There was a real buzz as members and guests of the Arts Society Wokingham gathered at Moor Close, Newbold College on a hot and sunny August afternoon.
Some opted to start with refreshments including a wide selection of delicious homemade cakes (baked by ladies of the Committee).
Another group set off on a tour of the grounds led by Elena. She explained that the gardens were designed by Oliver Hill in 1910 before the site was purchased by the College in 1945.
They are currently in need of some renovation but as the group walked around they could see that Hill’s original concept included magnificent terraces, circular brickwork steps, pergolas, staircases, balustrades and lily ponds.
Hopefully, the College will secure the necessary funding for the renovation that these gardens so richly deserve.
Members and guests were reluctant to leave at the end of the afternoon but they all agreed that the Society should make this an annual event.
A few days later the Society held another successful event: a study day featuring Andy McConnell talking about the history of glass making.
Andy, a presenter on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ was originally due to talk to members in 2020 but due to the pandemic, the Study Day had been postponed.
Despite the delay, he did not disappoint.
He had the audience in laughter at his many anecdotes before settling down to the serious stuff of how glass is made.
He made his audience stop and consider what becomes possible with glass, everything from having natural light in our homes, being able to see properly by wearing glasses through to the wonders of fibre optics.
He then took them through the history of decorative glass explaining the various techniques for shaping and decorating glass and the effect that social etiquette and fashion had on their design.
As much as the Society’s study days are about learning about a topic in more depth, they are also about the social breaks in between.
The Wokingham Theatre foyer provided a great space where members were able to chat over morning coffee and the delicious sandwich lunch.
In the afternoon, Andy talked about each of the pieces of glass brought along by members. The most interesting were those with a background story like the iridescent glass vase called carnival glass as it was often a prize at American fairgrounds, the celery vase named as a utility item to avoid tax and the glass bottle with a marble in the neck invented by Codds of Camberwell for carbonated drinks.
The day was perfectly summed up when Andy was thanked for giving members the best Wednesday we had all had in ages … which surprisingly left him briefly speechless.
Next season, the Society has a varied programmes of monthly talks, visits and study days planned. Why not come and learn about putting on a play from an actor’s perspective, hear Marc Alum’s fascinating tales of his life as an auctioneer, appreciate Sorolla’s paintings (full of life and colour), study the detail of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ and enjoy the beauty of ancient Palmyra: the ‘Bride of the Desert’?
The first lecture on 19th September at 7.45pm not only unravels the meaning of the fifteenth century Ghent Altarpiece but explores its later history, including its finding by the Monument Men in 1945.
For further details please visit the Society’s website, www.The ArtsSocietyWokingham.org.uk
Sue Bryant
