NADFAS East Surrey Area | NADFAS 40th Anniversary

EAST SURREY AREA CELEBRATES THE MOVE OF SHERE MUSEUM TO ITS NEW LOCATION

Members of the NADFAS Heritage Volunteers and the East and West Surrey Area Teams were delighted to celebrate Shere Museum's move to its new home in Gomshall Lane. The museum pays testimony to the history of the village with its collection of artefacts, photographs and information, maps, genealogical records, and wills The Curator, Elizabeth Rich, guided the group through Shere village, pointing out many places of interest - ending with a visit to the Museum, followed by supper in a local hostelry. East Surrey Area were pleased to donate a number of acid-free storage boxes - essential for the preservation of the many valuable records.

EAST SURREY AREA SUPPORTS RESTORATION OF MINIATURES AT POLESDEN LACEY

Building on the Area's partnership with the National Trust at Polesden Lacey started with the Heritage Volunteers' Costume Project, we are now delighted to be funding the conservation of six miniatures.

Mrs Greville's excellent collection of English and continental miniatures is displayed within two gilt-wood table cases on red damask (which she favoured as a foil for miniatures) in the Library and six of them require attention. The work will be undertaken over the winter and we look forward to seeing the restored miniatures back in the House next season.

By kind permission of Polesden Lacey

EAST SURREY AREA SUPPORTS PAPER AIRPLANE COMPETITION AT THE LIGHTBOX

Da Vinci Inventions: Leonardo and his Machines was at The Lightbox from 4 August to 1 November 2009. This was the first time this exhibition had been seen in the UK and included 40 models – some life-size and others interactive - made by Italian artisans working from drawings by Leonardo. The Lightbox also managed to secure an original notebook containing drawings by Leonardo on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Lightbox and West Surrey Area of NADFAS organised a paper airplane competition to accompany Da Vinci Inventions and East Surrey Area was delighted to make a donation towards prizes for the under-25s.

EAST SURREY AREA DONATES "BEHIND THE ACANTHUS" TO SURREY LIBRARY

In celebration of the 40th anniversary, NADFAS commissioned popular lecturer and author Helen Clifford to write the history of the Association's development, showing its continuing development in education and volunteering within the Arts. The events recorded in the book show how NADFAS has risen to the challenges of growth and social changes, while remaining true to the original inspired vision of its Founder, Patricia Fay. East Surrey Area has been delighted to donate an inscribed copy to Surrey Libraries; this has been catalogued and added to the special Art Collection held at Epsom Library.

EAST SURREY AREA ADOPTS A WATTS

Following discussions with the Society Chairmen, we are delighted that the surplus generated by the over-subscribed Study Days has been used to sponsor the restoration of George Frederick Watts’ painting "A Parasite" at the Watts Gallery in Compton. If their Hope Appeal is successful, the Gallery will be undergoing extensive refurbishment and we will look forward to the re-hanging of our adopted artwork on its completion.

EAST SURREY AREA SPONSORS RESTORATION OF LOVELACE MAUSOLEUM AT EAST HORSLEY

William King, Earl of Lovelace, acquired East Horsley Park in 1840; he was created Lord Lieutenant of Surrey in the same year. During the next thirty years, bricks from his brickworks in Ockham were used to transform the building into a Gothic castle, including the tower, which gave the name “Horsley Towers”. Lord Lovelace attended nearby St. Martin's Church and is buried in the Mausoleum he designed and built in the churchyard. The years have taken their toll of the Mausoleum and NADFAS East Surrey Area has been delighted to contribute to the fund for its restoration.