CDFAS VISITS

June 2008

LINCOLN

September 2008

 MOORISH SPAIN

SALTAIRE – THE LEGACY OF TITUS SALT – JUNE 2006
Saltaire stands today as a memorial to Titus Salt and his visionary development of a large industrial site – the Salt Mill – and a modern village of good clean houses next to it.  All this was constructed on a green field site in the valley of the River Aire about 4 miles outside Bradford and adjacent to canal and railway.  The mill was opened in 1853 and the village was largely completed in 1871.  Prior to moving to Saltaire Titus Salt had been very successful with his mills in Bradford where he had pioneered the development of worsted fabric and another yarn from a combination of alpaca and wool.  However he hated the squalor of Bradford and determined to have a fresh start at Saltaire.  Here he provided his workforce with model housing according to their status in the mill.  This was of a high standard in its day.  He provided a hospital, school, churches, an institute and library, a canteen connected to the mill by an underground tunnel, almshouses, public bath and washhouse, but no public houses (he was a devout Congregationalist).  Cleanliness and order were vitally important to him, and there was a strong element of supervision of all activities (not by any means always popular).

 Saltaire is now a World Heritage Site and the mill has a permanent exhibition of the art of David Hockney as well as excellent restaurants and shopping outlets.  Those of us who went on the recent NADFAS visit can recommend it as a must if you have an interest in Industrial and Social History.  And if like us you have Maria Gat as your guide, then you are assured of a most informative, amusing and entertaining day.                                                                                          GEOFFREY WILLIS

TOUR OF CAMBRIDGE REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2006
 
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On the way to Cambridge, Ely was our first stop, where our very able Blue Badge Guide, Mary Bligh took us round this stunning  cathedral.  The sculpture, ceilings and the octagon tower were incredible. We then visited Cromwell’s house, viewing a short video about the draining of the fens. As one of my ancestors had been involved in this I found it fascinating.   We then set off for Cambridge, and to Clare College, where we were to spend the next three nights in student accommodation.  The rooms were fine, comfortable beds and en-suite facilities.  Last time I stayed in a university it was down the corridor with shared showers.  

We met at 7.00 pm for champagne and canapés in the Fellows Garden,  looking very colourful with hot reds yellows and oranges, even at this time of year. The walk from our rooms to the College was one of the highlights of the trip, crossing the ancient Clare Bridge, with superb views down the river Cam. 

We dined in the panelled college hall, with portraits of former masters around the walls, Latimer included.  Derek was brave enough to give us the Clare grace in Latin before we began our enjoyable meal  ‘and so to bed’

Day 2.  We breakfasted in the College Buttery, before meeting Mary again for a tour of some of the Colleges. We started at King’s and having heard a little of the history and seen the buildings, we went on to another highlight of the tour:  King’s College Chapel.   I had visited 2 or 3 times for services in the past, but the place still made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.   Our guide was wonderful and showed us many special features. The roof is amazing, and I could have stayed there all day gazing at the place.  I hadn’t realised before, that all the fantastic windows in the nave are the original windows. Apparently during the war the windows were removed and stored for safety in some cellars.    Before replacing them, they had been cleaned and repaired, so that they will be fine for another 200-300 years.  The final joy to me was the altar picture of the “Adoration of the Magi” by Rubens. Another highlight.

Our next visit was to Trinity, the wealthiest College in Cambridge. One enters through a splendid gate with a statue of Henry 8^th above. His sceptre was replaced many years ago by a chair leg as an undergraduate prank. Isaac Newton studied here and there is an apple tree outside his study window, supposedly seeded from the original tree. Thackeray lived on the same staircase 150years later.  Entering the Chapel, it was very sad to see the waste of educated life, youth decimated by the 2 World wars, whose names were listed there. The highlight in Trinity was the Wren library; architecturally a gem and the contents wonderful. There was an 8^th century copy of the Epistles of St. Paul, an original Shakespeare  text and Tennyson’s original writing of the poem “Maud”, A.A.Milne’s  original manuscript of “Winnie the Pooh”, and many others.       

After a snack lunch we met up again at Queen’s College. The old Court dating back to 1449 was a delight of almost untouched mediaeval brickwork.  Again there were wonderful buildings, and the Mathematical Bridge. So called because the original was supposed not to have a screw or bolt in it.  This was never true, but it was a nice bridge anyway. 

We moved on to Pembroke which is the third oldest College in Cambridge.  Here there were beautiful gardens and a Wren Baroque Chapel, his first completed building. He got the job through his uncle (bit of nepotism here) who was the Bishop of Ely at the time. He had been in the Tower during the Commonwealth for not supporting Cromwell and had vowed to build a Chapel on his release. It was the first College to have its own Chapel. A highlight here was that the organ was playing.   

We finished about 4.00 pm and our feet were telling us to rest!  We were slightly dazed with the wonder of it all.  Derek had the wonderful idea of punting and had arranged for us to go up the river.  Fantastic, what a lovely way to finish the tour, looking at the Colleges from the river, and just to glide along. 

We dined at No 1 King Street, where we ate in the cellar. There was jazz upstairs, but we were all chattering so much that we couldn’t hear very much. The group seemed to get on very well, and getting to know one another was part of the pleasure of the trip.  

Day 3.  The morning was free, and everyone did different things.  We took the opportunity to visit John’s College, Emmanuel, and again found an organist practicing, which was lovely. We all met for lunch at the Fitzwilliam Museum, then the 2 guides took us round the Museum which is too big to see all at one visit, but we saw some exquisite examples of porcelain, and silverware and pictures. We also visited the restoration unit and the famous vase.  There was a video showing it being restored and then there was the completed vase.  Apart from one or two small cracks it looked perfect, a wonderful job. Some of the group then followed Derek back to look at some of the newer buildings in the city.

We had an early start to the evening to go to St. John’s College. Jennie gave us a brief but interesting trip around the college including the Bridge of Sighs, before going into the College for drinks and canapés. A glorious evening, sun shining as it had throughout the whole trip. We then sat down in the music room for a wonderful concert. Another highlight. Classico Latino was to play for us. This trio was Jennie’s daughter Lizzie, a violinist, and her two companions on the piano and the cello. It was a great delight to hear and see these young, very talented musicians so enjoying their music. Their gift of music lifted us away from the ordinary into higher realms.  We were very moved by the Columbian pianist’s story of how his uncle, a priest had been murdered by the Mafia in Columbia, and how he had written a piece of music which the group then played at a memorial service. It was a lovely piece of music. After this superb concert the group joined us for dinner at an interesting converted Church. 

Day 4.   We packed up and left for Wimpole Hall, a National Trust Hall, south of Cambridge.   It had belonged to the daughter of Rudyard Kipling. We had a tour of the house and then had time to walk around the gardens and to have lunch.  It was a very interesting Hall, but for me the walled kitchen garden was the best bit. It was time to go home. I think most people had a nap on the way back.    It had been a wonderful trip.   We had done so much and enjoyed everything.  The organisation was excellent, everything worked really well. We are very grateful to Jennie and to Derek for the hard work they must have put in to make it work so well.                                                    PAM BOOTH   

WESTON PARK MUSEUM   15th November 2006
 
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We indeed found Sheffield re-born in memories of the past, conjured up by well arranged ‘walk in and be there’ exhibits of the butchers shop, Park Hill flats. The Chartists, early Union Rallies and gas masks were there and some of the collection of stuffed animals including a vast hairy rhino making us feel Neolithic and the bear and lion remembered by many. The interactive displays and many corners where children could draw or dress up made the day fun and instructive and definitely somewhere to take the grandchildren.

There were good facilities around the museum and an excellent cafeteria and shop. However the lack of parking near the museum created difficulties for some who did not take the coach laid on for our well arranged day.                                                                                              
Angela Kellie

PALACES OF ST PETERSBURG
30 APRIL  - 4 MAY 2007 

Thanks to the excellent pre-trip organisation by Jean Monks and Heritage Group Travel, followed by the enthusiasm and knowledge of our superlative guide, Elena Jablochkina, together with her ability to herd us successfully, this visit to St Petersburg by the 25-strong group of CADFAS members was a great success. 

After our two minibuses converged at Manchester Airport, we had routine flights, via Frankfurt, to St Petersburg.  Here we were met not only by Elena but also by cold weather with recent snow still evident, a great contrast to the mild and sunny April we had enjoyed at home.  Elena’s very full commentaries began on the coach journey to our centrally located ‘Novotel’.  The marked contrast between, on the one hand, the buildings and monuments in the post-war suburbs on the route from the airport to the City, earlier seen in sombre view from the air, and, on the other, the architecture of the 18^th and 19^th century city centre, a World Heritage Site, was very striking.  Peter the Great’s legendary capital was inspired by European capitals and built by the finest architects and craftsmen from those cities, and retains much original splendour.  At the hotel, which proved adequate in all respects, we were welcomed with our only set-piece evening meal – and fairly expensive wine.  ‘Russian salad’, to become familiar on subsequent menus, made its first appearance!  A nearby hotel in the impressive boulevard, Nevsky Prospect, served as a source of local currency.

The following day, owing to the imminent May Day parade, our morning and afternoon schedules were reversed in order to avoid the anticipated large crowds that were already gathering in the main streets of the city.  Our always punctual and skilful coach driver, Alexander, drove us along the militia-lined streets to the Neva River.  Our first chilly stop was on the quay where stood two distinctive red decorated lighthouses, and from where we had good views over to Peter & Paul Fortress and back to the Winter Palace which houses the Hermitage Museum.  Some of the party here took the opportunity to buy warm fur hats from the opportunistic street traders.  Back on the coach with a blue sky and sunshine to light up the plentiful gold leaf spires, pinnacles and domes, we headed out of town to Peterhof on the Gulf of Finland, 19km away.  En route, Elena was able to continue her orientation and point out many special buildings and statues, with information on their architects, past and present uses etc.  Also, we were forcefully reminded of the 900-day siege the city endured and withstood during World War I.  This has been described as the second most lethal battle in world history.  As the predicted snow did not materialise, at Peterhof, modelled on Versailles, we were able to wander in spring sunshine and enjoy the formal gardens, although unfortunately, owing to the low temperatures and refurbishment, the fountains promised as ‘notable for their sense of playfulness and informality’ had not yet been set playing.  Here, we experienced the first of several tours of opulent palaces where the impressive collections of art and treasures are housed in immense rooms decorated with stunning chandeliers, gilded wood carvings, painted ceilings, inlaid parquet floors of precious woods, mirrors, porcelain and pictures.

After a pre-arranged lunch, we returned to the coach for the return trip from which we were able to enjoy the more intimate local scenery with rather quaint wooden dachas scattered amongst the woodland.

Wednesday was devoted to the famous Hermitage collection.  Thanks to expert planning by Elena, without which one could be totally overwhelmed, a varied selective viewing enabled us to appreciate some of the most important exhibits.  Elena’s ‘herding’ marginally failed at one point and two members enjoyed Renaissance works of art instead of those by Impressionists and Moderns!  However, the rather small kiosk serving lunch proved a successful rendezvous!  By mid-afternoon and possibly saturation point for some, we were able to rest and view the city from the cabin of a boat cruising along the canals.  Although, unfortunately by then, steady cold rain had set in, some stalwarts braved the deck while others cowered below.  Back at the coach, Alexander impressed us all with magnificent escapology from the crowded bus park.  This full day was completed by a last minute arrangement to go to a show of lively folk dancing and music enlivened by amazing changes of costume and skills.

On Thursday we were driven south of the City to ‘Pushkin’/Tsarkoye Selo.  The highly ornate blue and white restored palace, a favourite summer residence of Catherine the Great, was looted during German occupation (1941-44).  A highlight amongst the overwhelming splendour we had come to expect was the unique Amber Room which had recently been restored to its former glory.  Another impressive feature in most rooms were the towering blue tiled stoves.  We learnt that this palace had been redesigned for the Empress Elizabeth and then undergone further modification by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron, who also was responsible for changes at Pavlovsk nearby, our next port of call.  Walking to and from the coach gave us the chance to enjoy some exercise in the mainly formal parks.

Again, lunch had been arranged for the group, this time in the rustic Podvorye Restaurant (which apparently President Putin likes to visit).  Here we were not only served with an enjoyable Russian menu, enhanced by the included bottles of vodka, but also we were splendidly entertained by folk music and dancing, so that we all left feeling very happy, several having purchased small folk musical instruments.  Appropriately, for its location, the garden attached to the restaurant, included flowering plants of the spring bulb Puschkinia Scilloides.  However, this is named after a Russian botanist and not the local hero!

On Friday, the day of our departure, a visit to The Russian Museum had been arranged.  This today is a unique depository of artistic treasures, a famous restoration centre and an authoritative institute of academic research.  We were lucky enough to have as our guide Sergei, husband of Elena, who is an art critic.  Time allowed viewing of only a small selection of art, starting with examples of some of the earliest Russian icons, and then others representing the development of Russian painting.  With such an overwhelming choice, we were fortunate to have such an expert to pinpoint and explain a suitable representation.

The city is very well endowed with highly decorated cathedrals and churches, many of which were simply glimpsed from the coach down canal and street vistas.  However, we specifically visited three:  the Peter & Paul Cathedral, burial site of the Tsars, where we were treated to a moving short recital of Russian Orthodox male-voice singing;  the Transfiguration Cathedral impressively surrounded by railings of chains and cannons, the two-headed eagles of which were in the process of being re-gilded; and the Church on Spilled Blood, built on the site of the assassination of Alexander II with its magnificent Art Nouveau iron railings.

For evening entertainment, different combinations of the party went to a musical performance at the fabulous Marinsky Theatre, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the Hermitage Theatre, and Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet at the Maly Theatre, all much enjoyed, especially as all transport was smoothly catered for.  Other small parties ventured out on spare evenings to sample local restaurants, apparently to the satisfaction of most.

After an uneventful journey home, we all felt that we had experienced a full, varied and enjoyable few days, but perhaps were left pondering at the extremes that Russia had experienced in such a recent period of history.
DAVID & DIANA LEWIS

RENISHAW HALL    WEDNESDAY 6^TH JUNE 2007

What an excellent day we had at Renishaw Hall!  Following coffee we were greeted at the main entrance by our two guides, and escorted around a house, built in 1625, crammed full with objects, some precious, some unusual, from ancient decorated beer barrels to vastly valuable vases, Italian furniture, and paintings by the likes of John Piper and Sargent.  An amazing treasure trove amassed by the Sitwell family.

After a pleasant lunch in the courtyard restaurant we were encouraged to wander at will through the beautiful Italianate gardens, which were closed to the public that day.  Some walked around the lake and gardens, admiring the outstanding views, whilst others absorbed the ambiance from expediently placed benches.   The weather was perfect, the roses in bloom, and the gardeners beavered away in the background.  And we had it all to ourselves.

Then on to the courtyard buildings which held our attention with craft workshops, a museum of unusual wartime memorabilia, a gallery containing works of the Piper family, and a much needed cup of tea.

A very happy NADFAS group boarded the bus for home.  Thank you Jean for organising such a brilliant day.
JAN HARDY

VISIT TO CALKE ABBEY – 19 September 2007
Calke Abbey can be something of a surprise for the first-time visitor, being maintained by the National Trust in a state of benign neglect.  The house was built on the site of an Augustinian 12thC priory and acquired in 1622 by the Harpur-Crewes, who remained there until the 1980’s when the house was offered to the Trust to offset death duties and debt.

The building has a mixture of architectural styles.  None of the 12thC building has survived, the earliest masonry belongs to the Elizabethan courtyard house which replaced the original priory.  In the early 17thC that house was transformed by Sir John Harpur, 4th Baronet, into a grand baroque mansion.  Almost 100 years later it was re-arranged by Sir Henry, 7th Baronet producing the neo-classical look which can be seen today.

The Trust has maintained the house in an almost ‘as found’ condition to illustrate a country house in decline.  The Inner Hall contains a dozen or so animal heads, in various stages of repair and huge numbers of cases of stuffed birds – but representing only half of the original collection of birds, the rest having been sold.  Up the Principal Stairs are the Dining and Breakfast rooms, which have painted walls, faux-marble neo-classical columns, and a number of fine pictures, including four Neapolitan views by Ricciardelli.  The Saloon is a grand two-storey room, originally designed as the Entrance Hall during the house’s baroque period.  It contains some attractive wooden cabinets and tables, largely obscured by boxes and trays of collected items – fossils, minerals, shells etc, and still more birds.  Off the Saloon is a smaller room, crammed with fine chairs and other furniture, some upholstered in gold leaf fabric.

The servants’ staircase leading to the second floor has walls painted yellow with a urine-based wash.  The rooms here which would have delighted Mervyn Peake once provided living and sleeping accommodation, but now serve as storage for boxes, chairs, tables, cabinets, a ‘fully working’ earth closet, and everywhere, stuffed birds, the product of generations of energetic collection.

Back downstairs to perhaps the most spectacular and pristine object at Calke, the 18thC State Bed – a wedding gift from the royal family in 1734, but left packed in its boxes until 1984.  The silk hangings are exquisite, still full of their original strong colours, and embroidered with oriental figures, birds and flowers.  Downstairs again and through the long tunnel to the huge kitchen and the Brewery – both housed some distance away from the main building, in order to minimise smells.

Outside, normality returns, the park and garden are in perfect order.  The landscape is complemented by a grotto, ice house and the family church of St Giles, Gothic in style, small and neat.

Calke abbey is an intriguing mix of contradictions, but provides a marvellous insight into the development of house styles and into the collecting habits of the Harpur-Crewes, a family with more than its fair share of compulsive obessives.

Many thanks to Jean Monks for identifying and organising such a fascinating day out.

 Derek Lee

VISIT TO SOUTHWELL MINSTER, WINKBURN HALL AND THORESBY PARK
2 October 2007 

It was a glorious autumn day and we made good time to Southwell, where we met our favourite guide and raconteur David Bostwick, whose knowledge of wood and plasterwork and carving through the middle ages up to the 18thC  is amazing.Southwell Minster is one of those gems on our doorstep that we don’t visit often enough.  The history goes back to AD43 and the Romans, however Paulinus – missionary archbishop of York founded the first church in 627.  The present cathedral was started by the Normans in 1108.  The Quire is 11thC  and the Chapter House is 1286.  The Minster suffered less than others in the Reformation but during the Civil war the Archbishop’s Palace was destroyed by Cromwell’s troops and other damage was caused when their horses were stabled in the Minster itself.  Further damage by lightening in 1711 destroyed the roof, bells, organ and clock tower.  Between 1850 and 1888 the Minster was refurbished and restored by Edwin Christian, a great architect.  It was then made the Cathedral of the newly formed Southwell Diocese and moved from the Archbishopric of York.  The first Bishop of Southwell Dr George Ridding gave the coat of arms now known as the Diocesan coat of arms and then the diocese was divided in 1927 when the diocese of Derby was formed. 

The building is stunning and one could spend two days there studying its wood carving, stone work and treasures.  Members from Hope Valley were delighted that their ex vicar of Hope, Garth Turner, and his wife Marguerite joined them for coffee. 

The group had great fun with David’s interpretation of all the leaves, faces and symbols both externally and internally.  He is a mine of amusing information and we all learned something new. 

On arrival at the next stop – Winkburn Hall, 8 miles west of Newark, the owner Richard Craven-Smith-Milnes DL and his wife Jane provided a home-prepared sandwich lunch in their large kitchen surrounded by aged Labradors.  This is the quintessential English Country house dating back to the 12thC but the present house, is 1695 by William Smith of Warwick and had pleasure gardens by Nesfield.  The present owner’s father (a descendant of the Pegge Burnell family, original owners) sold the house and most of its contents in 1934 because of crippling death duties, and headed for Australia but the present owner and his Australian wife bought back the house in 1980 in a derelict condition and started to try and renovate it.  Mrs Smith Milnes, with no previous experience, decided to renovate all the striking plaster ceilings, cornices and friezes in the house. She made her own moulds and using scaffolding has painstakingly restored nearly every major room in the house and then painted and gilded the new plaster work just as it was in the 18thC.  There are various web sites relating to Winkburn, which has a fascinating history, and it should also be noted that the present owner started the ‘Country Victualler’ a superb farm shop curing and selling the amazing Alderton Hams which Rick Stein raved about in 2005.

Thoresby Park (not to be confused with Thoresby Hall, which is now a hotel) is a newly built Palladian Villa in the grounds of the estate, built by Hugh Matheson, direct descendent of the Pierreponts of Thoresby and Chairman of the East Midlands branch of the National Trust and now on the NT Executive.  Hugh and his Indian wife Ranji started building Thoresby Park in 2000 after visiting Italy and falling in love with Palladian villas and knowing this would be the architectural space to display the Pierrepoint valuables which are in store in Spencer House, London.  Hugh is a farmer, businessman, runs an estate management company and a boat race sports rights company, and does a lot of rowing commentary on Eurosport.  He became a builder, and is now working hands on at Thoresby with his Polish carpenter.  Sadly, in designing his new Palladian villa Hugh forgot about the correct way to put in a staircase.  ‘Upstairs’ in Palladian Villas was where the grain was stored and staircases were of no importance, the result being that they have a too small space for the staircase and it looks rather strange amidst the grand openness of the rest of the house.  Hugh is not sure how long it will take to finish the other grand reception rooms – his vast library collection is still housed in Spencer House.

On leaving, we reflected that the bottom line for both of these houses was MONEY and how to get it in this country of ours that does not value its heritage enough.  Hats off to these dedicated owners prepared to use their life savings and time to preserve their heritage for future generations, all without government grant or aid.

 We all had a great day and thank Jean Monks for organising this, and of course David Bostwick for his insight at all levels.

We can’t wait for the next outing and the next surprises so near home that he will introduce us to.

 JENNIE BALL

THE LOWRY & IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM  Salford Quays – 6 December 2007

The welcoming coffee and pastries were much appreciated on our arrival at The Lowry before we set off on our tour – and what a very different and unusual building The Lowry turned out to be.  The orange carpets, yellow and purple walls, the vivid green staircase all sound pretty dreadful but here all the different colours put together seemed to work and were one of the many surprising features of the place.  Our enthusiastic young guide related the history of Salford docks and how The Lowry was commissioned and built on the site.  We were shown a scale model of the building and told that it was designed to resemble a ship (I think a good imagination is needed here!)

Before seeing a 20-minute film on the very complex life of L.S. Lowry we visited a photographic exhibition entitled ‘A Photographic Retrospective 1943-2007’ showing the work of Salford-born Harold Riley, a great friend of Lowry who shared his passion for capturing the street scenes of his home town.

The works of Lowry on display were superb and ranged from black and white sketches made at Art School, to industrial scenes of the 1930’s to the 1950’s, to landscapes and seascapes to self portraits.  It was good to see the originals of some of the paintings we had been shown on slides at Michael Howard’s excellent lecture a couple of weeks earlier.

After lunch in The Lowry Café we crossed the canal to The Imperial War Museum North.  Whilst walking towards the Museum, the harsh bleak appearance of the building gave us a sense of the realities of war before we even went inside.  A guide gave us an interesting talk and then left us to wander round the museum at leisure.  We watched the Big Picture Show – 360 degree show , saw ‘The Animals at War Exhibition’ in the Special Exhibitions Gallery, which was so interesting and moving.

So, a rainy, dark, miserable day in December was made very enjoyable by the outing to The Lowry.  Very many thanks to Jean Monks for organising the day.  All the hard work and effort which must have gone into organising this trip were very worthwhile.
Barbara Hudson

Visits contact is Jean Monks tel 01433 650300   mobile 07860 330008   Email jean.monks@btinternet.com