Newsletter Content:

* July’s Lecture in the cooler Chapel!

* Renew your Membership

* July’s Lecture – Monday 13th July

* We Make Wycombe

* Sculpture in Britain

* Preparations for a New Chairman

* Family request – A Member’s funeral

* Save the Date: Sat. 5th Dec. 2026

Hello Everyone,

JULY’S LECTURE IN THE COOLER CHAPEL!

The Hub have very kindly offered us the cooler Chapel for our July lecture.

Refreshments will be served in the Welcome Area.

YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE IS NOW OVERDUE

The annual Membership fee for the 2026/27 season of 10 lectures is £55, and payment is now overdue.  Hopefully you agree that membership of our society represents excellent good value for ten first class lectures, presented in excellent surroundings.

Preferred payment is by BACS, but it is acceptable by cheque, if necessary.

Renewal is simple - just make your payment to the TASHW bank account for £55 per person, with your surname as the reference and inform our Membership Secretary of your payment.

The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code: 30-94-28, Account Number: 51819468

Please also tell our Membership Secretary if any of your personal details have changed.

Ron Fowler is taking over the role of Membership Secretary from Fritha Irwin in August, and will be handling Membership Renewals. Ron will be on the Registration Desk to meet you and introduce himself.

JULY’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Welcome Room of the Chapel Hall, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Carole Petipher

Carole is an experienced guide and lecturer on combined history and art tours in France with 20 years experience. Having lived and worked on a number of bespoke river vessels and converted barges there she has used them as a platform from which to research her lectures. She uses art in all its guises to explore the characters who shaped France and likes to delve behind the scenes to discover hidden truths. She also acts as a guide for a privately owned ancestral home in her native Chilterns.

THE LECTURE: The Re-birth of Notre Dame de Paris

In December 2024, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, often referred to as the Soul of the City, reopened to the public after a devastating fire had threatened top destroy it 5 years earlier.

A seemingly impossible target had been set by the French President to rebuild; yet huge sums of donated money and teams of expert restorers ensured the timescale was met. Such is the symbolic power of this cultural icon in the psyche of the French people and indeed people beyond.

In this lecture Carole considers what makes Notre Dame so special. Rather than looking into the fine details of its restoration, she will look instead at its key location, some of its most precious artefacts, and through the images consider consider some of the most significant events to have been staged inside the iconic silhouette.

Along the way, she will introduce a much loved fictional character Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame, who was responsible for the Cathedral’s salvation the first time it faced destruction.

YOUTH & COMMUNITY WORK

You may have noticed that our Young Arts work in 2025 for a mention in this month’s Arts Society national magazine (see page 48) - but more importantly we have heard from Chiltern Woods School that the Art Project, led by our Lesley Kerr-Edwards, has really inspired their students, teachers and support staff, and they have continued working on further art projects through this year. This project has had a lasting impact and encouraged other classes to engage with the arts at the school. We have made a difference. Thank you.

WE MAKE WYCOMBE

Two of our members took part in the recent workshops arranged by We Make Wycombe and greatly enjoyed them. Look out for more events over the summer months. See their website https://wemakewycombe.org/ for details on what’s on.

Albion Barn Sculpture Park:-Richard Long & Richard Caro, were among the subjects of the Sculpture in Britain lecture. Some of their work is being exhibited locally in Little Milton. It is open only on Thursdays and Fridays to the public and entrance is free, but you have to pre-book.

See the website  https:/www.albionbarn.com/

PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW CHAIRMAN

I've decided that after 5 years as Chairman and 10+ years on the committee, that it was time to 'hand over the reins'. After some discussion Michèle Gasper has agreed to take over, with your approval, as Chairman at the AGM. 

I am sure that she is more than capable of 'doing the job' and she will bring new energy to the role. There's lots of handover work to do, but there's time to get it done.
I will also be stepping down from the committee.
Hopefully, it will be a smooth transition, and you can be assured of continuity in the society. I hope that you will give her all your support, as you did to me.

I will definitely be attending our lectures and will feel much more relaxed to have a chat with you.

NOTICE OF A MEMBER’S FUNERAL: Sadly, one of our members, Carole Wolfe, has recently died. Her family wanted to inform her friends at TASHW that her funeral is taking place on August 4th at 12.45hrs at Amersham Crematorium. The family will welcome anyone who wants to join them.

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday 5th December evening

Dare we mention Christmas already in July? Well, as we have now mentioned it, please save the date 5th Dec. for a potential visit to St Albans Cathedral for a carol concert with the St Alban’s Bach Choir. More details soon.

FINALLY -

Remember that Easton Street Car Park is now closed. The new Drop Off area and Disabled Parking is available on Easton Street in front of The Chapel.

Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before this lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.tashw@gmail.com (please note different email address)

Newsletter Content:

* Lectures in The Chapel next Season!

* Membership Renewal now open

* June’s Lecture – Monday 8th June

* Summer Social, Wednesday 8th July

* We Make Wycombe

Hello Everyone

LECTURES IN THE CHAPEL

I am very pleased to inform you that all our lectures from October 2026 onwardswill be held in The Chapel, with its excellent A/V system, stage and monitor displays and comfortable seating plus the use of the spacious Welcome Area for refreshments – and no stairs or lift involved.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS NOW OPEN

The annual Membership fee for the 2026/27 season of 10 lectures will be £55, and £12 for guests per lecture. Hopefully you agree that membership of our society represents excellent good value for ten first-class lectures, presented in excellent surroundings.

Preferred payment is by BACS, but it is acceptable by cheque, if necessary.

Renewal is simple - just make your payment to the TASHW bank account for £55 per person, with your surname as the reference and inform our membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin, of your payment.

The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code: 30-94-28, Account Number: 51819468

Please also tell Fritha if any of your personal details have changed.

JUNE’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Julia Korner

Julia Korner is a specialist and lecturer in fine art conservation and the restoration of paintings, sculptures and frames. She trained in art history and conservation at Cambridge,then, for twenty years, she worked for Christie's as a paintings’ specialist, building extensive knowledge of Old Masters, and of British, European and American paintings from the 1700s onwards. Julia has worked independently in her own studio in West London since 1997. Here, she and her small team give specialist conservation work personal and expert attention through restoration, scientific analysis and research. Damaged paintings, polychrome statues, over-mantles, traditional gold leaf & gesso frames, along with unusual and exquisite handmade cabinets all emerge transformed by the conservation work, or created from scratch, under her expertise, knowledge and care. In addition to her role as a lecturer for The Arts Society, Julia also lectures for Sotheby’s Institute, Christie’s and Fine Art Societies at home and abroad.

THE LECTURE: Paintings: Conservation and Authentication

This lecture guides the listener through the process of conserving paintings, before focusing on two individual altarpieces from the Early Northern Renaissance which were conserved recently in her conservation studios in Chiswick, West London. It looks at the background history of the period, the wealth in Flanders, and the other artists working at the same time, both in Italy and The Low Countries.  It also goes into the unexpectedly early use of perspective, and by comparing and contrasting, it shows how conclusions were reached as to the likely painters of these charming works of art.

SUMMER SOCIAL

Please email us on tashwvisits@gmail.com if you are interested in booking your spot for £20 for this outing to Ewelme to the historical Cressbeds and the very special church and almshouses.

Don’t miss this opportunity! We still have spaces and will need to close bookings soon so please book asap.

Michèle will be in touch with people who have signed up to ask if they would like to have lunch at the Shepherd’s Hut pub in Ewelme. Also please let Michèle know if you’d like to join up transport with anyone else to reduce the number of cars going over.

YOUTH & COMMUNITY WORK

Community Arts

This month there will be a showcase of local artwork hosted by Wycombe Arts Centre. There will also be opportunities to enjoy creative demos and engaging family friendly activities with a cafe on site and free entry.
Open to all. Weekends 13/14 and 20/21June 11am-4pm

https://wycombeartscentre.com/events/the-big-art-show-2026/

FINALLY -

Remember that Easton Street Car Park is now closed. The new Drop Off area and Disabled Parking is available on Easton Street in front of The Chapel.

Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before this lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.tashw@gmail.com (please note different email address)te different email address)

May 2026 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

* Easton Street Car Park

* May’s Lecture – Monday 11th May

* Summer Social, Wednesday 8th July

* Youth and Community Arts Work

Hello Everyone

Sometimes life can get busy – I’ve been walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal, before moving on to walking part of The South Downs Way. The following day I was listening to Nightingales sing in the morning at an RSPB reserve in West Sussex, then sipping English sparkling wine in a vineyard in the afternoon – but now it’s back to reality and car parks!

EASTON STREET CAR PARK IS NOW CLOSED

As you may have read, Easton Steet Car Park is now officially closed.

The best alternative car parks for our lectures are Wycombe Swan car park, The Station car park and Railway Place (by Trinity URC church).

Please find our updated alternative car parking information at this link

 UBC and the HUB car park information.docx

PLEASE ALLOW MORE TIME TO GET PARKED BEFORE OUR  LECTURE.

MAY’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Tyler Butterworth grew up in a theatrical family and spent twenty five years as an actor working extensively in film, television, theatre and radio. He then worked as a development producer in television documentaries. Now, he produces walking audio guides to cities across Europe for private clients. He lives in Sussex where he walks on the South Downs and the South Coast.

THE LECTURE: The Golden Age of British Comedy 1970 - 1980 - It’s said in our theatrical history that there was a Golden Age of British Comedy. It ran from the 1970’s to the 1980’s and occurred as we started to drift away from theatres and radios, and found ourselves living through a wonderfully rich period of television comedy. Some say this period has never been bettered.

SUMMER SOCIAL - July 8th 2026

Please email us on tashwvisits@gmail.com if you are interested in booking your spot for £20 for this outing to Ewelme to the Cressbeds and the very special church and almshouses. See the Newsletter and Visits on our website for details.

YOUTH & COMMUNITY WORK

We are pleased to report that we have been invited to join the Steering Group for the We Make Wycombe initiative funded by the Arts Council and the Rothschild Foundation for three years. It’s great that the Arts Society High Wycombe can have the voice to support the arts and culture in our town. There are some interesting projects taking place which can be found at www.wemakewycombe.org

In May there are a range of creative workshops with a warm welcome to participants. Please spread the word.

** Chiltern Music Academy’s FREE interactive workshops. Each day they will focus on an instrument group with opportunities to try different instruments. As part of their Spotlight Week 23-30th May, there will also be pop-up performances all week in the Eden Centre.

**Wycombe Swan Community Day - Friday 29th May. A day of creativity and community, with lots of arts crafts tables and workshops. Entry is ‘pay what you can’ e.g. £2 - £10.

As the national Arts Society is no longer offering Community Grants to support projects in local areas, we think we can still make a difference by participating in High Wycombe networks, offering advice and skills to local organisations and sharing information with members - endeavouring to make creative connections across our own area.

VISITS

A great day was enjoyed by all at Petworth House in W. Sussex. Thank you for your company.

FINALLY - Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before this lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.tashw@gmail.com (please note different email address)

Newsletter Content:

* Easton Street Car Park - update

* Petworth Visit – Final Details

* April’s Lecture – Monday 13th April

* Save the Date – Summer Social, Wednesday 8th July

* Membership Secretary – Can you help?

* Stanley Spencer Gallery Exhibition

Hello Everyone

I hope that you are getting out to enjoy the lovely blossom, bird song and Easter time activities. Gardening is in full swing, exhibitions and stately home visits are tempting and there’s more daylight to enjoy it all - and it’s not raining.

EASTON STREET CAR PARK is still open, as ‘we go to print’. The Hub are keeping us informed and we will let you know if, and when the situation changes.

PETWORTH HOUSE, Wednesday 22nd April – A Full Day Visit

Final details will be sent to you shortly. I’m looking forward to it.

APRIL’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Jacqueline Cockburn is Managing Director of Art and Culture Travel, running residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region as well as curated tours to Madrid, Tangiers, Barcelona, Paris and Venice. Jacqueline is a course director and lecturer at the V&A and also lectures at The Royal Academy,  She has toured New Zealand and Australia for The Arts Society. Her specialist field is Spanish Art, but she also lectures on European Art 1790-1950. She is currently working on a Monograph on Goya (Prestel, Spring 2024)

THE LECTURE: A Celebration of Nature: Antoni Gaudi and other Catalan Architects

Antoni Gaudí is well known and much loved. In this lecture, his work will be explored in detail. It will be shown how he engaged with nature in the most innovative and extraordinary ways. Inspired by honeycombs and spiders' webs, armadillo skins and mushrooms, trees and whales' bellies, he worked with extraordinary ceramicists, iron workers, tilers and decorative artists. We will look at his public and private buildings and his relationship with a wealthy and demanding patron. Private, shy and retiring he was also humorous and witty in his extravagant style.

SAVE THE DATE: SUMMER SOCIAL

Save the date for our Summer Social. We will be meeting on Wed. 8th July. Details to follow.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY – I’m looking for a friendly wizard to replace Fritha. Full wizard training will be given. Find me or I will search you out!

STANLEY SPENCER GALLERY – Cookham

The gallery is presenting ‘Love and Landscape’(4 April -1 November 2026) with major works on loan from national and regional collections. See stanleyspencer.org.uk for details.

FINALLY - Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before this lecture, as we are in a different venue.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.tashw@gmail.com (please note different email address)

March 2026 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

* Petworth Visit – Waiting List

* March’s Lecture – Monday 9th March

* We Make Wycombe

* Arts Society Magazines for guests

* Save the Date: Summer Social, Wed. 8th July

Hello Everyone

I hope that you are enjoying the lovely spring weather and the bird song.

Such a relief! And we are back in our usual location in the Memorial Hall, for March’s lecture too.

All Change – No Change

PETWORTH HOUSE, Wednesday 22nd April – Waiting List

If you missed the rush to put your name down in February but you would still like to join this visit, which is open to members and their guests, please contact tashwvisits@gmail.com. Full details, including prices and how to book are on our website under Visits. You can also put your name down at March’s lecture.

MARCH’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Dr John Stevens

Dr John Stevens is head of the London Bangla Academy, an online school that teaches the Bengali language to students across the world. He gained his PhD in History from UCL, before going on to teach British Imperial History, Indian History and Bengali Language at SOAS, University of London. His biography of the Indian guru Keshab Chandra Sen – Keshab: Bengal’s Forgotten Prophet - was published by Hurst and Oxford University Press. He is a regular visitor to India and Bangladesh and has lectured at numerous Indian universities. He also works as a consultant on Indian affairs. He has appeared many times in the Indian media, and was a guest on BBC Radio Four’s In Our Time, discussing the poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore. 

THE LECTURE: Portraits of the Maharanis

The Maharajahs and Maharanis of India were semi-independent rulers who governed territories that were outside the direct control of the British Empire. They fascinated the British public, and functioned as powerful symbols of ‘exotic India’. This lecture draws on an extensive collection of portraits and photographs of Indian Maharanis, all of which are stunning works of art in their own right. These beautiful portraits are brought to life with insights into the lives and memoirs of the Maharanis themselves, along with a broader view of the role they played in the British Empire.

WE MAKE WYCOMBE – Celebrating Art and Culture in Wycombe

There will be an exhibition from 7-15 March, of Islamic Prayer mats and art at the Hub in the Cornmarket, High Wycombe. See the website for details

RECYCLE YOUR ARTS SOCIETY MAGAZINES

Our guests would love to take away a copy of The Arts Society magazine after listening to one of our lectures. Please give any of your previous copies to Fritha when you sign in and she will be happy to recycle them.  Thank you.

SAVE THE DATE: SUMMER SOCIAL

Save the date for our Summer Social. We will be meeting on Wed. 8th July. Details to follow.

FINALLY - Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before this lecture, as we are in a different venue.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.tashw@gmail.com (please note different email address)

Newsletter Content:

* We’re in The Chapel for our next lecture!

* Visit Booking Open - Petworth House -Wednesday 22nd April

* The Lecture

Hello Everyone

WE’RE IN THE CHAPEL FOR OUR NEXT LECTURE!

We will be in the Union Baptist Chapel for February’s lecture.  This is the same location as for our AGM last October.  The entrance is a short walk down the slope from the car park and our usual entrance.  Our Meet and Greet team will be on hand to re-direct you if you are unsure. Refreshments will be available as usual, from 10.00 am.  

PETWORTH HOUSE, Wednesday 22nd April – BOOKING LIST NOW OPEN

Booking is now open for both Members and their guests for a full day’s coach visit to Petworth House, a National Trust property, in West Sussex, and to include a guided tour.

Full details, including prices and how to book are on our website under Visits. Limited to 35 spaces. See link to our visits section here: The Arts Society High Wycombe

You can also book in person at February’s lecture.

FEBRUARY’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Welcome Hall next to the Chapel, for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Marie-Anne Mancio

Marie-Anne Mancio trained as an artist before gaining a DPhil in Art and Critical Theory from the University of Sussex. She has lectured in art history for the City Lit, Tate Modern, the Course, Art in London, V&A, Dulwich Picture Gallery, HENI films, Ben Uri gallery. She also runs art history study tours abroad for ACE and is a Director of InFems art collective for whom she curates exhibitions and writes.

THE LECTURE: The Only Blonde in the World

Pauline Boty, was a famous Brit Pop artist. She is finally the subject of monographs, a biography and a documentary film (Summer 2024). Known in her life time as a painter, contemporary of Peter Blake, Hockney, Derek Boshier, and others. She starred in Ken Russell's film 'Pop Goes the Easel' which profiled four emerging contemporary artists. She was also an actor (theatre, and with a tiny role in the film 'Alfie') and presenter, writing her own feminist monologues for radio.

BAD WEATHER - LECTURE CANCELLATION NOTICE – As in previous winters, we will always let you know, by 08.00 hrs on the day, if the lecture has had to be cancelled.

FINALLY - Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

I REALLY do need help with publicity and promotion of our society. If you think you can help me and your society, in any way, then please see me.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

January 2026 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

* January’s lecture

* Save the date – Wednesday 22nd April – Petworth House

* Bad Weather and viruses

Hello Everyone

I hope that you had a peaceful and relaxing and healthy time over the Christmas and New Year festivities. I had a bit of a Cotswold mud bath on Boxing Day!

JANUARY’S LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Brian Stater

Brian Stater has a lifelong enthusiasm for photography, exhibiting most recently at the Royal Academy Summer show in 2025. He had an exhibition of his own photographs at UCL. Brian is a former member of the Association of Historical and Fine Art Photography. 

THE LECTURE: ‘Women behind the Lens‘

The work of women photographers has often been unfairly neglected. This lecture seeks to correct that by examining the contribution of three outstanding British practitioners; Julia Margaret Cameron, a Victorian pioneer; Jane Bown, a brilliant portraitist; and Fay Godwin, who excelled in landscape photography. We also explore the work of two highly influential Americans: Dorothea Lange, who produced brilliant documentary images and Annie Leibovitz, who continues to both surprise and delight her audience.

SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday 22nd April

Our Visits Team have organised a full day’s coach visit to Petworth House, West Sussex. This will include a guided tour of the house, which has one of the finest art collections in the care of the National Trust (including 20 oil paintings by JMW Turner alone, plus paintings by Van Dyck and Joshua Reynolds), plus time to enjoy the collection of Grinling Gibbons carvings, the house, grounds and the deer park designed by Capability Brown, at your leisure, as well as the very local town of Petworth, if you have the energy.

Details are now being finalised.

BAD WEATHER - LECTURE CANCELLATION NOTICE – As in previous winters, we will always let you know, by 08.00 hrs on the day, if the lecture has had to be cancelled.

FINALLY - Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell. Also, please switch your phone to silent.

………AND remember to wear your name badge.

Perhaps you would be able to help spread the word about our wonderful lectures given by world class lecturers, to our friendly and welcoming society in High Wycombe? If so, then I’d really like to talk with you.  Thank you.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

* December’s lecture

* Younge Arts Project

* We Make Wycombe – The new Arts Hub

* Cadogan Concert - final details

* Garsington Opera – Group table offer

* Marlow’s Tours in 2026

* Could you inspire new members to join?

Hello Everyone

I hope you have managed to get those bulbs planted in-between all that rain!

There’s lots to tell you…

DECEMBER LECTURE

As always guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Bertie Pearce is a lecturer, performer and magician.

THE LECTURE: A Dickens of a Christmas and God Bless Us Everyone

Charles Dickens has often been proclaimed as “The Man Who Invented Christmas” and indeed on hearing that Dickens had died, a cockney barrow-girl said: “Dickens dead? Then will Father Christmas die too?”  Dickens revived the Christmas traditions with his warm portrayal of Christmas in the domestic setting; with plum pudding, piping hot turkey, games, dancing  and family cheer by the hearth. Although he celebrated Christmas in numerous works it is his enduring master piece, ‘A Christmas Carol’ published on 19th December 1843 which immortalises the spirit of Christmas Cheer.

OUR YOUNG ARTS PROJECT

Our project with Chiltern Wood School for pupils with learning and physical difficulties this term has a been a success. Our support has enabled the school to purchase a wide range of resources for a visual arts project based on African Animals and landscapes following their theatre visit in March to see The Lion King on stage in London. An exhibition of the students’ art work was presented in November and was well attended by parents carers and members of the local community.

The Assistant Headteacher commented to her colleagues:
“Thank you all for putting together such a wonderful art exhibition . I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting this today. The art work is beautiful and it is clear to see how much has gone into this! The pride the children had was something else and there was such a wonderful buzz in the hall! Well done everyone and thank you for giving the children this opportunity”.

WE MAKE WYCOMBE - COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECT

We have also been developing links with a range of Youth and Community Arts Projects in High Wycombe, and have valued the input from Wycombe Arts Centre. We have connected with the team working on the initiative to promote local arts and culture, called We Make Wycombe. This has been funded for three years by the Arts Council and the Rothschild Foundation. Their new hub has opened by the Cornmarket near the Parish Church in the centre of High Wycombe, and welcomes visitors e.g. 5-14th Dec sees an exhibition by Jane Peacock called ‘Winter Beechwoods, chalk and light’. She is offering an ink drawing workshop on Dec. 13th. For more information: www.wemakewycombe.org

CHRISTMAS CHORAL CONCERT AT CADOGAN HALL, WITH COACH

Final details and tickets will be given out by Michèle Gasper at the lecture if you are there. I am looking forward to it.

GARSINGTON OPERA - SOLOs TABLES

Jo Dudley is offering to pull together a table or gathering of solos. Please advise Jo Dudley (jodudley54@gmail.com) which opera you would like to attend and your preferred dates and hopefully she can make up a group table.

MARLOW’S TOURS ON OFFER

Marlow Arts Society are opening up their 2026 tours to Devon and Marrakech to our members. Details are on the Arts Society Marlow website. Please contact Ros Nicoli (rosnicoli@btinternet.com) or phone 07808 829059. Bookings are closing soon.

SPREAD THE WORD?

Would you be able to help spread the word about our wonderful lectures given by world class lecturers, to our friendly and welcoming society in High Wycombe?

I’d really like to talk with you.  Thank you.

And Finally…

Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and please switch your phone to silent.

Also - remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

* November’s lecture

* AGM Minutes

* Christmas Choral concert at Cadogan Hall

* Garsington Opera’s 2026 Programme and dates

* Could you inspire new members to join?

Hello Everyone

I have enjoyed the lovely autumn colours in the local beech woods, and an expert- lead local fungi foray found the famed Chanterelle and Horn of Plenty and, although they are unique, I am still not confident enough to eat them.

NOVEMBER'S LECTURE

We will be back in our usual venue for this month’s lecture – upstairs at The Hub, in the Memorial Hall. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 10.00am in the Memorial Hall for a suggested donation of £1.

THE NOVEMBER LECTURE: The Queen of Instruments: The Lute within Old Master Paintings

THE LECTURER: Adam Busiakiewicz

Adam is an Art Historian, Lecturer and Lutenist. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in History at University College London in 2010, he held the position of Head of Historical Interpretation (curator) at Warwick Castle. He left the castle in 2013 after winning a full AHRC studentship to pursue a Master’s Degree in Fine and Decorative Art at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He completed his doctorate in the History of Art at the University of Warwick in 2022 and became a cataloguer in the Old Master Paintings Department at Sotheby’s where he remains a Consultant.  

Adam has been a Lecturer/Educator at the National Gallery and Guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection, where he has organised several events and courses on Music and Art as well as other subjects. He has also given talks and performances at the Royal Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Alongside his publications and scholarly articles, Adam is the co-editor of arthistorynews.com, one of the internet’s most popular art history blogs. 

THE LECTURE: The Queen of Instruments: The Lute within Old Master Paintings

The Lute holds a special place in the history of art: painters of the Italian Renaissance depicted golden haired angels plucking its delicate strings, evoking celestial harmony; in the sixteenth century, during the rise of humanism, the lute became a pastime of educated courtiers, as depicted by the likes of Holbein and Titian; throughout the sixteenth century, the instrument continued to play a key role in emphasising the intimate, debauched and transient pleasures of interior scenes by Jan Steen and portraits by Frans Hals. This lecture looks at the lute, and other musical instruments, as devices to express various aspects of the human character through the ages.

Minutes from the Annual General Meeting held on Mon. 13th October 2025

Please find a copy of the minutes for you to read, by clicking on the link in the button below. If you have any questions, do let us know by replying to this email.

Click here to access a copy of the minutes from the AGM on 13th Oct. 2025

CADOGAN HALL, 17th December 2025 The Sixteen Carols concert - a few places still left!

Tickets are still available for a special Christmas choral concert at Cadogan Hall, London, with return coach travel from High Wycombe. Full details are here on our website, and Michele will also be offering tickets for sale at our lecture.

GARSINGTON OPERA’S 2026 SEASON

Advance group booking for next season’s Garsington Opera is now open. The brochure can be found online https://garsingtonopera.org/tour-group-brochure and all bookings MUST BE MADE via Jo Dudley jodudley54@gmail.com who will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have. The sooner you book the better chance you have of getting your chosen seats and dining options.

My thanks to Jo for arranging this advanced booking facility for our members.

SPREAD THE WORD?

Would you be able to help spread the word about our wonderful lectures given by world class lecturers, to our friendly and welcoming society in High Wycombe?

I’d really like to talk with you.  Thank you.

And Finally…

Please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: There are lots of viruses around so please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and please switch your phone to silent.

Also - remember to wear your name badge.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Our AGM and October’s lecture

  Membership Renewal and New Members

Hello Everyone

I hope you are enjoying the cooler days of autumn – and perhaps still wondering what to do with all those apples!

We start the season on Monday 13th October, with our AGM, which will be followed by our first lecture of the season.

Both AGM and lecture will be held in the newly renovated Chapel at The Hub – I am sure you will be very interested to see what it is like and perhaps it could be a good venue for our musical lecturers to enjoy playing the grand piano and the great acoustics.

Entrance to The Chapel is to the left as you exit the car park, down the slope from our usual entrance. Please note doors open at 09.45am, with the AGM starting at 10.15am, and the lecture to follow at 10.45am

OCTOBER LECTURE

Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available from 09.45am in the Welcome Room by the Chapel for a suggested donation of £1.

THE OCTOBER LECTURE: Sculpture in Britain: Today and Tomorrow

THE LECTURER: Ray Warburton

Ray has had a life-long love of art. However, in his twenties, Ray studied social sciences at the London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies. These studies led toa career in health and social care, with art being an evening and weekend passion. But all that changed in 2011, when Ray became a guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Then from 2014 to 2017, he studied art history at the Open University, and then at the University of Buckingham, from where he gained an MA in the History of Art. And to cap it all, Ray became an Arts Society lecturer in 2017. Ray also knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of lectures as he is a member of his local Arts Society in Blackheath.

THE LECTURE: Sculpture in Britain: Today and Tomorrow - British sculpture enjoyed a renaissance in the 20th century, with the likes of Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Anthony Caro and Elizabeth Frink leading the way. But who came afterwards and with what effect? Among the new generation of British-based sculptors were Rachel Whiteread, Antony Gormley, Maggi Hambling, Anish Kapoor, Richard Long and David Nash. These days all six are world-renowned and are still working as hard as ever. Each in their own way is innovative, inspirational and deeply human. They have produced sculptures that are glorious, challenging and moving in equal measure.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

We’ve lost a few members due to grandparent duties, moving home or sadly due to ill health, but we are also pleased to be welcoming 2 new members in October and hopefully more throughout the year. We do not have a waiting list.

If you still need to renew your membership our annual fee is still £50.

Preferred payment is by BACS, but it is acceptable by cheque, if necessary.

Please make your payment to the TASHW bank account for £50 per person, with your surname as the reference and please email Fritha Irwin of your payment to aid her admin.

The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code:30-94-28, Account Number: 51819468

It is important that you also inform Fritha if any of your contact details have changed.

SAVE THE DATE - 17th December 2025 Carols at Cadogan Hall

Our Visits Team have secured a limited number of tickets for a Christmas choral concert at Cadogan Hall in London, by the fabulous choir ‘The Sixteen’ led by Harry Christophers. 

Please save the date – evening of Wednesday 17th December 2025 – full details to follow soon.

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others, please do not come if you are feeling unwell.

Please remember to silence your mobile phone before the lecture, as a courtesy to others.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content

• Renew Your Subscription
• Visit to The Vyne – places still available
• Christmas Choral Concert at Cadogan Hall
• New Season of Lectures starting soon

Hello Everyone

I hope that you have enjoyed the lovely, sunny summer that we’ve had in this area.
I am not going to complain, but, sometimes it was a bit too hot for me.  And, weren’t we, and our gardens lucky not to have a hosepipe ban.  I think the winter deluges must have filled up our local natural chalk aquifer to the brim. 

I have to ask - does anyone want any cooking apples ?
 

Thank you for renewing your membership

I am very pleased that almost everyone has renewed their membership of our society.
Thank you. 

If you still need to renew your membership - you should pay your subscription of £50 into the Society’s account and then please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin, on f.irwin51@btinternet.com that you have paid.
Please also let Fritha know if your contact details have changed.
Our bank details are as before: The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code 30.94.28, Account number 51819468
 
Visit to The Vyne Wednesday 8th October – places still available
We have organised a private guided tour, for our members and guests, of The Vyne, a National Trust property near Basingstoke. It would be lovely if you join me.
Spaces are still available.
Details of how to book are on our website under What's On & then Visits
 
SAVE THE DATE - 17th December 2025 Christmas Choral concert at Cadogan Hall
Our Visits Team have secured a limited number of tickets for a Christmas choral concert at Cadogan Hall in London, by the fabulous choir ‘The Sixteen’ led by Harry Christophers. 
Please save the date – Wednesday 17th December 2025 – full details to follow soon.

New Season of Lectures starting soon
Our first lecture of the season is on Monday 13th October, following the AGM, which starts at 09.45hrs. We shall have Ray Warburton talking about sculpture in Britain, today and tomorrow.

That's it from me and my mountain of apples!

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.
Best wishes,
Janet Lancaster
Chairman
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

 

Newsletter Content:

• Our Summer Social

• July’s lecture

• Visit - Guided tour of the Vyne

• Save the Date – Cadogan Hall Concert

• Renew your Membership now!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are enjoying the good, but can I say –‘sometimes too hot’ weather.

We were so lucky to enjoy a lovely summer’s afternoon at Thenford Gardens for our Summer Social. I will certainly plan to visit the gardens again, perhaps in the early spring to see their National Collection of snowdrops? Some photos from the day are here in this newsletter.

JULY LECTURE

Our last lecture this season is on Monday 14th July in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE JULY LECTURE: Wilde about Oscar: Famous for being Famous (& infamous)

Simon Whitehouse is a (recovering) actor, lecturer, presenter, Alexander Technique and voice teacher and award winning London Blue Badge Guide. He has worked as a guide lecturer in-house at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House, the BBC and the National Gallery, guiding both public and private tours. He is on the faculty of Ithaca College and also lectures for the Blue Badge Guide Training course on the performing arts and English Literature. Simon’s specialisms and passions are theatre, literature, fashion and art history, but whatever the subject, Simon will weave a wonderful story from it.

This lecture examines the extraordinary  life and dramatic times of Oscar Wilde from his Irish roots to his days as a student at Oxford and his meteoric rise to the heights of celebrity. We travel with him to the United States and examine his starring role within the artistic & theatrical worlds of late 19th century London. We visit his home in bohemian Chelsea and some of his favourite West End haunts. Finally, we learn how ‘tired of being in the heights, he plunged into the depths’ and became famous for being INfamous...

Bookings open - Visit on 8th October 2025 to The Vyne in Basingstoke

This will be a self-drive trip, though car sharing can be arranged for those that wish. We will have a guided tour at 10.15am. After reviewing the costs, the complexity and potential group numbers, the following reviewed prices were agreed:

• TASHW Members cost for the visit: £13.50

• Guests (i.e. not TASHW members): £23.50

• Additional cost of £16.50 for entry if not a National Trust member: £16.50

   

Booking form is accessible via the button below. The visits team will organise the bookings and all the payments.

Booking form for the visit to the Vyne

SAVE THE DATE - 17th December 2025 Carols at Cadogan Hall

Our Visits Team have secured a limited number of tickets for a Christmas choral concert at Cadogan Hall in London, by the fabulous choir ‘The Sixteen’ led by Harry Christophers. 

Please save the date – Wednesday 17th December 2025 – full details to follow in the autumn.

Membership Renewals - Deadline 31st July!

Renewal of membership is now due. Thank you to those who have already renewed. Our annual fee is still £50. Preferred payment is by BACS, but it is acceptable by cheque, if necessary.

Please make your payment to the TASHW bank account for £50 per person, with your surname as the reference and please email Fritha Irwin of your payment to aid her admin.

The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code:30-94-28, Account Number: 51819468

It is important that you also inform Fritha if any of your contact details have changed.

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others, please do not come if you are feeling unwell.

Please remember to silence your mobile phone before the lecture, as a courtesy to others.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

Advance notice, the first lecture of next year’s season will be on Monday 13th October when we will also have our AGM.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• June’s lecture

• Summer Social - final call

• Visits & a special Christmas Concert

• Membership renewal open now

Hello Everyone

I’m back from my adventures of a tutored painting holiday on the Greek island of Hydra. It was very enjoyable and I’ve learnt so much, but it’s good to be back to cooler temperatures, more interesting Arts Society lectures and fresh strawberries from my garden. Can you ever have too many strawberries?

JUNE LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 9th June in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE JUNE LECTURE: Faber & Faber: 90 years of Excellence in Cover Design

Toby Faber, our June Lecturer

The founder's grandson tells story of the publisher, Faber & Faber, and of the art used on its books, from its beginnings to the present day.

Ted Hughes “Birthday Letters” Faber & Faber

SUMMER SOCIAL – THENFORD GARDENS VISIT on 2nd July 2025: BOOKINGS WILL CLOSE ON 9TH JUNE

Our Summer Social will be in the afternoon on Wednesday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens. Please see details on our website and email us on tashwvisits@gmail.com if you would still like to book on this visit.

SAVE THE DATE - 8th October 2025 The Vyne

We are organising a visit to The Vyne, National Trust Property in Basingstoke. This will be a self-drive trip, though car sharing can be arranged for those that wish. We will have a guided tour at 10.15am. The tour price will be £5 for TASHW members, and £10 for guests. There will be an additional estate entry fee of approximately £16-17 for those not National Trust members, payable upon entry to the estate. Details are being finalised ready for going on sale in July.

SAVE THE DATE - 16th December 2025 Carols at Cadogan Hall

We are planning a visit to Cadogan Hall in London on Wednesday 17th December for the 7.30pm performance of “Christmas with the Sixteen” to experience the magic of Christmas with one of the world’s finest choral ensembles. Harry Christophers and The Sixteen return to Cadogan Hall for their highly anticipated annual yuletide concert. From medieval melodies to modern compositions, this musical journey celebrates the heart of Christmas - a humble birth surrounded by heavenly song.

The travel plan is to make your own way - with some Christmas shopping too?

Details are now being finalised.

Membership Renewals

To enjoy another series of excellent lectures, exciting visits, and perhaps even church recording, please renew your membership of our society. Once again, we have held our annual membership fee at £50.

Preferred payment is by BACS, but it is acceptable by cheque, if necessary.

Renewal is much simpler now - just make your payment to the TASHW bank account for £50 per person, with your surname as the reference.

The Arts Society High Wycombe

Sort Code: 30-94-28, Account Number: 51819468

It is important that you also inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin, if any of your contact details etc have changed.

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to silence your mobile phone before the lecture , as a courtesy to others.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• May’s lecture

• Future events of interest

Hello Everyone

It’s all change again!

Our registration desk is moving back upstairs into the hall, but our Meeters and Greeter will still meet you at the front door as usual. Following on from John Democratis’s talk about Church Recording, a member of the team will also be available to answer your questions. And I’m leaving you in the very capable hands of your Committee, as I enjoy a painting holiday on a Greek Island. I will miss the interesting lecture on Brunel, which is a shame - but you can’t do everything, though I do try.

MAY'S LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 12th May in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER:  Ian Swankie: A Londoner with a contagious enthusiasm for art and architecture, Ian is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral. He is also a freelance London tour guide. Since 2012 he has led a popular weekly independent art lecture group in his home town of Richmond in West London. He is an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars, one of the City livery companies.

THE LECTURE: The Brilliance of Brunel - The man who built the Modern World

We are still living amongst the infrastructure created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19 th century. He changed the face of the English landscape with his ground-breaking projects including railways, bridges, tunnels, ships, and grand buildings such as the magnificent Paddington Station. He merged art with engineering and science and was a pioneer and a revolutionary. And he was brilliant. We'll look at the man, his background, his work, and his legacy.

SUMMER SOCIAL – THENFORD GARDENS VISIT on 2nd July 2025: BOOKINGS OPEN

Our Summer Social will be in the afternoon on Wednesday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens. Please see details on our website and email us on tashwvisits@gmail.com if you would still like to book on.

Hamilton School 150th Anniversary - 23rd May

Anyone with a connection to Hamilton School, as pupil, staff or parent, will be welcome to come to the Priory Road site between 9am to 3pm on Friday 23rd May.

It will be an interesting visit with log books on display dating from 1875, one of their air raid shelters open, and guided tours plus tea, coffee and cake.

Guernica - Painting the End of the World a lecture by James Attlee, Wednesday 4th June 2.30-4.00pm, Bourne End Library, Entrance £5 payable on the door. Please email Fritha Irwin if you are interested in attending: f.irwin51@btinternet.com

Special Event at Ewelme: 16-18th May.  Full details including tickets are on the festival website: https://www.alycechaucer.uk/

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to silence your mobile phone before the lecture , as a courtesy to others.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Church Recording

• April’s lecture

• Special event at Ewelme

• Thenford Gardens Summer Social

Hello Everyone

I hope you have all been enjoying the stunning Springtime weather. It’s been a real boost after a long wet winter.

If you would like to hear about our successfully completed Church Recording project and plans for the future, then please be prepared to stay on after our April lecture to hear from John Democratis.

APRIL LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 14th April in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER:  Colin Shindler has pursued a wide-ranging career as a writer and producer in television, radio and film for over 30 years and now lectures on American and British social and cultural history as shown through films.

Colin Shindler, our April Lecturer

THE LECTURE:  Sixty years on: Life in Britain as seen in 1960s films

There are four elements to this lecture. The first is a look at the emergence of the North in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Room at the Top, A Taste of Honey, This Sporting Life etc.. Second would be a look at Swinging Britain – Julie Christie in Darling, Michael Caine in Alfie, the Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night and the James Bond movies. Third would be a look at the last days of Empire as seen in Tony Richardson’s Charge of the Light Brigade, Zulu and, comically, Carry On Up the Khyber. Finally the drastic change in the depiction of sex from Dirk Bogarde in Victim (1961) to Alan Bates and Oliver Reed famously wrestling nude in Women in Love (1969).

SPECIAL EVENT AT EWELME

TASHW members visited Ewelme some years ago to see the Alyce Chaucer tomb and the medieval village. You may now be interested in the Alyce Chaucer Festival, to be held in Ewelme on 16-18 May.

Full details including tickets are on the festival website: https://www.alycechaucer.uk/

SUMMER SOCIAL – THENFORD GARDENS VISIT on 2nd July 2025: BOOKINGS OPEN

Our Summer Social will be in the afternoon on Thursday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens, near Banbury – created by Lord and Lady Heseltine. Costs will be £16 per person for entrance plus a cost for tea/coffee and cake if wished. People will need to either drive themselves or request a space in another member’s car. We are able to book 40 places for this visit.

Michael and Anne Heseltine purchased the house and its surrounding garden in 1976.  Over the next twenty five years their priority consisted of restoring the garden. 

The walled garden was brought back to its former use, the medieval fish ponds – much altered in the 19th c – dredged and the water flow restored. 

The two acre lake had to be cleared of 3 metres of silt and its stone retaining wall rebuilt. 

In order to help with the replanting programme the Heseltines sought advice from some of the best horticultural leaders of the time.

The arboretum, now spread out over seventy acres, contains more than three thousand different trees and shrubs, together with herbaceous borders, water gardens, an alpine trough garden, a sculpture garden, a rose garden and a rill.

Thenford is a must-see for every gardener.  It is one of the epic gardens of modern times, but at the same time very personal.

Please now book your place by:

a) emailing tashwvisits@gmail.com and giving your name and all names of other people you would like to accompany you, and if they are members or not. Guests are welcome.

b) Paying £16 per person into the Arts Society High Wycombe bank account and letting us know you have paid this when emailing us on tashwvisits@gmail.com. N.B. Please reference your payment with your name and Thenford.

c) Alerting us in your email to whether you are ok to drive yourself and who will travel with you, or if you would like to be driven in another member’s car. Please also alert us to whether you have space(s) in your car and are willing to carry someone else who is not able to drive or prefers not to. Please say how many additional passengers you can take.

We are assuming your ICE (emergency) details are the same as we have on record, unless you let us know they have changed.

Thank you, Michele and Lucy, Visits team.

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Presentation of Church Record

• March’s lecture

• Cancellation of March’s Special Interest Morning

• Summer Social – Thenford Gardens

• Special event at Ewelme

Hello Everyone

I hope that you have been able to enjoy the lovely sunshine and birdsong recently. Perhaps you’ve been busy in your gardens, like I have. You may also be looking forward to a less energetic morning listening to an excellent lecture about Tintoretto?

BRADENHAM CHURCH RECORD FORMALLY PRESENTED

Our society President, John Democratis, formally presented the completed church record for Bradenham Church, to the Rector Lance Sharpe, on Sunday 23rd February. This was a proud moment for our Church Recording group, several of whom were in the congregation.

MARCH LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 10th March in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary,Fritha Irwin(email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER:  Julia Musgrave was once a chemical engineer then an IT Project Manager. She chose to change direction completely and graduated in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, and has an MLitt in ‘Art, Style and Design: Renaissance to Modernism, c.1450 - c.1930’ from the University of Glasgow. She gained her PhD at the University of York for her her research into the involvement of Roger Fry and the Bloomsbury Group and the social networks of the British Art World in the development of the Contemporary Art Society from 1920-1939. She teaches Art History at the City Literary Institute (City Lit) and the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution (HLSI) in London.

THE LECTURE:  Tintoretto, ’il furioso’-Painter for the people: In sixteenth-century Venice, Tintoretto, helped by his studio assistants, produced work so quickly that he was nicknamed ‘Il Furioso’ (“The Furious”) by his contemporaries. He had received almost no formal training. Without the benefit of an apprenticeship in the studio of a major artist he had to find work the hard way: by under-cutting prices and delivering faster than his competitors (who included Titian and Veronese).

- CANCELLED - SPECIAL INTEREST MORNING - TUESDAY 25th March

Unfortunately, due to the low numbers of bookings, your committee has decided to cancel this planned event. All those signed up for it will have been contacted directly and monies will be reimbursed. 

Ideas for popular future events and timings are welcome. Thank you.  

SPECIAL EVENT AT EWELME

TASHW members visited Ewelme some years ago to see the Alyce Chaucer tomb and the medieval village. You may now be interested in the Alyce Chaucer Festival, to be held in Ewelme on 16-18 May.

Full details including tickets are on the festival website:https://www.alycechaucer.uk/

SUMMER SOCIAL – THENFORD GARDENS VISIT on 2nd July 2025

Our Summer Social will be in the afternoon on Thursday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens, near Banbury – created by Lord and Lady Heseltine. Costs will be in the region of £16 per person for entrance plus a cost for tea/coffee and cake. Transport costs will be additional if a coach is arranged. This will depend on the numbers interested.

Please indicate your interest (not binding at this stage) below via the button for a very short survey, which also includes a question about transport there. Many thanks.

Express interest for the Thenford Gardens visit here

And Finally…please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Visit to British Library

• February’s lecture

• March’s Special Interest Morning - Lecture &Valuation

• Save the Date – Garden Visit and Summer Social

• Garsington – Final call to make your bookings

• In Case of Bad Weather

Hello Everyone

Weather forecasting has improved - but it’s still not brilliant!

Hopefully the snow that was forecasted for Monday will not happen - but just in case – please read the final section of this Newsletter.

VISIT TO BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON ON 12TH FEB.

If you were lucky to get on this Visit, which is over-subscribed, then final details will be sent to you shortly. I am looking forward to it, and my day in London too.

Now which gallery shall I visit this time?

FEBRUARY LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 10th February in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin (email via clicking on her name) so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER:  Simon Cottle is a leading international specialist, author, auctioneer and lecturer in British and European Glass. He has had a distinguished career. He is now Honorary President of the Glass Society, Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers and a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass, in New York.

THE LECTURE:  Crystal Clear: European Glass 1450-1900

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries the glass makers of Venice were dominant in Europe. However, the movement of impoverished glass-making and glass-decorating families away from their virtual imprisonment on the island of Murano, enabled the city state’s influence to spread north of the Alps. Taking their artistry to Germany, the Netherlands, France and England and as far afield as Scandinavia, the Venetian craftsmen enlivened the industry Europe-wide.

SPECIAL INTEREST MORNING TUESDAY 25th MARCH

We are delighted that Nicky Houston, from Dawsons Auctioneers, will talk to us about current trends in jewellery and antiques. Following refreshments, Nicky and her colleagues will be available to value members’ jewellery and small silver items.

See our website (www.theartssocietyhighwycombe.org.uk) or leaflet for full details.

To book a place, giving details of your item for valuation, please email Fritha Irwin.

This should be an interesting and informative morning. I hope you can join us.

GARSINGTON OPERA

Booking opens to the general public on 1st April, so please request your priority tickets from Jo Dudley very soon on jodudley54@gmail.com.

This season is proving very popular and there are now only a limited number of tickets still available,….and virtually no rear stalls (the cheapest) for the whole season.

SUMMER SOCIAL – GARDEN VISIT – SAVE THE DATE!

Our Summer Social will be on Wednesday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens, near Brackley – created by Lord and Lady Heseltine.  More details to follow.

Winter Weather: Please remember that we will always send an email to our members by 08.30hrs on the lecture day if we’ve had to cancel our lecture.

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Visit to British Library

• January’s lecture

• Save the Date – Garden Visit and Summer Social

• In Case of Bad Weather

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here’s to a healthy 2025 with lots of interesting lectures and insights into the world of the Arts.

VISIT TO BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON

Our Visits Team have finalised plans for our guided tour of the British Library, in London, on Wednesday 12th February 2025. To enable use of Railcard discounts our guided tours will now start at 2.00pm and 2.15pm in the afternoon.

Full details and booking form are on our website under Visits, ‘The British Library’.

The booking form is also available here via the button below. Please download, complete, save and return it to us via email. Alternatively print and complete and bring to the lecture on Monday.

Please email us on tashwvisits@gmail.com to let us know when you’ve paid and sent the form back. Thank you.

British Library visit booking form - click here

JANUARY LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 13th January in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin so that she can give a warm welcome to your guest.

Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER:  Sarah Burles

Sarah Burles studied History of Art at Cambridge University before doing a master’s degree at University College London. She went on to have a career in museum and gallery education, establishing new services in three different museums before working at the Fitzwilliam Museum for many years. Sarah became an Arts Society accredited lecturer in 2021 and, since then, has given lectures and run study days for Arts Societies throughout the UK, as well as in Germany, Holland and New Zealand.

THE LECTURE:  Les Trois Grandes Dames of Impressionism

From the start the group included women artists but their contribution to Impressionism has often been overshadowed by their male contemporaries. Marie Bracquemond, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt all exhibited regularly at the Impressionist exhibitions alongside artists such as Monet, Renoir and Degas.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) The Tea, 1880, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Art, Boston

SUMMER SOCIAL – GARDEN VISIT – SAVE THE DATE!

Our Summer Social will be on Wednesday 2nd July at Thenford Gardens, near Brackley – created by Lord and Lady Heseltine.  More details to follow.

FINALLY & IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER

Winter Weather: Please remember that we will always send an email to our members by 08.30hrs on the lecture day if we’ve had to cancel our lecture.

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Save the Date
• Garsington Opera
• December’s Lecture
• Help wanted for Publicity and Promotion

Hello Everyone

Our new Visits Team are planning a guided tour of the British Library in London for Wednesday 12th February 2025 – more details to follow, but for now, if you are interested, please ‘save the date’.

I am looking forward to a rare treat of music, verse and song for our December’s lecture.  I hope that this event will help ‘re-charge our batteries’ before the festive season and the cold dark days of winter.

GARSINGTON OPERA – ADVANCED BOOKING

Thinking ahead to summer events - Jo Dudley is once again offering the advance booking of tickets to next season’s Garsington Opera. Please contact Jo on jodudley54@gmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.

DECEMBER LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 9th December in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

Don't forget to bring a friend along to enjoy our lecture.  There's no need to book ahead.

THE LECTURER: Stephen Baron and Marguerite Duncan-Sutherland

Stephen Baron is a well-known pianist, accompanist and composer and is also an experienced lecturer in music, having worked for seventeen years at Birkbeck College and several other London institutions. He has recently released a Chopin CD, and also a CD of songs with Marguerite Duncan-Sutherland, with whom he presents this lecture. Marguerite Duncan-Sutherland is a mezzo contralto.

THE LECTURE:  A Rare meeting of Poetry, Music and Art

Can we appreciate art through music? Can music also be a visual experience? Picasso, Chagall, Braque, Gris, Klee, Miro and Villon provided the inspiration for a set of songs by the French twentieth century composer, Francis Poulenc. We will be performing these highly approachable songs to a backdrop of paintings by these artists. Poulenc was a close friend of the famous poet, Paul Eluard who furnished him with surreal texts to these songs. Together, Poulenc and Eluard would often frequent the studios of many Parisian artists. These songs will be interspersed with songs by Schubert and excerpts from Mussorgsky’s famous piano pieces Pictures at an Exhibition.

Special Interest Days - Survey

Thank you to those of you who responded to the survey about Special Interest Days.

We had 33 responses, which showed these people were keen to enjoy a SID and there were a wide range of topics which were of interest to people, plus some new ones suggested. People marginally favoured a morning session. If you missed the survey you could still let a committee member know in person or via chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION – CAN YOU HELP?

Can you help promote our lovely, welcoming society that offers professional lectures on The Arts? Please step forward and let us know. Thank you.

FINALLY

Winter Weather – It’s that time of the year again. Please remember that we will always send an email to our members by 08.30hrs on the lecture day if we’ve had to cancel our lecture.

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• An Apology

• November’s Lecture

• Survey about Special Interest Days

Hello Everyone

I would like to apologise for not clearly explaining how we set the selling price of our visits and how we use our financial reserves.

The selling price of a visit is calculated from the expected or estimated costs for a group size and on the assumption that we will only sell 80% of the group places. After the visit, if a surplus is made, this money goes into the financial reserves of the society along with any surplus from book sales, refreshments at lectures and Special Interest Days (SIDs). Our recent SIDs have suffered losses. These losses have been absorbed by the Society, as SIDs are considered an important part of our offering to members.

Our society has slowly built up our financial reserves over 10 years.

Unfortunately, over the last few years we have experienced significant cost increases from lecturers, hall fees and a reduced income from lower membership numbers not to mention Covid. During this time, we have financially supported the annual Young Arts projects and maintained an acceptable membership fee.

We will now use our reserves, over the coming 4 to 5 years, to cover our costs as we slowly increase our membership numbers, whilst still offering our programme of excellent lectures, visits and special interest days.

NOVEMBER LECTURE

Our next lecture this season is on Monday 11th November in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

Don't forget to bring a friend along to enjoy our lecture.

THE LECTURER: Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett is a prize-winning author and her latest book is on the 17th century Duke of Buckingham, titled The Scapegoat.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Historical Association, she has written on books, theatre and the visual arts for publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The New Statesman and the TLS. She was Chair of the Judges for the 2021 International Booker Prize.

THE LECTURE:  George Villiers - Duke of Buckingham

George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, was the favourite of King James I - who addressed him as ‘my sweet child and wife’ - and subsequently chief minister to King Charles I. Buckingham was a beauty, and he surrounded himself with beautiful things. He enjoyed exquisite clothes, like the fabulous white silk suit encrusted with diamonds that he wore to visit the Queen of France. He was a superb dancer. When he cut capers during a court masque King James startled visiting ambassadors by shouting out ‘By God, George, I love you!’ 

Small working group - can you help?

I'm looking for members to join our friendly team to help with 

• Promotion of our Society and recruitment of new Members 

• Manage our Young Arts projects - working with Aspire and also Bucks New University

Special Interest Days - Survey

We’d like to know your thoughts on Special Interest Days.

What topics would interest you? Would you like it as a full day (10.00 - 3.00 approximately) or would you prefer a half day. Is the cost a significant factor in whether you would choose to attend, or not?

Please answer the very short survey via the link in the button below to let us know your views. We can then plan accordingly. Many thanks.

FINALLY – because it’s important:

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• The AGM and first lecture of the season

Hello Everyone

I hope that you took the time over the summer to visit friends and family, or perhaps a different part of the world – or just stayed closer to home and enjoyed the beauty of the Chilterns.  Our famed beech woods are starting to ‘reveal’ the autumn season now and fungi are emerging through the leaf litter. 

Enjoy the colours of Autumn.

Our first gathering this season will be our Annual General Meeting followed by our first lecture. The AGM will be starting at the earlier time of 10.15am, in our usual venue, the Memorial Hall at The Hub. As usual refreshments will be available upon your arrival.

Hopefully the AGM will go smoothly followed by a quick change over and sound check before our lecture ‘Banksy - Fraud or Genius?’ given by Pepe Martinez.  

OUR FIRST LECTURE

Our first lecture this season is on Monday 14th October in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

Don't forget to bring a friend along to enjoy our lecture. a qn blue-badge tourist guide. You may remember t

OUR NEXT LECTURE

THE LECTURER: Pepe Martinez is a qualified London blue-badge tourist guide. You may remember that he lectured to us back in the very early ‘Lectures by Zoom’ days.

He specialises in the graffiti and street art of East London.

He can also organise a paint spray session for us. Any takers?

THE LECTURE:  Banksy – Fraud or Genius?

This lecture will trace the story of Banksy’s humble beginnings as a tagger on the streets of Bristol in the 1980’s to one of the most recognisable names in the art world.  We will examine the reasons behind his incredible rise, looking at some of his famous stunts and discuss what his influence has been on the art market today and look at what his legacy, if any, might be.

Small working group - can you help?

I'm looking for members to join our friendly team to help with 

• Promotion of our Society and recruitment of new Members 

• Manage our Young Arts projects - working with Aspire and also Bucks New University

FINALLY – because it’s important:

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content

• Programme for the New Season
• Membership Renewals
• Area Event - 17th October 
• Changes within The Arts Society

Hello Everyone

I hope that you are enjoying the summer sun – eventually!
I have managed to enjoy the good weather with some local plein air painting too

Now it’s the time to be picking blackberries, harvesting those apples and even preparing for the winter.  The dark nights certainly crept up on me.  How can it be a surprise when it happens every year?

New Season Lecture Programme
Our first lecture of the season is on Monday 14th October and it is all about Banksy and whether he is a fraud or a genius. I have certainly enjoyed seeing images of his latest series of works of wild animals on buildings in London.
Other lectures will cover three female Impressionist artists, British glass, book cover designs, Brunel, Tintoretto, George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham and being entertained with music, poetry and art.  Hopefully there is something of interest for everyone.

Thank you for renewing your membership
I am very pleased that almost everyone has renewed their membership of our society – which is a lovely validation that you enjoy what we are doing. 
We have made it easier if you still need to renew your membership - you just pay your subscription of £50.
Our bank details are as before: The Arts Society High Wycombe, Sort Code 30.94.28, Account number 51819468
If your contact details have changed then please inform our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com.  

Reminder of an Area Event in Amersham
The Chilterns Area Arts Society team have organised a day in Amersham on 17th October.  Please see our website for details, under Visits, and apply directly.
 

Changes at The Arts Society
Some of you may be aware of proposals for major changes to The Arts Society, which were robustly rejected by over 80% of the societies.  As a result of this all the trustees, bar one, plus the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer resigned at the AGM last week. Five new trustees have been appointed, who are fully committed to The Arts Society, with member societies being at its core, and with the full support of the team at head office.
Please see the recent letter from the new trustees, on our website, under Our Society and in Documents for more details.
So, I am very happy to report ‘All Change but No Change’.

On this happy note I hope that you continue to enjoy the rest of the summer and I will write to you again before our first lecture in October.
best wishes,
Janet Lancaster
Chairman
The Arts Society High Wycombe
 

Newsletter Content:

• Easier Membership Renewal

• West Wycombe & Parking at Easton Street car park

• Details of our Lecture

• Area Event - October 17th

• The Rehearsal Studios at Garsington Opera

Hello Everyone

We are in the National Arts Society Magazine!  

See page 47 of the Arts Society Magazine Summer issue to read again about our sponsored project with Aspire. Your support will be making a big difference to local children. Thank you, and be proud.

Easier Membership Renewal

There’s still time to renew your membership of our society and enjoy 10 excellent lectures plus other events. We have made renewals easier – you just pay your subscription. If your details have changed then tell our Membership Secretary, Fritha Irwin. 

We’ve made it Simple and Straightforward.

West Wycombe traffic disruption and Parking at Easton Street Car Park

The planned re-decoration of the N.T. properties in West Wycombe, with multiple sets of traffic lights, starts 8th July, for 8 weeks - so please allow extra time if you are driving through West Wycombe to our lecture.

The good news is that you can now use 3 parking apps to pay for your parking in Easton Street (Ringo, JustPark and PaybyPhone).

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 8th July in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

Elizabeth Merry, the lecturer for our July 2024 lecture.

THE LECTURER:

Elizabeth Merry has over thirty years' experience lecturing on a range of subjects including classical art and architecture, aspects of the visual arts and the links between literature and art.

THE LECTURE:  The Artistic Allcotts; The Real Little Women

This is an exploration into the lives of Louisa May Alcott and her sisters. Each of these four gifted girls had a particular talent – literature, music, acting and painting - providing some of the inspiration and back-story for Alcott’s 19th century world-famous and much-loved story of family life - Little Women.

AREA EVENT

The Chilterns Area Arts Society team have organised a day in Amersham on 17th October - see our website for details, under Visits and apply directly.

THE REHEARSAL STUDIOS AT GARSINGTON are now completed and being used. This £14m project was supported financially by our visit in 2023 to the Garsington Opera theatre and the Studios building site. Thank you.

Renewal of membership

Please renew your membership now, if you haven’t already done so. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed. In a recent change to our procedures, we simply need you to pay your membership fees of £50 to The Arts Society High Wycombe. You do NOT need to print the form for Fritha from now on. Details of how to pay are on the pdf embedded on the link here Renewal Membership form 2024 2025 TASHW.pdf (theartssocietyhighwycombe.org.uk)

Please do let Fritha Irwin (our membership secretary) know if you have any change in your personal details: f.irwin@btinternet.com

I look forward to seeing you all soon for our last lecture this season.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Details of our lecture

• Summer Social at Dorneywood House and Gardens

Hello Everyone

Time moves on and today I finished my surveys of the breeding birds in BBOWT’s Dancers end reserve for another year. No major surprises this year, but I did smile when I realised that a particular song thrush has now added the call of a car alarm to its expanding repertoire - nature will find its own ‘way’.

OUR SUMMER SOCIAL - Come and enjoy afternoon tea and a chat in the gardens at Dorneywood along with an opportunity for a private visit to rooms in this government grace and favour house currently used as the Chancellor’s country residence.

14.00– 17.00hrs on Tuesday 2nd July 2024

We are fortunate to have been able to arrange an exclusive and private visit to the Chancellor’s country residence of Dorneywood near Burnham. This visit will complement our last year’s visit to Dorney Court as the two used to be part of the same estate.  See https://www.dorneywood.org/history-of-dorneywood

This will be a self-drive visit. There is plenty of free parking within level walking distance of the house and grounds. The whole area is mobility/wheelchair friendly.

The cost will be £35 per member and £45 for guests (subject to availability)

Bookings can be made online via tashwvisits@gmail.com or in person at the June lecture.

The maximum size of our party is 40 people. Priority will be given to our members until the June lecture when guest places will come available.

Full details are on our website.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 10th June in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Kathy McLauchlan specialises in lecturing on 19th-century art history. She is currently a course director at the Victoria & Albert Museum, organising courses and study days on the history of art and design. She also teaches at several institutions, including Art Pursuits. She graduated from Oxford University and the Courtauld Institute, with a PhD on French 19th-century painters in Rome.

THE LECTURE:  The Meaning of Goya

Viewing Goya’s paintings at the Prado in Madrid can be a confusing experience. It may seem that the many works attributed to him are by different artists: a painter of interior decorations, a portrait painter, a painter of nightmare visions.

This talk tries to explain such contradictions and to indicate points of consistency that hold the body of work together. Above all, Goya will be revealed as an observer, relentless in his desire to record the appearance and character of the people around him.

Kathy will suggest that in his later works he sought to look beyond external appearances; that the more fantastical paintings, far from being diversions from reality, are a result of his close engagement with contemporary society.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Details of our lecture

• Exclusive Summer Social at Dorneywood

• Donation to Aspire, High WycombeWycombe

Hello Everyone

It has been another busy month so apologies for being unusually brief.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 13th May in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Andrew Hopkins

Previously Assistant Director of the British School at Rome from 1998 to 2002 and since 2004, Associate Professor at the University of L'Aquila. Part of his PhD (Courtauld Institute 1995) on Venetian architecture was awarded the Essay Medal of 1996 by the Society of Architectural Historians (GB). A Fellow at Harvard University's Villa I Tatti in Florence in 2003-2004, and in 2009 was the Paul Mellon Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Amongst his many publications are, with Arnold Witte, Alois Riegl, The Origins of Baroque Art in Rome (2010), and Baldassare Longhena and the Venetian Baroque (2012). 

THE LECTURE:  The Making of the Met: Grandest American Museum
The temple of Dendur occupies the west wing of this museum which was specially built to house this new arrival, gifted by Egypt to the United States in 1967 during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Another wing displays the celebrated early Italian Renaissance collection of Robert Lehman, scion of the now demised investment bank, while its expressionist holdings are one of the best in the world. Jayne Wrightsman donated all her fabulous Louis XIV furniture and bequeathed $80 million dollars for further acquisitions. Countless other grandees of old and new New York society gave their prized possessions and paintings and this talk examines how the Met, from its founding in 1870, was and remains the greatest and grandest museum in America.

TASHW SUMMER SOCIAL AT DORNEYWOOD

Come and enjoy afternoon tea and a chat in the gardens at Dorneywood along with an opportunity for a private visit to rooms in this government ‘grace and favour’ house, currently used as the Chancellor’s country residence. Full details now on our website under Visits.

Tuesday 2nd July 2024 14.00-17.00

The cost will be £35 per member and £45 per guest (subject to availability).

We regret there is no National Trust membership discount.

Bookings to be made online via tashwvisits@gmail.com or in person at the May and June lectures.  Priority will be given to our members until the June lecture, when guest places will become available.

We are limited to the maximum party size of 40 people.

DONATION TO ASPIRE

On your behalf, The Arts Society High Wycombe has made a donation to the Aspire organisation, who run The Wycombe Grange as an Alternative Provision school catering for excluded students. Exclusion has become a serious problem with young people, particularly since Covid.

We are sponsoring a mural art project involving excluded students with the help of an art tutor. More details to follow as the project progresses.

The photograph is of our treasurer, Bill King, presenting a cheque to Andrew Burton, Head Teacher of Aspire Alternative Provision for young people to support their art project

FINALLY

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Details of our Lecture

• Special Interest Morning - Tuesday 23rd April

  Hello Everyone

• March was also a busy month for me (spot a trend?) with our excellent visit to Eton College, a fantastic concert in Merton College Chapel, plus walks with friends, gardening and surveying the breeding birds in BBOWT’s Dancers end nature reserve. I find it lifts my heart to hear once again the early morning birdsong after a long and quiet winter.

  Do look at and ‘follow’ our Facebook page ‘The Arts Society High Wycombe’ for photos of our Eton visit, upcoming lectures and links to interesting events or organisations.

  OUR NEXT LECTURE

  Our next lecture is on Monday 8th April in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

  THE LECTURER: Angela Findlay

  Angela Findlay is a professional artist, author and freelance lecturer with a long career of teaching art in prisons in Germany and England.  She has a BA(Hons) in Fine Art, a Diploma in Artistic Therapy (specialising in colour) and her paintings have been widely exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her book - In My Grandfather’s Shadow - expanding on the above subjects was published by Penguin Transworld in July 2022.

  THE LECTURE:  The Empty Chair in Contemporary Art from Van Gogh to Ai Weiwei

  We all use chairs! But over the past 150 years, artists across the world have been using the humble chair as a conduit for profound ideas on themes from protest, absence and memory to domestic or everyday life. Starting with arguably the world’s most famous empty chair by Vincent van Gogh, we move through 20th century Europe and up to the present day, the Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei, uses chairs to explore East / West traditions and the relationship of the individual to the state.  These are just some of the many diverse artists and uses of chairs we will be looking at in this talk.

  SPECIAL INTEREST MORNING at The Hub

  I am excited to announce that on Tuesday 23rd April we will be holding a Special Interest Morning entitled ‘The Conservation of Paintings and Frames’ given by professional conservator, restorer and valuer, Julia Korner. Listen and watch an expert and bring along your own painting or frame to get her expert advice.  

  Doors open at 9.15am and the first lecture will begin at 10.00am, with a break for Coffee and Cake, then our second lecture/demonstration at 11.30 am. We aim to finish by 1pm at the latest.

  £30 for members, £40 for guests. Full details and joining instruction are on our website and details will also be available at our next lecture, where you can also sign up.

  Please contact chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org to secure your place.

  I look forward to seeing you all soon.

  Best wishes,

  Janet Lancaster

  Chairman

  The Arts Society High Wycombe

   

  chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

• Details of our Lecture

• Visit to Eton College

• Please sign in!

Hello Everyone

February was a busy month for me, which included a Mozart piano concert, plein air painting the snowdrops in the grounds of Radnage Church followed by delicious cake and tea, an interesting talk on the current state of politics in England and a ‘treasure hunt’ around central Oxford. Hopefully March will be just as stimulating for us all.

I hope that you enjoyed our last lecture. We gave Sophie and her bagpipes a very well deserved ‘Outstanding’ and we are planning to have her return to us.

Refugees - Copyright Josef Herman Estate. With kind permission Ben Uri Collection

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 11th March in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Monica Bohm-Duchen

Monica has lectured for Tate, the National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Open University, Sotheby's Institute of Art and the Courtauld Institute of Art. She is an associate lecturer at Birkbeck College since 2005, and has led many tours. She is the initiator and creative director of the nationwide Insiders/Outsiders arts festival (see https://insidersoutsidersfestival.org/), and contributing editor of the companion volume, Insiders/Outsiders: Refugees from Nazi Europe and their Contribution to British Visual Culture (2019).

THE LECTURE:  Island Sanctuary: Refugee artists in Britain from the Huguenots to the present
Like almost everyone else, Monica felt deeply shocked but also helpless in the face of recent events in Ukraine. But as an art historian with a long-standing interest in the relationship between art and war, displacement and adversity she is able to alert people to the huge contribution refugees from conflict zones around the world, past and present, make to the culture of the country that takes them in.

VISIT TO ETON COLLEGE

Thank you for your positive response to our planned visit to Eton College later this month, which is fully subscribed. We will be confirming the final details to you shortly.

FINALLY and THIS IS IMPORTANT!

Please do remember to make sure that you are signed in at our welcome desk in the Foyer when you arrive – otherwise we will not search for you in the case of a fire.  Our Membership team are new and may not always recognise you.  Thank you.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Details of our Lecture

• Visit to Eton College

• Final reminder Garsington Opera

• Winter Weather Cancellation?

Hello Everyone

January can feel like a long month! Perhaps we should ‘plan for it’ just like other annual events?  I took part in a world-wide painting challenge: – to draw or paint from life every day in January.  It kick-started the year for me, and with all that practice my painting skills improved too.

Sophie Matthews, the lecturer for our February 2024 lecture.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 12th February in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Sophie Matthews

Sophie Matthews is a musician well-known for her skills playing early instruments such as English border bagpipes, shawm, and recorder. When not touring with her band Green Matthews, Sophie also makes instruments (she made her own baroque oboe) and works with respected luthier Tony Millyard on his flutes.

THE LECTURE:  Music in Art

So many of our historical references for musical instruments can be found in works of art. Not only can these windows into the past show us what the instruments looked like but also the social context in which they would have been played. Music and different instruments also play a strong role within symbolism in art. Sophie explores the instruments in selected works and then gives live demonstrations on replicas of the instruments depicted.

Click here if you would like to listen to some of Sophie’s music via her website

VISIT TO ETON COLLEGE

On Thursday 21st March there is a visit to the historic buildings of Eton College and a viewing of the current exhibition ’An Etonian Collector: The Richard Amis Bequest’. More details can be found on our website, under What's On/Visits. My thanks to our member, Anne Bolton, for arranging this visit.

Tickets are £25 for members and, from 1st March, will also be available to non-members for £35. Please book by contacting Anne Bolton on tashwvisits@gmail.com stating “Eton Visit”.

Payment by BACS please, with 'your surname & Eton' as the reference.

GARSINGTON OPERA – Final Reminder!

The application deadline for Garsington opera tickets is the end of February and members should contact Jo Dudley if they want tickets and have not already done so on: tashwvisits@gmail.com.

FINALLY

Please remember that we will always inform you by email, by 8am on the day of the lecture, if we have decided to cancel that day's lecture. So please remember 'No news is Good news'.

There are still lots of coughs and colds circulating so if you feel unwell, please stay at home, keep warm and get well soon.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

January 2024 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Winter Weather Cancellation?

• Details of our Lecture 

• Bringing a Guest 

Hello Everyone

I hope that you had a peaceful Christmas and I wish you a healthy and happy 2024.
I was lucky to spend 3 rain-free days over Christmas in Church Stretton, Shropshire, with  very sociable and lively people. l enjoyed the walking on Long Mynd and the surrounding hills and then really valued the 'boot room' facilities to clean off the mud and dry the walking gear! 

Thinking about winter weather.......
Please remember that we will always inform you by email, by 8am on the day of the lecture, if we have decided to cancel that day's lecture. So please remember 'No news is Good news'.

THE HUB

The alterations are continuing at The Hub and result in a few temporary changes for us.

Just to remind you:

• Easton Street access is through the public car park, as the side footpath is closed. Access from the ‘station side’ is as usual.

• The Assembly point is now at the back of the building, on the grass area.

• Members registration will be downstairs in the entrance hall.

• Tea & Coffee service will be at the back of the Memorial Hall.

Judy Rudoe, the lecturer for our January 2024 lecture.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 8th January in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Judy Rudoe

Judy Rudoe is a curator at the British Museum, specialising in jewellery and decorative arts. 

She will be making a special on foot journey to be able to lecture to us during the Tube strike.

THE LECTURE:  POLITICS & SENTIMENT The Jewels of Queen Victoria

This lecture will focus on the jewels that Queen Victoria owned and those that she  gifted to many others, as an expression of her feelings.

FINALLY

There are lots of coughs and colds around at this time of year. If you are not feeling well then please do stay warm, relax at home and get well soon.

Also - please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

December 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Winter Weather Cancellation?

• Garsington Opera tickets

• Details of our Lecture

• Bringing a Guest

   

Hello Everyone

It’s that time of year to relax and to plan for 2024, as well as being aware of bad weather and possible cancellations. We will always inform you by email, by 8am, on the day of the lecture, if we have taken the decision to cancel that day’s lecture.

Perhaps you are now looking forward to summer and excellent music in beautiful surroundings? If so, you will be interested to know about Garsington Opera’s plans for 2024. See a video about their programme this year by clicking on the button below.

Once again Jo Dudley is offering a priority booking service to members and friends. Please visit our website for details.

THE HUB

The alterations are continuing at The Hub and result in a few temporary changes for us.

Just to remind you:

Easton Street access is through the public car park, as the side footpath is closed. Access from the ‘station side’ is as usual.

The Assembly point is now at the back of the building, on the grass area.

Members registration will be downstairs in the entrance hall.

Tea & Coffee service will be at the back of the Memorial Hall.

Click here for video about Garsington Opera

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 11th December in our usual venue. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Please inform Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com so that she can properly greet your guest. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Anna Warrillow

Anna Warrillow’s background is in art and history. She has worked as a Blue Badge Guide in London since early in 2013 and now conducts private tours for her own company. For 6 years she worked as a curator in the Sculpture Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as in smaller collections such as the Henry Moore Family Trust. She lectures regularly for art, history and academic societies.

THE LECTURE:  Victorian Women Stained Glass Artists

In this lecture we examine the emergence of female stained-glass artists and their invaluable output for churches and domestic projects all throughout the UK. From familiar names such as Mary Lowndes, who set up the firm Lowndes and Drury to the lesser known artists such as Isabel Gloag. This lecture will look not only at their contribution but also their early links to the suffrage movement and beyond.

FINALLY

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

November 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Postponed members’ Display

• Details of of our Lecturee

Hello Everyone

We are starting to get some lovely autumn colours in our Chiltern landscape now and with sunny weather to enjoy the spectacle too. I am planning to get outdoors to do some ‘plein air’ painting before it all ‘blows away’,  I hope that you also manage to enjoy  the views.

The alterations are continuing at The Hub and result in a few temporary changes for us.

Just to remind you:

Easton Street access is through the public car park, as the side footpath is closed. Access from the ‘station side’ is as usual.

The Assembly point is now at the back of the building, on the grass area.

Members registration will be downstairs in the entrance hall.

Tea & Coffee service will be at the back of the Memorial Hall.

POSTPONED MEMBERS’ DISPLAY OF WORKS

Due to the building work our lecture hall is now looking quite ‘full’ so, unfortunately, we have decided, for safety reasons, to postpone the display of members’ work until we have more space. I am sorry about this but I hope that you understand our decision.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our second lecture this season is on Monday 13th November in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: DENISE HEYWOOD

Denise is an art historian, author, lecturer, photographer and journalist. She has worked in Cambodia in the 1990s and has been a scholar of South-east Asian art ever since. Her books include one on the Buddhist temples of Laos, Ancient Luang Prabang and Laos,also in French, and Cambodian Dance Celebration of the Gods, with a foreword by the daughter of King Sihanouk.

Denise lectures and writes for many organisations around the world

THE LECTURE:  LEGEND AND LUSTRE

Jim Thompson arrived in Bangkok as a US army officer in 1945, fell in love with it and stayed. Captivated by the beauty of Thai silk, an ancient craft in decline, he resuscitated it and made it famous, creating costumes for films and embellishing his house, which today is a museum. An aesthete and art collector, he created an exquisite home from six hand-carved teak wood houses brought from the countryside and filled it with Asian art. Here he became a legendary host. This lecture tells the story of his achievements, showing the intricate process of silk production and its illustrious heritage, including royal robes and temple murals. It touches on films featuring his silks, reveals his house and its art and reflects on a life that ended with his mysterious disappearance.

FINALLY

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

October 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Temporary Changes at The Hub

• The AGM & first lecture of the season

   

Hello Everyone

I hope that you managed to enjoy this summer and the brief spells of warm, dry weather.  Quite a change from previous years!

The long-planned alterations to part of the Union Baptist church are now underway and result in a few temporary changes for us.

Easton Street access is through the public car park, as the side footpath is closed. Access from the ‘station side’ is as usual.

The Assembly point is now at the back of the building, on the grass area.

Members’ registration will be downstairs in the entrance hall.

Tea & Coffee service will be at the back of the Memorial Hall.

Our first gathering this season will be our Annual General Meeting followed by our first lecture. The AGM will be starting at the earlier time of 10.15am, in our usual venue, the Memorial Hall at The Hub. As usual refreshments will be available upon your arrival.

Hopefully the AGM will go smoothly followed by a quick change over and sound check before our lecture on Sandro Botticelli and the Golden Age of Renaissance Art. 

OUR FIRST LECTURE

Our first lecture this season is on Monday 9th October in our usual venue. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1.

THE LECTURER: Dr James Lindow

Dr James Lindow was awarded the first Renaissance PhD from the Royal College of Art and the V&A. He has convened and presented at international conferences, lectures widely in the UK and overseas and is currently a fine art underwriter in the City.

THE LECTURE: Sandro Botticelli and the Golden Age of Renaissance Art.

The art of Sandro Botticelli (c1445-1510) epitomises the golden age of Florentine Renaissance art. Under the patronage of Lorenzo de’ Medici and his circle, he executed large mythological paintings – including the iconic ‘Birth of Venus’ and ‘Primavera’ – as well as devotional pictures and portraits for the palaces of his illustrious patrons. Botticelli enjoyed a high reputation beyond Florence, including the prestigious commission from Sixtus IV to assist with the decoration of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. In later years, Botticelli’s style fell out of fashion when he abandoned his depictions of idealised beauty for disturbing religious works influenced by the fanatical prior Savonarola.

FINALLY

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge, for all those names that we’ve forgotten.

I look forward to seeing you all again.

best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

July 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Membership renewal

• July’s Lecture

• Upcoming Visits

• July Summer Social

Hello Everyone

We are coming to the end of another season of lectures.  I hope that you have enjoyed the variety of topics we have offered, as we aim to cover most of the Arts and not just the Fine and Decorative Arts.

Membership renewal forms (see Documents) are on our website and will be available at our July lecture, and Programme cards have been printed for everyone.

I hope that you do decide to renew your membership, and also persuade a friend to join too.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 10th July in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40 am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to bring your name badge. It is an easy way to introduce yourself to fellow members. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Aaron Hunter

Aaron Hunter is a professional scientist and researcher with the University of Cambridge. As a palaeontologist, he is an expert on fossils and prehistoric life from the first animals to appear on our planet to the evolution of early humans. He gives lectures that look at the interface between the arts and sciences.

THE LECTURE: “The Jurassic World of Mary Anning.”

Let Aaron introduce you to 19th century palaeontologist Mary Anning and discover how she searched the Jurassic rocks of England's south coast to unearth what were believed to be sea dragons and we now call marine reptiles. We will look at the social history and influences on Mary and the 19th century scientists that she would have worked with. We will not only look at these spectacular fossil remains, but also see how palaeontologists have revealed how these ancient extinct animals lived.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

VISITS

In June, several of us enjoyed an exclusive backstage visit to Garsington Opera at Wormsley and the new rehearsal studios that are being built.  There was also the opportunity to see some rehearsals after having a picnic in the deer park in glorious sunshine.

There is a ‘flurry’ of visits planned over the next few months.  Please see our website and Visits for details and don’t forget to ‘Save the Dates’.

These are:

• Oxford Botanic Gardens – Wednesday 6th September

• Dorney Court – Tuesday 19th September

• Getty Library at Wormsley – Thursday 5th October 

These will be on sale at the July lecture.

Summer Social for The Arts Society High Wycombe

Lastly, our Summer Social at Wycombe Museum is on Wednesday 12th July from 2-4 pm and will also be on sale at the lecture. Details are on our website.

Please do join us.

With best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter Content:

• Wycombe Museum

• Membership renewal

• June’s Lecture

• Upcoming Visits

• July Social

Hello Everyone

Last month some members of your committee went to see an information board in the grounds of Wycombe Museum. The board highlights The Blue Chair painting and the project that our society sponsored, and other interesting chair-focused exhibits within the museum.  This is the happy culmination of 4 years work between our Arts Society and Wycombe Museum (the pandemic did not help).

Reminder – It is the ‘Membership Renewal’ time of year. Details of next season’s lectures and the membership form (see Documents) are now on our website and will be available in printed form at our June and July lectures. Programme cards have also been printed for everyone. We will be sending out a MailChimp with details of the renewal forms for this next year, and Gift Aid forms, if you haven’t already completed this.

I hope that you do decide to renew your membership and perhaps persuade a friend to join too.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 12th June in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40 am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to bring your name badge. It is an easy way to introduce yourself to fellow members. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Douglas Skeggs

Douglas Skeggs read Fine Art at Magdalene College Cambridge and has been a lecturer on paintings since 1980 and has given over 8000 lectures.

Among his more improbable venues for lectures are the bar on the QE2, MI5 headquarters, the Captain's Room at Lloyds, and an aircraft hangar in a German NATO base. He has written and presented various TV documentaries and published 5 novels

THE LECTURE: “David Hockney: The Old Master in the modern world.”

From the early sixties, when he left the Royal College of Art more famous than his teachers, Hockney's paintings have shown a charm and humour that sets them apart from others of his generation. A naturally gifted draftsman, his love of ingenious visual devices has led him to experiment with a whole range of techniques, from stage design to coloured paper making. From the early abstract expressionist images, through his famous Californian scenes of swimming pools to the photo-montages of the mid-eighties, this lecture follows the career of an artist whose wit and imagination has never faltered.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

VISITS

Many thanks again to Jo Dudley who arranged an excellent joint visit to Henry Moore’s Studio in Much Hadden, in May.

We now have an exclusive backstage visit at Garsington Opera on Thursday 22nd June to look forward to. Places are still available and details are on our website.

ADVANCE NOTICE! Summer Social for The Arts Society High Wycombe

When is it happening?

Wednesday 12th July, Venue: Wycombe Museum (just a short walk from The Hub)

2.00 to 2.15pm - Registration & Arts Society Stickers handed out.

2.15 - 3.00 - In the Old Stables at the Museum : Short Introduction about the Museum & TASHW Information board - then a 30 minutes lecture on The Blue Chair painting given by local artist, Cally Trench.

3.00-3.45 - Tea/Coffee and cake refreshments served (outside or inside - dependent on weather) and time to look around the grounds, TASHW Info board and exhibits.

3.45 - 4.00 depart/ Museum closes.

Price £15 per person - Members and guests are welcome

Some disabled parking is available on site.

Details on how to book:

Please email expressions of interest to info@theartssocietyhighwycombe.org.uk

Payment by BACS (Bank transfer) to our usual TASHW account (with the reference of your name and ‘Summer Social’ please) or by cheque. Please bring cheques to the lecture on Monday.

Finally, forgive my absence from our June lecture as I am holding an art exhibition at The Old Fire Station Gallery in Henley – but I know that you will be in very capable hands.

With best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

May 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• May’s Lecture

• Upcoming Visits

So how many of you watched the Coronation of King Charles III ceremony with keen interest?

I felt better informed about the whole event after having seen our two lectures on Ceremonial music and Coronations (with fire alarm!).The music was glorious, the filming coverage was excellent and all the hard training and work behind the scenes certainly showed. 

May’s lecture is all about the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy and revealing the beauty of Nature, which I think will be a welcome change from Pomp and Ceremony and bring us all back down to the natural earth.

I look forward to seeing you at our lecture.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 15th May in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40 am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to bring your name badge. It is an easy way to introduce yourself to fellow members. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Frank Woodgate

Frank is a lecturer at Tate Britain and Tate Modern, for the Art Fund, the National Trust, U3A and other organisations. He was a guide at both London Tates and lectured for Dulwich Picture Gallery, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester and on cruises on behalf of Tate. He was previously script-writer for The Living Paintings Trust (art for the visually-impaired). 

Frank and his wife, Val, have lectured many times at our Arts Society.

THE LECTURE: Andy Goldsworthy - Revealing the beauty of Nature:

Andy Goldsworthy is one of the most interesting and innovative landscape artists working in Britain today. He mostly works in the open air, using natural materials such as leaves, ice, stones or trees to make exquisitely beautiful but usually ephemeral images in the great Romantic landscape tradition.

Fortunately, although most of his works eventually disintegrate, melt away or fall over, they are all carefully photographed and included in extremely desirable and lavish ‘coffee-table’ books.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

VISITS

Many thanks again to Jo Dudley who arranged an excellent visit to Waddesdon Manor in April. I understand the day was much enjoyed by all attending. 

We are now looking forward to a visit to Henry Moore’s Studio in Much Hadden, in May.

Please look out for an announcement regarding an exclusive backstage visit at Garsington Opera on Thursday 22nd June – booking opens on Monday 17th May.  Details will soon be on our website and in a separate email to our members.

With best wishes,

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

April 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• April’s Lecture

• May’s visit to Henry Moore’s Studio

Hello Everyone

Spring is my favourite time of the year. It is such a simple joy to live in a country with definite seasons. The birds are really starting to sing and claim their territories and tree buds are opening, and pollen levels rise and it’s ‘hay fever’ time again. Oh well – the joys of being outdoors.

April’s lecture is all about our public parks – those outdoor spaces that once again became so necessary during the recent pandemic, particularly in city centres.

I hope that you have a lovely Easter, enjoying Spring sunshine, daffodils and bird song ( and chocolate too!).

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 17th April in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to bring your name badge. It is an easy way to introduce yourself to fellow members. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Paul Rabbitts

Paul graduated at Sheffield with a BA Honours in Geography followed by a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture at Edinburgh. He is a qualified landscape architect and celebrated park manager and has worked for several local authorities across the UK, currently Head of Parks, Heritage and Culture at Watford. He is a passionate advocate for public parks and in particular the Victorian and Edwardian bandstand and is a prolific author on the subject.

THE LECTURE: A concise history of our Great British public parks

This really is a fascinating insight into the history of one of our greatest ever institutions - our Great British Public Park. We have all enjoyed them at some time in our lives but what do we really know about them? What are their origins? This talk illustrates their origins from the great Royal Parks to the Pleasure Gardens of the eighteenth century, to their Victorian heyday. It discusses what makes a great park, it’s ‘parkitecture’ with examples of lodges, lakes, bandstands, fountains, lidos, palm houses and to their wonderful floral displays, to their great decline in the sixties, seventies and eighties. However, the subsequent revival has led to a major shift in interest in our parks and once again we are very much in love with them.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

VISITS

Many thanks to Jo Dudley who has arranged a joint visit by coach with The Arts Society West Wycombe to Henry Moore’s Studio in Much Hadden, in May.

With best wishes

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

March 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Emergency/Fire Evacuation Plan for Memorial Hall, The Hub – Easton Street
• March’s Lecture
• Visits Survey

Hello Everyone

As I write this its back to a wintery grey day and snow – hopefully not for long though.

I have an important piece of information for you:

Our updated Emergency/Fire Evacuation Plan is now on our website, and will be displayed on our Membership/Sign in Desk. There will also be paper copies available to take away and familiarise yourself with.

The main change to policy is that if you are less able to quickly evacuate the building you must not stay in your seat and await help, but you should also leave the building. Do not obstruct other people who are attempting to leave.

If you feel that you will need extra help in leaving the building then please notify our Membership Secretary. We will work with you to ensure help is available when needed.

Thank you.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 13th March in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Please remember to bring your name badge. It is an easy way to introduce yourself to fellow members. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Cynthia Coleman Sparke

Cynthia is an independent researcher, author and lecturer on Russian pre-Revolutionary works of art, consulting regularly on Fabergé for auction houses. Having periodically grown up on and off in Moscow within a family of Russian art collectors, she was destined for a career in Russian art. Previously, Cynthia ran the Russian Department for Christie’s in New York and worked for Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington DC.

THE LECTURE: The Fabergé Connection between Russia and England: Edwardian demand for Treasures from St. Petersburg

Our discussion of the House of Fabergé’s British enterprise will delve into Edwardian appetite for objects of fantasy prized by Tsarinas. Most of the firm’s Russian sales ledgers disappeared but those of the London branch, opened in 1903, document royal patronage and a ‘Who’s Who’ guide of Edwardian prosperity. American heiresses and other prominent visitors flocked to the London salerooms while the branch supplied periodic trunk shows to delight buyers on the Continent and as far as Siam and India. The role of the London business cannot be overstated and provides us, today, with insight into a society that was forever altered by the world events that followed.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

VISITS

Many thanks to Jo Dudley who arranged a very successful visit to Penn House.

Thank you for completing our recent survey regarding your interest in a number of potential visits.

More details of our Visits programme will follow shortly.

With best wishes

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

February 2023 Newsletter

Newsletter Content:

• Car Parking at The Hub – Easton Street

• February’s Lecture

• Your Interest in Potential Visits Survey

Hello Everyone

I hope that you are enjoying the lovely spring weather.

I have two important pieces of information for you:

CAR PARKING FOR THE HUB - **** UPDATE 11TH FEBRUARY - CAR PARK IS NOW OPEN  ****

I have been informed that Easton Street Car park is currently closed and will probably still be closed on Monday 13th February for our lecture.

If you travel by car you may want to use the Handy Cross Park & Ride facility, and take the bus to either the Old Library or to the Railway station.

The alternative car parks are :-

Railway Place }

Duke Street } £6.50 per day

Totteridge Road }

The railway station car park - £9.50 per day

The link to their locations is High Wycombe car parks

Please allow extra time to get to the lecture.

VISITS

Jo Dudley has worked very hard to prepare a number of potential Visits for our members. Jo would like to now gauge the level of interest in each of these so that she can plan for numbers.

You will each receive a survey by email and you should reply indicating your interest in any or all of them. Please note:- you are not committing yourself nor are you guaranteeing a place but what you will be doing is greatly helping Jo in creating our Visits Programme.

Thank you.

OUR NEXT LECTURE

Our next lecture is on Monday 13th February in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.

Starting at 10.40am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.

In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.

Also - Please remember to bring your name badge. Thank you.

THE LECTURER: Mary Sharp

Mary is a local broadcaster and teacher focusing on literature and drama. She worked for many years for BBC Radio 4 producing some of its most popular programmes including Start the Week and Woman’s Hour before joining the senior management team as a Commissioning Editor. She now runs her own company 'Opening Up Literature' which offers literature courses for adults including studies of Shakespeare and Creative Writing.

THE LECTURE: GENTILITY, GOSSIP AND GALLANTRY: Common misconceptions about Jane Austen

This lecture offers an alternative view about Jane Austen, suggesting that she was not interested in romance but moral challenge, not a mild spinster but a social commentator of contemporary relevance and by no means inferior to Eliot and Dickens by virtue of her limited canvas. Mary will read and discuss extracts from Emma and Pride and Prejudice, considering questions such as how we should view the tedious Miss Bates and how we should judge the over-excitable Mrs Bennett.

WHY NOT BRING A GUEST

If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com, to make sure of a place.

With best wishes

Janet Lancaster

Chairman

The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter January 2023

Hello Everyone
Happy New Year to you all and your families – I wish you good health and happiness for 2023.
This can be a depressing time of the year. The Christmas festivities are now all over, the decorations are packed away for another year and the weather looks miserable for a few months to come too.
But we can all look forward to some very interesting lectures given by The Arts Society’s expertly vetted lecturers.
Over the next 3 months we will be hearing about The Camden Town Group of painters and Walter Richard Sickert, The misconceptions about Jane Austen and the Faberge connection between Russia and Edwardian England. 
So, there is lots to look forward to.
If you would like to bring a guest to any of our lectures, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com to make sure of a place. 

OUR NEXT LECTURE
Our next lecture is on Monday 9th January in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with biscuits, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1.
Starting at 10.40am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.

AT OUR LECTURES
For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture.
In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated.
Also - Please remember to bring your name badge.  Thank you.

BAD WEATHER NOTICE
If bad weather or unavoidable problems occur and we need to cancel a lecture then you will be informed by email by 08.00 hrs on the day of the lecture or earlier.
Please work on the basis that No News is Good News.

THE LECTURER: Once again we welcome Nicola Moorby who is an independent art historian specialising in British art of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Formerly a curator at Tate Britain she has curated several exhibitions and has published widely on J.M.W. Turner. You may remember that J.M.W. Turner was the subject of her previous lecture to us. In addition, she has published on Walter Richard Sickert and is co-author of Tate's catalogue of works by the Camden Town Group.

THE LECTURE: 

The Murder and ModernIsm: Walter Richard Sickert and the Camden Town Group

The Camden Town Group was an innovative circle of painters united by the desire to paint works of a modern character. They combined the techniques and visions of European Post-Impressionism with the changing modernity of Edwardian London. This lecture introduces the core members of the group, led by Walter Richard Sickert, and tells the story of their brief but significant association. We will examine the key themes addressed within their work: urban life, popular entertainment and the lower social classes, as well as Sickert’s infamous series of paintings inspired by the notorious Camden Town murder. 
 

Nicola Moorby, our January lecturer 

VISITS

The Garsington Opera are again offering us an advanced booking option for the 2023 season ahead of general booking which starts in April.
Full details are on our website under News
Further details and all contact from Jo the visits secretary. tashwvisits@gmail.com
 
Please contact Jo this month to book your tickets.
 

With best wishes from Janet, Bill, Gill, Lucy, Jo, Michèle, Beverley and June.

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Hello Everyone
It’s getting near to Christmas time again!  Hopefully this year’s events will seem more like ‘normal’ but I am sure we will have thoughts of those who are struggling in this country and around the world.  
During all the celebrations please make time for quiet reflection and thankfulness for an enjoyable life.
Unusually for our Society we have a Christmas themed lecture this December – I hope that this will help to get us in to the ‘spirit’ of Christmas. 
If you would like to bring a guest, for £10, then please let our membership secretary, Gill Lawrence know by ringing 01494 531911 or by email to gillmlaw@icloud.com to make sure of a place. 

OUR NEXT LECTURE
Our next lecture is on Monday 12th December in our usual venue. Tea & Coffee, with a small festive treat, will be served from 10.00 am, for a suggested donation of £1. 
Starting at 10.40am the meeting will start with brief notices, followed by the lecture at 10.45. The lecture usually finishes at 11.45. This is followed by questions and the meeting should end by 12.00 noon.
AT OUR LECTURES
For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture. 
In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated. 
Also - Please remember to bring your name badge.  Thank you 

THE LECTURE: The Journey of the Magi. There have been pictorial representations of The Magi from as early as at least the 6th century, such as depictions in Byzantine ivories with origins in places such as Constantinople. 
This lecture will look at the changing iconography behind the depictions of the story and the various meanings behind these changes in its iconography, not to mention the changes in the story of the adoration of the magi itself.  Moving on the lecture will then look at the origin of the names of the magi and the significance of their gifts to the Christ Child.  Following this exploration of the fundamental roots of the story Leslie will then come to the issue of the inclusion of the black king, where he came from, why he would be included, how significant was he and how European artists tackled the problem of depicting this magus when they themselves had little or no knowledge of such people of colour.  
Finally, Leslie will examining the actual origins of the story and how much of a bearing does that story, as we understand it, have on the actual story written in the Bible.  This final part of the lecture will set out to ask what it is we want this story to mean and why do we hold on to the legendary story rather than biblical tale in our mostly Western secular society.

THE LECTURER: Leslie Primo - Once again we welcome Leslie Primo, who is an art historian and an author, broadcaster, and graduate of Birkbeck, University College, with an MA in Renaissance studies. He lectured at the National Gallery, London for 18 years, and has appeared on the BBC speaking on Michelangelo and presenting on JMW Turner. He contributed to the Oxford Companion Guide to Black British History, and has a forthcoming Thames & Hudson book called, The Foreigners that Invented British Art. He currently teaches art history at Imperial College, and lectures for the Royal Academy, London.

Christmas gifts?
We have obtained more copies of ‘The 50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area’ booklet.  This is an ideal stocking filler or small present for a local friend. These are available to buy at the lecture for £5 each.

VISITS
GARSINGTON OPERA 2023
The Garsington Opera are again offering us an advanced booking option for the 2023 season ahead of general booking which starts in April.
Full details are on our website under News 
Further details and all contact from Jo the visits secretary. tashwvisits@gmail.com

To whet your appetite Garsington Opera are inviting you to relive the magic of John Caird's production of Monteverdi's Orfeo, filmed live during the 2022 Season. 

You can find a trailer and an introduction to the production from director John Caird and conductor Laurence Cummings and watch the whole opera on demand, for no charge, any time until 20th April 2023 on Opera Vision on YouTube here 

AREA SPECIAL INTEREST DAY – 24TH FEBRUARY, HAZELMERE
Exploring Art and the Senses by Tasha Marks
The details of this Area Special Interest Day are now on our website under Special Interest Days.  You will be very welcome to attend this event, which is organised for all The Arts Societies in our Chilterns area.

LOCAL SCULPTOR NEEDED
Do you know a local sculptor? We would like to talk to a local sculptor (ideally wire sculptor) who might be interested in getting involved with a future project with a local school. Please contact Michèle by replying to this newsletter if you have any ideas. 

FINALLY

Merry Christmas to you all and we look forward to having a very full and interesting 2023 together at The Arts Society High Wycombe.
Best wishes from Janet, Bill, Gill, Lucy, Jo, Michèle, Beverley and June.

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter November 2022

Hello Everyone
I hope that you are keeping well and free of the coughs and colds that are around. I think we all feel a little anxious now if we start to get a sore throat and signs of a cold or ‘something else’ – at least we have the technology now to check if it is just a cold plus I think we are now more aware of not ‘passing on’ a health problem. 
We live and learn.
Our AGM went smoothly.  It was very heartening to see over 90 of our members there to allow the AGM to be valid. Thank you.
The programme of lectures, with dates, for our 2022/23 season is available on our website under ‘Lectures’ and Future lectures. It is also available as a single document under ‘Documents’.  Please note that in order to save costs we will not be printing a Programme card for 2022/23.
The details of local Arts Societies Special Interest Days will also be posted on our website under Special Interest Days.  I am sure that these societies would welcome you as a guest. 

OUR NEXT LECTURE
Our next lecture is on Monday 14th November in our usual venue. Please note that there will be no reserved seating. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1. 

THE LECTURE: The Art of State Ceremonial Music. The UK provides some of the biggest ceremonial events in the world and arguably the best in the world but why is that? How do the military prepare for major events such as State Opening of Parliament, State Visits, The National Day of Remembrance, Royal Weddings or even a State Funeral?

THE LECTURER: Dr Graham C Jones - Dr Graham Jones started his professional life as a musician in the British Army and over a glittering career spanning nearly forty years he retired as the Senior Director of Music, Household Division and Director of Music, Coldstream Guards a position unequalled throughout military music in Great Britain. Graham was made a Member of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace for outstanding service to military music in 1993.
Having retired, at the start of 2012, from military service Graham is enjoying a second career as a guest conductor, adjudicator, guest speaker, lecturer, clinician, recording consultant and educator. 

Christmas gifts!
The 50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area booklet – an ideal stocking filler for a local friend?  - will be available to buy at the lecture for £5

The Image is of Ray Mill Island, Maidenhead from the Fifty Treasures booklet

VISITS
The Getty Library – I am sure that you will agree that this was a very special visit. Our thanks to Jo Dudley, Visits Secretary for arranging it. Hopefully a second visit can be arranged with the members of The Arts Society West Wycombe.

GARSINGTON OPERA 2023
The Garsington Opera are again offering us an advanced booking option for the 2023 season ahead of general booking which starts in April.
Full details are on our website under News 
Further details and all contact from Jo the visits secretary. tashwvisits@gmail.com

To whet your appetite Garsington Opera are inviting you to relive the magic of John Caird's production of Monteverdi's Orfeo, filmed live during the 2022 Season. 
"Lyon’s epic central performance culminates in a white-hot account of the virtuosic Possente spirto" ★★★★★ The Times
The much-admired production was led by Laurence Cummings at the Harpsichord, with The English Concert on stage performing alongside an outstanding cast who brought the pastoral Arcadian world to life, with Ed Lyon in the title role.
You can find a trailer and an introduction to the production from director John Caird and conductor Laurence Cummings and watch the whole opera on demand, for no charge, any time until 20th April 2023 on Opera Vision on YouTube here 

Monteverdi's "Orfeo" at Garsington Opera

FINALLY

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture. 
In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated. 
Also - Please remember to bring your name badge. 
I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes
Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe

chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Garsington Opera advance booking option 2023 season

Yet again the Garsington Opera are offering us an advanced booking option ahead of general booking - which does not open until April 2023. By that time some productions may have limited availability.

You are invited to apply for tickets for whichever production you would like, any night you would like and at any price. ..though not specific seats, these are allocated by the box office. See full availability at http://brochure.garsingtonopera.org/#/page/

Dates and ticket prices are at Page 26/27 DO NOT CLICK ON THE BOOK TICKET TAB

There is a £20 per ticket premium for this early booking facility not included on the web-site prices (considerably less than the cost of being a Friend to get the same facility !!) Please bear in mind that the ticket price shown includes a £70 voluntary chartable donation to the opera. This can be removed if you request this.

All requests must be made via the Visits Secretary, Jo Dudley, as must payment. Jo then applies to the box office who will allocate the tickets - probably in late February 2023. We have never had any problems with this process and they have accommodated special requests if they have occurred.

This offer is not limited to Art Society members. Please invite your friends !

If you have any questions or are unfamiliar with the auditorium set up and would like guidance please ask. This is a relatively small purpose build auditorium and IMHO all seats give a good view and acoustics. There is a hearing loop if required. 

Thank you

Newsletter October 2022

Hello Everyone
I hope that you enjoyed this summer and the glorious, if a bit too hot, weather.
I am sure that you were saddened to hear about the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. She accomplished so much in her long reign and she will be greatly missed by her family and by many other people around the world. 
The recently televised funeral ceremonies were incredible. As a nation we do these events well and we can now look forward to the Coronation of King Charles III in all its pomp and glory.

Our first gathering this season will be our Annual General Meeting followed by our first lecture. The AGM will be starting at the earlier time of 10.15am, in our usual venue, the Memorial Hall at The Hub. As usual refreshments will be available upon your arrival.
Hopefully the AGM will go smoothly followed by a quick change over and sound check before our lecture on The History of Firework Displays.  
The programme of lectures, with dates, for our 2022/23 season is available on our website under ‘Lectures’ and Future lectures. It is also available as a single document under ‘Documents’.  Please note that in order to save costs we will not be printing a Programme card for 2022/23.

OUR NEXT LECTURE
Our next lecture is on Monday 10th October in our usual venue. Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1. 

THE LECTURE: Gone in a Flash? The History of firework displays from the Renaissance to the age of electricity. The fireworks that mark great events such as the opening of the Olympics, or even the start of a New Year make an enormous impact. Despite their brevity, the displays live on through film and photography. For centuries, the very fact that the fireworks themselves were seen only for seconds and yet cost large amounts of money provoked a strong desire to record them and a large archive of visual evidence remains. When rulers such as Louis XIV or the Russian Emperors began to see the propaganda value of circulating images designed to impress and amaze, fireworks graduated from popular entertainment to become a sophisticated instrument of statecraft. This lecture takes an exhilarating look at one art form that is never likely to gather dust in a museum.

THE LECTURER: Timothy Wilcox is a writer, lecturer and exhibition curator with special interests in British art, in landscape and in watercolour painting. He contributes regularly to the educational programmes at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and lectures at museums and galleries in Britain, Europe and the USA.
Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.

50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area booklet - more copies will be available to buy at the lecture for £5

Arts Volunteering – Lane End School Project
This project is now complete with the children’s handmade tile mosaic installed by the school entrance. Thank you to our Jane Osborn for leading this, Julie Wetenhall the local artist who worked with all the children, Debbie Williams-Head Teacher and our Linden Porter for the photography. More photos will be shown on our website.

VISITS
The Getty Library – Visitors: You will have received an email from Jo Dudley. It is important that you read and respond. This will greatly help with the admin.
For all our Visits - please email our Visits Secretary, Jo Dudley, on tashwvisits@gmail.com for more information or to book your place.

TOURS
In conjunction with the Arts Society West Wycombe, we are offering a 6 day fully guided tour of the Châteaux and Gardens of Normandy, departing 23rd April 2023. Brochures will be available at the next lecture. 
 

FINALLY

For your safety and when necessary, please follow the Fire Evacuation plan, as described before each lecture. 
In consideration of others: Please do not come if you are feeling unwell, and wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated. 
Also - Please remember to bring your name badge. 

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter June 2022

Hello Everyone

NEXT LECTURE SEASON
So, I come to write my last Newsletter for this season. 
There has always been plenty to talk about, with lots of activity especially now we have visits, an active Young Arts project and our live lectures back at The Hub.
I hope that you have enjoyed the series of lectures that we have been able to offer you. Our varied lecture programme was planned by our Programme Secretary, Lucy Muller, with the help of her colleague, Beverley Howard.  I know that next season’s lectures will be just as stimulating and thought provoking.
We have also had a number of excellent visits arranged by Jo Dudley our Visits Secretary – these were often linked to our lectures. For more in-depth information we had an excellent Special Interest Day in April, kindly arranged by Fritha Irwin, with a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic lecturer.
The next programme of lectures, with dates, for our 2022/23 season is now available on our website under ‘Lectures’ and Future lectures. It is also available as a single document under ‘Documents’.  Please note that in order to save cost we will not be printing a Programme card for 2022/23.
Society membership is now open for renewal, with a small increase in the annual subscription charge to £50, for 10 lectures and access to our Visits and Special Interest Days. 
Both the Membership Renewal and Gift Aid forms are now available on our website in the Documents section.
The committee really do hope that you will continue to be a member and renew your membership, and perhaps invite a friend to join us.  Unlike other local Arts Societies we do not have a waiting list.
Please do remember to renew your membership now.  Thank you. 

50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area booklet - more copies will be available to buy at the lecture for £5

YOUR NAME BADGES
It has been so long since meeting up in person everyone has forgotten everyone’s name, so please wear your name badge that you were given at our last two lectures. There are more badges if you missed out.

THE LECTURE
Our next lecture will be on Monday 13th July in The Memorial Hall in The Hub, our usual venue.  The lecture will start after a short introduction at 10.40 am. 
Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1. 

THE LECTURE: ‘Happy & Glorious’ – a celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee looks at the evolution of the coronation ceremony from Saxon times to that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It examines the different stages of the ceremony from the Recognition through to the Homage and explains the significance of the different items of the Coronation Regalia.
 Finally, the lecture gives an account of the ill omens and memorable mishaps which have occurred at coronations throughout the centuries and ends with the coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, the first to be genuinely witnessed by the people through the medium of television.

THE LECTURER: Barbara Askew is an historian and London Blue Badge Guide and an acknowledged expert on Royalty and Windsor Castle. 
Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.

VISITS

Summer Social - By the time you read this Newsletter we may have had our informal gathering at Lord’s Wood. The Committee hope that you enjoyed this time in a wonderful garden and with access to the private gallery.

The Getty Library – This exclusive visit is now fully subscribed with a waiting list for members and guests.

We hope to be able to offer a number of visits for our members and guests next season.
For all our Visits - please email our Visits Secretary, Jo Dudley, on tashwvisits@gmail.com for more information or to book your place.

PAST EDITIONS OF OUR NEWSLETTER
In case you missed anything – back copies of these Newsletters, from January 2022, are now available on our website under ‘News’.

FINALLY - For your safety at our Lectures

It’s great that we are back to live lectures at The Hub.
In consideration of others: 
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell,
Wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated. 

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Hello Everyone

NEXT LECTURE SEASON
So, I come to write my last Newsletter for this season. 
There has always been plenty to talk about, with lots of activity especially now we have visits, an active Young Arts project and our live lectures back at The Hub.

I hope that you have enjoyed the series of lectures that we have been able to offer you. Our varied lecture programme was planned by our Programme Secretary, Lucy Muller, with the help of her colleague, Beverley Howard.  I know that next season’s lectures will be just as stimulating and thought provoking.

We have also had a number of excellent visits arranged by Jo Dudley our Visits Secretary – these were often linked to our lectures. For more in-depth information we had an excellent Special Interest Day in April, kindly arranged by Fritha Irwin, with a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic lecturer.

The next programme of lectures, with dates, for our 2022/23 season is now available on our website under ‘Lectures’ and Future lectures. It is also available as a single document under ‘Documents’.  Please note that in order to save cost we will not be printing a Programme card for 2022/23.
Society membership is now open for renewal, with a small increase in the annual subscription charge to £50, for 10 lectures and access to our Visits and Special Interest Days. 

Both the Membership Renewal and Gift Aid forms are now available on our website in the Documents section.
The committee really do hope that you will continue to be a member and renew your membership, and perhaps invite a friend to join us.  Unlike other local Arts Societies we do not have a waiting list.

Please do remember to renew your membership now.  Thank you. 

50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area booklet - more copies will be available to buy at the lecture for £5

YOUR NAME BADGES
It has been so long since meeting up in person everyone has forgotten everyone’s name, so please wear your name badge that you were given at our last two lectures. There are more badges if you missed out.

THE LECTURE
Our next lecture will be on Monday 13th July in The Memorial Hall in The Hub, our usual venue.  The lecture will start after a short introduction at 10.40 am. 
Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1. 

THE LECTURE: ‘Happy & Glorious’ – a celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee looks at the evolution of the coronation ceremony from Saxon times to that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It examines the different stages of the ceremony from the Recognition through to the Homage and explains the significance of the different items of the Coronation Regalia.
 Finally, the lecture gives an account of the ill omens and memorable mishaps which have occurred at coronations throughout the centuries and ends with the coronation of Her Majesty the Queen, the first to be genuinely witnessed by the people through the medium of television.

THE LECTURER: Barbara Askew is an historian and London Blue Badge Guide and an acknowledged expert on Royalty and Windsor Castle. 
Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.

VISITS

Summer Social - By the time you read this Newsletter we may have had our informal gathering at Lord’s Wood. The Committee hope that you enjoyed this time in a wonderful garden and with access to the private gallery.

The Getty Library – This exclusive visit is now fully subscribed with a waiting list for members and guests.

We hope to be able to offer a number of visits for our members and guests next season.
For all our Visits - please email our Visits Secretary, Jo Dudley, on tashwvisits@gmail.com for more information or to book your place.

PAST EDITIONS OF OUR NEWSLETTER
In case you missed anything – back copies of these Newsletters, from January 2022, are now available on our website under ‘News’.

FINALLY - For your safety at our Lectures

It’s great that we are back to live lectures at The Hub.
In consideration of others: 
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell,
Wear appropriate clothing as the lecture hall will be ventilated. 

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter June 2022

Hello Everyone
I hope that you have enjoyed the extended Bank Holiday and the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.  It may seem like ‘over doing it’ but I am looking forward to our last lecture this season entitled ’Happy and Glorious’ – in celebration of the Queen’s 70 years of service.
It is so good to get back to our ‘live’ lectures but I know that many of you are being very cautious and avoiding meeting large groups of people. I do know that The Arts Society are exploring ways that members will be able once again to watch Arts Society lectures at home via Zoom - even if their local society cannot provide this facility.  
I will keep you informed of the progress. 
And - In case you missed anything – back copies of these Newsletters, from January 2022, are now available on our website under ‘News’.

NEXT LECTURE
Our next lecture will be on Monday 13th June in The Memorial Hall in The Hub, our usual venue.  The lecture will start after a short introduction at 10.40 am. 
Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1. 

50 Treasures of the Chilterns Hills Area booklet - more copies will be available to buy at the lecture for £5

YOUR NAME BADGES
It has been so long since meeting up in person everyone has forgotten everyone’s name, so please wear your name badge that you were given at our last two lectures. There are more badges if you missed out.

THE LECTURE
‘Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: The Golden Age of Mexican Paintings’
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Diego Rivera (1886-1957) have iconic status in Mexico. Rivera's intricate visual narratives, rich with allegory and symbolism, adorn the walls of public buildings. Inspired by Aztec and Maya imagery, and by early Italian fresco painting, his vast murals combine social criticism with faith in human progress. Kahlo's work, unlike Rivera's, is small in format. Arguably Mexico’s most original painter, she made herself the principal theme of her art. Her paintings reflect her experiences and dreams. This lecture surveys the work of both artists; it chronicles their turbulent marriage and Mexico's history after the 1910 Revolution. 

THE LECTURER: Chloe Sayer specialises in the art and culture of Latin America. She was awarded the prestigious Ohtli medal by the Mexican government for her long-standing commitment to Mexican culture.
Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.

NEW LECTURE PROGRAMME FOR 2022/23, MEMBERSHIP AND GIFT AID
The programme of lectures, with dates, for our 2022/23 season is now available on our website under ‘Lectures’ and Future lectures – also as a single document under ‘Documents’.  Please note that in order to save cost we will not be printing a Programme card for 2022/23.
Society membership is now open for renewal, with a small increase in the annual subscription charge to £50, for 10 lectures and access to our Visits and Special Interest Days. 
Our membership Secretary, Gill Lawrence, will be in contact with you shortly to renew your membership.
Both the Membership Renewal and Gift Aid forms are now available on our website in the Documents section.
The committee really do hope that you will continue to be a member and renew your membership, and perhaps invite a friend to join us.  Unlike other local Arts Societies we do not have a waiting list.

VISITS

Rousham House & Gardens – Tuesday 14th June – I hope that you are looking forward to this visit.

Summer Social Wednesday 6th July, 2.30pm - Places are still available for members and their guests for a private visit with afternoon tea at Lords Wood, Marlow Common, SL7 2QS 

The Getty Library - The Art Society is very privileged to be permitted a visit to the Getty Library at the Wormsley estate on the afternoon of Thursday 20th October 2022.  Time to be confirmed. This will be self-drive to the estate just off M40 junction 5.  Cost £22 to members (& £25 to guests if space permits). This visit is a rare privilege. The numbers are limited, so initially this visit will only be available to members (those who are members at the time of booking and on the date of the visit). A wait list will be taken for members guests who will be offered a place if these are still available after the first month. If initial interest is over-whelming places will be balloted.  
Please refer to the future visits section of the website for more details.

For all our Visits - please email our Visits Secretary, Jo Dudley, on tashwvisits@gmail.com for more information or to book your place.

YOUNG ARTS UPDATE – Our project with Lane End School
This project has just been reported in the Lane End Parish magazine ‘Clarion’:  'Before Easter, we invited local artist, Julie Wetenhall, in to work with the children on a whole school project. The children used clay to produce beautiful tiles which will be put together to make a display with our logo at the centre. A very big thank you to the Arts Society committee whose kind donation has made this project possible. Currently the clay tiles are being fired – a long, slow process - and will then be installed by the end of this school term.' 

I will update you with photographs of the finished project.

FINALLY - For your safety at our Lectures

It’s great that we will be back to live lectures at The Hub.

In consideration of others:
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell,
Wear a mask whilst moving around,
Wear warm clothing as the hall will be ventilated.

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter May 2022

Hello Everyone
It was lovely to see so many people (there were 80 of us) at our first live lecture in 2 years. My fingers are crossed that this will continue and more of you will feel able to join us.

LIVE LECTURES ARE BACK!
Our next lecture will be on Monday 9th May in The Memorial Hall in The Hub, our usual venue.  The lecture will start after a short introduction at 10.40 am. 
Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1 – no change will be given. 

YOUR NAME BADGES
It has been so long since meeting up in person everyone has forgotten everyone’s name, so please wear your name badge that you were given at our last lecture. There are more badges if you missed out.

THE LECTURE
‘How China lost its china and then began to win it back’
This talk looks at the extraordinary rise to prominence of China as a buying force on the international art market. The lecture looks at some of the most significant events of recent years in which Asian dealers and collectors have disrupted the international auction system in an effort to draw attention to treasures they believe were appropriated or looted during the era of colonialism. We look in detail at one of the most significant events of cultural plunder of the mid-nineteenth century when British and French forces ransacked the Old Summer Palace in Beijing during the Second Opium War of 1860, looting many of its imperial collections. This talk traces some of the extraordinary objects taken by British soldiers during that campaign and reveals the circumstances of how they came to be sold on the international art market, sometimes to considerable controversy. What have European and North American auction houses done to counteract the ‘guerilla’ tactics used on occasions by Chinese millionaires keen to make their presence known when these objects appear under the hammer? When legitimate purchases do take place, what impact have wealthy Asian buyers had on prices and broader market trends? This talk is full of surprises and throws light on a little-known aspect of the global art market today.  
       
THE LECTURER: Dr Tom Flynn
Dr Tom Flynn is a UK-based art historian, writer and art consultant. His interests include contemporary art; sculpture history; museology and the history of museums; art crime; issues in cultural heritage; and the historical development and professional practice of the European art markets.  
He is Senior Lecturer at Christie’s Education, Adjunct Professor at Richmond, the American International University in London, visiting Senior Lecturer at Kingston School of Art, and teaches at a number of other UK and European universities
His most recent book, The A to Z of the International Art Market was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2016 and published in a Chinese edition in 2019.

Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.
We need additional technical volunteers to produce the Zoom of a live lecture and sadly no one have been forthcoming. Professional help to enable Zoom of live lectures is available but prohibitively expensive for our society.
 I do understand that some of our members are very cautious for health reasons and do not want to meet up with a largish group of people for a live lecture. Hopefully the Covid situation will improve in the near future and we can then all get back to feeling confident about being in a social situation. 

VISITS & SPECIAL INTEREST DAY

My thanks go to Jo Dudley and Fritha Irwin who have recently organised some wonderful, in depth, Visits and a Special Interest Day.
I hope that you felt that you were being part of something special. I did.

FUTURE VISITS
Rousham House & Gardens – Tuesday 14th June - To complement our lecture on Great Gardens of the 18th century, Jo Dudley has planned a visit to Rousham House and Gardens in June – designed by William Kent. Full details are on our website under ‘Visits’. Please email tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place. Friends and partners are very welcome. 

Rousham house and gardens

SUMMER SOCIAL - WEDNESDAY 6TH JULY 2.30PM
I am happy to now announce the details.  This will be a private visit to Lords Wood, Marlow Common, SL7 2QS 
The Sculpture Garden and Gallery will be open to us by kind invitation of Millie Messum who will provide afternoon tea.

Many of you will no doubt be familiar with the 5 acre formal grounds at Lord's Wood from previous occasions. 
During our visit we are invited to visit the Messum gallery in the grounds not normally open to the public - renown for impressionist works from the Newlyn School.

Lords Wood is steeped in history having been an outpost of the infamous London Bloomsbury group and a location for Stanley Spencer's tuition. 
The Lutyen's style family house built by artist Mary Sargeant Florence in 1899 will not be open during our visits.

This will be an informal social occasion for High Wycombe Art Society members - all the more welcome after the last two years.
You will be free to wander around the formal gardens, ponds, parterre garden, productive kitchen garden and greenhouse, orchard with bees & chickens, woodland walk and wild flower meadow
Sculptures are dotted throughout. There are seats to relax and take in the views. The gallery will be open for the duration of our visit.
Millie Messum with treat us to her homemade afternoon tea.

The cost will be £20 per Art Society member and £25 for guests. A contribution from the charge will be donated to our community arts projects.  
There is ample parking on the common. If anyone would like a lift this can be arranged.
Whilst the majority of the garden and the gallery are accessible there are areas with steps and slopes that could present problems for members with limited mobility. This should not detract from the enjoyment of the afternoon. 

Please email tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place.

FINALLY - For your safety at our Lectures

It’s great that we will be back to live lectures at The Hub.

In consideration of others:
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell,
Wear a mask whilst moving around,
Wear warm clothing as the hall will be ventilated.

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter April 2022

Hello Everyone
I hope that you enjoyed the lovely Spring weather in March now it’s back to our usual April showers. It’s a time of renewal for all of us.
LIVE LECTURES ARE BACK!
Our next lecture will be on Monday 11th April in The Memorial Hall in The Hub, our usual venue.  The lecture will start after a short introduction at 10.40 am. 
Please note that there will be no reserved seating on this occasion. Guests are very welcome to join us, for a charge of £10. Tea & Coffee will be available for a suggested donation of £1 – no change will be given. 

THE LECTURE
‘Great Gardens of the 18th Century; Landscape Gardening from Ha-Has to Hermits’ to be given by Patrick Conner.
Please note that this lecture will not be available via Zoom.
The landscape garden was a great English innovation. In place of the formal patterns, clipped hedges and straight lines that were in vogue throughout Europe, William Kent introduced a new notion in the 1730s: a ‘natural’ garden, full of variety, drama and surprise. Examples are drawn from gardens such as Rousham, Claremont, Painshill and Stowe, and from the ever-ingenious designs of Humphry Repton. But did the origins of the landscape garden lie elsewhere? Also considered are two imperial gardens of 18th-century China, which may have helped to shape the great gardens of Georgian England.
Patrick was originally a teacher but then became Keeper of Fine Art at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Since 1986 he has been Director of the Martyn Gregory Gallery, London. He is the author of several books including Savage Ruskin, Oriental Architecture in the West and George Chinnery, artist of India and the China Coast.

VISITS

Sandham Memorial Chapel-Tuesday 12th April - There are still spaces available on our self-drive visit to Stanley Spencer’s decorated Memorial Chapel – please see our website for details. 

Rousham House & Gardens – Tuesday 14th June
To complement our lectures, Jo Dudley has planned a visit for us to Rousham House and Gardens in June. Full details are on our website under ‘Visits’. Please email tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place. Friends and partners are very welcome. You can also book on the day of the lecture too!

Rousham house and gardens

SPECIAL INTEREST DAY - Book your place!
There are still places available for our Special Interest Day on Monday 25th April entitled ‘Classical Art and the Perception of Beauty’.
Full details of the day are on our website in the Special Interest Days section.
Non-members are very welcome to join us.
To reserve your place please email Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com or talk to Fritha after our lecture.

A LOCAL EXHIBITION OF INTEREST 
A Brush with Wycombe’s Past – a Grand Exhibition in celebration of 250 years of William Hannan’s paintings of The High Street in High Wycombe in 1772 and of the town and its artists.
Saturday 16th to Thursday 28th April - The Guildhall. Wycombe High Street
Open daily 10am-4pm with Thursdays 10am-6pm
Free Entry
This exhibition is being staged by The High Wycombe Society and supported by Wycombe Arts Centre, Wycombe Museum and HWBIDCo

SUMMER SOCIAL - WEDNESDAY 6TH JULY 2.30PM
I am happy to now announce the details.  This will be a private visit to Lords Wood, Marlow Common, SL7 2QS 
The Sculpture Garden and Gallery will be open to us by kind invitation of Millie Messum who will provide afternoon tea.

Many of you will no doubt be familiar with the 5acre formal grounds at Lord's Wood from previous occasions. 
During our visit we are invited to visit the Messum gallery in the grounds not normally open to the public - renown for impressionist works from the Newlyn School.

Lords Wood is steeped in history having been an outpost of the infamous London Bloomsbury group and a location for Stanley Spencers tuition. 
The Lutyen's style family house built by artist Mary Sargeant Florence in 1899 will not be open during our visits.

This will be an informal social occasion for High Wycombe Art Society members - all the more welcome after the last two years.
You will be free to wander around the formal gardens, ponds, parterre garden, productive kitchen garden and greenhouse, orchard with bees & chickens, woodland walk and wild flower meadow
Sculptures are dotted throughout. There are seats to relax and take in the views. The gallery will be open for the duration of our visit.
Millie Messum with treat us to her homemade afternoon tea.

The cost will be £20 per Art Society member and £25 for guests. A contribution from the charge will be donated to our community arts projects.  
There is ample parking on the common. If anyone would like a lift this can be arranged.
Whilst the majority of the garden and the gallery are accessible there are areas with steps and slopes that could present problems for members with limited mobility. This should not detract from the enjoyment of the afternoon. 

Please email tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place.

FINALLY - For your safety at our Lectures

It’s great that we will be back to live lectures at The Hub.

In consideration of others:
Please do not come if you are feeling unwell,
Wear a mask whilst moving around,
Wear warm clothing as the hall will be ventilated.

I look forward to meeting you again soon.
best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter March 2022

Hello Everyone
I hope that you are enjoying how life is getting slowly and cautiously back to normal and the lovely daffodils and other spring flowers that are emerging and the birds singing away too. I certainly am.
I would like to share a member’s comments following our lecture on horses running commerce and life in this country.

"I was so surprised to see the Ormskirk photo appear up on the screen!  I grew up in Aughton, on the edge of Ormskirk and went to school on the train. It was interesting to connect my family memories with the remount horses sent there and then on to Lathom Park for sale.  
My aunt (who was married in the church appearing in the photo!) had only told me a few weeks ago about my grandfather buying a horse and mule from Lathom and then walking back the 15 miles to Liverpool with them. He did do this for other purchases, notably one horse from Appleby fair in Westmorland, which again he walked all the way back down south to Liverpool. He loved his horses! When the family business stopped using horses and went mechanical, the new wagons were garaged in the old stables, which retained their Stables’ names through my youth!
The family stables in Liverpool which became garages had the very prosaic names of Top and Bottom Stables, but these names continued in use when the horses were long gone. 
My family also know the canal system well and so I found the piece about the canal interchange building, which I don’t know, of interest too. Who would have thought that multi storey car parks grew out of multi storey stables! 
I think the last horse left the family business in 1945, but I can remember a shire horse being used by a farmer to work his fields and pull a wagon down our lane at Aughton whilst I was at primary school.
It was a really interesting lecture on Monday and despite initial doubts about how enjoyable it would be, as you said, it became fascinating the more time went on!"

The Weigh house, Cumberland Market, by Robert Bevan

OUR NEWSLETTER & THE ZOOM LECTURE LINK

Please note that our Newsletter is now published just after our monthly committee meeting so that we can give you up to date information.

This is usually in the 1st or early in the 2nd week of the month and will always be before our monthly lecture.

The Link to the Zoom lecture will always be sent to you in a separate email letter on the Sunday, immediately before Monday's Zoom lecture.

OUR NEXT LECTURE
The FINAL on-line Zoom Lecture will be on Monday 14th March 2022 at 10.40 am 
‘The Silver Thread: Silver Filigree and Traditional Arts in Kosovo’
Lecturer – Elizabeth Gowing
After training as a teacher Elizabeth moved to Kosovo in 2006.  Speaking fluent Albanian she became involved in charity work on educational and cultural heritage projects – culminating in a recent government appointment.
Our lecture will be ‘zoomed’ directly from Kosovo (fingers crossed!).
Elizabeth will describe how from the early Kosovan silver mines which are mentioned in Dante, through the twentieth century politics over Kosovo’s mines which resulted in both a war and a golf course, a silver thread winds through Kosovo’s history. Its most intricate tanglings are in the country’s cultural capital, Prizren, where a seventh generation of filigree artisans use ‘filum’ and ‘granum’, zigzags, ‘mouse-tooth’ designs and other twists and turns to magic lacy creations from dull sticks of raw material. The results – in boxes, buttons, jewellery, religious ornamentation and the talismans of superstition – are a fine narrative of Kosovo’s history and traditions.
BACK TO LIVE LECTURES!!
Our lecture on 11th April will be in our usual home of The Memorial Hall at The Hub in High Wycombe.  Please note it will not be available via Zoom.

Silver Filigree brooch

VISITS
Private Guided tour of Sandham Memorial Chapel – Wednesday 6th April
We are aware that the Society has visited the chapel previously but feel there are members who would like to complement their Stanley Spencer experience.
Full details and how to book are on our website under ‘Visits’.

Rousham House & Gardens – Tuesday 14th June
Jo Dudley has planned a visit for us to Rousham House and Gardens in June. Full details are on our website under ‘Visits’. Please email Jo on tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place. Friends and partners are very welcome.

Rousham house and gardens

SPECIAL INTEREST DAY - Book your place!
Please remember to book your place soon for our Special Interest Day on Monday 25th April entitled ‘Classical Art and the Perception of Beauty’.
Full details of the day are on our website in the Special Interest Days section.
Non-members are very welcome to join us.
To reserve your place please email Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com

A Fayum girl with gilded wreath AD 120-140. The Met Museum 

OTHER SOCIETIES AND EXHIBITIONS
The Arts Society Marlow are offering their tour of the Art Treasures of Northern Italy to our members (Tuesday 4 - Saturday 8 October 2022)

Flying into Venice and based in Bologna, the vibrant capital of the Emilia Romagna region, and with additional visits to Padua, Ravenna, Parma and Ferrara, here is an ideal opportunity for you to travel with people you know and trust, seeing some of the superb treasures that this area of Italy has to offer.
Staying in the 4* Hotel Internazionale on Via dell'Indipendenza, Bologna, there will be ample opportunity to enjoy this much talked about city.
Should you wish to independently extend your visit to perhaps Venice or Florence, there is a ‘Ground only’ option also available.
The brochure, practical details/booking conditions and booking form are The Arts Society Marlow's web site, under ‘Documents’.

Finally - Looking ahead to our Summer Social - so save the date now. Wednesday 6th July, 2.30pm
(Full details will follow in May)

With best wishes


Janet Lancaster
Chairman 
The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org
 

Newsletter February 2022

Hello Everyone
ONCE AGAIN - VERY IMPORTANT – YOUR ACCESS TO ZOOM LECTURES & NEWSLETTERS
There is now increased security on emails and home computers, which is good – but this can cause problems too. 
Please make sure to add the following 2 email addresses to your own contact list in your email set-up to make sure our emails to you go into your email Inbox and not into your Spam folder.  
Please note that both of these have the ‘name’ of the sender as The Arts Society High Wycombe 
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org and 
michelegasper.rocketmail.com@send.mailchimpapp.com

Thank you very much.

Our next Lecture
Our next On-line Zoom Lecture is on Monday 14th February 2022 at 10.40 am 
‘When Horses ran London’
Lecturer – Mr Charlie Forman
Take a trip into a horse drawn city just as a revolution was motoring in. Without its horses, London in 1900 would have ground to a halt – no buses, no deliveries, no goods trains. Alongside London’s growing dependence on technology was a vast increase in the demand for horses. This eye opener to a lost city mixes what's still there - the mews, horse hospitals, cab shelters and drinking troughs - with what is less apparent - like the horsepower each bus route needed, and why flogging a dead horse wasn't just a turn of phrase. In fact, in 1900 the end was nigh – as the internal combustion engine fired up and the Great War loomed. 
Buildings survive that evidence this extremely abrupt transition – from the factory that built the buses to the Edwardian multi-storey carpark the housed the taxi fleet. 
All this is brought alive through painters like Robert Bevan and early photographs

Charlie Forman is a London walking tour guide and lecturer and highlights the social, architectural and artistic history of London - a city that he is passionate about, not least because it has an historic core larger and richer than any other world city. 
Charlie is a member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association and his talks focus on the forces that have shaped and changed this multi-faceted metropolis and the artistic and cultural heritage that this has given us. 

March’s Lecture Please note that March’s lecture on Kosovan Silver Filigree work and traditional crafts will also be via Zoom, as our lecturer may actually be in Kosovo!

BACK TO LIVE LECTURES!!
Our lecture on 11th April is planned to be back in our usual home of The Memorial Hall at The Hub in High Wycombe.

Visits
Rousham House & Gardens – Tuesday 14th June
Jo Dudley has planned a visit for us to Rousham House and Gardens in June. Full details are on our website under ‘Visits’. Please email tashwvisits@gmail.com for full details and to reserve your place. Friends and partners are very welcome.

Re-arranged: The Arts Society High Wycombe Special Interest Day – Monday 25th April 2022 "Greek and Roman Art and their legacy"
I am pleased to announce that this is now taking place on Monday 25th April in the large Memorial Hall at The Hub, with the brilliant lecturer Gillian Hovell.
Full details of the day are on our website in the Special Interest Days section.
Non-members are very welcome to join us.
To reserve your place please email Fritha Irwin on f.irwin51@btinternet.com

Looking ahead to the summer....
Garsington Opera 2022
Once again, we are allowed, through our society, to book early for the 2022 Garsington opera season, held on the Wormsley Estate near Stokenchurch.
If you would like to go then you need to book soon!

Please see our website in ’Visits’ for booking details or contact Jo Dudley on tashwvisit@gmail.com

OTHER SOCIETIES AND EXHIBITIONS

Chalfont Fine Art Society have a Special Interest Day on Street Art on Tuesday 22nd March, with lecturer Raymond Warburton. Please contact Allan Goodbrand for details (allangoodbrand@gmail.com).

The Arts Society Marlow are running a 4 night/5 days tour of Manchester and the local area in May to include Tatton Park, RHS Bridgewater, the Lowry and Quarry Bank Mill.
Our members and friends are now invited to join this confirmed tour.
Full details are available on the society’s website
https://theartssocietymarlow.org.uk/AboutUs/Documents.aspx
 
The High Wycombe Society are holding a free art exhibition in the Guildhall in High Wycombe from Saturday 16th April to Thursday 28th April. They are looking for help to steward the exhibition. For enquiries and offers of help please contact William Reid on reidsutd@btinternet.com

SAVE THE DATE! SUMMER SOCIAL, WEDNESDAY 6TH JULY 2022. More news soon about this. 

Finally...
Special Thanks to Robert Cottrell – our Zoom-meister!

Back in the dark and distant days of May 2020 under Covid lockdown #1, Robert agreed to learn all about Zoom and how we could use it to show you our planned lectures. Many hours of Zoom lessons and tutorials from Head office, setting up and running our own test lectures with willing members/lecturers and then the onerous task of planning and ‘Hosting’ our real Zoom lectures every month followed for Robert.  At the time we all hoped that this was a temporary responsibility for Robert and that it would be over by Christmas 2020……

Anyway, enough said on that subject.

Finally, Robert has trained up his Zoom Host successor, Michèle (who has also now trained up Lucy) and now Robert feels he can travel from home again – even on a lecture day.
On behalf of us all, I have arranged a small gift for Robert, as recognition of his hard work to the Society. Thank you very much Robert.

I will end on that pleasant note.
With best wishes

Janet Lancaster
Chairman, The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

Newsletter January 2022
 

Hello Everyone 
I have just been re-reading Diane’s newsletter from January 2021 and her hope that by the end of 2021 we would have some normality back in our lives.
Well, enough said but I do hope that you managed to enjoy a good Christmas and that it made up for last year’s disappointments.  Now it is my turn to wish you all a healthy and happy 2022.
My hopes for 2022 are that we all keep healthy and we are able to plan two months into the future and for our plans to come to fruition– how life has changed!

VERY IMPORTANT – YOUR ACCESS TO ZOOM LECTURES
There is now increased security on emails and home computers, which is good – but this can cause problems too. I know that a large number of our members did not ‘open’ the email containing December’s zoom lecture link and that some people ‘found’ this email in their Spam box. 
Please add the following email address to your own contact list in your email set-up to make sure it goes into your email Inbox.  
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org
Thank you

Visit to Compton Verney 
Thirty of our members enjoyed a self-drive visit to Compton Verney following the fascinating lecture on Grinling Gibbons, to see the excellent exhibition of his life and work. Upon arrival we were welcomed with refreshments and then were split into two groups with our guides to tour both the Grinling Gibbons and John Nash exhibitions. This left time for us to explore the permanent exhibitions and grounds. As well as enjoying the information from our excellent guide and the tasty lunch in the café, my personal highlights of the day were the superb collection of ancient Chinese bronzes (all funded by the football pools-who knew!) and the painted cast iron door stop of Punch – there’s a similar one in my hall.

Our next Lecture
Our next On-line Zoom Lecture is on Monday 10th January 2022 at 10.40 am 
A Personal Heaven: The paintings of Stanley Spencer
Lecturer – Val Woodgate
One of the most original British artists of his generation, Spencer’s art was dominated by his personal life and his profound religious faith. Cookham, his birthplace, was for him an earthly paradise whose people and surroundings possessed a mystical quality. This was the setting for many of his great religious works- Spencer spoke of “the rich religious significance of the place I live in”. Despite the failure of his two marriages, he continued to believe in the power of love and some of his most important works were inspired by his feelings for the two women whom he married. The paintings inspired by his military service in World War I, concentrating on hope and redemption rather than on suffering, reveal a similar basic optimism. This lecture will examine the eccentric and visionary world of one of the most creative and imaginative British painters of the 20th century.
Val Woodgate is a popular lecturer at our Arts Society. She lectures at Tate Britain and Tate Modern, as well as at many other London galleries.

A ‘Pop Up’ Visit?
Following on from our January lecture there is the possibility of a guided tour of the new exhibition ‘Mind & Mortality’ at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham with a walking tour of the parts of Cookham that inspired Spencer and featured in his paintings. 
If you are interested then please email tashwvisit@gmail.com so that Jo Dudley can gauge interest and plan our visit in 2022.

The Area’s Special Interest Day – January 14th 2022
Please note that unfortunately, this has now been cancelled.  All attendees have been notified.

The Arts Society High Wycombe Special Interest Day – February 28th 2022 
‘Classical Art & the Perception of Beauty’ – I know that a number of our members will be disappointed but we have taken the decision to postpone this day until later in the year. 
A soon as we have agreed a new date for this event with our lecturer, Gillian Hovell, we will let you know.

The Arts Society Community Grant
I am very pleased to report that Lane End Primary School have now received our grant which I presented to their Head Mistress early in December when the older children sang at the Lane End OPAG (Older People's Action Group). The children interact with the local community in the Lane End Youth and Community Centre, which is attached to the school.
Land End Primary School is run by the enthusiastic Head Mistress, Debbie Williams, and it is based in a 'tough' neighbourhood in the High Wycombe area, with children from many disadvantaged families. 
The Art department of Lane End Primary School will use The Arts Society Community Grant towards creating a whole school art project. They will invite a local artist (Julie Wetenhall) to share their story about how they got into art and do some workshops with each class. 
Following this the artist will help the department create a whole school piece of artwork based around a theme, which is to be confirmed. Depending on costs the grant would be used towards the artist’s fee, supplies and materials for the project. 
More details to follow.

Finally - Looking ahead to the summer………….

Garsington Opera 2022
The Art Society High Wycombe has again been given the opportunity for a Group Booking facility for the 2022 season.
This gives us the ability to purchase tickets ahead of the general public. …and potentially before they sell out.
The digital brochure can be viewed here https://brochure.garsingtonopera.org/#/page/0
The performance diary is on page 23 with seating plan and ticket prices on page 22.. We do not have to all go on the same night.
To gain access to this priority booking, a £20 surcharge per ticket is applicable for bookings made before Tuesday 8 March, serving in lieu of a membership contribution. …but note the £70 donation is voluntary.

If anyone is interested or wants more information please contact Jo at tashwvisit@gmail.com

That’s all from me, for now.

Janet Lancaster
Chairman, The Arts Society High Wycombe
chair.highwycombe@theartssociety.org

The Arts Society High Wycombe members visited  Ewelme village, for a guided tour of St Mary the Virgin Church, almshouses & school, followed by tea and cake, on Wednesday, 10th July 2019 

We were  in one of 2 groups firstly having either a guided tour of the early 15th century church (inside and outside) or the cloistered almhouses/oldest primary school in England (outside only).The groups met  in the church mid afternoon for tea & cake, and then visited the other area.

One member commented 'I thoroughly enjoyed the day. The guide was excellent and happy to answer our questions- what a fascinating church!.... A well chosen visit which gave us enough time to enjoy the surroundings'

Arriving from 1.30pm onwards, guests were offered a glass of Prosecco and after an illustrated talk at 2pm all about the history of the property, were given the opportunity to tour the house and grounds before returning to the house to be served a lavish full afternoon tea. The event finished around 5pm.

The event was open to TAS members and their friends and family, the fully inclusive cost being £20.

Profits from the event were donated to the Sue Ryder Prayer Fellowship, the independent charity running the property.

For our summer event 2017 one of our members, Professor Sandy Primrose, kindly offered to open his garden on the evening of Monday, 10th July, from 6.30 to 9.00pm, the evening of our last lecture of the programme year.  With a glass of Pimms or wine on arrival we were able to wander around the garden at our leisure.  Professor Primrose, a plantsman, also guided three optional timed tours during the evening.  The cost was £6.50, or £8.50 if you wished to join one of the tours and was open to members, friends and family, and after costs, a significant donantion was given to the Rennie Groves Hospice.

We invited members, waiting list members and family and friends to our 2016 Summer Event, tea and fizz in the gardens of the newly refurbished and recently reopened Wycombe Museum.

The £12.50 ticket cost included tea or coffee, homemade cake, ice cream and a glass of fizz served from our private marquee.  The ticket included entry to the museum and we were able to make a donation to the museum.

Opera singers, Cristina and Laszlo, added musical entertainment to the summer afternoon in the gardens of the Grade II listed museum.

A special kind of event

Every July up to 400 artists, crafters, performers and musicians gather together in Waterperry Gardens to demonstrate their skills and show their work. You can watch the potter pot, the painter paint and the sculptor sculpt. You can ask the masters of the arts of jewellery, textiles, woodwork and glassblowing about the secrets of their craft. In the ever popular Practical Classes section, you will be able to have a go yourself at the art or craft of your choice with the guidance of an expert teacher.

When you need a break, there is a great selection of food and drink available and the beauty of the famous gardens is also there to soak up. The Market, with over 100 designer-makers, is also there should you be looking for that special gift.

Every day up to 600 volunteers staff the show. They help park the cars, pick up the litter, look after the demonstrating artists, clean the loos, care for the visitors and give the show its unique atmosphere. If you would like to help then check out our volunteer section. You can look forward to a warm welcome at Art in Action whether you come as a visitor, demonstrator or volunteer.

Free Parking.

Waterperry Gardens OX33 1LG

Further information: www.artinaction.org.uk