Newsletter No 79 March 2008

 

 

We’re pleased to report that we have the following new members to welcome to the Society:  Sandy Lawrence, Mike and Dawn Pearce, Michael and Jana Ferguson and Amanda Rose.    We look forward to seeing you at forthcoming events and please make yourselves known to the Chairman or members of the committee.

 

Annual Subscriptions

 

Annual subscriptions are due on 1 April 2008.  There is no change in the cost of this for 2008/09:  £7.00 (individual)  £10 (double) and there is a form at the end of this Newsletter to enable members to renew.

 

Your committee needs the help of the members of the Society.  There are various ways in which you may be able to help.  These are listed on the subscription renewal form and we would be very grateful if members would be kind enough to tick any way in which they may be able to help. 

 

1.  We urgently need members to volunteer if they are able to help with catering for our parties.  We have a faithful few who have worked wonders over many years, but the time has come when MORE HELP IS NEEDED.  You don’t have to be a cordon bleu cook.  If you are prepared to produce, say, a bowl of salad or potato salad or the like, or perhaps produce part of the main course or a dessert, you would be given a recipe.  Receipts should be kept for any purchases you have to make and the Society will reimburse you.

We need someone to help with the catering sub-committee.  This person doesn’t have to be a member of the committee, but someone who is prepared to help with our parties.

 

2.  Other ways of helping are:  donating a raffle prize;   being prepared to distribute leaflets, for example for the Christmas Shopping Day particularly in a road in the vicinity of Marble Hill House;  supplementing the permanent staff at Marble Hill House at week-ends (rather in the manner of National Trust properties) by giving 2 or 3 hours of your time.  Tim Beale, the Visitors’ Operations Manager at Marble Hill House would be pleased to make volunteers  familiar with this.  Volunteering to give an hour or so of your time to help on the Book Stall on Sunday 21 September during Open House weekend and/or  saving your paperback books for the sale.  We would also be delighted to hear from any members of the Society who have expertise in setting up/operating Websites.

 

3.  We are trying to build up a Marble Hill Society database but so far only have 19 email addresses.  We realise that not everyone has a computer, but we would appreciate email addresses from members who do.  We assure you that this database is only for use by the committee for Marble Hill Society matters and will not be passed on to anyone else.

The Marble Hill Society Programme 2008 - 9

 

Thursday 1 May Visit to Chiswick House Garden and guided tour by Martin Clayton (English Heritage) and Jeremy Ashbee, Historian and English Heritage Head Properties Curator.  Meet at the front of Chiswick House at 2.30 pm.  To apply for tickets please see the tear-off slip at the end of this Newsletter.

 

Sunday 15 June at 7.30 pm Summer Party.  The entertainment will be an illustrated talk by Jeremy Barlow about John Gay and “The Beggar’s Opera”.  www.jeremybarlow.co.uk   To apply for tickets please see the tear-off slip at the end of the Newsletter.

 

Saturday 20 September  Open House weekend

 

Sunday 21 September  Open House weekend and Marble Hill Society Book Sale

 

Monday 22 September  Marble Hill Society Annual General Meeting followed by  ‘Cheese and Wine’.

 

Sunday 2 November  Keith Hathaway will give a talk on 18th century tea drinking.  More details to be announced.

 

2009

 

Sunday 18 January  7.30 pm Winter Party.  Entertainment to be announced.

 

Wednesday 25 March evening.  18th century textiles and their conservation and restoration.  Alex Seth-Smith who works at the Textile Conservancy at Cranbrook in Kent has agreed to give us an illustrated talk.  She is a freelance conservationist who will restore the Northey Chair when there are funds.

 

Past Events

 

On Monday 12 November 2007 we had a very interesting talk with slides by Mark Edwards, a boatbuilder based in Richmond.  We heard a great deal about the history of the Thames and river boats.  I’ve always thought that travelling by river was preferable to travelling in a crowded commuter train, though not always practical.  When Mark spoke of years ago when one could go down to the river bank and hail a water boatman it had a certain air about it - much better than hailing a taxi!  Unfortunately Mark and his wife were unable to come to the Winter Party as they were away.

 

On Saturday 8 December 2007 Marble Hill House opened specially for a one-day Christmas Shopping Event.  The weather couldn’t have been worse - blowing a gale and pouring with rain.  Incredibly people came and the shop sold £731.11 worth of goods.  The Staff were delighted and want to hold it again this year.  Many thanks to all of you who distributed leaflets and to those of you who braved the weather and came along to buy.

 

On Sunday 13 January 2008 we held our Winter Party.  We had a full House and we all  enjoyed the musical entertainment by Lawrence and James, the two students from the Guildhall School of Music.  As always the buffet supper was delicious.  The committee only learned on the afternoon of the party that the boiler wasn’t working and we rallied round with electric heaters.  We can only apologise again for the lack of heat.  We were pleased to welcome as our guests Angela Kidner and her husband, Patrick, together with Paul Lamplugh.  Angela is the Projects Manager for the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames and gave us a very interesting talk after our AGM.  Paul Lamplugh, with his colleague Jenni Dunne, runs the not-for-profit Coach House Café in the Park.  Unfortunately Mark Edwards and his wife were not able to come to the party as they were away.

 

9 - 10 February 2008 -  English Heritage opened the doors of Marble Hill House to Richmond School of Art (part of Richmond Adult Community College) when nine students put on an Exhibition featuring their contemporary response to the House and its surroundings.  The Exhibition was entitled “In a Box” and the Society committee agreed with English Heritage to circulate it’s members with invitations to this event.  There was a good attendance on both days and it was good to have the house open ‘out of season’ and to see the enthusiasm of the students. 

 

On Monday 3 March 2008 Catherine Parry-Wingfield presented her talk entitled “The Art of Conversation”.  This was based on conversation pieces beginning with “The Judicious Lover,” a charming picture by Hubert Gravelot which hangs in the lobby to Miss Hotham’s Bedchamber in Marble Hill House.  Catherine gave us a most informative and interesting talk and made the marvellous array of pictures in her slides really come alive.

 

The Coach House Café  Your committee has agreed with Paul Lamplugh that it’s important for the Café to keep a strong link with the Society.  We also agreed to include a paragraph about this in our Newsletter.  The Café welcomes Members of the Society and Paul’s message is:  “Do come and visit us and bring your friends.”  They are open Wednesdays to Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10 am to 5.30 pm - closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

 

We hope you all had a happy Easter, in spite of the weather and we look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming events.  Please don’t forget to complete the list of ways to help the Society on the subscription renewal form.

 

30 March 2008

 

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Visit to Chiswick House Garden on Thursday 1 May at 2.30 pm

 

Guided tour of the garden with Martin Clayton and Jeremy Ashbee, Historian and English Heritage Head Properties Curator.  Meet at the front of Chiswick House.  The tour of the Garden should take between 1.5 - 2 hrs.  Details for parking and public transport will be sent with ticket.  Administration costs £3.00, please send cheque made out to The Marble Hill Society and self-addressed stamped envelope to Vicky Price, 27 Montpelier Row Twickenham TW1 2NQ.

 

Name....................................................................................................................................

 

Address................................................................................................................................

                       

The Marble Hill Society

 

Subscriptions for 2008/9 are due on 1 April 2008.  To renew your membership please send a cheque payable to The Marble Hill Society with a stamped addressed envelope for return to:  The Membership Secretary, 9 Bridge Road, Twickenham, TW1 1RE.

 

Annual subscription:  £7.00 (individual)      £10.00 (double)

 

Name.....................................................................................................................................

Address.................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................Postcode........................................

This information is held electronically and will not be disclosed outside the Society without permission.

 

PLEASE TICK IF YOU CAN HELP WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

 

 ☐        Help in catering for our parties

 

 ☐        Donating a raffle prize

 

 ☐        Help in selling raffle tickets

 

 ☐        Help with the bar at parties and other evenings

 

 ☐        Volunteering to give an hour or so of your time to help on the Book Stall 21.9.08

 

 ☐        Save your paperback books for the Book Stall

 

 ☐        Being a Room Steward at Marble Hill House for 2 - 3 hours at a weekend

 

 ☐        We would be delighted to hear from anyone with Website expertise

 

 ☐         Please note your email address here....................................................................

________________________________________________________________________

 

Summer Party

Sunday 15 June 2008 at 7.30 pm

 

Tickets at £15.00 each to include buffet supper and entertainment.  Finish at 10.00 pm.

 

Please send cheques payable to The Marble Hill Society with a stamped addressed envelope for the return of your tickets to:  Mrs Elizabeth Velluet, 9 Bridge Road, Twickenham TW1 1RE.

 

Name...............................................................................................................................

 

Address...........................................................................................................................

 

......................................................................................Postcode...................................

 

No. of tickets.............................