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A good meeting this week with lots more info being unearthed in the archives. Also contact from June who used to work at the gallery in the days when Jennifer Rennie was the curator.  A carrier bag full of articles and notes together with a copy of the research done by the American descendants of Joseph Briggs. There are some notes about documents held by the Borthwick Institute which will need further investigation.
We welcomed Melinda to our group.  Melinda moved here with husband 12 years ago and the gallery was the first building they visited, and have kept contact ever since.  Her involvement in other charitable trusts means she brings valuable expertise to our group.
Lots of discussion about applying for funding.  A scheme exists for sums of £3000 to £10000 and funds are available for an assortment of uses.  The need for IT equipment and training into its application into archive recording, research and investigation was acknowledged.  A draft application form was studied and will be subject to further discussion in the very near future.
the photographic project with mature student Peter Graham has produced the firsts set of images and these indicate the businesslike manner he has approached the task.  Peter is currently recording all the fine detail of carvings within the Music Room.
The Friends will have their first public appearance in a Craft Fayre proposed by the gallery management.  We will have the opportunity to explain our aspirations and recruit new members to the group.

Harry

The Friends group is now taking shape. The archives are being explored, recorded and categorised. A heritage trail between Scaitcliffe Mill and the Haworth is under investigation . Similar Arts and Crafts buildings such as Dyke Nook are being sought out. Other examples of the work of Walter Brierley and Simeon Marshall are being recorded, and whilst this may seem that we are stretching in a myriad of directions, we are assembling a list of projects for future research. The building and park are a treasure which has not been marketed.

By promoting the architectural importance of the Haworth we attract another market sector of visitors to add to the already growing number of visitors. The Gallery Kitchen is playing its part in the present success of the Haworth and shows that promotion to a different sector of the market will bring additional visitors. The recent rebranding plays a vital role in helping identify the various market sectors which can be targeted.

This dinosaur was impressed and educated into the mysteries of media technology.

The facility for storing information was the first consideration and this I now realise can be done using wordpress.  However, having acquired the data it was explained that it can be used in a variety of ways, in whole or in part. The post to the site can include links to another article or another website. Links obviate the need to copy items into the post.

This post is helping crystallise my understanding and cement my new found knowledge. More newsworthy articles will follow.

Harry

It’s not just the building that deserves attention. There’s a wide range of trees and the flowers change throughout the year.  Don’t forget our rose garden!

A Ranger is a guide to identifying the flora of the park and can also set tasks for the kids such as map reading or for the smaller kids, a squirrel hunt.  How about a fungi hunt next September?  There’s also lots of birds, but at night, bats feed on the insect life.  A Ranger with a bat detector helps you spot & listen to the bats.

There is also an exercise route through the park designed to test your fitness.  So don’t just visit the house, look around the parkland.

Roger

It wasn’t all as relaxed as this indicates…

but the biscuits were lovely!

Harry

I have spent a happy afternoon photographing Hampstead Garden Suburb which I have been studying over the past year. It was dsigned around the same time as Hollins Hill, the original name of the Haworth, and to the same Arts & Crafts principles. The master planners were Sir Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker, who also jointly designed Letchworth Garden City while Wythenshaw, Manchester was designed by Barry Parker. Hampstead is the most famous of all the pioneer Garden Suburbs and its buildings, layouts, gardens and planting are all intensely artistic in their design.

St. Jude’s Church above was designed by Edwin Lutyens, “the Brierley of the south” (to reverse how Walter Brierley who designed the Haworth, is often described).

The suburb’s Trust website with more photos is HERE

David M