October 2024

In this edition, there is a review by Emma Cannell of an exhibition in Grays which focussed on the history and importance of allotments. Two paintings of the Globe Pit Allotments, recently discovered, have been put on display after they were cleaned and restored, thanks to grants from EGT and Thurrock Local History Society. Also Jane Frederick provides an update on the latest Garden Seekers Exhibition, which was recently hosted at Easton Lodge and included new work by Jane.

Our Events Programme for 2025 is now coming together and you can find details of the forthcoming events and dates for diaries towards the end of the newsletter.

And don't forget the other EGT events in the remainder of this year :

  • a talk, jointly organised with Essex Wildlife Trust, that is being held on Saturday 16th November at ARU Writtle on 'Ellen Willmott's Alpine Gardens and the Backhouse Nursery of York".

  • Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 26th October at Cressing Temple Barns and will include a talk by Sandra Nicholson, former senior lecturer at ARU Writtle and a guided tour by Rebecca Ashley, the Head Gardener at Crossing Temple. The AGM papers are being emailed out to members this week. If any member does not receive their copy, please contact Stephen Ogle on srogle@talk21.com. 

Any contributions for our newsletter are gratefully accepted. In addition, if you would like to get more involved with EGT there are plenty of opportunities, please let us know!  Contact us on essexgardenstrust@gmail.com

We hope you enjoy the read.....

Globe Pit Allotments, by Francis van der Weegen  - Paintings & Exhibition

One of the many outcomes of the Thurrock Inventory was the discovery of two paintings of the Globe Pit Allotments, Grays by Francis van der Weegen. They were painted from the upper windows of the headmaster’s house at Palmer’s Boys School and look south towards the River Thames. Depictions of allotments in artwork, especially from the early twentieth century are unusual, making them important works of art. The paintings were painted in 1918 and 1928 and show that the loss of allotments is not a recent occurrence. When they were first discovered in Thurrock Museum by one of our research volunteers, the paintings  were in a poor state. Thanks to grants from Essex Gardens Trust and Thurrock Local History Society, the paintings have now been cleaned and restored. They look as good as new!

On 31st August, Jill, Patricia and I attended an exhibition at the Civic Offices Grays, focusing on the history and importance of allotments. The exhibition provided families with the chance to learn about allotments, pot up a plant to take home and to make seed bombs. There was also an opportunity to listen to a talk by Dr Twigs Way titled ‘Plots and Politics - A History of the Allotment’. This was both entertaining and informative. Much of the information regarding attitudes to allotments in the 1970s and 1980s by local authorities resonated with my family’s allotment experience. Pride of place at the exhibition were the two paintings which looked absolutely fantastic and received many positive comments.  

Source: Emma Cannel

The Garden Seekers Exhibition by Jane Frederick - Artist-in-Residence

Following an exciting year exhibiting the Garden Seekers artworks at Audley End in 2023, I am pleased to report that the exhibition continues to grow and has been on tour to reach new audiences further across the county.

In May I was invited to exhibit at the enigmatic gardens of Easton Lodge in Little Easton as part of their Art and Nature family open day. I was privileged to showcase the installation of paintings and drawings in the 'Peto Pavilion' which is situated by Warwick House, the surviving west wing of Easton Lodge and provided a stunning and intimate space to present the work. Despite its name, the pavilion was constructed in the 1920s, possibly to a design by Philip Tilden and terminates the glorious 20th century borders, steps and formal rectangular pool at the base of the pavilion. We were blessed with beautiful spring weather and the weekend coincided with the hatching of countless damsel flies in the pond.

I was delighted to unveil a brand new drawing 'Host', created especially for the event which depicts The Countess of Warwick meeting with members of the Labour Party outside the Peto Pavilion. I am very grateful to staff at Easton Lodge for generously allowing me access to the fantastic archive and sharing their extensive knowledge of the site history.

This month, a selection of pastel and graphite drawings and circular paintings are on show at the Naze Tower in Walton on the Naze, Essex. The Naze Tower is grade 2* listed by Historic England for unique architectural and historic interest and is the only one of its kind in existence. It was built by Trinity House as a navigation mark to protect ships sailing in and out of Harwich port. For more information on this fascinating landmark and details of the exhibition, click here.

The current mixed exhibition celebrates 20 years of events and is well worth a visit on a sunny autumn day.

Source: Jane Frederick

All Change

Its now time to change and say goodbye
To the summer garden and that baby blue sky
To the bright colour pallet of our garden view
And those lazy sunshine days with nothing much to do
All change now, all change onto the autumn line
With mellow misty days and hazy sunshine
Now a deeper array of colours occupies our garden sight
And bold brash trees display oranges and reds in the soft morning light
These days are now busy as we emerge from our summer rest
But perhaps our autumn garden is simply the best
 
Siobhan Pierce
September 2024

City Park Life: Sketch&Scribe at Chelmsford Central Park, 23rd May 2024
 
Review by Jane Frederick

The weather reports were hit and miss that week, but it couldn’t have been kinder for us on our very first Sketch&Scribe workshop at Chelmsford Central Park back in May.
 
Led by Artist in residence Jane Frederick and Writer in residence Siobhan Pierce, participants were invited to spend a relaxing day responding to the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the popular green space which provides sanctuary and solace in the heart of the city for everyone to enjoy. The park opened in 1894 and covers 35.6 acres of park land and boasts a riverside walk, a large lake with contemporary fountains and an imposing Victorian railway viaduct all of which inspired sketches and prose throughout the day.
 
Our session started in the fabulous city centre venue, Fete Restaurant in Grays Yard who welcomed us to their urban eatery with open arms (and excellent refreshments) and guests got to know each other over coffee whilst sharing their experiences of gardens, poetry and art.
 
The workshop was split into two sessions, firstly exploring en plein air sketching techniques with ink pens and brushes in the morning with Jane, followed by poetry reading and the sharing of strategies for creative writing with Siobhan.
 
Having spent the morning wandering through the park together and sketching favourite spots, the group were then invited to reflect upon their experiences, memories and responses to the park using words and then combine the drawing with the words.
 
Our EGT creative workshops have encouraged so many wonderful participants, many of which are members, others have been introduced to the Trust visa the workshops and as a result we have built a friendly and super motivated creative community. We have learned so much from the hosts at each garden who generously share their historical knowledge of the venue during a guided tour. Many guests return again and again as they continue to build their practical skills and make new friends.
 
One participant said:
It was such an inspiring day led gently by both of you
 
We were bowled over by the creativity and sincerity of the work that was created and shared by everyone that day and eagerly await the next workshop.
 
If you would like to have a go at drawing and creative writing within a beautiful regional green space, please look out for details of our next workshop. Everyone is welcome, from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals. 

Source: Jane Frederick