Regency dancing at the ballroom in Leamington.

 

Friday Focus talks at the gallery are wide-ranging and yesterdays was something new and a real treat. It took place in the Regency ballroom and featured live piano music and dancing, allowing us all to drift off into the realms of Jane Austen!

The combination of music, movement and storytelling made history feel wonderfully immediate. Rather than simply hearing about Regency society, we were able to glimpse what it might actually have felt like to attend one of these fashionable assemblies two hundred years ago.

One of the things I found most fascinating was just how many rules governed a Regency ball. Public Assembly Rooms, whether the famous London venues such as Almack's or smaller towns around the country just like Leamington Spa, operated under strict byelaws covering dress, behaviour and etiquette. Breaking the rules could result in fines or even being asked to leave. Gentlemen, for example, were expected to leave their swords at the door before entering the ballroom.

Presiding over the entire occasion was the Master of Ceremonies, whose authority within the ballroom was considerable. He introduced guests, directed the musicians, approved dances, settled disputes and generally ensured that the evening ran smoothly and according to the rules. In many ways he was part host, part organiser and part referee.

The Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum collection includes the Master of Ceremonies' badge of office, purchased for the museum by the Friends of Leamington Art Gallery (FLAG); you can see it here on the left.

Some of the regulations raised a smile with a modern audience. Shouting, clapping and noisy behaviour on the dance floor were strictly discouraged, while arriving late to a dance meant quietly joining at the end of the set rather than disrupting proceedings. Even finger snapping and exuberant cheering were considered inappropriate behaviour for polite society, as was holding your partners arm with your thumb not tucked in (a cause of considerable bruising apparently!)

The dances themselves could be lengthy affairs. The leading couple would begin at the top of the set, which might include 20 couples, and gradually progress down the line before eventually returning to their starting place, meaning that a single dance could continue for half an hour or more.

What I loved most was the way the event conjured an entire world: the rustle of silk gowns, the careful introductions, the excitement of being asked to dance and the ever-watchful eye of the Master of Ceremonies ensuring that standards were maintained. Sitting in that splendid ballroom, listening to the music and watching the dancers, it was remarkably easy to imagine that the next person through the door might be Elizabeth Bennet or Mr Darcy.

Flag's thanks to everyone involved in such an enjoyable and informative afternoon, and to the gallery for continuing to find such engaging ways to bring local history to life.

Knebworth House and gardens.

(images with kind permission of Cherry Rosewall)

 

We travelled to Knebworth on one of the hottest day's this year. There was a "red" weather warning for extremely hot weather, but we ventured forth in our delightfully air-conditioned coach, and had a wonderful time. Knebworth House has 28 acres of formal gardens including a maze, colourful borders and fine trees; Sir Edwin Lutyens had a hand in these gardens as well as he married into the family!  

Knebworth House has been home to the Lytton family for over 19 generations.  Stories and heirlooms reflect the family's contribution to literature, politics and foreign service.  Visits from people as diverse as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth I have also added to Knebworth's rich heritage.

Below: waxwork of Edward Bulmer-Lytton

 

(below) Some more interior images

 

 

 

Below: A selection of views of the stonework sculptures 

 

 

(below) The beautiful gardens

 

 

Creative Leamington Spa: A New Book Celebrating the Town's Artistic Legacy

A major new publication celebrating more than 200 years of creativity in Leamington Spa has recently been launched, and it holds particular significance for Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (FLAG).

Creative Leamington Spa, edited by Stella Bolitho and produced by the Leamington History Group, explores the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the town through the contributions of more than 100 local writers, researchers, artists and photographers. Among its many subjects is FLAG itself, with a dedicated section written by the charity's Secretary, Lyn Buckle.

The book traces Leamington's creative journey from its Regency origins through to the thriving artistic community that exists today. Along the way, it highlights many of the individuals, organisations and spaces that have helped shape the town's cultural identity.

For FLAG members, the publication offers an opportunity to discover not only the history of the town's arts scene, but also the stories of artists who continue to contribute to it today. Several artists who are members and supporters of FLAG are featured within its pages, reflecting the important role they play in sustaining Leamington's creative life.

The launch took place at Lighthaus Arts Space in the restored Stoneleigh Arms building, itself an example of the arts-led regeneration explored in the book. The publication also examines Leamington's galleries, theatres, public art, music, photography, dance and design heritage, while looking ahead to the future of the town's Creative Quarter.

More than a history book, Creative Leamington Spa is a celebration of the people whose creativity has enriched the town over two centuries. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of organisations such as FLAG, whose ongoing support helps preserve and promote Leamington's artistic heritage for future generations.

Copies are available from a range of local outlets, including Waterstones Leamington Spa, Leamington Studio Artists, Lighthaus Arts Space, The Fold and Kenilworth Books.

Unruly Desires: Reframing the Past — Queering History at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

 

Image courtesy of Annabel Rainbow for FLAG

History is often presented as fixed, authoritative, and complete. Yet beneath the surface of many museum collections lie untold stories, hidden identities, and alternative ways of seeing the world. Unruly Desires: Reframing the Past, currently showing at the Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, challenges visitors to reconsider the past through a contemporary queer and postcolonial lens.

Running until 6 September 2026, this free exhibition brings together acclaimed photographers Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh alongside selected works from the museum's own collection. Through a thoughtful dialogue between historic and contemporary artworks, the exhibition asks powerful questions about identity, representation, love, intimacy, and who gets to be visible within cultural history.

Reimagining the Canon

At the heart of the exhibition are photographic works by Gupta and Singh, artists whose practices have long explored the intersections of sexuality, migration, race, and belonging within the South Asian diaspora. Their work confronts the limitations of traditional Western art histories, creating space for narratives that have often been marginalised or erased.

Particularly striking are Gupta's New Pre-Raphaelite series and Singh's The Promise of Beauty. Both bodies of work draw upon the visual language of classical studio portraiture while simultaneously subverting it. Familiar poses, aesthetics, and references are transformed into something radically contemporary, questioning the imperial and heteronormative assumptions embedded within art historical traditions.

Rather than rejecting history outright, the artists engage with it directly. They reclaim visual spaces from which queer bodies and desires have historically been excluded, creating images that are both deeply personal and politically resonant.

Conversations Across Time

What makes Unruly Desires especially compelling is the way it connects contemporary photography with historical works from the Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum collection.

The exhibition draws unexpected links between Gupta and Singh's photographs and objects including Pre-Raphaelite artworks, Company Paintings, and other historical pieces. These juxtapositions reveal how ideas about beauty, gender, race, power, and desire have been constructed over time.

The inclusion of newly commissioned, site-specific works further deepens this dialogue. Inspired directly by objects and images housed within the museum, these responses invite visitors to look again at familiar collections and consider what stories remain hidden within them.

The result is not simply an exhibition about the past, but an active conversation between past and present. History becomes something dynamic, open to reinterpretation and challenge rather than a fixed narrative handed down unchanged.

Queer Visibility and Radical Tenderness

While Unruly Desires engages with complex themes of colonialism and representation, it is equally an exhibition about intimacy and human connection. Throughout Gupta and Singh's work, queer desire is depicted not as spectacle or transgression but as something ordinary, beautiful, and deeply human.

Their portraits offer moments of vulnerability, affection, and tenderness that have often been absent from mainstream visual culture. In doing so, they create a powerful counterpoint to historical narratives that have overlooked or suppressed LGBTQ+ lives and experiences.

The exhibition's title itself feels apt. "Unruly desires" suggests feelings and identities that refuse containment, categorisation, or erasure. These works insist on visibility while embracing complexity, ambiguity, and personal truth.

A Timely Exhibition

At a moment when museums and galleries are increasingly examining their collections through more inclusive and critical perspectives, Unruly Desires: Reframing the Past demonstrates the importance of revisiting historical narratives with fresh eyes.

By placing contemporary queer perspectives in conversation with traditional collections, the exhibition reveals how art can challenge inherited assumptions and expand our understanding of both history and ourselves.

Visitors will leave with a renewed appreciation not only for the work of Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh but also for the ways museums can become spaces of dialogue, questioning, and discovery.

Visitor Information

Exhibition: Unruly Desires: Reframing the Past

Venue: Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4AA

Dates: Now showing until Sunday 6 September 2026

Admission: Free

Located within the historic Royal Pump Rooms, the exhibition offers an opportunity to experience thought-provoking contemporary photography while exploring one of Warwickshire's most significant cultural collections.

For anyone interested in contemporary art, queer histories, photography, or the evolving relationship between museums and the communities they serve, Unruly Desires: Reframing the Past is a compelling and rewarding visit.

The Spirit of Ecstasy - Eleanor Thornton bio

 

 

Most people recognise the elegant silver figure that graces the bonnet of a Rolls-Royce. Known as the Spirit of Ecstasy, it has become one of the most enduring symbols in automotive history. Yet few know the remarkable story of the woman who inspired it, a woman whose family once lived in Royal Leamington Spa.

The Woman Behind the Spirit of Ecstasy: Leamington's Connection to a Motoring Icon

 

Born in London in 1880, Eleanor Thornton, known to her family as Nelly, spent part of her childhood in Leamington after her father, electrical engineer Fred Thornton, moved there to oversee one of the town's most ambitious Victorian projects. During the late 1880s, Leamington embraced the new age of electricity, and Thornton played a key role in bringing electric lighting to the town centre, helping transform the streets, shops and public buildings of the spa town into a modern urban environment.

As a young woman, Eleanor pursued a career as a secretary before finding employment in the emerging world of motoring journalism. Working for the influential publication Car Illustrated, she became the assistant to its editor, John Scott-Montagu, one of Britain's earliest motoring enthusiasts. Their professional relationship eventually developed into a long and complex personal one that would shape the course of her life.

Around this time, motor cars were becoming status symbols, and owners increasingly sought distinctive mascots to personalise their vehicles. When Scott-Montagu acquired a Rolls-Royce, he commissioned artist and sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes to create a unique bonnet ornament. Using Eleanor as his model, Sykes produced a figure known as The Whisper, depicting a woman with a finger raised to her lips.

The collaboration did not end there. In 1911, Sykes created another design inspired by Eleanor—a flowing, forward-leaning female figure whose draped form appeared to capture movement itself. This sculpture evolved into what became known as the Spirit of Ecstasy. Over time, the emblem became inseparable from the Rolls-Royce brand, appearing on generations of vehicles and becoming one of the most recognisable automotive symbols in the world.

Despite her connection to such an enduring icon, Eleanor's own story ended tragically. During the First World War, she was travelling in the Mediterranean when the ship carrying her was attacked and sunk by a German submarine. She lost her life in the disaster, while Scott-Montagu survived. He later commemorated her with a memorial, recognising the devotion and companionship she had shown throughout many years of service and friendship.

Today, visitors to Royal Leamington Spa can discover this fascinating chapter of local history through the town's Blue Plaque programme. The plaque serves as a reminder that behind one of the world's most famous motoring emblems was a real person whose life intersected with innovation, art, social convention and tragedy. It also highlights an unexpected connection between a Warwickshire spa town and one of the greatest luxury automotive brands ever created. 

With thanks to Royal Leamington Spa, Blue Plaques Group. 

 

Leamington Spa's 44th Blue Plaque commemorating Eleanor Thornton

 

Leamington Spa's 44th Blue Plaque, which commemorates Eleanor Thornton, the model used for the worldwide iconic figure on the front of Rolls-Royces.

  

Blue Plaque Honours Leamington Woman Behind the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy

A blue plaque at 24 Charlotte Street in Leamington Spa was unveiled by Town Mayor Cllr Sarah Boad on Thursday, 4 June, in honour of Eleanor Velasco Thornton, also known as “Nelly”, who was the model for the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy emblem, one of the most recognisable symbols in motoring history.

The Blue Plaque Scheme recognises former residents of Royal Leamington Spa who made significant contributions to the town’s history.

The Mayor of Leamington Spa, Cllr Sarah Boad, said:

“The woman seemingly in flight mascot we know for sitting proudly at the front of this prestigious car has a story behind it that brings a fascinating link and history to Leamington Spa.

“The story of this Leamingtonian, was of a bright, independent woman who trained as a secretary, obtained a responsible position working for an automotive journal and went on to work as a Personal Assistant to the Editor, John Scott-Montagu, of Car Illustrated. He was an early car enthusiast and bought a Rolls-Royce and commissioned the sculpture of his muse, Nelly who modelled for this distinctive emblem.

“The Blue Plaque commemorates this famous image of Nelly, a resident of our wonderful town, for future generations.

“The Royal Leamington Spa Town Council’s Blue Plaques Scheme brings together a group of volunteers and statutory bodies dedicated to celebrating the town’s rich history. I wish to thank the Blue Plaque Group for their hard work in ensuring that the inspiration Nelly provided as a model for the iconic Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy is remembered.”

Artist and Flag President, Mo Enright.

 

Meet Mo Enright

Many members of Friends of Leamington Art Gallery will already know Mo Enright as our President, but they may not know the remarkable artistic career that lies behind her long-standing support for the arts in Leamington.

Born and raised in the Hambleton Hills of North Yorkshire, Mo studied Fine Art before completing a Master's degree in the History of Art and Design. She is now a full-time professional artist working from her Warwickshire studio.

Mo's paintings are best known for their evocative use of memory, landscape and the passage of time. Working primarily in oils, she creates richly layered works that draw on personal experience as well as the environments that surround her. For commissioned projects, she carefully considers the character of a site and will often adapt her approach and materials to suit the setting.

Over the years, her work has found its way into private and corporate collections across the world and she has been recognised through inclusion in Who's Who in Art.

One of Mo's most significant local commissions can be seen at St Mary's Church, Leamington Spa. Created between 2001 and 2002, The Easter Story consists of two large-scale paintings positioned on either side of the altar. The semi-abstract works explore the themes of Christ's death and resurrection through dramatic contrasts of colour, light and form.

The commission was awarded a Leamington Society Golden Jubilee Award in 2003 and continues to be admired for the way it complements the architecture of the church while offering a powerful visual interpretation of the Easter narrative.

As both an accomplished artist and a passionate advocate for the visual arts, Mo has made an important contribution to the cultural life of Warwickshire. We are delighted to have her as President of Friends of Leamington Art Gallery and grateful for her continued support of our work.

Waiting - series of 6 paintings

This series of six paintings is about time and the concept of time in a child's mind. The concept of time to a young child is very different to that of an adult. For the child, time appears to pass at a snail's pace and as in this case allows much time for curiosity, impatience and naughtiness to ensue.

At this rehearsal session a small child waits behind a makeshift screen for her turn to step from behind and present her performance piece. Waiting - the minutes seem like hours, curiosity gets the better of patience - just one little peep, or two. Waiting patiently or impatiently is, in this case,  conducive to mischievousness. The temporary stage curtain is not up to this kind of treatment and soon departs from its moorings. One turn in the wrong direction leads to unavoidable entanglement. A young child aware of her misbehaviour can exit the scene extremely quickly.

Mo Enright at ‘Waiting’ exhibition. 

Legacy (Triptych)

These panels endeavour to make a statement about the/my carbon footprint. They depict my concern about the indiscriminate felling of trees, the destruction of the forests and the ultimate damage caused to the environment worldwide. We need paper, we need books, but do we need so much and so many? Millions of books are printed every year and hundreds of thousands are sold, however, many, many thousands remain unsold and are returned to the publishers for pulping. A large percentage of books will never be read. Of course paper is just a minuscule part of the problem, but a part nevertheless. The trees, the forests, are our life support, what are we doing abusing them in this way?

Legacy by Mo Enright- triptych

 

Legacy Triptych by Mo Enright

 

 The Easter Story

The oil painted panels situated on the East Chancel wall in the Sanctuary of St Mary’s Church Leamington Spa, were commissioned in 2000 and the whole project took approximately two years to complete. The paintings nestle in the arched recesses either side of the altar and tower up to 579cm high by 109cm wide culminating in a Lancet Arch at the apex.

The paintings show, in a semi-abstract idiom, a visual depiction of some of the momentous events in the Christian calendar leading up to Holy Week. The artist's aim was to blend the new art work with the existing artefacts of the Leonardesque Last Supper of the reredos, up through the painted panels to the large stained glass window of the Ascension.The work was dedicated by the Bishop of Coventry on the 10th February 2002

The Easter Story by Mo Enright.

 

Our Visit to Gloucester Cathedral

 With thanks for text and words; FLAG member Carolyn Gifford

Gloucester Cathedral

The cathedral, originally a minster, was established in 679. It became a Benedictine monastery in the 11th century (but with only two monks in 1072) and the present building was begun in 1089. After a series of fires, the choir and cloisters were rebuilt in the 14th century, the earliest surviving example of fan vaulting. After the Dissolution, it was re-established as a cathedral and like so many, was refurbished in the 18th and 19th centuries.

 

Photo of large columns

The nave, the earliest surviving part of the early church, has massive columns with spans of zigzag arches between. They are, apparently, filled with rubble.

 

Photo of intricate fan vaulting

 

The intricate vaulted stone ceiling above the choir.

There is a very ornate tomb of Edward II, who met his death at Berkeley Castle in 1327. Probably murdered, his tomb soon became a shrine, much visited by pilgrims and swelling the cathedral’s coffers.

 

Photo of the cloisters

 

The cloisters also have very fine fan vaulting and although enclosed by glass windows onto a walled garden, are surprisingly draughty.

 

Photo of blue stained glass

 

 This is ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ in the Thomas Chapel, stained glass created by Thomas Denny in 1992.

 

There are furnishings and memorials from pretty much every one of the 15 centuries since the cathedral was built, including the 20th century. 

Why join the Friends of the Gallery and Museum?

 

Why join the Friends of the Gallery and Museum?

Because local culture matters.

The Friends help support exhibitions, collections, educational work and activities that keep our gallery and museum vibrant and welcoming for everyone.

Some of our members come to talks and trips, others enjoy keeping in touch with what’s happening behind the scenes, and many simply join because they believe our gallery and museum are an important part of community life.

Membership is a simple way to help protect and celebrate something special in Leamington Spa.

If that sounds like you, we’d be delighted to welcome you.

Membership is £15 per year and forms can be downloaded by clicking the box on the sidebar, or from the Information Desk in the foyer of the Pump Rooms

Elephant Sculpture in Leamington Spa

 (Photos by FLAG member)

 

Why does Royal Leamington Spa have so many elephants?

Look closely and you’ll find them everywhere; sculptures in public spaces, references in local businesses, illustrations in cafés, even children climbing across bronze elephant backs in the town centre. It is one of Leamington’s most charming and unexpected visual motifs, and much of it can be traced back to one extraordinary Victorian showman: Sam Lockhart.

Born in 1850 into a circus family, his father described himself on the census as a “Professor of Gymnastics”. Sam Lockhart began his career as an acrobat before becoming one of the most celebrated elephant trainers of his age. His travelling circus toured internationally and, while working in Burma, he acquired the elephants that would make him famous.

Lockhart later settled for a time in Leamington Spa, and local stories still cling to the town. One enduring tale claims that circus elephants were washed in the river near what is now known as Elephant Walk in Priory Terrace. Historians debate the truth of it, but it is easy to imagine: elephants famously adore water, and the riverside setting feels entirely plausible.

Fragments of this elephant history continue to surface. During the redevelopment of the former council offices on Warwick New Road, large bones, believed to be those of an elephant, were reportedly discovered in the grounds, though quicklime had badly damaged them. Nearby street and business names quietly preserve the memory too: Wilhelmina Close on Warwick New Road and the Haddie & Trilby bakery on Dale Street both reference members of Lockhart’s famous troupe.

When Sam Lockhart died, the Leamington Courier described him as a “retired giant of the entertainment industry," a fitting epitaph for a man whose presence still echoes through the town’s visual culture more than a century later.

 If you want to read more about him I suggest clicking this link.

 

The Three Graces, by Philippa Downes, Livery Street, Leamington Spa, Bronze

  

Philippa says:

"Recently we installed three bronze elephants titled ‘The Three Graces ‘ in Regents Court, Royal Leamington Spa commissioned by New River Retail. They were sculpted out of polystyrene and plaster , then were taken to the bronze foundry to be moulded and cast in bronze. The whole process took around five months from start to finish. They were a great piece to work on and it’s lovely to see the local children interacting and playing on the elephants now they are in place" .

She describes herself as " Sculptor, prop maker and effect specialist"

 

 

The Three Graces were commissioned by New River Retails for the new Livery Street, and celebrate Sam Lockhart who lived in Leamington Spa for over eighty years and shows the most famous of his troupe, Wilhelmina, Haddie and Trilby.

 Elephant Seat by Nicholas Dimbleby (1946-2024) Stone and bronze.

1978 Commissioned by Warwickshire County Council 

Above is a round seating area with three elephant sculptures around the circular seat. There is a child on the back of the elephant closest to the camera. It was made in 1978, and was sited in what is now the inside of the Royal Priors Shopping Centre, but at the time it was outside in Whiteshead Court. It was re-sited in the Jephson Gardens in 2015

Dimbleby began his career as an assistant to abstract sculptor William Pye in London. After briefly living in rural France, he returned to the UK and established a studio in Devon, where he settled permanently.He worked on public and private projects, including portraits of sports personalities such as rugby player Jonny Wilkinson and rower Steve Redgrave He also produced private commissions for the British royal family, including a lifecast of Lady Louise Windsor for her parents, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and several pieces commissioned by King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. He also created sculpture of Captain Cook on High Green, Great Ayton. (Wiki)

Placed quietly beside the river, the sculpture feels almost like a continuation of Leamington’s elephant folklore, it's an artwork that keeps the town’s curious circus history alive in bronze and stone.