Stratford-upon-Avon
Decorative and Fine Arts Society

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Christ Curch College, Oxford

• Oxford visit April 2008
  
  Our trip to Oxford was a great success. The Ashmolean Museum, in spite of renovations, was both welcoming and fascinating with much of interest to see. Our walk to Christ Church College passed other colleges before we entered via the Canterbury Gate. Our delicious lunch in the Long Hall with the students and other visitors was followed by a guided tour of the gardens, the College and the Cathedral. We left feeling that we had participated in a most worthwhile educational experience at one of the great historical seats of learning. We left by Tom Gate. See pictures



• Mughals and Rajputs: Courts and Palaces of India Study Day May 2008
  
  The lecturer, Sue Rollins, gave us a splendid day using excellent slides to illustrate the history, culture and architecture of India during earlier centuries.
  
  We all enjoyed a buffet lunch half way through the day, which gave us time to meet and relax with other members as we enjoyed overlooking the beautiful gardens of Shakespeare’s Birthplace. A lovely and very informative day was had by all.



• Taking a Line for a Walk: Why we Need to Draw – Thursday 19 June 2008
  
  The Stratford upon Avon group of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts celebrated the Fortieth Anniversary of the Association’s founding with a lecture by Richard Box on Thursday 19 June entitled ‘Taking a Line for a Walk: Why we Need to Draw’.
  
  Mr Box explained the purpose of drawing for children and adults alike. He illustrated the lecture with examples from early man whose reason for drawing on cave walls is unknown but was clearly purposeful. His drawings by children were a delight but also showed us how their development can be mapped through their art work. Egyptian art gave way to a fascinating demonstration of the value of drawing to the great artists from da Vinci and Michelangelo to the wonderful drawings of Raphael. Studying some of Rembrandt’s etching was most illuminating. He brought us into the modern use of drawing by way of Picasso, Seurat and van Gogh. He ended by pointing out that drawing is the discipline by which one can rediscover the world and that the act of drawing leads to seeing what is before us. The lecture gave the audience a new way of looking at this artistic discipline and was delivered in a most amusing and entertaining manner.
  
  Lectures are held on the third Thursday of most months at 10.45 am and again at 1.30 pm in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford. The next lecture, which will be after the summer break, on 18 September will be given by Anne Anderson on ‘Victorian Art Pottery’.
  
  Anyone who is interested in coming as a guest (cost £5) is asked to phone Susanne Eastwood on 01789 295687. For information about joining, please see the Membership page.



• Madresfield Court and Malvern Priory July 2008
  
  
  

  Madresfield Court

  This summer trip gave SADFAS members the opportunity to visit two remarkable buildings with very long histories. Madresfield Court has been the home of the Lygon family for 800 years while Malvern Priory, a former Benedictine Priory founded in the eleventh century, is now a parish church. Our guided tour of Madresfield showed us rooms filled with treasures reflecting the owners’ taste and interests over time. The Library and Chapel are considered to contain some of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts decoration and furniture, the 7th Earl Beauchamp was a patron of the Guild of Handicrafts and the Birmingham School of Arts and Crafts. After the tour there was ample time to picnic and enjoy the exterior of this moated house and its gardens which stand at the foot of the Malvern Hills.
  
  During the afternoon visit to the Priory we saw 15th century stained glass, medieval misericords and wall tiles which have survived a long and chequered history. The Priory was saved from destruction in 1541 when local people bought it for £20 to replace their decaying parish church. Morning and afternoon tours were enhanced by our enthusiastic guides who clearly knew and loved their buildings. The weather was kind and the journey trouble free. Madresfield is open from April to July on specified days and by appointment only (01905 830680) so there is still a chance to see it before it closes at the end of this month.



• 

  King Edward VI School Art Exhibition

  King Edward VI School A Level Art Exhibition July 2008
  
  An exhibition of students’ A Level Art work was held recently in Big School at KES, Stratford upon Avon. We were delighted to see that the display boards which SADFAS funded last Autumn as one of our Young Arts projects were being put to such good use. See the Picture Gallery for further photographs.


• LINCOLNSHIRE TRIP, 16 TO 19 JUNE 2008
  
  
  

  Harlaxton Manor

  It was a sunny day when 21 of our members departed for Lincolnshire and the weather remained kind throughout our 4-day trip (see pictures). Our enthusiastic guide was the endlessly knowledgeable historian, Dr David Bostwick who joined us in the charming market town of Stamford. Our first visit was to Burghley, considered the largest and grandest house of the Elizabethan age with its fine staterooms and priceless treasures – even the Old Kitchen is impressive with its soaring fan vaulting.
  
  Day 2 included a private visit to Doddington Hall, a delightful Elizabethan mansion, a tour of The Old Hall at Gainsborough, one of the country’s best preserved Mediaeval manor houses, and Lincoln Cathedral where, after a close-up look at the misericords in the Choir, we were able to stay for Evensong.
  
  Day 3 began at Gunby Hall, a “lovable doll’s house in the style of Sir Christopher Wren unexpected stranded in the middle of the country”. On to the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society (founded 1710) where the museum’s amazingly eclectic collection includes everything from ancient coins and army badges to costumes and rare books to early cameras and pottery. We finished the day at Grimsthorpe Castle, a fascinating meld of 16th and 17th century buildings fronted by a triumphal Baroque facade by Sir John Vanburgh, his last masterpiece.
  
  Day 4 introduced us to the extravagant Victorian architecture of Harlaxton Manor with its external skyline of turrets, gables and chimney stacks while inside, the influences of Elizabethan, Jacobean and Baroque decor are exuberantly writ large with swarming cherubs and tasselled festoons. Harlaxton is the English campus of the University of Evansville, Indiana. Our last visit of our trip was to Belton House, a fine example of 17th century Restoration architecture, which recently featured in the BBC's adaptation of Jane Eyre.
  
  It had been a full and fascinating few days - our many thanks to Extended Tours Secretary John Glover. We’re already looking forward to next year in Amsterdam.



• 2008 AGM Report
  
  The AGM was held at 11.00am on Thursday 14 February 2008 in the Levi Fox Hall at King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon. It was attended by over 170 people (see the Picture Gallery ).
  
  
  

  Left to right Deb Follett, Chairman,
  Rory Young, speaker and Jo Davis, Outings Secretary

  The Chairman's Report was an update of the material printed in the latest Newsletter distributed in January. The most important items were the replacement of the Heritage Volunteer's Representative by Stella Webley and the cancellation of the waiting list; all those who wish to join as full members have now been invited to do so. Any of us may now invite friends to join the Society without their being told that they must wait.
  
  The Treasurer explained our current financial position and announced that the Town Trust has given us a grant to help with the extra costs involved in moving from the Civic Hall.
  
  There are some changes of personnel on the Committee. Barbara Purser has taken over as Membership Secretary and Gillian Nussey has moved to Outings Secretary. Judith Dorricott has joined the Committee and Vivien Heffernan has been co-opted.
  
  The AGM was followed by a talk given by Rory Young on 'A View of the Cotswolds' after which there was a buffet lunch with wine which 117 members enjoyed.



• Publicity Officer
  
  We need the help of an enthusiastic and creative Member to keep our new web-site up to date and also to help with general publicity activities for the Society.
  
  Ideally you will have some knowledge of computer systems, and be familiar with internet and web procedures. It would also be helpful to have a good local network of friends and contacts and to have some experience of the media and of marketing basics.
  
  A full job description is available. Please contact the Chairman, Programme Secretary or Hon. Treasurer if you would be willing to help (see Contacts )



• West Midlands Area Young Arts Project 2007-2008
  
  In 2007 West Midlands Area gave a grant of £1,000 to Swinfen Young Offenders’ Institution in Lichfield (see Young Arts page ) to fund a very successful project involving the creation of mosaic pictures. We are pleased to report that the Area Committee for Young Arts has agreed to support a further arts-related project at Swinfen with a grant of £1,000 in 2008 (see Picture Gallery for the mosaics produced by the 8 participants in 2007).

For more current information about the society, please contact chairman@sadfas.org.uk

For detailed information on all of our activities click on the list on the left.

For information about membership please see Membership.