Autumn 2021 & Spring 2022 Events

St Anne’s  Parish Hall - Coffee served at 10.30 am

BUY TICKETS ONLINE ONLY

£25 & £20

BOOK EARLY AS LIMITED TO 45 PEOPLE

(Streaming / Recording NOT available)


BUY TICKETS ONLINE ONLY £25 & £20 at www.friendsofstaneskew.org.uk
BOOK EARLY AS LIMITED TO 45 PEOPLE.

This first talk will not be live-streamed or recorded - we are currently assessing the feasibility of doing this for future lectures.

SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER at 11.00 am. Dr DAVID BELLINGHAM ‘NERO, ROME & THE GOLDEN PALACE’ - Back by popular demand we are delighted to welcome Dr David Bellingham, Art Historian, Author & Programme Director for the master’s degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. The current exhibition at the British Museum (until 24 October) reminds us of what a wonderful period the first century CE was for the arts and architecture. This lecture investigates Nero the man and the myth. Nero Claudius Augustus Germanicus (37-68 CE) was proclaimed Roman Emperor at the early age of 16 following the death of his adoptive father Claudius.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20th at 11.00 am KATE TELTSCHER ‘THE GLORY OF THE GARDENS - THE PALM HOUSE AND VICTORIAN KEW’. Kate Teltscher is the author of the critically acclaimed Palace of Palms: Tropical Dreams and the Making of Kew (Picador, 2020), recently out in paperback. She is Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Emeritus Fellow of the University of Roehampton. Kate Teltscher will tell the story of the creation of the Palm House – the engineering masterpiece and emblem of Kew Gardens – and the Victorian obsession with the palms that filled it. You will hear an account of breathtaking ambition, of scientific discovery and, crucially, of the remarkable men whose vision it was. Three of the main figures – the Gardens' first two directors and curator – are buried in the churchyard of St. Anne's.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 11 at 11.00 am. PROFESSOR ROBIN SIMON FSA ‘ZOFFANY (1733 – 1810) IN AND OUT OF FAVOUR AT KEW’ - We are so looking forward to welcoming Professor Robin Simon FSA, Editor of The British Art Journal, who will examine the humorous character of Johan Zoffany’s paintings. From being much in favour with George III and Queen Charlotte during the 1760s, not least as a fellow German-speaker, Zoffany lost royal patronage through including unsuitable jokes in a painting delivered to the Queen in 1779. By the 1790s Zoffany was back in favour, when he would ride in the King’s carriage around Kew ‘to entertain him, and to tell him about all the paintings he was then carrying out’. Many of us will have seen Zoffany’s tomb at St Anne’s which was restored by The Friends in 2008.

SATURDAY JANUARY 22nd at 11.00am. GEORGE GOODWIN MA FRHistS. ‘HENRY VI, THE LOSS OF FRANCE AND THE FIRST WAR OF THE ROSES’. After the success of his two previous highly illustrated and colourful talks for us, we are delighted to welcome back Kew-based historian, George Goodwin. This time George will focus on the turbulent reign of Henry VI (born almost exactly 600 years ago) and its effective end at Towton, the bloodiest battle on English soil and the inspiration for the Armageddon of Thomas Mallory’s Morte d’Arthur ¬¬– as well as for George’s own acclaimed book Fatal Colours. George is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and an Eccles Centre Makin Fellow at the British Library. Most importantly, he is also the late Paddy Wollen’s son-in-law.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12th at 11.00 am. GEOFFREY MUNN OBE, MVO. ‘FABERGE AT THE COURT OF EDWARD VII’. We are delighted to welcome you to a talk by Geoffrey Munn the jewellery specialist from the Antiques Road Show. Carl Faberge was the maker of the famous Easter Eggs for the Russian Imperial court but the range of his work is very much wider and includes jewelled flower studies and charming animal carvings made from a variety of semi-precious stones. It was these that captivated King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and as a result the Royal Collection has an unrivalled collection of both. Geoffrey’s lecture is very timely as it will make an ideal introduction to those planning to visit the Faberge Exhibition at the V&A which opens in November 2021.

SATURDAY MARCH 12th at 11.00 am. TONY KIRKHAM - ‘REMARKABLE TREES FROM AROUND THE WORLD’ - Former Head of the Arboretum, Gardens and Horticultural Services, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. In 2004 he completed the revision of the “Pruning of Trees Shrubs and Conifers” with Timber Press and more recently has written “Essential Pruning Techniques” and in 2019 the Haynes Workshop Manual of Trees and “Remarkable Trees” for Thames Hudson. Tony will bring along his latest book due out in September 2021 called “Growing Trees” which is a general guide to growing trees in the garden.

SATURDAY APRIL 30th at 11.00 am. SUSAN BAILES - ‘THE GOLDEN AGE OF CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATION IN EDWARDIAN ENGLAND’. We are delighted to welcome Susan back by popular demand for her illustrated talk that draws upon her knowledge of children’s literature with examples from her extensive book collection. Discover exciting developments in colour picture books and the part Beatrix Potter, Arthur Rackham, and Edmund duLac among others played in this fascinating period of literary revolution. Susan Bailes BA, MA, PGCE, is a retired Head Teacher with an MA in children’s literature.

This Event is Postponed until Autumn 22 or Spring 23. New Events for Autumn 22 & Spring 23 will be published around August 22.
SATURDAY MAY 7th at 2.00 pm for 3.00 pm ‘til 8.00pm. ‘AN AFTERNOON CHARITY BRIDGE DRIVE & SUPPER’ with TINA RUYGROK & ARNOLD TUNBRIDGE. Following the successful first afternoon of Bridge in 2018 we are delighted to welcome back Tina and Arnold to run the Charity Bridge Drive again. A superb opportunity to enjoy an exclusive afternoon of bridge. This will be followed by supper and a glass of wine with First Prize of The Friends engraved Cup, prizes and raffle.

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