I wrote this for essentialsurrey.co.uk
I went to Hampton Court Palace to see the ‘Glorious Georges’ exhibition.
Category Archives: Places of Interest
Charleston House
…in pictures
I went to the penultimate day of the Charleston Festival in Lewes, East Sussex, which was marking its 25th year. I heard Charlotte Higgins and Adam Nicolson read from their new non-fiction books on Classics. Charlotte Higgins’ ‘Under Another Sky’ was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
A few years ago I was given a private tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London and I had special permission to photograph the space. I felt very privileged to be able to wander around with my camera, free to capture the changing light across the seating, beams, stage and even backstage area.
Tulips at RHS Wisley
Tulips are like colourful wine goblets, sprouting and spouting from the ground and there is a fantastically riotous clang of tulips at this very moment at RHS Wisley.
William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain at the V&A Museum.
Design for a Neo-Palladian Villa overlooking Waynflete’s Tower, Esher Place 1730-1735© Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
An exhibition examining the life and work of William Kent, one of the leading designers of early Georgian Britain, has opened at the V&A museum.
Continue reading William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain at the V&A Museum.
Henry Moore King and Queen Sculpture
Cherkley Court
I visited Cherkley Court in Leatherhead in 2007 when the gardens were open to the public and the house was to be viewed on named occasions; a bright orangery spilled out onto a terrace where one could sip tea and be fed on the spectacular view of the Surrey Hills.
Renoir Exhibition at The Lightbox, Woking
An exhibition of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s work has opened at The Lightbox in Woking in Surrey.
The exhibition features paintings, sculpture, etchings, sketches and letters by Renoir, which illustrate the rise of his popularity. Renoir almost exploded into the art scene in 1874 when his work first came to the attention of British art collectors and two of his paintings were shown at an exhibition in London; in the same year six of his works featured in the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris. Since then, Renoir has become one of the most internationally acclaimed artists whose art is coveted by collectors in the UK and all over the world.
The Lightbox is the first regional gallery to bring
together a cohesive representation of the work of Renoir held in British collections. ‘Renoir in Britain’ includes loans from The National Gallery, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate, Ashmolean Museum, The British Museum and The Courtauld Gallery.
It’s a fantastic exhibition, I highly recommend a visit!
‘Renoir in Britain’ is at The Lightbox in Woking until 20th April 2014. Free entry (donations welcome)
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday: 10.30am – 5.00pm Sunday: 11.00am – 5.00pm.
The Lightbox,
Chobham Road,
Woking,
Surrey. GU21 4AA
The Lightbox is also hosting a lecture on Thursday 27th March at 1pm by Christopher Riopelle, Curator of post-1800 paintings at the National Gallery on ‘Renoir’s Life and Legacy’ (£6 adults, £5 concessions. Advance booking required 01483 737837.)
A Taste of Art Exhibition at Guildford House Gallery
St Mary’s Guildford by Henry Pether (Image from Guildford Borough Council)
A local art exhibition has opened at Guildford House Gallery displaying beautiful images of Guildford past.
The collection includes paintings of the River Wey and atmospheric Surrey landscapes as well as ceramics from the borough art collection.
Landscape towards Peaslake by William Hyde (Image from Guildford Borough Council)
Guildford House Gallery lends itself nicely to the character of the paintings as it’s such a lovely building, with a fantastic feature staircase, intricate ceiling design and charming panelled walls.
‘A Taste of Art’ is on until 22nd March 2014. Open Monday – Saturday 10am-4.45pm. Free Entry.
T: 01483 444751. Guildford House, 155 High Street, Guildford GU1 3AJ.
RHS Wisley New Food Hall
A new food hall has opened at RHS Wisley which makes use of the delicious fruit and vegetables grown on site in the gardens.
The new restaurant area provides a buffet-style set up where visitors can enjoy tasty treats such as a hot smoked salmon platter with beetroot and a horseradish and crème fraiche sauce, a freshly baked cupcake with a cup of coffee, or grab a homemade sourdough loaf to save for later.
On one of the sunnier days last week I went for a walk round Wisley and had a look at the enviably abundant vegetable garden. I always admire the way it subtly marks a change in season: last time I went there were dozens of pumpkins tumbling out onto the paths, but this time I saw the peeping tops of turnips and leeks through the soil, and the dramatic silhouette of purple kale nodding in the breeze.
Now with the thought of food firmly in my mind I went to see the recently revamped restaurant and new food hall – you can always rely on the dominating foodie in me to seek out the latest edible offerings wherever I go – and both places seemed very popular indeed. Clearly the relationship between gardener and chef is a strong one, as they meet regularly to plan menus according to what’s growing and how well, so the food will always be seasonal.
