FAIRBRIDGE GARDEN & ARTS SOCIETYSupporting the Fairbridge Programme

of The Prince’s Trust

NEWSLETTER

www.fgas.uk.com

Issue No 84 Autumn 2018

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CONTENTS

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION 1

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN 2

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 3

DIARY DATES 6

Cover photograph: Stained glass window of Thomas Coram with foundlings in the porch of the Church St Michael the Archangel, Lyme Regis, Dorset.

Born in Lyme, he made a fortune as a sea captain and merchant before returning to London and, appalled at the destitution of children there,

gained a charter for the Foundling Hospital in 1739 – only after 17 years of petitioning. See page 4 for the FGAS visit to the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury

Printed by Hot off the Press, Fulham Broadway, London SW6 1BH, www.hotoff.co.uk

BECOME A MEMBER

Membership of Fairbridge Garden & Arts Society (FGAS) costs £25 per annum. Download a membership form from the website, www.fgas.uk.com, or ring or email the Membership Secretary Ruth Hayward on 020 8480 5060 or ruth.hayward1@gmail.com. Profits go to the Fairbridge Programme of The Prince’s Trust. The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales 1079675 and in Scotland SCO 411.

www.fgas.uk.com

As part of The Prince’s Trust, the Fairbridge Programme continues to help some of the country’s most marginalised

and disadvantaged young people to overcome their barriers and move forward towards education, employment or training.

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DEAR MEMBERS

Summer is here at last and how welcome it is! Everything in the garden is coming out at once, weeds are relentless, rosé is in the fridge and barbecue smoke fills the air – what a wonderful start and long may it continue.

Silver Jubilee Year: This is a very special year for FGAS. It is hard to believe it is 25 years since it was founded in the garden centre in Bishop’s Avenue. We will be celebrating this milestone on 3 July when we hold the summer party at All Saints vicarage (see below). Please do come along and celebrate with us. Bring friends and neighbours and help us raise lots of money for Fairbridge young people.

Visit to Chatham Centre: The young people that go through the Fairbridge Programme really do benefit from it in so many ways, as we found on a recent visit to the Chatham centre. A group of us recently spent the day with 12 young people and staff in Chatham on one of its Access programmes. We joined in much of the day’s activities and watched as the group started to gel and team games quickly led to groups working together. All the activities are designed to help the young build confidence and self-esteem. By the end of the day a competitive spirit prevailed and the difference in their attitude between our arrival and departure was palpable. The presence of a young police officer throughout the day proved of great interest, as the young asked him about his day-to-day work, tried and tested his kit and swopped personal experiences of the relations between police and young people. It was a hugely positive approach to building relations and one to be applauded.

GDPR: On a slightly duller note, but no less important, we recently undertook a review of our data practices and procedures to ensure we were fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations which come into force from 25 May, 2018. As a result we have produced a Data Protection and Privacy Policy (DPPP), which you can download from our website at www.fgas.uk.com/membership (or request a copy from the Membership Secretary). We also took the opportunity of revising our Membership Application and Renewal forms to include Information on our DPPP and where to find a copy. Fortunately, as we have always required new members to actively opt-in to email by ticking the relevant box on the membership application form and by giving their email address (one of the main requirements of the new regulations), it was not necessary for us to ask existing members who pay by standing order to complete a new application form.

Summer Party: On a jollier note here are the party details. An invitation has been sent out and tickets will be issued on the door and entered into a prize draw.

With best wishesVanessa ScholfieldChairman

SiLVER JuBiLEE - SuMMER PARTyTuesday, 3 July: 6-8pm

All Saints Vicarage, 70 Fulham High Street, SW6 7LGTickets £20 on the door.

Party kindly sponsored by KNIGHT FRANK, FULHAM

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FORTHCOMiNG EVENTS: DATES FOR yOuR DiARyRead NOW and book immediately to be sure of your place

Tuesday, 4 September: 8.15am-approx 6.30pm DAy TRiP By COACH TO TWO NOTABLE GARDENS iN WEST SuSSEXSome of you will have already booked this trip, advertised by email in March, and there are still places available. Our first stop will be Parsonage Farm, Kirdford. Over the past 20 years the owners have created a stunning garden. Laid out on an impressive scale, complete with a walled garden planted in autumnal hues, a topiary walk, a pleached lime allée, rose borders, an autumn shrubbery, a large vegetable garden with impressively trained fruit trees, a sizeable turf amphitheatre and much more besides. After lunch at a local pub we will go on to The Old Vicarage, Washington, where the gardens are set around a Regency house with uninterrupted views over the North Downs. The front garden features a border in hot colours and a striking contemporary water sculpture. As well as an herbaceous border and vegetable garden, the rear garden has a water garden, a Japanese garden and large copse with treehouse and an architectural stumpery filled with interesting and beautiful woodland specimens. We will have tea and cakes in the magnificent conservatory before our return journey. Cost: £80, including lunch. The coach will leave Parsons Green at 8.15am and return at approximately 6.30pm. To book, please email janeroundell@gmail.com or ring Jane on 07974 823787 and complete the booking form within one week.

Wednesday, 12 September: 11am-approx 2pm TOuR AND LuNCH AT THE GARDEN MuSEuM, ST MARy-AT-LAMBETH, 5 LAMBETH PALACE ROAD, LONDON SE1 7LBFounded in 1977, it is the world’s first museum of garden history. Many FGAS members will remember past visits here but may not have seen it since its re-opening last summer after an extensive make-over. The newly designed interior is a revelation, enabling the visitor to appreciate the light-filled beauty and stained glass of the deconsecrated 19th-century church in which it is housed, and the permanent collection of garden artefacts and temporary exhibitions. This interior redesign leads onto a series of bronze-clad glass pavilions that surround a courtyard enclosing a Dan Pearson-designed tribute garden to pioneer plant collectors such as John Tradescant, head gardener at Hatfield House in the 17th century, whose family tomb presides here. Another pavilion houses the highly rated Garden Café, which opens onto planting designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole. Our visit starts with coffee at 11am followed by an introduction from Christopher Woodward, the director, under whose aegis this transformation has taken place. We will then be free to enjoy the collections and the ‘Flower Fairies’ exhibition before lunch in the Garden Café’s private dining room looking out over the courtyard, where a set two-course menu will be served. Drinks at members’ own expense. Numbers are limited. Cost: £38. To book, please email jenny.matthew1@gmail.com or ring Jenny on 020 8398 2844 between 1 July and 1 September, and complete the booking form within one week. Jenny’s mobile on the day is 077203 79214.

Tuesday, 18 September: 2-4pmA WALK AROuND CHELSEA, LONDON SW3, WiTH DiANA KELSEyThis walk focuses on what the local people would call ‘Chelsea Village’. It includes the small streets both sides of the King’s Road, with St Luke’s Church where Dickens was married, and the old riverside village itself. We will see Chelsea Old Church, where Henry VIII married Jane Seymour, a medieval great hall transplanted from the City of London, Sir Hans Sloane’s tomb, Thomas Carlyle’s house, now owned by the National Trust, and Cheyne Row, home to many famous names, from George Eliot to the Rolling Stones. The first half of the walk will concentrate on the King’s Road of the Swinging 60s, more ‘hidden streets’ of Chelsea including London’s only example of Charles Rennie

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Macintosh architecture, the second half on the ‘Tudor village’ and Cheyne Row, finishing back on the King’s Road. Starts 2pm. Meet outside Chelsea Old Town Hall. Nearest tube station Sloane Square; frequent buses run from there down the King’s Road. Cost: £20. To book, please email joannamwillcox@gmail.com or ring Jo on 020 7736 5305 and complete the booking form within one week. Her mobile on the day is 0787 6221062. Thursday, 11 October: 11am-approx 2pmGuiDED TOuR OF THE FOuNDLiNG MuSEuM, 40 BRuNSWiCK SQuARE, BLOOMSBuRy, LONDON WC1N 1AZLearn about the history of the Foundling Hospital, established in 1739 by the philanthropist Thomas Coram (1668-1751) to care for babies abandoned through poverty or illegitimacy. Instrumental in helping Coram realise his vision were William Hogarth and George Frideric Handel, who helped establish the hospital as one of London’s most fashionable venues. Hogarth encouraged leading artists of the day to donate work, Handel donated an organ and conducted annual benefit concerts of Messiah in the hospital’s chapel. From 1741 when the first babies were admitted, to 1954 when the last pupil was placed in foster care, the Foundling Hospital cared for and educated around 25,000 children. The Foundling Museum opened in 2004. Beside it is the headquarters of the children’s charity, Coram. Meet for a guided tour at 11am, then you can explore the museum, see special exhibitions including ‘Ladies of Quality and Distinction’, and attend a concert performed by talented young musicians in the Picture Gallery at 1pm. Nearest tube station, Russell Square. Have coffee at one of the many cafés at the Brunswick Centre on the way, and we recommend Lumen Café, round the corner at 88 Tavistock Place, for a light lunch. Cost: £25. To book, please email christine.ingram2@gmail.com or ring Christine on 020 7731 3162 and complete the booking form within one week. Her mobile on the day is 07540 615486.

Tuesday, 16 October: 11am-1pmA THEATRiCAL GARDEN iN MuSWELL HiLL, LONDON N10 2DEOwned by potter, Susan Bennett, and Earl Hyde, a ceramic artist, this fun and quirky garden, imagined as a series of theatrical stage sets and full of interesting plants, is the result of many years of artistic endeavour. Featured in numerous magazines and in Great Gardens of London, much of the garden has an oriental theme and has been designed to be enjoyed in all seasons. Faced with some areas being unsuitable for cultivation, considerable use has been made of pots. There will be plants for sale and the artists’ studio will be open with an opportunity to buy unusual garden pots. Meet at 10.50am outside 5 St Regis Close, Muswell Hill, London N10 2DE. Cost: £20 to include refreshments and home-made cake. Places are limited. Transport: some parking is available around St Regis Close or take the Piccadilly Line towards Cockfosters to Bounds Green, then the 299 bus to the St Andrew’s Church stop from which it is a very short walk to the meeting point. To book, please email Sally Field at salatsheen@yahoo.co.uk or ring her on 07931 166835 and complete the booking form within one week. Her mobile on the day is 07931 166835.

Tuesday, 6 November: 10.30-11.30amDiSCOVER THE ViCTORiA AND ALBERT MuSEuM, CROMWELL ROAD, SOuTH KENSiNGTON, LONDON SW7We are all familiar with the V&A, but how many times have we passed by its treasures on the way to a special show or the excellent café and not stopped to appreciate them? Join us for a private tour of the highlights of its rich and extensive collection and learn about the fascinating history of the origins of the museum. As the V&A has so many departments – from sculpture and glass to costumes and textiles – there will be a fair amount of walking. Please gather at the Meeting Point inside the Grand Entrance on Cromwell Road at 10.20am. Cost: £20. To book, please email dottie@lundell.uk.net or ring Dottie on 020 7731 0128 and complete the booking form within one week. Her mobile on the day is 07904 257974.

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Thursday, 22 November: 11am-approx 1pm‘RuSSiA, ROyALTy AND THE ROMANOVS’ AT THE QuEEN’S GALLERy, BuCKiNGHAM PALACE ROAD, LONDON SW1Discover the dynastic, political, diplomatic and artistic associations between Britain and Russia and their royal families from the mid 16th century until the two world wars in this dazzling exhibition. It explores the unique relationship between the two countries through portraits, sculpture, photographs and archival documents. Many of the works of art were commissioned as diplomatic gifts, others as intimate personal mementos between the royal family and the Romanovs, including miniature masterpieces by Fabergé. They bring to life the shared patronage of artists and craftsmen from both countries. Meet at 10.45am in the entrance hall before coffee and a lecture, then entry to the exhibition. [Also on show and included in the ticket is ‘Shadows of War: Roger Fenton’s Photographs of the Crimea, 1855’, which showed for the first time in photographs the impact of war to the Victorian public.] Cost: £35. To book, please email dinahroberton@icloud.com or ring her on 020 8563 9697 and complete the booking form with in one week. Dinah’s mobile on the day is 07966 279255.

It is essential that first you book your place, THEN complete the enclosed booking form and send it with a cheque made out to FGAS or Fairbridge Garden & Arts Society to

Dottie Lundell, 1 Edenhurst Avenue, London SW6 3PD, tel 020 7731 0128. If you want a receipt, please enclose a s.a.e. Tickets are not issued.

SAVE THE DATEMONDAy, 3 DECEMBER

FGAS CHRISTMAS FAIR AT ST PETER’S CHURCH, FULHAM, SW6

TOuR OF SPRiNG GARDENS iN SHROPSHiRE AND CHESHiRETuesday, 14th - Thursday, 16th May, 2019

This three-day, two-night tour will take in a variety of gardens in Shropshire and Cheshire (pictured is a pool at Ash House), from estates that have been nurtured for centuries by the same family to a walled garden designed and planted from scratch in 2017 by the award-winning garden designer Xa Tollemache and already bursting with promise. The trip has been planned to coincide with the peak of the Spring Garden season with magnificent collections of rhododendrons and azaleas ablaze with colour and a wide range of flowering shrubs and exotic trees.

The tour begins at 8am on Tuesday, 14 May when the coach will pick up the group at Parsons Green and will finish there at about 7.30pm on 16 May. We will be staying at a 4* hotel with spa facilities and extensive grounds. The trip is still at the planning stage but we have already had great interest in it so if you would like to come please email or ring Jane Roundell to register your interest (janeroundell@gmail.com or 07974 823787) and she will email more information about the gardens that are to be visited and contact you with the final details in the near future. If the trip is oversubscribed priority will be given according to the order in which interest was expressed.

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Tuesday, 4 September Day trip by coach to gardens in West Sussex

Wednesday, 12 SeptemberTour and lunch at the Garden Museum, Lambeth

Tuesday, 18 September A walk round Chelsea with Diana Kelsey

Thursday, 11 October Guided tour of the Foundling Museum, Bloomsbury

Tuesday, 16 October Visit to garden in St Regis Close, Muswell Hill Tuesday, 6 November Guided tour of history and highlights of the V&A

Thursday, 22 November ‘Russia, Royalty and the Romanovs’ at the Queen’s Gallery Monday, 3 December FGAS Christmas Fair at St Peter’s Church, Fulham

Overleaf: Dahlia ‘Magenta Star’ in a border at The Old Vicarage, Washington, West Sussex (above) and a view from a ‘moon’ cabin window of a garden in St Regis Close, Muswell Hill

(photograph by Sally Field). See pages 3 and 4 for FGAS visits.

Diary Dates