Exciting Day Trip to Henley on Thames and Ewelme!

Join us for an enchanting day out on Thursday, July 25th, exploring the picturesque towns of Henley on Thames and Ewelme. 

We have places available on an arranged trip to Henley on Thames and Ewelme on Thursday 25 July by coach, leaving Newbold Comyn at 8.30am with a further pick up opposite the Spa Centre.  The cost is £43 per person.

 Travelling straight to Henley on Thames and the River & Rowing Museum.  This is a fascinating museum housed in an award-winning building in a beautiful riverside setting.  It covers stories of the river, the town of Henley, the international sport of rowing and much more.  Of particular interest is the recently opened Piper Gallery exploring the life and career of John Piper, one of the most significant British artists of the 20^th century whose home was on the edge of Henley.  Admission to the museum is included in the cost of this trip.  There is a cafe to purchase coffee and lunch or stroll the short distance into the town to explore.  The Town Hall is a Grade II listed building,  the iconic Henley Bridge is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture spanning the Thames and St. Mary's Church has stood the test of time since the 13^th century.  There are also plenty of seats to sit beside the river and enjoy a picnic.

 Leaving at 1.45pm we travel the short distance to the pretty village of Ewelme.  We will be met by the village archivist at the historic church of St. Mary the Virgin where we will be told about the associations with the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and the Ewelme Trust which was set up in 1437 and still exists today.  We will also see the Almshouses and the village school which is the oldest school building in the country in use as a Church State Primary School.  We then return through the village to the Watercress Beds Nature Reserve where watercress was grown in specially-built beds fed by Ewelme Brook which runs through the village.  There we will have tea and cake (included in the price) and hear the history of this site.  We leave at 5.00pm.

 Non-members are very welcome to join us, please contact the Secretary on:

 friendsofleamingtonartgallery@hotmail.co.uk  for further details and booking forms.

 

Could you help support the gallery?

 Join FLAG and Support the Gallery!

Would you consider becoming a member of FLAG to help support the gallery? Your membership fees help to provide additional funds for conservation, purchasing new objects, and improving access to the  collections. We also sponsor the Visitors' Choice prize at the Open exhibition, which you may have visited.

Currently, we're giving extra funds to support the Arts Society volunteers with the long-term storage of a delicate collection of fans made from ivory, wood, paper, and silk. Since 2005, we have been providing annual funding to the Arts Society to aid their important work.

Most of the fans are Georgian or Victorian and are made of ivory or wood with delicate paper and silk. Currently they are stored folded up so every time they are looked at and opened, damage and wear is caused – especially as creases in fabric create a point of weakness.

The ideal way to store the fans is flat in their open position which avoids additional stress to the fabric and allows them to be admired with minimal handling. FLAG funding will provide custom sloped support created from acid-free card and new boxes to accommodate them in the open position.

FLAG are very pleased to be able to support this project and look forward to seeing the fans safely stored for the future.

Membership costs just £12 per year. You can download a membership form from our website or pick up an application leaflet from the foyer at the Pump Rooms.

As a FLAG member, you'll enjoy numerous benefits, including interesting outings, a range of talks and study days, and free entry to gallery events.

Payments can be made by cheque or bank transfer. For more details, please contact the Secretary at: friendsofleamingtonartgallery@hotmail.co.uk.

Thank you for your support!

 

Planning an exhibition at the gallery

This is a shared posting from Substack from Through Our Hands, who are having an exhibition at the art gallery from Jan to May 2025. There will be 6 textile artists creating new works alongside existing pieces inspired by the gallery's collections.

Above is another photo that Daniel Lismore has shared with us. He will be building a site specific piece in the gallery during December whilst he’s visiting Leamington. I’m sure being so last minute is a little unnerving for the gallery staff organizing the hanging etc but I’m certain it will be fine and there’s not really a better way of dealing with such amazing works!

In other news, the exhibition title has been finalized:

Unravelling History. Unpicking The Collections and Reworking Textile Traditions.

I must admit, we spent a considerable amount of time deliberating over it, wanting it to not only capture the essence of the artwork but also highlight its connection to the gallery’s collections. The tag line bit above is courtesy of Laura Kemshall who is always a whizz at such things! Certainly, all the new work being produced is done as a direct response to the pieces from the collections in the gallery or with commonalitites of subject matter or technique.

In the exhibition, the combination of new and old works will demonstrate how enduring themes have consistently resonated with textile artists and makers throughout history. These include visual inspirations like flowers and decorative techniques, as well as personal narratives and broader political themes such as protest and community building.

The exhibition will also showcase the gallery’s textile collection, featuring rarely-seen artifacts like Caribbean quilts, paintings, botanical books, toys, and fossils. It will also introduce audiences to donations from Amy Mary Spenlove Brown ( who donated a series of her own watercolours, as well as wide range of domestic items including a parasol, boot hooks and embroidery samplers) and Miss Cox, emphasizing the sense of heritage and value that family heirlooms carry.

1 of the 3 Caribbean quilts in the LSAG collection.

Miss Cox

There’s lots to think about when putting together an exhibition from initially discussing an idea with curators, and then completing formal exhibition proposal forms, explaining to interested parties how the exhibition would work and be of value to the community and be accessible to a wide range of audiences, not just the target audience. Practical planning has to be done once the agreement to proceed has been given, and fellow artists invited to take part, meetings arranged, archives and stores visited to search for inspirational artefacts, new work planned and made, marketing thought about - logos, colours (we’ve chosen Eating Room Red - a deep red - and Dimity - cream), catalogue layouts, delivery of pieces, workshops, talks, QR codes, hanging, even the lettering on the walls has to be carefully considered - eg did you know that we see best with an 80% contrast? 

Lots more to tell so do come back and find out more as the planning continues.

2024 Summer Trips

 

SUMMER PROGRAMME OF EXCURSIONS

 

Wednesday 24 April – Wollaton Hall & Nottingham Castle, Notts.

 

Wollaton Hall is a stunning Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion set in 500 acres of natural parkland.  It is now owned by Nottingham City Council and is home to the Natural History Museum.  Collections can be viewed in rooms including The Long Gallery, The Great Hall and Salon.

Followed by a visit to Nottingham Castle where there are a range of galleries and exhibitions including The Nottingham Lace Gallery, the Craft Gallery and Museum & Art Gallery.

Cost £38 pp

 

Wednesday 22 May – Bewdley & Hartlebury Castle, Worcs.

 

Spending the morning in the attractive Georgian town of Bewdley where the Bewdley Museum has a wide variety of collections including fine art. 

In the afternoon we visit Hartlebury Castle where a tour of the Hurd Library and the Bishop's Palace is included.

Cost £46 pp

 

Tuesday 18 June – Ashbourne & Tissington Hall, Derbys.

 

Arriving at Tissington Hall there will be a tour of the Hall which was built in 1609 with later additions.  There are also gardens and St. Mary's Church which can be explored. 

The afternoon is spent in Ashbourne discovering the more than 200 listed buildings including historic almshouses and coaching inns.

Cost £45 pp

 

Thursday 25 July – River & Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames & Ewelme, Oxon.

 

The River & Rowing Museum is a fascinating museum housed in an award-winning building in a beautiful riverside setting. As well as stories of the river it houses The Piper Gallery exploring the life and career of John Piper, one of the most significant artists of the 20^th century.

We then travel to Ewelme where we will be met by the village archivist at the historic church of St. Mary the Virgin who will tell us the history of the church, its associations with the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and about the Ewelme Trust.

Cost £43 pp

 

Tuesday 20 August – Droitwich Spa, Worcs. & Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire.

 

Stopping in Droitwich Spa with time to wander round the town and discover the historic history of this salt town.

We then travel to Hampton Court Castle where there are spectacular gardens to view.  A guided tour of the Castle is included to discover its chequered and fascinating history.

Cost £40 pp

 

 

For full details of these trips and how to book please contact the Secretary at:

 

friendsofleamingtonartgallery@hotmail.co.uk

 

Friday Focus schedule - FREE talks at the gallery

 

Friday Focus is back in the gallery from this Friday, 19th January. Schedule for future talks below.

16th January 2024 - All welcome!

 

Flag Programme 2023/24

MEETINGS ARE HELD IN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, CHANDOS ST., LEAMINGTON SPA, STARTING AT 7.30pm UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. ENTRANCE FEE OF £3 INCLUDES COFFEE/TEA AND BISCUITS

17 October
Jane Simpkiss - Curating in the 21st Century

Jane worked at Leamington Spa AG&M as Art Curator until recently but has now been snapped up by Compton Verney. She will talk about curating in general including recent trips to America to study Dutch and British art respectively.

14 November
Clive Katz - Back to Back Houses

Clive is a volunteer at The Back to Back Houses, Birmingham, has intimate knowledge of them and will be telling us all about them.

19 December
Paula Fletcher - The History of the USA Art Deco District of Miami Beach

Paula was a volunteer walking guide for ten years with the Miami Design Preservation League and gave private Art Deco walks. She now does private walking tours of Warwick and Leamington Spa but will be taking us to sunny Florida while we are in mid-winter.

16 January 2.30pm
Dr. Christopher Hilton - The Lives & Work of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears

Our speaker is the head of Archive & Library, The Red House, Aldeburgh. Some may remember an informative and amusing talk given by Christopher on the life and work of Bernard Spilsbury when he was an archivist at the Wellcome Trust. He has been at The Red House for a few years now and those of us on the holiday to Suffolk had the pleasure of meeting him there. He has generously agreed to come to Leamington from Suffolk to give us this talk.

20 February 2.30pm
Sarah Shalgosky - Curating the Campus

Sarah is the Curator of the Warwick University Art Collection. We are all probably familiar with some of this wonderful collection so near to us . It will be fascinating to learn more.

19 March
Angus Kaye - In the Victorian Architect's Studio - perfectionists, pragmatists and 'Rogues'

This promises to be a lively talk - more details to follow.

16 April - A.G.M. starting at 7.00pm
Historic Coventry Trust

Following the AGM a speaker from Historic Coventry Trust will be discussing their impressive "Rescue of Coventry's medieval Charterhouse". We may be able to also hear about some of their other projects in Coventry.

 

Fancy a lovely day out on 20th September 2023?

Are you busy on 20th September?(it's a Wednesday) Do you fancy a trip out to somewhere interesting? (pick up in town). Get in touch on our email friendsofleamingtonartgallery@hotmail.co.uk

AUTUMN EXCURSION – WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2023
CHILLINGTON HALL AND BOSCOBEL HOUSE

A private tour of Chillington Hall including morning coffee and ploughman's lunch. The Giffard
family have owned the land in this part of Staffordshire since 1178. The current house is Georgian
and the parkland was laid out by “Capability” Brown. The south front of the building was designed
by Francis Smith of Warwick and later Sir John Soan was employed to build the main part of the
house.

After lunch we visit Boscobel House, owned by English Heritage. It was built by a member of the
Giffard family in about 1595 and extended in the 1620's. Charles II was famously hidden here in an oak tree when fleeing the country.

Please contact FLAG via email for more details and booking form.

 

 Photo from Chillington Hall and Estate website, here https://www.chillingtonhall.co.uk/

August 2023 Newsletter - Chairman's Thoughts

 

Stamford and Burghley House, Linolnshire 25th July

We're off to.....Stamford and Burghley House, Lincolnshire on Tuesday 25th July. If you'd like to join us, leave a message! For more information check out the website - it includes details of where in the town you can be picked up, cost and times. All details on www.friendsofleamingtonartgallery.co.uk

 

RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER, SALFORD, GREATER MANCHESTER THURSDAY 22 JUNE

Why not join us on our visit to RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford on Thursday 22nd June 2023.

 

Our excursions leave from Newbold Comyn with a pick up in Newbold Terrace, opposite the Spa Centre. For further details please contact the Secretary on friendsofleamingtonartgallery@hotmail.co.uk

Find out more about the individual gardens at Worsley New Hall by clicking this link

Some information about our trip.

The former site of Worsley New Hall, in Salford, is a heritage landscape that's been transformed into an iconic RHS Garden. Landscape architect, Tom Stuart-Smith created the masterplan and our fantastic Bridgewater team, alongside award-winning garden designers, have brought ‘gardens within a garden’ to life by blending history with world-class horticulture

 

 

 

INFORMATION FOR EXCURSIONS

All excursions leave from Newbold Comyn, by the Leisure Centre, with a pick up in Newbold Terrace, opposite the Spa Centre, 5-10 minutes later.

Every effort will be made both by the FLAG organiser and the venue to point out potential risks such as uneven steps, floors, etc.

Please send separate cheques for each excursion, dated for the day of the excursion and payable to Friends of Leamington Art Gallery, together with the booking slip, to the named organiser. Cheques will be banked after the event.

If the excursion is full when your booking is received the organiser will contact you and add your name to a waiting list in case of a cancellation. If you do not hear from us assume you have a place(s). If you require confirmation indicate on the form or enclose a S.A.E.

National Trust/English Heritage/HHA members – it is essential to bring your membership cards when we visit these properties. Without them entrance fees will be charged.

Please include for insurance purposes the names of everyone for whom the booking is being made.

If you have to cancel please let the organiser know as soon as possible as there may be a waiting list.

If the excursion is cancelled by FLAG cheques submitted will be destroyed unless there is a request to return them.

If you have to cancel within 7 days of departure, FLAG will endeavour to find a replacement. If no replacement can be found, we will try to give a refund but we may have to retain all or a substantial part of the cost of the excursion in order to pay for any irrecoverable charges which FLAG has incurred such as coach hire, entry fees paid in advance, guides’ fees and refreshments.

If you have to cancel less than 24 hours before departure a refund will not normally be given.

You may arrange for someone else to take your place, monetary arrangements being between you and your substitute, but please inform the organiser of the change for insurance purposes.

Love and Marriage: Death and Sin

Going Dutch: 17th Century Paintings from The Collection

Friday 26th May - Sunday 10th September

Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday 10am to 4pm. FREE

 

Curator Jane Simpkiss at the opening of the exhibition.

 

Love and Marriage, Death and Sin

These 2 themes have fascinated artists for hundreds of years, and the current Going Dutch exhibition at Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum offers a chance to understand how Dutch artsts of the 17th century reflect the world of the Dutch people and how they viewed the world around them.

Sometimes artists choose to paint an object because it's eye catching or they like to show off about how well they can paint, but often they are symbols which we don't understand today. Objects have meanings and the exhibition trail picks certain characters and objects in the paintings and suggests possible meanings for them - you can pick up your free trail leaflet at the Gallery.

For example, musical instruments were used to represent harmony, and the lute in "Landscape with River Walk" has been used to indicate that two people are in a romantic relationship. Or, in other paintings, skulls were used to remind people of war, hunger and disease and were there to encourage people to live a good life to make sure they got into heaven if they died suddenly. Wilting flowers remind us that beauty does not last.

Only 3 of the paintings in the exhibition have been loaned to the Gallery, and all the remainder come from The Collection.

Felley Priory Garden and Newstead Abbey

Felley Priory is situated in North Nottinghamshire, hidden just half a mile from the M1. This tranquil garden, where visitors will find many rare and unusual plants, is one of Nottinghamshire’s best kept secrets – the house, its 2.5 acre garden, and Farmhouse Tea Room are nestled in beautiful rolling countryside. The garden has been carefully planted so that there are plants of interest all year round.

 

Picture from gallery on website here. 

 

 

 

The garden is comparatively new in relation to the house, which dates back to the 12th Century. An old photograph of the 1880s shows a sloping field and it was not until the 1890s that the ground was terraced. The present layout dates from 1976. The priory is 600ft above sea level and very exposed, so the first thing that Maria Chaworth-Musters, the creator of the garden, planted were the yew hedges as shelters for the herbaceous borders.

 

We're going from spring into summer at the moment and it's been a bit cold, but we're hoping to see the herbaceous borders as they are renowned for their truly spectacular display. 

The walled rose garden is filled with old fashioned roses – Gallicias, Bourbons, Moss Roses, Damasks, Albas and Chinensis. Under the old Elizabethan wall are many agapanthus and some tender shrubs.The borders around the old walls have a mixture of trees and shrubs underplanted by geraniums, hostas, digitalis and meconopsis, amongst others.

In the centre of the garden, the pergolas are covered with roses, vines, clematis and lonicera, and are surrounded by yew topiary birds. This area was one of the first parts of the garden to be established and was designed to reflect the age and brickwork of the priory itself.

Newstead Abbey

Thro’ thy battlements, Newstead, the hollow winds whistle

Medieval Newstead

 

Founded as a monastic house in the twelfth century, Newstead retains its medieval character. Dating from the late thirteenth century, marvel at the surviving church structure of the West Front. See the cloisters, Chapter House (now Chapel), stone carvings and manuscripts.

Inside the Abbey there is much to discover, including Lord Byron’s private apartments, the Victorian Kitchen and room displays, plus cloisters from the monastic period.

Surviving earthquakes and a civil war, the original façade of the old priory – the West Front – and the medieval cloisters still stand. The priory church’s West Front also contains a sculpture of the Virgin and Child.

 

Photo from website. To learn more click here

 

The current exhibition is Water, Water Everywhere

 

Our Trip to Bournville, Selly Manor and Cruck Barn

These are three photos from last week’s trip to Bournville, Selly Manor and the smaller Cruck Barn taken by Carolyn Gifford.

The one with the spiral hedge is Selly Manor, the other one the Cruck Barn and the last is inside the Manor and is the height of new technology for the 14th century, a turning device for a spit.

photo Carolyn Gifford

photo Carolyn Gifford

photo Carolyn Gifford

 

Join Us and help to support Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum

 

Annual membership is £12 per person, and if you are a tax payer you can increase the value of your subscription at no cost to you by using Gift Aid.

Please contact us on our website www.friendsofleamingtonartgallery.co.uk or on our Facebook page.

You can also send a cheque made payable to Friends of Leamington Art Gallery to 

Maureen Chapman, Membership Secretary, 12 Willow Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9SB. Please let us know your name and address, postcode, telephone number and email.

Flag

 

Welcome to Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum. 

The Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (FLAG) promote the Art Gallery & Museum at The Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa. We do this by providing financial and other support for exhibitions, acquisitions, conservation and education projects. We welcome new members in order to continue and maintain this support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Registered Charity No 507459