Four Parishes Arts Society - September 2009

Visit to ‘Arundells’, 21st July

Despite the rather unpleasant weather, twenty-eight members of the Society enjoyed a fascinating visit to the home of the late Sir Edward Heath in Salisbury Cathedral Close.

The contents of the house reflect Sir Edward’s many active interests and his deep involvement in and love of music, collecting pictures and other objets d’art, and sailing, especially ocean racing.  Among the many paintings on view are works by such artists are Sickert, John Singer Sargent, John Nash, Jacob Epstein, Augustus John, Lowry and Sir Winston Churchill.

The entrance hall contains displays of his sailing memorabilia, with many fine marine paintings, including those of all five of Sir Edward’s ‘Morning Cloud’ yachts, together with shipbuilders’ models of those yachts.

The drawing room contains Sir Edward’s Steinway Grand piano and a collection of photographs of public figures associated with his life, from musicians to royalty, and from politicians to clergy, as well as a bronze depiction of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill by Oscar Nemon and a bronze bust of Sir Edward by Martin Jennings.

The library is the most personal room, housing Sir Edward’s collection of music, art and music books and works by Japanese artists, and a clavicord by Alan Grove, together with the framed Charter and Garter presented to him, as a Knight of the Garter, by the Queen in 1992. 

 “A Calendar of Hampshire Wildlife” - talk by Dennis Bright, 11^th August

Dennis held the audience enthralled with his outstanding coloured photographs of birds, some taken so close up he could put his hand out and touch them.  There was a plethora of photos of birds - the very unusual black and white pie blackbird, kingfishers exploding out of the water, a cuckoo sitting on a branch showing off his lovely plumage and long tail and a robin feeding another cuckoo!   Photo followed photo of bull finches, hedge sparrows, nut hatches, a long tail tit sitting in a nest with his long tail sticking straight up, buzzards, bitterns, a night heron, woodpeckers. Dennis explained some photos had taken hours of patience to get and each photo was always shown against an interesting and often unusual background.  To every photo he had an interesting tale to tell.

Future Events

Tuesday 8^th September, Grateley Hall, Jim McDonald: “Growing Sweet Peas for Exhibition and Pleasure”