The Friends of Guildford House -Autumn/Winter Newsletter 2007
Dear Friend,
If I had to select one word to describe our activities of recent months, it would be ‘variety’. Guildford House Gallery has presented a wide range of exhibitions, featuring Shakespeare in photographs, prints and performances, local artists and a distinguished German photographer from Freiburg, activities for children including face painting. First solo exhibitions of artists discovered by ‘Double Take’ and using the Brew House regularly as well as the main gallery.
Thanks are due to Christian Dettlaff, Diana Roberts and the entire gallery staff for the interest that they engender for all age groups and for the unfailing warmth of their welcome.
Our financial support to the gallery has been limited, by circumstances rather than intent. We offered a major contribution towards purchasing three John Russell portraits, including a self-portrait, but the auction price was astronomic, far beyond the maximum estimated by the auctioneers. For this reason our donations have been limited to £500 to help with the Children’s Art Club and £1000 to provide publicity and prizes for the Street Level Art Exhibition in the Brew House.
The Friends have been on extended visits to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, North Wales, Snowdonia and the Welsh Marches, visiting Cathedrals, Art Galleries, castles, picturesque historic towns, country houses, EEC centres and gardens. Our one day visits have ranged from Dorset to Kent, from London to the Coast, from a Roman Villa, via a medieval castle, a Tudor mansion and a Palladian villa to the brilliantly designed, multiple level Princess of Wales Conservatory in Kew Gardens.
We have enjoyed such an amazing feast of varied scenic beauty, historic interest, architectural design and artistic achievement that it becomes quite difficult to separate one from another in the memory.
I am therefore particularly grateful to Pearl Gautrey and Ruth Fowke, who have penned articles on our continental European and Welsh trips, which keep memorable sights and experiences separate and distinct.
Our feasting was not restricted to the eyes, as we also enjoyed a magnificent salmon and strawberry supper, organised and cooked for us by Barbara Logan, who was also responsible for planning and running our entire visits programme. Thank you very much, Barbara.
In the coming Autumn and Winter we will keep closer to home, with the accent very much on London galleries and the splendid special exhibitions which they arrange at this time of year. The art of Renaissance Sienna is explored in paintings, sculpture, manuscripts and ceramics gathered from public and private American and European collections by the National Gallery. In December we visit Tate Britain for its exhibition of the entire career of Millais, probably the greatest of all the pre-Raphaelites of the 19th century, with pictures borrowed from collections world wide. January sees us at the Royal Academy for ‘Paul Mellon’s Legacy – A Passion for British Art’ which displays 150 pieces from the Yale Centre of British Art, including Gainsborough's, Reynolds, Stubbs, Turners and Constables. We have been fortunate to obtain enough tickets to fill two coaches in both February and March for the most keenly anticipated exhibitions for many years. 'Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs' at the Dome and 'The First Emperor - China’s Terracotta Army' at the British Museum. This is combined with an afternoon visit to Fulham Palace, the country home of the bishops of London from before the Norman Conquest until 1975.
Our programme of lectures complements and prepares for our visits with the help of eminent lecturers, plus an illustrated talk on Angelica Kauffman, the first female member elected to The Royal Academy. Following our AGM, a chatty and amusing review of the ever popular Antiques Road show by its inventor and first producer, Christopher Lewis.
Best wishes
John Collins
Chairman
Spring Tour - ‘Into the Heartland of Western Europe’
We had a most successful spring trip to Western Europe.
The journey was easy and comfortable and our hotel at Heerlen, Holland was outstandingly good. Heerlen being a small triangle in the extreme south of Holland we managed to visit Belgium and Germany easily with, of course, no border controls or currency changes.
We started by touring the fascinating Southern area of the Eiffel National Park with lovely old towns, half timbered houses and cobbled streets. Next, we were off to South Limburg where we encountered abbeys and castles. In Maastricht we were rewarded with a visit to the Bonnefante musuem which houses a Flemish art collection dating from medieval times, as well as getting glimpse of how well the European Parliamentarians look after themselves.
At Cologne on a very wet day we were all pleased to have a guided tour of the magnificent Gothic Cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Site) by an ex-pat Englishman who has lived there for 30 years and has made a ‘tour of the cathedral’ his life’s passion. The stained glass windows and the ‘Shrine of the Three Kings’ were stupendous. It was here, I think, that one of our group had his large umbrella ruined by getting too close to the candle stands whilst taking photos, causing much amusement.
We had a river and canal cruise from Maastricht to Liege, a delicious lunch, a typical Dutch Koffit tafel, was served on board which rather made up for the fact that the weather let us down again, so that it was difficult to appreciate the views.
Mercifully fine again for our final day we visited Angustusberg Castle at Bruhl and saw just how sumptuously the 'Price', archbishops of the 18th century, lived. We returned via Aachen where we had a tour of the treasure filled cathedral, also a UNESCO Heritage Site. The Chancel here was most intriguing, as it was octagonal and three or more storeys high, built in the time of Charlemagne, whose stone coronation throne was on display. The magnificent and soaring stained glass windows were much enhanced by the late afternoon sun.
On our way home we stopped at the same lovely restaurant as last year and were once again treated royally to another gastronomic delight.
Altogether a lovely trip, beautifully arranged and managed by Mike Niemann of Friendship Travel and all kept in order by our beloved Barbara.
Pearl Gautrey
North Wales Holiday – August 2007
Friends of Guildford House are early birds, the coach was almost full when I joined it 20 minutes before the 8am departure time. Punctuality continued to be good throughout our travels, despite there being 52 in the party, a remarkable achievement by all.
On our way up we had nearly three hours for lunch and exploration of Shrewsbury, then we settled down to enjoy the scenery. On arrival there was the mystique of following the map given to us with our key to locate our rooms all over the extensive, if architecturally variable, buildings of Bodelwyddar Castle, now mainly a Warner hotel.
Our first morning was spent stretching our legs, enjoying Bodnant Gardens before crossing the Menai Straits for Plas Newydd 18th century house on Anglesey with its huge Rex Whistler paintings, gardens and magnificent views across the narrow straits to Snowdonia
On day two we had guided tours in small groups of the somewhat pretensions, if not ‘pretend’ Penrhyn Castle founded by money from sugar, hence the slaves, and local slate. Thinking of those workers lives made many of us shudder. In the afternoon we shook of such thoughts by a wander around Betws-Y-Coed and some retail therapy.
Next day we went further inland, first to Chirk Castle, actually fought over as well as entertaining Royalty in its finely furnished staterooms. Some of the servants’ quarters are also preserved and displayed with interesting vignettes of social history. Continuing this theme, that afternoon we went on to nearby Erdigg House where photos of the servants lined the kitchen corridors.
There was a change of pace on Friday, when we jolted half way up Snowdon on the original pinion track steam railway, stopping half way to take on water. It was cloudy, but thankfully not raining and when we reached Portmeiron in the afternoon, we were favoured with sunshine.
We finally explored Bodelwyddan and its environs on Saturday, so that Graham, our driver, Tour Manager, Guide and trouble shooter could comply with Rest Day rules, to his disgust! One separate wing houses some of the National Portrait Gallery’s Victorian paintings including a number by G.F. Watts and J.S. Sergeant with the rooms restored to their original decoration and furnishings.
Sunday was different again, with a most interesting guided tour of Chester, first along the top of the walks, then among the famous first floor shopping rows. In the afternoon some shopped, others took a River Cruise, or a bus tour, before getting back in good time to pack, heads reeling from all we’d seen and done during the week.
But we were not finished yet. Our journey home on Monday was broken at Powis Castle with its stunning ancient gardens and Clive of India Museum.
This holiday certainly fulfilled the promise of the initial information about it that so fired my desire to go. Despite being such a large group, none got lost or delayed the rest of us. this remarkable feat was due to the excellent organisation and team work of Barbara Logan and Graham. Our heartfelt thanks to them both for such seamless and streamlined arrangements.
Ruth Fowke