour around The City. One of our stops was at the sculpture by Paul Mount called 'Amicale' situated in the Queen's Jubilee Gardens near St Paul's, its surface reflecting St Paul's so beautifully. Next, we visited 'Angel Wings' another stainless steel sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick - this sculpture cleverly provides ventilation for an underground electrical substation - definitely worth a look. Goldsmith's Hall was next where we were shown a picture of the golden leopard’s head, the London hallmark used to guarantee the purity of silver, used since the early 14th century. St Mary Le Bow church was next which Ian told us is considered to be one of Wren's best churches with its three metre dragon on top and its famous bells! A more poignant stop was at 'Postman's Park' so named because of its popularity as a lunchtime garden with workers from the nearby old General Post Office. There are plaques mounted in a small shelter to celebrate people who have lost their lives to save others; it was devised by the artist George Frederic Watts as he believed not just the famous should have memorials to them. Finally, we visited a few of the newer buildings all of which have nicknames to reflect their shape – Scalpel, Cheese Grater, Walkie Talkie, Shard and Gherkin!

Ian really did spoil us with his extensive knowledge; delivered with humour and eloquence - it was a truly wonderful and interesting day.

New Members Event at Chillington Hall

This was our first event as new members of The Arts Society Wrekin and what a great start it proved to be. We swept up the driveway to Chillington Hall near the village of Brewood in Staffordshire. The estate has been in the Giffard family since 1178 and remains in their private ownership to this day. 

I had been here once before as a child when my brother and I cycled up to the house on an open day. As children we were entranced by local legends of an escaped panther, the mysterious wooden cross and ghostly horse riders. We had been shown around the house by Mrs Giffard herself but we never did find the elusive “Pool”. As a pupil of Brewood Grammar school, my husband’s memories included the rigours of cross-country running through the estate. 

So about fifty years later the three of us were back! We had a very warm welcome from the Society and chatted over coffee and biscuits as the current Mr Giffard gazed down on us from his portrait. The guides to both house and grounds were very informative and brought the estate to life for us. We were treated to tales of the Giffards, from their Norman origins as part of the 1066 Conquest right up to the present day with a smattering of rogues and philanthropists. The current house is Georgian and is the third to have stood on the site. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown, the grand scheme created at the expense of the old village of Chillington which was removed to create the perfect view. 

Following the tour of the house we boarded a cart to visit the grounds with its Grecian Temple, canal, and finally got to marvel at the Pool. A high dam creates the 62 acres of water which was all part of Capability Brown’s vision and which attracted day trippers from Birmingham by railway to Codsall station for a day out in the countryside estate. Today, an annual inspection of the dam ensures the safety of the M54 motorist. Back at the house we had time for a quick tour of the gardens with its impressive collection of trees before a delicious ploughman’s lunch. 

During the visit we saw a fascinating variety of artworks, furniture, architecture and landscaping. My personal favourite was the bespoke wallpaper, digitally recreated from a tapestry to perfectly fit the dining room. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day and came away inspired by both the Chillington Estate and our new friends at The Arts Society Wrekin. 

                                                                                                                Jenny Bickley 

Visit to Compton Verney on 20-10-21

Thirty members arrived by car to view the Grinling Gibbons exhibition in this 18th century mansion house and to enjoy guided tours some 300 years after his death.  Gibbons was born to English parents living in Rotterdam in 1648.  He learnt to carve there probably working on the elaborate sterns of naval ships. He came to York as a teenager and migrated to Deptford at the age of 19.  Although he did stone carving and free standing modelling, his great forte was high relief carving usually featuring flowers, fruit, game birds, crustaceans and the occasional cherub.  The work was carried out using laminae of lime wood and a great variety of chisels, gouges and knives. The deepest of the two or three laminae was carved first and undercutting made the piece look very delicate.  He was an artist that eschewed paint brushes and canvas.

His work became very popular and he was patronised by three English kings (Charles II, James II and William III) as well as by the aristocracy.  His work can be seen in many palaces, churches and country mansions and at one time he employed up to 50 assistants.

Work by finalists in the Grinling Gibbons Tercentenary Award is also on display – the winning design in the woodcarving category is a highly skilled item featuring a lobster atop a human skull.

The two upper floors of the house are occupied by an extensive folk art museum.  Primitive wooden chairs and wooden shop signs are among the collection. Another floor features Chinese art but many of us chose the excellent restaurant as it was 1.00 pm.

Outside, the parkland showed the influence of Capability Brown.  We saw two fine cedar trees of at least 300 years age as well as Wellingtonias and limes.  On the way back to the car park we passed a number of odd shaped coloured boxes. Our chairman thought that they were an art installation but I feel they are to be a play area for young goats!  By the car park we saw a Strawberry Tree (Arbutus) covered in white flowers enjoying the autumn sunshine.

The excellent Gibbons exhibition continues until the 30th January.

John Bulmer

           Cambridge - 'Happy Tours and Fawlty Towers' October 2021

What an excellent visit to Cambridge organised by Suzy Keeley! Suzy must have spent so much time putting this delayed and well organised trip together and then unfortunately, she was unable to attend.  Nicky stepped into her shoes making sure that we were at the right place at the right time!

Eighteen of us met our guide Steve on our first afternoon. A fascinating walk learning so much about this fabulous city.  From the Richardson Candle lamps which are unique to Cambridge; Ashlar, the finely dressed cut worked stone which clads many Cambridge buildings to Crunch stone, the chalky limestone rock also used.  We stood outside St Edward’s Church where at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1525, the first openly evangelical sermon of the English Reformation took place. Throughout our tour Steve referred to the 500 years of Cambridge spies from Christopher Marlow to Kim Philby. Work in Cambridge has influenced our present lives hugely - more than 100 Nobel Prize winners and so many world firsts! We finished at the second oldest pub in Cambridge which opened in 1667, The Eagle where Watson and Crick announced the “secret of life“ (DNA) in 1953.

Next day we visited The Parker Library (from where we get the saying Nosey Parker ) which was fascinating and King's College Chapel which is amazing with the largest fan vaulted ceiling in the world, an amazing feat of architecture. Steve pointed out the roof of Cambridge University's Senate House where students from Gonville and Caius College executed  the ingenious student prank involving an Austin Seven car in 1958 - they hoisted it on to the roof. We spent the afternoon in the Fitzwilliam Museum with guides who picked out significant exhibits for us to enjoy. Most of us took advantage of visiting the amazing 'Gold of the Great Steppe' Exhibition. We finished our afternoon attending Evensong at King's College Chapel….such a wonderful service.

That evening we regrouped in The Hilton for our meal together which can only be described as Fawlty Towers at The Hilton.  A memorable evening!

Next morning our final tour visiting All Saints Church built in the 1860s, a creation of George Frederick Bodley, a triumph of Victorian art and design with stained glass by leading Arts and Crafts artists including William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown. Adrian, our guide in the church, shared its history and rich content with us.  Finally a visit to Emmanuel College with Steve, (the site had been occupied by a Dominican friary ). Its chapel and gardens with the friars' bathing pool making it one of the oldest outdoor pools in Europe.

What a wonderful visit! This account doesn’t cover what we learnt about Cambridge, its buildings and its people. Steve, our guide was so very knowledgeable, very engaging and with a lovely sense of humour. He shared so much about the city he clearly loves. I think we all learnt so much and certainly enjoyed our short time in such a fabulous city. Thank you Steve and Suzy!

Louise Nixon

The Arts Society Wrekin

BIRMINGHAM’S ARTSY BITS GOES EAST

As very new members of Arts Society Wrekin we had missed the June 2021 Birmingham tour with enthusiastic guide Jonathan Berg, which had focussed on the western side of the City Centre. The October 4th Birmingham tour went east but encouraged by Jonathan ended a generally fine day in Centenary Square in the shadow of the exciting new Library.

 Our tour party was rarely out of sight and sound of builders battling to complete the re-engineering of the much troubled tramway system and various other works intended to greet the folk from around the World for the Commonwealth Games next year. We trust many of them will be encouraged to join similar tours to admire the huge investment being made in the Second City, and to find the “Artsy Bits” Society members have discovered on their tours.

Dead on time we left Grand Central (the site of current and serious Department Store Wars), and headed east towards a remnant of Herbert Manzoni’s unmentionable Inner Ring Road. Before crossing we had time to remember the two 1974 IRA bombs which killed 21 young folk in the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town basement pubs and injured 182 others. This memorial, Leaves of the Tree, commissioned by the Birmingham Irish Association and created by Anuradha Patel (known as Anu), bears the names of the dead from that tragedy.

 Our next stop provided a panoramic view of ‘St Martin in the Bullring’ a Victorian Gothic Church by architect J Alfred Chatwin, with fine windows by Birmingham born Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, a Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer who worked closely with William Morris. The City falls steeply from this viewpoint over the old market sites giving Richard Westmacott’s statue of Horatio Nelson that stands centre stage, a great view. This was the first memorial of Nelson erected in Britain.

 To the left this view is closed not by the original ‘visible for miles’ Selfridges rolling blue elevation bedecked with striking silver buttons,  but by a huge art installation by Osman Yousefzada obscuring the amusing, if not actually dangerous, architectural embarrassment that befell the silver buttons. Yes indeed they mostly fell off and have doggedly refused to be refixed! I admit to being quietly amused by thoughts of the meeting between the Client, the poor architect and contractor, all with their own solicitors, pointing accusatory fingers at each other with regard to the expensive question of fault!

 We turned back and headed up to Rotunda Square. As we walked we could see the 3 illuminated light wands which animate the square with wind induced movement to emulate the movement of trees and plants.

 Standing immovably as The Guardian of the Bull Ring is the colossal and magnificent bronze Bull by British sculptor Laurence Broderick. We couldn’t pass him by without a group photo. There is a smaller model in the collections of the Birmingham Museum.

 From the Bull Ring we headed along the walkway linking Rotunda Square and Moor Street. The railings for the 24 hour walkway are another imaginative work by Anu Patel.

 Jonathan had been given permission for the group to be allowed entry to the new Primark building opposite Moor Street Station to view the historic black and white photos of the City decorating the walls of the ground floor. This Primark is the largest in the world and was opened in 2019 after three years of remodelling the former Pavillion Shopping Centre. It is said that from a distance the façade of the store represents a backgammon board!

 Next stop the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts to view the Wattilisk by Vincent Woropay. Five black Indian granite busts of James Watt, one on top of the other, decreasing in size.  Another group photo before we turned towards Aston University…..

 And how lovely to wander around the well-tended grounds here, and a wide array of sculptures for young minds to reflect on including:

 The Peace Sculpture - by William Pye who suggested that “this was different cultures striving to meet in a state of peace and harmony”

 All the books I should have read but I’ve been doing other things instead - by Marko Mäetamm. 

 Tempus Fugit - by Ray Lonsdale.  As we looked inside the head we saw a small child representing the fact that “no man can fully escape the nine year old boy he once was”.

 Tipping Triangles - by Angela Connor. The aim of the work, which uses the University’s triangle symbol, is to “provide beauty and tranquillity” as we watch the stainless steel tipping water. Definitely one of Caroline’s favourites of the day.

 Aston Stones - by John Maine. One of five stones which were originally known as the Old Cross.

 At the very end of Corporation Street we found our next bronze, the neglected Greek goddess Hebe by Robert Thomas a Welsh sculptor. Originally installed in Holloway Circus she was vandalised and repaired, then stolen and eventually found during a drugs raid in a garage in Selly Oak a year later. She is now again neglected and abused, inadequately sheltered from traffic noise on one side by Anu Patel’s railings and on the other a fetid pool into which she must now peer languorously for ever. Hebe definitely generated collective sympathy from the party, and a hope that she will one day soon find a loving home.

 As a burgeoning city of the industrial revolution, Birmingham was once described as a city of terracotta. And as we walked up Corporation Street we stopped to admire two fine examples. The Grade I listed Victoria Law Courts by Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, still in use but showing external neglect.  Opposite the Grade II Methodist Central Hall with its distinctive tower at the northern end of the street resembling an Indian chattris, a boarded up main entrance and plants growing from pigeon fertilised nooks and crannies. How sad that it is being allowed to deteriorate by the owners and Birmingham council. Designed in 1903 by architects E. and J.A. Harper its deterioration had led it to being on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. They are both stunning buildings and deserve to remain part of the City’s living architectural history.

Our final stop of the tour was Old Square to view a memorial dedicated to wonderful Tony Hancock who was born in Hall Green. Designed by Bruce Williams it also suffers from neglect as glass highlights have sadly disappeared from his face. A man who suffered so much for his art deserves better from his home town!

 Also in Old Square is the Old Square Mural by Kenneth Budd. It is made up of cast brass and iron on fibreglass and depicts the history of Old Square which has been lost to recent redevelopment. First it depicts the 13th century priory which stood on the site till 1538, then the arms of the de Birmingham family who were the next owners of the land followed by the Bull Tavern and later the Saracens Head Posting and Coaching Inn which stood on the site until the 16th century. Next panel shows The Square as designed by William Westly, then the surgeon and doctor who lived at No 1, the famous Lock Maker was at No 9 and Lloyd the banker at No 13. The revolutionary riots of 1791 are next and the final panel is the first Mayor of Birmingham.

 The planned tour ended at this point but those who fancied lunch were fortunate to have Jonathan’s leadership and company as we crossed St Phillips Square, Colmore Row and Victoria Square, stopping to see the newly arrived Forward Together art installation by Luke Perry. It depicts the City’s “creativity, diversity, spirit - and what can be achieved when people and communities come together”. Birmingham’s simple crest is being raised by a line of 25 life size named local people and includes quotes from Benjamin Zephanian’s poem We Refugees are seen on the crest – “No one is here without a struggle” and “We all came here from somewhere”.

 It was lunch time and we headed to the elegant 1933 Municipal Bank building across Centenary Square which has been revitalised and renamed The Exchange.  Its purpose is to support student entrepreneurs and help businesses to innovate. For retired folk more importantly it provided a delicious lunch break before our trips home after an excellent and thought provoking day.

 Caroline Pindar & John Watts

On a sunny and warm afternoon in September, our group of intrepid members were greeted at Wenlock Abbey by its owner, Gabrielle de Wet (known to many as the actress Gabrielle Drake), and local historian Vivien Bellamy.

My first view of the restored Grade 1 listed house took my breath away, with its stunning cat-slide stone-flagged roof.  Gabrielle and her late husband, the artist Louis de Wet (pronounced ‘Vet’) bought the Abbey in 1983, and the next 35 years were spent restoring the house under the guidance of architect Andrew Arrol, until de Wet’s death in 2018.

Whilst we were treated to the wonders of the Great Hall and the Lesser Hall, Vivien and Gabrielle gave us a fascinating insight into how the mercurial South African born artist set about making the Prior’s private house (Wenlock Priory was originally run by Cluniac Benedictine monks) into a house he could share with his wife and friends.  The brilliance of the restoration is accentuated by de Wet’s artistic acquisitions of medieval furniture, textiles and sculptures. 

De Wet’s studio is as he left it in 2018, with his work on easels, and his paints open and ready squeezed as though waiting for their owner to reappear.  De Wet’s art might not be to everyone’s taste.  I would describe it as alternative.  His wife would often sit as his model, and one oil painting depicts a man’s body with a woman’s head and a woman’s body with a man’s head.

The library and the small private chapel have to be seen to be believed.  The chapel screen represents different times in de Wet’s life, with absolutely incredible wood carving by Andrew Pearson, a sort of modern-day Grinling Gibbons.  I spotted a small inscribed casket, and Gabrielle confirmed that yes, this contained her husband’s ashes, and she will be joining him in time to come (hopefully not for a very long time).

A sumptuous tea on the lawn in the sunshine made us all realise how amazingly fortunate we were to be here at a private home, which was once home to the Prior many centuries before.  Nicky Lipscombe had tried to arrange this visit nearly two years ago, and the dreaded lockdown hit us.  Huge thanks to Nicky for persevering and allowing us this special treat.  Another two visits for our members have been arranged and I can promise you, you will not be disappointed.  Gabrielle and Vivien are charming and were genuinely pleased to have us there.

A final note: you may well remember Gabrielle in, amongst other things, The Brothers. I asked if she was still acting and she said yes, she had just returned from being in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.  I imagine that leaving her dressing room at the Buxton Opera House to return to Wenlock Abbey would not have been a hardship.

David Franklin

WREKIN ARTS SOCIETY GOES ON TOUR OF BIRMINGHAM’S ARTSY BITS.

An inspired choice of one of Birmingham’s various walking tours by Nicky Lipscombe, saw 21 of us meeting on the 22 June 2021 outside Birmingham New Street Station, with the new Grand Central retail centre towering above us. We were introduced to Jonathan Berg, our tour guide for the day, who enthralled and impressed with his knowledge and ability to include everyone on what proved to be a very relaxed experience. The day was undoubtedly enhanced by the personal audio system which Jonathan introduced us to.

Our tour got off to a riveting start when we were taken outside the building where there is a poignant reminder of the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombing. This is in the form of three steel trees with the names of the 21 victims on each of 21 leaves. From there we also saw the modern stained glass entrance to the Bullring by Martin Donlin, perhaps significantly situated opposite the somewhat dated ‘60s Rotunda building.

Jonathan also outlined how Alejandro Zaera-Polo, the Spanish architect of the Grand Central building which houses New Street Station, fell out with Network Rail over the cost of the development. The train company was looking to cut back on the cost of the project, much to the architect’s irritation, as he remains convinced that such economy will prove false in the long run. Jonathan clearly takes a similar view.

Once away from New Street and Grand Central we were introduced to what is now the Piccadilly Arcade with its seven stunning ceiling murals. This shopping arcade with sloping steps and curved windows was once the home of the Piccadilly Cinema.

Our tour took in the original home of the artist Edward Burne-Jones in Bennetts Hill, before we witnessed the erection of a skyscraper on Colmore Row, which is replacing the John Madin designed Nat West Tower. We all agreed with Jonathan that this hardly represents artistic, architectural progress! Opposite here was one of the few Grade 1 listed buidings in the City Centre which is one of the most important monuments of the Arts and Crafts free style in the country and once home to Eagle Insurance.

We then spent time in Victoria Square with the imposing Council House and Town Hall as well as listening to the significance of The River water feature (Floozie in the Jacuzzi) which has been prone to leaks since it was established. Here Jonathan did not refrain from his criticism of the local authority which further incurred his wrath because the missing famous Iron Man Statue by Antony Gormley which has been removed from it’s position by the Town Hall to make way for the tram and remains in storage.

From there we went to see the enchanting sculpture of Sir Thomas Attwood, a reformer and Birmingham MP from 1832/9. This is set on steps in Chamberlain Square and we quite understood why this was one of Jonathan’s favourite works of art.

We moved on to Centenary Square where we have the International Convention Centre, housing Symphony Hall, the new Library, the Repertory Theatre and the new headquarters of HSBC Bank. There are also several artistic landmarks, including William Mitchell’s brutalism inspired concrete panels on Quayside Tower in Broad Street. In addition, we also received an explanation of the delays in re-establishing a statue of Boulton, Watt and Murdoch in Centenary Square because of the current fears associated with the financing of the slave trade and the parallel with issues faced by several other cities.

This is but one of several tours undertaken by Jonathan and they are to be heartily recommended for being fun, informative and bringing to life familiar territory.

Philip Sims

THE MUSICAL LURE OF 18TH CENTURY ITALY

ITALIAN MUSIC AT THE TIME OF THE GRAND TOUR

BY PETER MEDHURST

Peter made a welcome, although virtual, return to Shropshire. The lecture to The Arts Society Wrekin was delivered by Zoom technology. There can be few occasions when a lecture delivered electronically can be said to be an advantage over face to face communication but this was certainly one of them.  Peter was able to invite us all into the Music room of his Victorian London home where he had a Snetzler Pipe Organ built in 1750 and an 18th century Virginal, a copy of a model built by Cachet of Antwerp.

During the Age of Enlightenment the Grand Tour was considered a rite of passage for the young British aristocrat and the upper classes. The destination was always Italy. What was the siren call of Italy? It was the art, the architecture and the music. This lecture considered all three but was to concentrate on the music of the time. The day took a close look at 18th century Italian music, the composers, the performers, the forms and the styles.

Peter used selected recordings and pieces played on his virginal and his pipe organ to demonstrate the progressive change in musical styles. He started with Alessandro Scarlatti’s Salve Regina in F minor written as a duet with a mezzo soprano and a contralto with a string and a harpsicord accompaniment. This together with Allegri’s Miserere Mei Deus, were examples of the early Baroque style, both modal, and certainly would have been a new experience for the ear of the British traveller.

Peter followed the progress through the Baroque period which is characterised by flowing melodic lines with ornamentation and turns, contrasting intensity and contrapuntal textures when two melodies are combined. His next example was L’Estro Armonico by Antonio Vivaldi and Sonata no. 5 K146 by Domenico Scarlatti, both pieces demonstrating a change from Modality to Tonality, which is characterised by the key in which the piece is written; consider the pathos of A minor.

Perhaps the greatest of all Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, together with George Frideric Handel, both visited Italy and were hugely influenced by Italian music.

Peter demonstrated this with J. S. Bach’s Italian Concerto and G. F. Handel’s Allegro in G minor both of which have brilliance in manner and style and in their own way were laying the foundations for the next period in music, the Classical period of Beethoven and Mozart.

We were privileged to be invited into Peter’s home and particularly his music room, to listen to a wonderful exposition of Baroque Italian music (as well as some early English music influenced by the Italian style). For those of you who are interested all of these pieces can be found and listened to on YouTube.

FRANK WILSON

Cherry wood is wonderful for carving, having close grain, good figure and not too hard.

 An opportunity presented itself when the house next door to ours (Findhorn) had a large cherry tree in danger of pushing the adjacent property's fence down. A decision was made to fell the tree so I quickly marked out the area of trunk that would be suitable to produce a sizeable sculpture. 

In due course, the tree was  felled and the marked out section of trunk was delivered down the drive, in fact rolled down, and was probably the best way to handle ½ meter by 30cm, weighing well over 100cwk fully loaded with sap water and very green.

 To enable success with green wood, one common problem is hesitation.  You can’t wait! If you do, cracks (checks) will radiate out from the pith and be with you for the whole carving duration.

 Now presented with the basic log and the fact that the tree was in the prime of its life, felled in April, and denied it’s natural cycle to produce leaves, blossom and fruit, I felt I had a duty to honour this tree!  This was the birth of an idea behind the sculpture that would follow.

 My main thoughts centred around the bud form, the very beginning of seasonal life and an obvious progression to blossom and fruit.  A focal point within the bud form would represent the stamen, creation from within, and the ability to promote the trees function of carbon capture.

 Presented with the material, the next stage was to refer to my drawn-out design and transfer the basic form to the log, using a chain saw to remove large quantities of surplus wood.  The surplus wood was placed on our log rockery for the encouragement of insect life. 

Having completed the chain saw work, I had reduced the volumes and weight to enable transport to the carving shed.

 Work started by carving the reverse of the sculpture and then after completion of the basic shape, a bin liner was placed over the wood after each work session.  This enabled moisture to be retained without evaporation and shrinkage, i.e. checks and star shakes.  To delay removing the plastic bag for more than 7 days can result in fungal attack, so timing was critical.

 The reverse of the sculpture was now complete, so I moved on to the front of the piece.  A vast amount of material was to be removed, but the first consideration was back to basics- checking for cracks radiating from the pith.

The pith needed to be removed first to reduce stress from within the material.

(The photo in the gallery illustrates the careful drilling to enable quick removal of waste wood, so the hollowing out of the piece could begin in earnest.)

 My aim was to produce the thinnest shell form that was practical.  This was very time consuming, but as the operation proceeded, the stress in the material was gradually reduced and as the wet wood was removed, the weight vastly reduced.

 As the work proceeded, I was able to introduce a safety expansion/ contraction zone as the material continued to dry out.  You will see this area cuts right through the last remaining pith area, the very centre of the base of the sculpture.

The sculpture was now well on the way to completion, but I still had moisture and the risk of checking cracks within.  At this point the sculpture was removed from the carving shed into a fairly cool studio at about 15°C and placed on the weighing scales.  I could see the weight going down over the next 7 to 8 days.  When the weight had ceased dropping, the sculpture had reached equilibrium with the studio humidity.  I could now coat the piece with varnish or penetrating oil and then take the sculpture into the centrally heated house, but well away from any radiators.

 The final part was now to carve the stamen using kiln dried lime wood.  Life became a lot easier carving a stable well-seasoned wood!

 I used lime wood for the central part of the sculpture to produce a striking contrast next to the darker cherry wood.  The stamen complete was then fixed to the centre of the piece with epoxy resin and then sealed with 3 coats of acrylic matte varnish, 1st coat water thinned, 2nd and 3rd coat neat.

All that remained was a suitable base, so I created an 8x23cm block and painted it matte black.  This gave a great contrast with the natural wood textures and colour.

 Findhorn Spring has been created as a result of a lifetime’s interest in nature, sculpture design and professional carving.  My work has taken me on an evolving journey, taking in beautifully carved wood sculpture, large public works, and traditionally carved signage. 

 This experience has been a great pleasure and has given me a real focus during lockdown and shielding!

 Findhorn Spring will be exhibited as part of the RBSA exhibition 20 Years in the Jewellery Quarter from 28th July to 5th September 2020.

 Robert Cox NDD RBSA

rgwoodsculpture@gmail.com

www.robert-cox.co.uk

DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED FOR THE PRESENT, BUT THERE HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT RESPONSE FROM MEMBERS AND IT WILL BE RE-SCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE

The Arts Society Wrekin is holding an exhibition of members’ art work in conjunction with Telford and Wrekin Colleges at the Fusion Gallery, Jackfield, from Saturday May 23rd until Thursday 28th May.

There has been a wonderful response from members proposing to enter our forthcoming art exhibition. In case anyone doesn’t know about it, we are holding a members exhibition of art from May 23rd —-28th in the Fusion Gallery at Jackfield Ironbridge.

This is a very exciting project for us all. However, as well as more 2D artists, I’m sure that we must have some ceramicists, sculptors, engravers, or artists in other media ,who are either members or on the waiting list and would love to show off their work.

If you would like to enter the exhibition please let Phoebe or Corrie know as soon as possible. Thank you.

Phoebe :  nattrass71@gmail.com 

Corrie:     Cliveandcorrie@gmail.com

 The Arts Society Wrekin has had a long, happy and productive relationship with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, both volunteering on archival works and donating to different aspects of the Museum. Its volunteers have worked for several years,  along with The Arts Societies Shrewsbury  and Wolverhampton, cleaning and cataloguing various collections, most notably the John Scott tiles which are now on display in the Tile Museum at Jackfield.

 The Society promotes students and local artists, and has recently launched the Frank Hartill Arts Award to encourage and develop artistic talent for anyone connected with the wider Wrekin area.

 The Society is also sponsoring a 6th form portraiture masterclass and these portraits will be on display alongside Society members’ works, giving young art students the opportunity to exhibit in a gallery open to the general public.

Many members’ works will be for sale. Please come to support the Fusion Gallery, the artists and the local schools. The Society and the Museum all look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

OPENING TIMES: SATURDAY 23RD —- TUESDAY 26th May 11.00 am —- 4.00 pm

WEDNESDAY 27th MAY 11.00am — 2.00 pm

THURSDAY 28th MAY 11.00 am — 1.00 pm

On 11th February 2020 a group of members and guests attended a Jasper Johns lecture in the Centenary Theatre complex at Wrekin. The evening gave members the opportunity to tour the excellent new Music School recently opened in January 2020.  The lecture accompanied by slides was delivered by Head of Art, Jeremy Phillips, who gave an enthusiastic and amusing insight into Johns’ innovative role as an artist.  Previously, I  knew little about Jasper Johns, but the lecture has prompted me to do more online research into an artist who is listed as having had such an important place in abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and Pop Art (largely new areas for me!) - and who in 2018, the New York Times called the "foremost living artist”.  

The lecture was followed by refreshments and delicious canapés, and the interesting opportunity to tour the new music facilities within the Centenary Theatre complex.  Added to this was the treat of listening to the Wrekin College’s talented, award winning Jazz Band, with piano accompaniment, conducted by Simon Platford.  They played an entertaining range of music which had the audience foot tapping along.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating Arts Society evening and a treat to have the opportunity to tour the new Music School. Having seen the appealing programme of events to be held at the College in the next few months, I look forward to my next visit. 

Carolyn Lees

Footnote: The raffle and event surplus has contributed £355 towards the MasterClass in portraiture to be hosted at Wrekin College in March 2020 for the benefit of students from both Telford College and Wrekin College.

Barry Venning’s excellent talk ‘Christmas with Giles, Grandma and the family’ kept a ‘full house’ laughing all afternoon at the Red House.  Barry introduced each slide by briefly explaining the context of time and place of the Giles cartoons. Many of the audience could recall nostalgically the entertainment value of the drawings but were surprised to find how many are topical today!

Giles was particularly clever at illustrating significant events – now ‘history’ – with a wry insight and great good humour. The annual book of Giles cartoons was frequently given as a Christmas present and kept our families entertained at Christmas recalling events, social and political of the previous year. Giles introduced his own ‘cartoon family’. We could all recall Grandma whose wicked antics kept us all entertained.

Giles cartoons also reflected his wide political and social perspective during the time that his daily cartoons appeared in the Daily Express. These raised the morale of the population as they gently made fun of ‘The Establishment’ with good humour during the later part of the 2nd World War and into the 1950 and 60’s and beyond.

A Giles’ cartoon of a topical event had a great deal more going on than a single joke. Barry was able to high-light details in the drawings, which enriched the original and added to the humour.

The hall was filled with spontaneous laughter all afternoon and brought back many happy memories. The festive tea after the talk was also a nostalgic delight – sandwiches with no crusts and a selection of dainty cakes. What more could we have wanted? It was a very happy afternoon.

Diana Milledge

All proceeds from this event were donated to The Albrighton Trust.

The Albrighton Trust

 Surplus from our recent 'Talk and Tea' event and the proceeds of the raffle (£750 in total) have been donated to The Albrighton Trust. 

More about our work with this very deserving charity: 

     "The Arts Society Wrekin has been supporting The Albrighton Trust, a local charity, with a project to help young adults, disadvantaged by disability, special needs or ill health, to develop skills in woodcraft or horticulture. Previous fund raising events have raised £820 towards the purchase of specialist craft tools and to provide meaningful work experience. This has enabled participants to produce items in wood to be sold as part of a social enterprise scheme.  

One young man, James, has achieved particular success. He has cerebral palsy affecting his speech, movement and co-ordination, and had been unable to find work since completing his business degree. The Trust found that James had a particular skill with wood so it purchased specialist tools to help him develop his passion. He makes wooden items of his own design from recycled materials and uses his business studies knowledge to plan, lead and develop a woodworking project for his peers. His confidence has grown and he now instructs groups. He says " It gives me a real sense of achievement being able to stand back and see what I have made."

The Trust says "James is consistently coming up with ideas that can improve and adapt communication.... he also comes up with practical solutions that will enable other individuals to complete tasks."
The Arts Society Wrekin has received letters of thanks as well as regular updates from the Trust and plans a 'Festive Talk and Tea' event in December to give further financial support to this worthy cause."

(James at work at The Albrighton Trust) 

Update
The woodcraft team at the Albrighton Trust has continued to develop skills over the summer. The Trust currently has a laser printer/engraver on loan. This has enabled James to create new designs on the laptop and then the  equipment etches them onto wood. The team has greatly expanded its range of products, some of which will be available to purchase at the Albrighton Village Christmas Extravaganza from 6pm on Thursday 28th November - they will have a stall outside the Estate Agents o the High Street.
Sandie Jackson (Operations Manager) is now trying to raise funds to purchase a laser printer/engraver for the Trust. We will be donating our 'Talk and Tea' event surplus and the proceeds of the raffle to this excellent local appeal.   

Review of Oxford Visit:  12-14 November

 Our visit to Oxford started when 25 of us gathered at the Oxford University Press on Tuesday afternoon for a guided tour of their museum. The talk was very informative and conveyed the history and importance of this organisation that originated in the 1600’s and currently employs about 6000 people!

  Some of us then continued to the Cohen Quad – the new site for Exeter College. A beautiful and eco-friendly new building providing teaching space and study-bedrooms for 90 lucky students.

  After a free evening we met again on Wednesday morning at the Old Bodleian Library. The Divinity School dates from about 1430 and has an amazing ceiling. It features in several films, notably Harry Potter. Duke Humfrey’s library was constructed above it. Pity the poor students that used it though as there were originally small windows and no flames were allowed so there was no additional light or heat. The books were also chained to the shelves so the library was cold, dark and noisy!

   A guided tour of Exeter College gardens followed – arranged by Edward Bygott who is an alumnus of the college and also arranged the Cohen Quad visit.  A big ‘thank you’ to Edward.

 We then had a lovely lunch (vegetarian!) in the café in the vaults of the University Church of St Mary - dating from the 13th century - it was the first building of the University.

  This was followed by a visit to the Oxford Union buildings - the Old Library (with its Pre-Raphaelite murals) and the debating chamber. Sadly the Union has been in the news for the wrong reasons since our visit.

  On Thursday we assembled in the Ashmolean Museum for our guided visit to the “Last Supper in Pompeii” exhibition. The quality of exhibits from Pompeii and Britain were amazing - a feast of a visit!

  This was my first visit with the Arts Society and hopefully not the last. The sites were interesting and varied and the whole trip was excellently organised by Suzy Keeley - well done Suzy and thank you!

Liz Allan

Sunnycroft, the National Trust Edwardian villa in Wellington, is fundraising to conserve its unique Halliday Glasshouse. The curator invited Telford College students to spend a day there recording their impressions of the site. The resulting artwork was displayed at Sunnycroft to encourage interest in the fundraising project. The students’ work was also exhibited at the College’s end-of-year show, which was judged by The Arts Society Wrekin’s Young Arts team. Some of the winning entries were displayed at the Society’s October meeting when David Franklin, the Society’s Chairman, presented a cheque for £500 to Lou Hall, Sunnycroft’s curator.

I was invited to a taster event for potential new members. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but soon found out! A long drive wound through the parkland where there were sheep, lakes and an amazing variety of trees eventually arriving at a Jacobean Manor called Stanley Hall. The owners, Michael and Clare Thompson, welcomed us into their fantastic historic home. We were also met by and introduced to members of the committee. Once all together in the magnificent hall, Michael explained the history of the house, its alterations and development over the years including their family connections and how they had come to live there.

We divided into two groups. Although a wet day, some of us wandered around the gardens whilst the other group was being shown around the house by Michael.  Clare led us to the restored ice house.  I wasn’t keen to go inside as it looked so dark, but was so glad I did. We descended some steps and entered through a door then an approach tunnel which led onto a suspended walkway across the ice house giving a view down which revealed the full extent of the interior and wow!

Once back in the house we were shown a wide variety of wonderful paintings and treasures that were in every room, and how Michael had acquired them – from a huge oak table to the tablemats with prints of historic houses including Stanley Hall. It was a homely and comfortable house with all its soft furnishings and tapestries.

We were altogether for afternoon tea in the garden room.  This was a splendid spread of delicious sandwiches followed by scones and a variety of cakes.

As well as being shown round this wonderful house, which gave a unique insight into the family and their home, it was an opportunity to meet other prospective members and the committee, and hear of their roles in the Society. It was particularly helpful in making me as a new member feel very much part of the Society.

Thank you, Nicky for organizing such a stunning day.

Alex Turner

Millichope Park

A group of members braved the rain last Friday to meet up at Millichope Hall, a Grade II Greek Revival style country house in rural Shropshire.  It is home to the Bury Family and we were greeted by Antonia, who swept the water from steps up to the front door to ensure none of us slipped before entering the stunning entrance hall.  We were invited to leave our coats in the cloakroom, which I was slightly wary of, as very often large country houses can be quite chilly, but not this one.  It is heated using a wood chip burner which Frank and Antonia have installed as part of their restoration work.

We gathered in the drawing room for coffee and and a talk from Antonia. We learnt about the history of the house and it’s ownership over years.  We were told told how Frank’s parents had revived the property and moved into it as their family home and latterly how Frank and Antonia had moved in with their family and made more changes to update and make the property into a very comfortable, stylish home.  We were then given a guided tour of the living rooms and the basement (taking in the wood chip burner, games room and cinema room in the basement). 

Some of us then donned our outdoor gear for a guided tour around the stunning landscaped gardens given by the delightful head gardener. 

A lovely trip.  Thank you for organising it Nicky.

Bridget Macdonald

The day was split into three talks, covering the history and transitions of modern art.  The lecturer was informative, knowledgeable and entertaining.  She was obviously passionate about her subject matter and had researched the cultural and social contexts of the diverse changes in art during this period of time.  Her delivery was informal and she had an unusual slant on art history – putting emphasis on the characters in the artistic world of the time and how they influenced and were influenced by the art.  People like Django Reinhart and Cab Calloway.  Connections were made in a social context, which offered a more complete view of their work.  In a short space of time she managed to cover and pass on a great deal of interesting information in a warm and friendly manner.

Jean Dimmock

The struggle through the construction works surrounding BTH was clearly worth the effort, judging by the gasps of amazement when our guides, Tony and Pete, led us into the amazing interior of this grade 1 listed building.  Pete reminded us of the history of the building and how close it has come to demolition, and then Tony regaled us with anecdotes illustrating the range of experiences available during that history. From his having to carry the fainting wife of a Salvation Army General out of a packed house, bottom first, to his having to step over floors covered with the almost naked bodies of bodybuilders oozing fake tan, via Jerry Lee Lewis (falling off the stage, being thrown back on by the crowd and continuing to play the piano without a break), Mary Whitehouse, Lloyd George, collapsing balconies, following spots and 250 books of gold leaf...Terry was forced to yield to pressure and proved himself the equal of his great predecessors by producing a recognisable tune from the astonishingly piped pipe organ, and two of us found ourselves sitting on chairs previously used by Charles and Camilla, in the VIP room.  A splendid venue and a splendid visit.

Julia Pursehouse

A party of 34 boarded a well appointed coach in the charge of a familiar driver, who skilfully delivered us via a narrow terraced housing street to the front of the Middleport Pottery building in Stoke-on-Trent. 

We were at once ushered up a steep flight of stairs for Coffee/Tea & Biscuits.  Here we were divided into two groups – the able and the less able.  Here we also learnt that the less able should not have climbed the stairs!!   Once fortified, we were all ushered down the stairs to receive an informative talk on the history of the Pottery from its beginning, through the planned expansion, its ups and down to the present day.

Our appointed guides then took charge and as one of the 'less able' I can only report on what we saw, but did learn that we were spared nearly all the steep staircases and enjoyed the exclusive use of a lift.

Our knowledgeable guide took us through the whole sequence from raw material to finished article and we were able to talk freely to operatives, who were still using original machinery, skills and techniques, to achieve the products that we know today.

Thanks to Terry and Nicky for organising a great day out. 

 Brian Lewis

On a Thursday afternoon with Wimbledon getting exciting and the England v Australia cricket match at Edgbaston, still around 100 members and guests came to Saint Mary Magdalene church in Albrighton for an organ recital given by Claudia Grinnell. Claudia is the Assistant Organist at Winchester Cathedral and was sponsored for her early lessons by The Arts Society Wrekin (then Wrekin DFAS). She went on to gain a First-Class Honours degree from Peterhouse Cambridge where she was Organ Scholar. She subsequently took up her first post as organ scholar at Salisbury Cathedral.

Claudia’s playing was beautifully expressive and a delight to listen to. Her programme began with Verdi's Grand March from Aida - a rousing opening. She went on to play works by Couperin, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Alain, Bach, Elgar and Widor.

Bach’s D minor toccata and fugue (if as Claudia noted it really was written by Bach) was wonderful to listen to. It was followed by a very tender and moving Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Earlier in the programme Claudia played an almost ethereal Le Jardin Suspendu by Jehan Alain which was probably unknown to many of the audience. The recital ended with the rousing Tocata by Widor which everyone will have recognised as “the alternative wedding march!”

A presentation cheque for £700 was given to Saint Mary's to support its Education Resource Area Appeal from the money raised from the concert. The proceeds from the raffle and the sale of jams and cards raised £220 to be given to the Albrighton Moat to support its Work Experience Opportunities Programme currently funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Our chairman David Franklin thanked all the helpers and in particular Nicky Lipscombe who was responsible for organising the afternoon. He thanked Claudia for the wonderful recital with the hope that she will return to The Arts Society Wrekin to give another recital next year.

The afternoon continued with tea and cakes in the Parish Hall where people were able to mix and talk with Claudia. We welcomed guests from The Arts Societies Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Stourbridge to the event as well as members of Claudia’s family and previous teachers. The expression “a good time was had by all” was very fitting.

Terry Lipscombe

11 July 2019

The Society has once again sponsored prizes for Telford College’s end-of-year show. The students’ work featured their response to a visit to Sunnycroft, the Edwardian Villa in Wellington owned by the National Trust. The Trust is raising money to conserve the rare Halladay Glasshouse in its grounds and the students' work had previously been displayed at Sunnycroft to promote interest in the fundraising campaign.

A judging panel consisting of Diana Milledge, Tim Roberts and Rob Hubbleday spent an hour considering the students’ entries and awarded four cash prizes and two highly commended certificates to the successful students.

The Society is delighted to have built a strong link with the College and this is the third year that we have sponsored prizes.

The photo shows Rob Hubbleday, The Young Arts Coordinator, presenting a prize to Ruby Taylor who is standing beside her entry.

THE TWO BIDDULPHS

 A wonderful day out on 13 June

 We cannot remember a better day out! In the morning the coach took us from Cosford to Biddulph Grange Garden in north Staffordshire, a National Trust property, and after lunch it took us just a quarter of an hour away to the privately owned Biddulph Old Hall.

 Biddulph Grange Garden was created by James and Maria Bateman and their friend Edward Cooke in the mid-19th century and was the first garden to use the method of dividing the garden into separate “rooms” with each having its own theme and micro-climate. Not content with that, in many instances the entry from one area to another has been made dramatic, sometimes even through a twisting tunnel. Great quantities of rock were transported into the garden to create natural looking rock walls, waterfalls and pools. Beautiful.

 Nigel Daly and his partner, Brian Vowles, have an architectural practice specialising in the restoration of period properties. One day, just a few years ago, Brian saw a magazine advertisement for the sale of Biddulph Old Hall. He was gripped with foreboding as he felt sure that if Nigel were to see the photograph of “the gaunt stone tower rising out of a cluster of mournful ruins, a calamitous chain of events would be set in motion.” Nigel did get to see the photograph and, as Brian had feared, they were both drawn to it and bought it and so started what proved to be a wonderful adventure. Parts of the Hall go back to Elizabethan times, others are more recent, and when they bought it insensitive relatively modern alterations had hidden its true history. Nigel and Brian have now taken it back to its original state but that is not all they have done; as soon as you walk in you feel that it is their true home with log fires and period furnishings. Not only that, they show great hospitality with drinks and beautiful home-made cakes!

 There came to be another astonishing element to their adventure when they found out that the Hall had been the home of a “Lost Pre-Raphaelite”, Robert Bateman. Nigel had come to talk to the Arts Society Wrekin about this with Brian in Tong Village Hall recently. To actually be in the Hall and to see, for example, the 10 ft high portrait Robert created of his lover and later his wife, Caroline, sent shivers down our necks.

 Thank you so much, Nicky, for organising such a special day.

David Cotterell

The visit to Acton Round was marvellous. The house is full of unusual objects, so much so I would like to have more time listening to Huw Kennedy. Several times I got the giggles when he showed us the quirky things he had collected over the years. A few of them would have fascinated my grandchildren but I'm not sure I would have wanted them to see them! A stuffed baboon hanging from the chandelier, stuffed squirrels in a glass case doing a re-enactment of a particularly macabre historical scene. Bizarre antique paintings were everywhere. After all this we were treated to a demonstration of scagliola. Thomas Kennedy showed his very specialised skill which we all found totally fascinating. I had absolutely no knowledge of this technique and the fact that only about 9 people in the world practice it. Best to Google it if you want to know more. Thomas is a true artist and obviously passionate about his subject. Unfortunately the weather stopped us having a good look at the garden but we had a delicious lunch which more than made up for it. So lovely to meet this talented, interesting and dare I say it, eccentric family. Long live English eccentrics I say. There are not enough of them!

What a bonus to have a talk/lecture on Biddulph Old Hall before the visit. You gain so much more from the forthcoming visit. The lecture was most interesting and dramatically entertaining with good slides and we look forward to meeting Nigel Daly and Brian Vowles again. Tong was a good venue and followed by delicious nibbles and wine. Thank you Nicky for organising it.

Jane Joseland

A WALKING TOUR OF BIRMINGHAM

On 11 April a group of Arts Society Wrekin members enjoyed a fascinating walking tour of Birmingham city centre, led by Dr Sally Hoban who is a specialist in the Art, Design and Architecture of the West Midlands and who has spoken to us at Cosford.

Meeting Sally in Victoria Square we admired the magnificent Council Chamber, built in the period of Birmingham’s civic gospel, and heard from Sally about the importance of the Birmingham School of Art which trained so many fine and decorative artists whose works are to be seen in the city.

Moving around the corner into Waterloo Street we stopped to see the Art Deco figures created by William Bloye - in a style reminiscent of Eric Gill – in a humble office doorway, and his ‘Wisdom, Fortitude. Charity and Faith’ on the upper corners of the Legal and General Assurance building, before passing a bronze door in Temple Street now known to be the work of the Bromsgrove Guild.

Another hidden treasure was waiting for us in a shirt shop in New Street! Formerly a Kardomah Café frequented by a group of local artists early last century, the store boasts an Art Nouveau mosaic only recently uncovered and still in pristine condition. And just around the corner we saw another, but very different, mosaic, this one covering the frontage of the Trocadero public house and one of the very few left.

We moved on again to Corporation Street, seeing on the way buildings adorned with sculpted emblems of Birmingham’s pride in its Arts, Crafts and Sciences, and a building that was once Britain’s first vegetarian restaurant, before retracing our steps back to Ethel Street where an undistinguished post-war office block boasts a modernist bronze sculpture whose creator is still a mystery – but perhaps not for long! Our next stop was Chamberlain Square to see the Hall of Memory with Bloye’s four Portland stone relief works from 1925 commemorating aspects of the Great War, and then last but not least a group of Brutalist sculptures by William Mitchell on the walls of a modern block in Broad Street.

So the next time you are in Birmingham and have an hour or so to spare, stop and look around you - you will be astonished at the city’s rich history of decorative art and architecture!

Bob Vincent

22 April 2019

The £500 prize money from winning the Marsh Award in 2018 has been used to fund a master class for talented sixth form students in Telford.

A well-known Midlands artist, Francesca Currie RBSA, ran the class at Telford College for eight students chosen by their teachers at Telford  College and Wrekin College.

Francesca, who has recently completed a commission to paint the Bishop of Worcester, introduced the students to using oils and working in the manner of the old masters.

It is hoped that some of the portraits tackled by the students might be exhibited at one of our meetings in the summer.

We had a most interesting visit to a Hindu Temple in Tividale. It started auspiciously in warm spring sunshine and blue skies. There are a variety of buildings on the site and it is like an oasis of calm planted in an area between a busy urban road near Dudley and the canal!

The Community is at the heart of the temple and its buildings. We saw an example of this as we arrived, when many beautifully dressed Indian ladies and children were attending a pre-wedding celebration in the community centre. Our Faith Host, Ram, was a most informative guide for the day. He told us many detailed stories concerning the Hindu religion and how the Temple came to be built on that land and why it was based on the Tirupati Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The sculptures and and carvings were wonderful to behold - there is even a flag pole with a permanent flying flag in bronze.

We saw flower garlands being prepared before we entered the temple, which was fascinating. The Temple itself is a huge expanse with various shrines for worship - many of the worshippers walk around the perimeter of the room in a clockwise direction. The sounds of bells ringing at various times, combined with the smell of incense, prevailed throughout our time spent in the Temple.

For our lunch we ate a delicious vegetarian meal completing a very different visit for The Arts Society.

Christine Whittle

On the 20th March 21 members of Wrekin Arts Society embarked on a 3 day trip to Liverpool mainly to view the magnificent architecture and extensive art collections of the city.

Visits were made to the Museum of Liverpool where we saw the huge model for the over- ambitious Lutyens design for the unbuilt catholic cathedral, to the Tate where we explored the links between various 20th century artists in their Constellations exhibition, and to the Walker and Lady Lever Art Galleries where we were greatly impressed by their extensive collections of world art. Following on from the Lady Lever Art Gallery visit we did a guided tour of Port Sunlight village, a community of individually styled houses built by Lever Brothers for their workers.

A visit to the Williamson Gallery gave us an opportunity to view a display of Della Robbia pottery designed by Harold Rathbone and manufactured in his Birkenhead factory following the ideas and influence of William Morris.

One of the highlights for many was the descent through the ventilation shaft of the Queensway Mersey Tunnel from the magnificent art deco hall through all the workings of this feat of engineering to ground level.

Another memorable visit was to Crosby Beach where the Antony Gormley installation Another Place is situated. This consists of 100 statues of himself gazing contemplatively out to sea, and washed frequently by the tides. We were lucky with the weather, and fully able to appreciate this great work of art.

Appropriately our final visits were made to the two great cathedrals of Liverpool with their vastly contrasting styles of architecture, but both wonderfully impressive.

 We all stayed at the very comfortable Crowne Plaza hotel, where we were looked after by the obliging and friendly staff who also provided us with a convivial, tasty and enjoyable group dinner on the Thursday evening.

Throughout our stay we were accompanied by Adrian Sumner who demonstrated his considerable and wide-ranging knowledge at every venue. Huge thanks go to Helen Franklin who organised this most informative, varied and above all sociable and enjoyable visit.

                                                                                  Beryl Beardsmore.

On 13th March, we held one of our Special Interest Days at the Red House, Albrighton.

The special interest subject chosen was "Life at The London Coliseum". We welcomed Sarah Lenton, who came to talk to us about her experiences there. Sarah has lived and worked in the Coliseum, near Trafalgar Square, for many years and is very knowledgeable on the history of the theatre, and the shows and operas and musicals that have been performed there over the last century.

We had two excellent presentations covering all aspects of life at this prestigious theatre, which currently is the home of English National Opera. During her talks, we listened to a number of lovely recordings of songs from operas and musicals that had been performed at the theatre in the past.

The two talks were separated by lunch in the Red House, which gave people a chance to talk to friends, or to meet new ones.

It was attended by 46 members and non-members, and we were especially pleased that 3 from the Wolverhampton Arts Society joined us for the day.

                                                            Anne Marczak

On Tuesday 5th March, 40 members from Wolverhampton and Wrekin societies visited Compton Hall, now Compton Care, to hear about the Joint Heritage project that is being undertaken.  Glenys King, Chairman of Wolverhampton, who did an excellent job of hosting the morning, explained the two aims of the project.  Firstly to describe and record the interiors of the three heritage rooms containing the William Morris features, and secondly to investigate the large art and book collections of one of the previous owners - Laurence Hodson.  Laurence lived there from 1890 when he inherited from his father until 1906. He was a Wolverhampton brewer (Springfield Brewery), a man of considerable wealth and an important patron of the arts. 

It was a very friendly and enjoyable morning, where we heard from Paul Tromans and Howard Berry, both church recorders who are undertaking the recording of the interiors, describing the tiles, woodwork and stained glass, much of it by William Morris.  Carolyn Cundy told us about some of the artwork, including the William Strang paintings that had graced the library walls.  Hilary Boucher gave an informed talk about Laurence Hodson, his family and his art collection. All in all, it was an exceptionally interesting morning, and anyone who may be interested in the history of Compton Hall and is willing to help with the research, is invited to approach one of their committee members for further information.

David Brass, as Heritage Volunteering rep for the West Midlands Area, presented a cheque for £150 towards the cost of interpretation boards for the coffee shop.

Helen Franklin

Visit to Brampton Bryan

Members of Wrekin and Shrewsbury met up at Brampton Bryan in Herefordshire for their first joint visit.

During our well organised tour we met an Admiral, Prime Minister, a Civil War heroine, witnessed an assassination attempt and discovered the comings and goings of someone who was “mad, bad and dangerous to know”. We also sat under a hammer beam roof.

The day started at St Barnabas Church built in 1656 on top of its Norman predecessor which was demolished during the Civil War. It is of unusual proportion being almost square. The large expanse of roof is supported elegantly by fine triple hammer beams. We were given an informative talk on the history of the Church by a local expert.

After a simple but welcome lunch at the Aardvark bookshop we all assembled at Brampton Bryan Hall for a guided tour. Our guides were the twenty second generation of the same family to own the Hall, Edward and Victoria Harley. We were given an introductory talk by Edward who as well as giving us a brief history of their direct involvement with the Hall and adjoining castle pointed out various London landmarks the family once owned including Harley Street.

The best view of the Hall is from the gravel drive showing a handsome facade with the Castle set behind.

Recent alterations to the Hall were pointed out to us which created more space and light. Each room is a portrait gallery featuring notable ancestors. Lady Brilliana, one such, held the adjoining castle against a Royalist siege during the Civil War. Another, Robert Harley, the Earl of Oxford became Prime Minister having survived an assassination attempt, his damaged tunic is on display. Lord Byron was also a visitor to the Hall. The Admiral Lord Rodney also features with his fancy silks available to view along with a dramatic painting of his famous victory at the Battle of Saintes. This was an excellent tour and our hosts made us feel very welcome, were charming and very informative.

A huge thank you to Edward and Victoria for opening their home to us.

Colin Cundy

Visit to Compton Verney.
Wednesday 5 December 2018.

"A force of nature......"
After a short walk from the car park through Compton Verney's historic parkland, designed by "Capability" Brown, we were met at the entrance to the imposing Georgian mansion by art historian, Jane Hornby, who was to be our guide through the highly acclaimed "Whistler and Nature" exhibition.
The works on display were predominantly etchings and lithographs which served to illustrate James Abbott McNeill Whistler's fascination with "nature at the margins", tracing his creatively bohemian life from Lowell, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1834, to Chiswick, London, where he was buried in 1903, ironically in the same cemetery as William Hogarth!
Our guide was outstanding. She led us gently from composition to composition, contextualising each etching or lithograph and explaining the salient points of artistic interest. Her knowledge of the subject matter was matched by her enthusiasm for the artist whom she described as charismatic, witty and provocative!
In the course of seventy minutes, we travelled through many of the locations which had inspired Whistler's imagination: St Petersburg, Paris, Venice and London.
We heard about the illustrious friends who shared his artistic vision: Beaudelaire, Courbet, Manet, Mallarmé, Monet - and we even met his mother!
This was an absorbing tour/lecture which combined erudition (eg the science underpinning the creation of an etching and the story behind his London Nocturnes) with anecdotes (eg Whistler's popularity with women and his infamous lawsuit against Ruskin).
By the end of the session, we all felt that our understanding of Whistler both as a man and as an artist had been enhanced, as our Chairman enthusiastically exclaimed, a hundredfold.
After lunch, we had a choice of current exhibitions to visit, including the nationally renowned British Folk Art Collection, re-imagined by artist and designer Mark Hearld.

Thank you, Nicky, for arranging such a stimulating visit.

Ted Liddy.
 

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by Peter Medhurst 

In this lecture Peter Medhurst explained the wealth of Christmas music, traditions and curious legends that are connected to them. He made the point that celebrations at this time of the calendar can be traced back many millennia. They were originally based on the Winter Solstice, the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the Germanic Yuletide. 
It was Pope Julius I who in the 4th Century designated December 25th the day the Christian world should celebrate the birth of Christ, but still many of the customs and Christmas carols have little to do with Christ’s birth, but traditions adapted from old pagan customs such as the Christmas Tree; evergreens representing continuing life and the red berries of holly, the blood of sacrifice. 
The Twelve days of Christmas is the period in Christian Theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on Christmas Day and goes through to January 6th, The Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
The second day of Christmas is the Feast of St Stephen or more secularly Boxing Day, illustrated by Peter with the piece of art, The Stoning of St Stephen by Dosso Dossi.
The Feast of the Innocents is a Christian feast in remembrance of The Massacre of the Innocents, when King Herod decreed all male children under the age of 2 should be killed in his attempt to kill the innocent Jesus.
Peter played and sang The Coventry carol, written in the 16th century for the Pageant of The Shearman and Tailors Guild of Coventry. Written in the key of A minor, a key of sadness and pathos, it was supposedly sung by the mothers of the murdered children.

‘Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,
 And ever mourn and say;
 For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,
 Bye bye, lully, lullay.’

The last cadence emphasising the poignancy.
Peter illustrated the 4th day of Christmas with the work The Massacre of the Innocents by Cornelis van Haarlem. 
Other carols with interpretations included Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly, The Holly and the Ivy, I saw three Ships, and Good King Wenceslas.

Peter informed and delighted us all with his deep baritone voice, his keyboard skills and his sense of humour. We all left the Red House with our hearts full of Christmas Cheer.

 Frank Wilson

EDWARD BURNE-JONES AT TATE BRITAIN

On 26 November 38 members of our Society went on a visit to the exhibition of paintings by Edward Burne-Jones at Tate Britain in London. As so many of our events are, it was organised wonderfully by Nicky Lipscombe and we are truly grateful to her.

Burne-Jones was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite movement during its late phase and for me the Pre-Raphaelites and then the Bloomsbury Set attract and intrigue even if their way of life was not always as one might expect. I am no expert and although names are familiar to me my level of knowledge is low. So often I can walk round an exhibition and enjoy it but have little comprehension of the background to the creation of a picture and the thoughts in the artist’s mind. For this exhibition, however, before we entered it we had the privilege of a lecture given to us privately in the Clore Auditorium by Sarah Stopford. Sarah obtained degrees at both Harvard and Cambridge and is now a guide and lecturer at Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Her talk for me transformed the way I could look at Burne-Jones’s work.

We were given tea and coffee on arrival and an excellent buffet lunch after Sarah’s lecture but our transport to and from London was left flexible for us to decide what we wanted to do. Gerry and I travelled down the previous day, visited the Science Museum, a lovely London pub and an even better Italian restaurant. In the morning before meeting with our group we arrived at Tate Britain early and experienced some of the entries for the Turner Prize. We appreciated the flexibility that Nicky’s planning gave us. Thank you again, Nicky!

David Cotterell

What a lovely and interesting day we had at Millichope Park on Friday 12th October. The day was vey kindly hosted by owners Frank and Antonia Bury, and after refreshments of tea or coffee in their beautiful drawing room they gave us a brief history of the house and its various occupiers over the years. Antonia then took us on a tour.

They have done so much work in a relatively short time to restore the house not only undoing past mistakes but also implementing lots of improvements,  but at the same time creating a lovely comfortable family home.

The Kennedy family of nearby Acton Round have been influential with the restoration by creating wonderful chandeliers, stunning console tables and repairs to Chinese wallpapers etc.  Their workmanship is exquisite what a talented family!

Frank and Antonia have a lifetime's work restoring this property, but with their drive, enthusiasm and obvious love of the house and estate, we are sure that the mission will be accomplished.

A fascinating trip and not spoiled by the weather, although rain did preclude walking around the gardens.

As if that wasn't enough we were then treated to a delightful light lunch at Wildegoose Nurseries followed by a look at their fully restored and unusual curving glasshouses situated in the walled garden of MIllichope. Jack Willgoss, who has taken a long term lease of the walled garden, gave us a potted history and talked about the massive job of restoring the glasshouses. As it was still raining and blowing a gale a potter around the nursery was not very attractive! That will have to wait for another day.

Thanks to Nicky for organising such an interesting day!

Hal & Graham Small

National Memorial Arboretum

On a sparkling September morning we travelled to Alrewas and were greeted at the Arboretum by David Brass, wearing one of his many hats (Area Volunteering, TAS Stafford and now a member of TAS Wrekin). The Arts Societies of Stafford, North Staffordshire and Needwood have recorded all the Memorials at the arboretum and some of the records were on display for us to see. David introduced the Arboretum curator who gave an account of the trees planted there. The next stop was at the Memorial chapel where a 2 minute silence was held followed by an interesting explanation of the origins and history of the whole project. Commander David Childs and Leonard Cheshire were very involved with the aims and plans. A wasteland site was offered by an adjoining quarry owner at a nominal fee of £1 for a 999 year lease. The opening ceremony was in 2001.

A land train gave us the opportunity to see many of the memorials located within the trees. These ranged from commemoration of individuals to large scale monuments to the armed forces and other casualties such as the police and nurses of many nations.

The very first memorial erected was off-site for restoration. It is a wooden polar bear commemorating forces killed in the Arctic. Possibly the most striking is the massive curved wall of white Portland stone inscribed with the names of all the casualties since the Second World War. At one point the train ran alongside a bank of the Tame which is a designated sanctuary for all types of wildlife including swans and otters. On arrival back at the terminus the remainder of the time was our own. Perhaps to take a walk through the trees or view the impressive collection of memorabilia – photos, videos, maps etc or visit the restaurant!

At 3.30pm we boarded the coach after a wonderful sunny day of peace and tranquillity.

Patricia Sweet – The Arts Society Wrekin member

A taster event was organised by Nicky Lipscombe to welcome new and future members to the society. The event took place at Hatton Grange, near Shifnal, the home of Christina and Rupert-Kenyon Slaney. 

The attached letter was received from one of our members, Pauline Kirk, (whose husband is on the waiting list) following the visit:

Thirty-six people including some of the committee, members and seventeen potential new members were greeted very warmly by Rupert and Christina Kenyon-Slaney in their Cricket Pavilion. 

 This visit was primarily arranged by the Society for potential new members and was a huge success. We enjoyed a memorable visit and tour of Hatton Grange built in 1764 for Plowden Slaney.

 The architect was Thomas Farnolls Pritchard who designed the Iron Bridge. It is a stunning house and home. We also toured the garden which is an ongoing development and restoration.

 Our hosts were more than generous with their time with us. This visit couldn't have been a better opportunity for prospective new members to understand the ethos of The Arts Society Wrekin which includes Art, History, Architecture and many other facets of the Arts. 

 Prospective new members met some of the committee, enjoyed tea and cake and socially enjoyed the company of other members of The Arts Society Wrekin.

 All in all a super afternoon. 

 Pauline Kirk. Member of The Arts Society Wrekin 

What a splendid visit to Moseley Old Hall! 

Having had the pleasure of experiencing one of Mistress Pat's talks a few years ago, I was looking forward to my first visit to Moseley and I was not disappointed.

The tour of the house was fascinating. From her first sentence Sue Hanley, our tour guide, captivated us with her in-depth knowledge of what life was like in 1651 in this Elizabethan farmhouse where King Charles II sought refuge after the battle Worcester, regaling us with fascinating stories and facts.

Afterwards 'Mistress Pat' ( Pat Bickford,TASW member and Moseley volunteer of 25 year's standing) delivered a hair-raising account of Tudor and Stuart medicine, including the sometimes brutal ‘cures’ practised in those times, along with some comical anecdotes.

As a member-in-waiting of The Arts Society Wrekin, it was a pleasure to meet the event organisers and members - thank you for your very warm welcome. 
                                                                                        Susan Lamb 

A mosaic of the Wrekin, designed by Corrie Williams and completed by members of TAS Wrekin to mark the Golden Anniversary of The Arts Society, was unveiled at The Granary Art Gallery, Weston Park, where it will remain on display.

Committee members enjoyed judging the End-of-Year Show at Telford College in June. The standard of work was excellent and presented the judges with some difficult decisions. However, they were unanimous that Emily-Jo Frank's highly professional animated sequence was a worthy winner. She is going on to Wolverhampton University to study illustration and has a bright future ahead of her. The photograph shows her receiving her certificate and £50 prize from Young Arts Coordinator, Rob Hubbleday.

Fifteen members of the Society travelled to London on Thursday to attend an awards ceremony at 2 Temple Place on Victoria Embankment. They were there to see the Marsh Award for an exceptional committee being presented to representatives of the committee. Hilary Alcock, a trustee and the Chairman of the judging panel, spoke glowingly of the Wrekin committee's achievements. In particular, the panel had liked the outward-facing approach the committee had adopted in seeking partnerships with other organisations. She also commented on the impressive amounts of money raised for charitable donations and the fact that the committee seemed to be having a lot of fun while working hard. The photograph shows Mr Marsh, the founder of the Marsh Trust, standing alongside prizewinners of the various awards presented on the night.

A superb exhibition of art work by seventeen of our members was on show at Enginuity on the day of Florian's run through the Gorge. As members and guests arrived for a talk on 'The Great Exhibition' given by David de Haan, they were stopped in their tracks by the standard of work and the variety of subject matter. Everyone commented on the professional way in which the work was displayed and our thanks go to Phoebe Nattrass, Simon and Kate Stevenson, and Tim Roberts for the time and effort they put into making the exhibition such a success.

The photograph shows a close-up of a coloured pencil sketch by Darcy Lear.

Florian Schweizer, Chief Executive of The Arts Society, braved rainy weather to run from Blists Hill Victorian Town on a route which took him past nearly all of the Museum Trust's sites. He was assisted by several members of the committee who acted as marshalls and was also accompanied by several on bicycles.

He is raising money for the Patricia Fay Fund which underwrites charitable projects aimed at preserving our artistic heritage, supporting the skills of artists and makers and improving access to the arts for all. The Arts Society Wrekin was pleased to donate £1,000 to the fund and a cheque was presented to Florian at an event in the afternoon attended by 75 members and guests.

In addition, the Society donated £500 to the Friends of the Museum and £500 to the Museum Trust to enable resources to be purchased to support our heritage volunteers. David de Haan gave his talk free of charge and the cakes and raffle prizes were donated by members, meaning that all the proceeds of the day could be used for charitable purposes.

The Society has donated £1,000 towards the estimated £20,000 needed to restore the recently discovered Coade Stone sundial at Weston Park.

The Society has pledged £500 to the Albrighton Village Hall Trust's fundraising to install new audio equipment. This will improve the acoustic quality of the hall for all users, ourselves included when we run days of special interest and talk and tea events.

The committee agreed to donate £1,000 to St Bartholomew's Church, Tong to help with the costs of restoring a magnificent sixteenth century work of embroidery.

This letter was received in appreciation of the donation sent to the Tigray Trust by Wrekin DFAS following the very successful Talk and Tea Event held in December, when Louise Schofield gave a fascinating and entertaining account of her archaeological work.