and quirky.
The art gallery is excellently curated, providing sufficient information, whilst successfully avoiding information overload. And the children are encouraged to engage with the artwork inside the gallery and with nature in the grounds. The cafe coped well on a busy day, with a good choice of snacks and meals served on good quality crockery.
Our visit was prompted by the fact there were a couple of exhibitions we wanted to see.
Firstly, The Lost Words with the written-to-be-read-out-loud poetry of Robert Macfarlane, beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris. This exhibition is amazing. If you get the opportunity, go and see it.
Secondly, Quentin Blake's Inside Stories which reveals how he created the illustrations for some of our much loved characters from children's literature. The KHT was absolutely fascinated by this and sat through the accomapnying short film of Quentin Blake in action, twice. Well nearly twice, as we wanted to go and eat before it got too late. She did go back and watch it again, as compensation. We also visited the folk art exhibition and the KHT was very taken with the Chinese exhibits.
Another attraction was the Textile Fair - which showcased some very talented craftspersons.
"Are you an embroiderer?" one exhibitor enquired.
Memories of being tasked to make a nightdress case at Primary school (did anyone ever use such an item?), and the grubby, unevenly stitched result, force me to admit that I am not.
"No, I just love looking at the work and admiring the skills of others."
I think she was producing freestyle machine embroidery, chains of threads, intersecting, joining parting. All carefully planned - a skill executed by an artist, with a HUGE potential for a right old mess if attempted by an uncreative soul such as myself. The interesting part about visiting any craft fair is finding what appeals to you. I loved the landscapes, made with stitching fabrics and embelished with perfectly placed buttons. The colours were gorgeous and they were very reasonably priced at £40-£60, considering the skill and time taken to produce them. I also admired a small stitched picture, fabulous colours, purples and silvers that worked really well. It was an illustration of the night sky, but at over £100 a bit of a budget buster! I also had no clear vision of where they would go in our house and we still have pictures we haven't hung since we moved a couple of years ago. Much as I admired them, my purse stayed firmly in my bag. The natural leaf print scarfs and cushions were interesting but didn't tempt me. When I visit these places I always wish I knew more about textiles. Lessons at school were restricted to the practical rather than the artistic. In year 9 we were tasked with 'making a skirt'. Unfortunately, my mother decided to purchase a piece of pale yellow crimplene, complete with embossed pattern. My teacher was bewildered. At the end of a year of Tuesday afternoons I was still resewing the side seams... At a time when dark blues, greens and blacks were fashionable there was no way I was ever going to produce a finished item in case I was expected to wear it!
We did buy a set of lights, designed to look like seedheads, with a view to enhancing the utilitarian fanlight above the front door. I was a bit dubious, as they are battery powered, and in my experience batteries run out and need replacing, but I was assured that these new led lights take the minimum of electricity, and I believed the salespeople...Time will tell if I have been rational or gullible. I also purchased a small before-Christmas present and a birthday present.
Meanwhile, my husband was back home supervising the installation of hedgehogs into gutters. Anyone living close to trees will understand the importance of these items. Yes, it has taken us two years, and an annoying drip by the front door, to get round to putting them in place.
My penance for a grand day out - attempting to write a rational article for the church news sheet.
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