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