24 March 2009

Interesting footnote to our 40th Anniversary event last year

There was an article in The Times on 24 March which revealed that the James Bute scrimshaw (carving on a whale's tooth) that Jon Baddeley first saw at our antiques event in Exmouth last year, when it was brought in by a member, is to be auctioned at Bonhams and is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000. The piece was carved during the famous voyage of HMS Beagle to the Galapagos with Charles Darwin on board and is one of only four examples of Bute's work in existence. It would be fitting for this to be a record sale price for such an item in the year that we celebrate not only the bicentenery of Darwin's birth but also 150 years since the historic voyage of the Beagle.

7 March 2009

South West Area Spring Meeting at Fingle Glen

Presentation of a Leach Pottery Bowl to the retiring chairman, Angela Gilbert by her successor, Michael Jeans-Jakobsson,
on behalf of the South West Area. The NADFAS Chairman Designate, Gri Harrison looks on from the left.

17 October 2008

Visit to Greenway House

22 members of the area consisting mainly of Society Chairmen & Heritage Volunteer Representatives enjoyed a day looking inside the restored house (with hard hats on!) and also the conservation work on the artefacts being undertaken by volunteers inside the portacabin. Some societies were hopefully inspired to start their own heritage volunteer programme in their own area and local societies to offer volunteers to Greenway in the future.

A "gaggle" of Nadfas SW Area Society Chairmen were invited to a special garden party at Cothay Manor near Wellington in Somerset on the 17th July.  This was being filmed as part of a new channel 4 documentary called "Country House Rescue" which will follow the fortunes of stately British homes as the owners seek to diversify and raise the revenue they need to survive the 21st century. Apart from potential tours from Nadfas groups, it is expected that local societies will arrange study days there and also encourage potential heritage volunteer projects.

Pictured as well as two actresses in costume were from second left: Mrs Shirley Purves, Chairman of Sidmouth DFAS; Mrs Angela Gilbert, Nadfas SW Area Chairman, Mrs Sue Herniman, Chairman of Tiverton DFAS, Mrs Monica Collinson, Mr Alan Collinson, Chairman of North Somerset DFAS, Patricia Davies-Gilbert, Neroche DFAS member and heritage volunteer, also Somerset Gardens Scheme; Mrs Caroyn Davies, Chairman of Exe DFAS

NB Please note Carolyn's discarded hat on the dog statue!

The documentary series is set to be shown on TV late this autumn (probably October) on Sunday evenings, where you may well see some of the above!

June 2008

Area Tour to Derbyshire
This followed on from an Area Study Day on the "Cavendishes of Chatsworth & Hardwick"

Thirty five members, spread from as far afield as Falmouth in the West and and Bude in the North, all from the South West area enjoyed five days in Derbyshire visiting the contrasting properties of Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, Eyam Hall, Hardwick Hall and Shugborough on the way home. The scenery was spectacular, and the Blue Guide even showed everyone where to buy the original Bakewell puddings in Bakewell!

Chatsworth

Chatsworth

Lady with the veil

Haddon Hall

Nadfas SW Area Group at Haddon Hall

C15 Fresco of St Nicholas calming the storm (chapel)

Haddon Hall Garden outside the Long Gallery

Eyam Hall & Hardwick Hall

Eyam Hall Knot Garden

Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall herb garden

May 2008

Nadfas South West Area Event

An exciting event to mark the 40th Anniversary of Nadfas 2008 was organised. It was  held on May Day (May 1st) 2008 at Exmouth Pavilion. 300 Nadfas members, friends and non members attended for a morning of Antiques Evaluation with Lars Tharp and Jon Baddeley from the BBC Antiques Roadshow, together with Gale Glynn, an English heraldic silver expert, also Tim Kent, a well known author on silver and four experts from Bearne's, being Richard Bearne, Martin Scadgell, Andrew Thomas and Diana Wilkinson. 

Evaluations took place in the morning

Martin Scadgell, Bearne's Picture Expert giving an appraisal

Gale Glynn, Silver Expert with Tim Kent (right) examining a piece of silver brought in

Christopher Lloyd, Nadfas President,  gave an opinion on one picture brought in showing Hampton Court.

Lars Tharp examining a Chinese Decorated Bowl made in Japan

Diana Wilkinson of  Bearne's (on the right) giving advice on pieces of jewellery brought in

The event was opened by Christopher Lloyd, CVO, the President of Nadfas, an expert who was Assistant Keeper (Department of Western Art) at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, and Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures from 1988 until 2005.

He also cut the Celebration Cake, which was made by students from South Devon College, Paignton as part of their Patisserie Course, with the help of tutor, chef Carol Schnegg.

The Anniversary Cake

A Medley Study afternoon  followed the buffet lunch, the experts wandering around the tables of attendees and talking about some exciting objects of interest that had been brought in. Lars Tharp found an early Tureen from the Bow factory, while Jon Baddeley found the only example of Scrimshaw from the second voyage of Darwin's Beagle.

The Study Afternoon

The Study Afternoon was enjoyed by all!

Gale Glynn gave an interesting talk

Lars Tharp kept his audience interested and amused

Gale Glynn, Silver Expert; Jon Baddeley, Collectables Expert; Angela Gilbert, SW Area Chairman; Diana Wilkinson, Bearne's; Tim Kent, Silver Expert

The Pavilion Foyer

Church Recording boards with a church record displayed

Society Information and Young Arts Boards with Michael Jeans-Jakobsson, SW Area Vice-Chairman

                South West Area Projects

The foyer was transformed with boards representing all the Volunteer activities within the area and also a Societies Board, for the benefit of members and non members. The latter were given a pack with information about Nadfas, a current copy of the Review and Volunteering supplement. It is hoped that many of the thirty non members will have decided to join.

The surplus  from the event supported art work for the new guide book at the restored Leach Pottery (see below) at St. Ives in Cornwall.  

January 2008

Nadfas South West Area Project supports Refurbished Leach Pottery at St Ives, Cornwall

A cheque for £1,000 was presented on behalf of Nadfas and Nadfas South West Area by Mrs Angela Gilbert, Nadfas SW Area Chairman to the Leach Pottery to support art work for a new guide book. The pottery is to re-open in March after major refurbishment.

£500 from the South West Area (underwritten by Nadfas) was raised from profits from the 40th Anniversary Antiques event on May 1st.

Jack Doherty has been appointed as the Potter in Residence, and has been preparing the porcelain clay for throwing pots ready for the re-opening of the Pottery. He was persuaded to throw the historic first pot on 22 January 2008, after a thirty year gap in the Pottery's production. 

Jack Doherty throws the first pot

The pot starts to take shape

Ready for firing in the new kiln

Part of The Old Leach Pottery buildings

The new buildings blend in well with the old

Jack Doherty accepting the cheque in front of the old kilns from Mrs Angela Gilbert, SW Area Chairman