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Founded in 2002, as a Member
society of the National Association of
Decorative & Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS).
Our objectives are the promotion and
appreciation of the fine and decorative arts.
With this in mind, we organise a programme of
lectures, special interest days and visits for
our members. Walton and Hersham DFAS is part of
the
West Surrey Area Group. The eighteen groups
in our area meet twice a year for mutual
support, the exchange of ideas and for training
new committee members.
The committee are volunteers and organise all the activities of the branch. We
are always on the look out for new committee
members and for people to help with general
activities. These include occasional help with
making the tea after lectures and help with
erecting the screen and preparing the audio
visual equipment each month. Please
contact us if you
would like to help.
NADFAS produces a magazine called
‘NADFAS
Review’ which is sent direct to the member’s
home every quarter and provides news of
NADFAS activities nationally. There are now 342
other societies mostly in Britain and there are
also members in Spain, Australia and New
Zealand.
We’re delighted to record that
this Walton and Hersham Web site was awarded the
2006 NADFAS Digital Award. Our web designer,
Laurence Shafe is also our Chairman.
Newsletters
We provide an annual newsletter that
summarizes the previous year and discusses the
year ahead. The newsletter is sent out with the
annual membership card and lecture programme.
Click on the following to view past newsletters,
please note that they are all in PDF format and
the free Adobe Reader must be installed first.
Lectures
We aim to provide a well balanced programme
with 10 lectures a year. These are held in
Hersham Village Hall on
the second Thursday of the month at 2.30 pm. Our
lectures are followed by a cup of tea for those
who would like to stay.
Previous Years’ Programmes
-
The places we visit are normally within 60
miles because we like to leave just after the
morning rush hour and return by 6pm. We take a
coach and normally have lunch at the venue so
there is of course a charge. Sometimes it’s
appropriate to visit two places in one day.
Those who come alone on the visit always end up
getting to know other members.
We sell each visit at the previous two
lectures and sometimes there is a cluster of
people waiting for our Visits Secretary to ‘open
shop’. We ask members to pay by cheque and to
pay for a maximum of two people – so much
simpler should someone have to drop out.
Those who have been on our visits have always
returned full of enthusiasm and the decibel
level on the return journey is always higher.
In summary we have visited:
|
2010 |
National Gallery and
Backstage Tour of the Coliseum, Bowood
House and Broadleas Garden, Londinium
and the Museum of London |
|
2009 |
Greenwich National Maritime Museum and
The Queen's House, Salisbury Cathedral &
Wilton House, Southwark Walk, Southwark
Cathedral and The Globe Theatre |
|
2008 |
The
Terracotta Army and the British Museum’s
China Galleries; Waddesdon Manor;
Westminster Abbey and the Cabinet War Rooms |
|
2007 |
Eugene Onegin opera at Richmond
Theatre, Foundling Hospital and Banqueting
House, Eltham Palace, a tour of 'Legal
London' by Alan Read |
|
2006 |
Walk
round the Wren Churches; the Henry Moore
Foundation; Highgrove; the
Government Art Collection and tea at the
National Portrait Gallery |
|
2005 |
Syon Park; Finchcocks; the
Extended tour to Tyntesfield and the West
Country |
|
2004 |
Brighton
Pavilion and Bramber; A
Boat Excursion on the River Thames;
Winchester and the cathedral |
|
2003 |
Somerset
House; Kelmscott Manor |
As well as the monthly lecture, we arrange
two or three other events per year. We call them
Special Interest Days but sometimes you will see
them referred to by long-standing members as
Study Days. The idea is that we take a topic and
spend much of the day thinking about it. These
are held in the Riverhouse Barn in Walton and
normally the lecturer will give three related
lectures on that topic with coffee and lunch
included in the price. Sometimes, the afternoon
lecture has become a mini 'roadshow' and members
have brought their own jewellery and antiques
for appraisal and in our first year, our pieces
of china were dated and valued.
In summary, we had Special Interest
Days on the following topics:
|
2010 |
Laura de Beden, 'Landscape and Garden
Design History Through the Ages';
Jane Kelsall, 'Pearls before
Swine - The Story of a Royal Necklace';
Elizabeth Gordon, 'Vivaldi and Canaletto'. |
|
2009 |
Sarah Lenton, 'Opera, The Melting Pot of
Culture';
Ian Pickford of the Antiques Roadshow, 'A
Silver Day';
Peter Medhurst, 'We Three Kings'. |
|
2008 |
Rosamund Bartlett - 'The Psychology of a
City: Architecture of St Petersburg';
Andrew Davies - 'From Shakespeare to the
Royal Shakespeare Company';
Claire Walsh - 'A History of Christmas
Shopping'. |
|
2007 |
Dai Evans, 'Collecting
Antiques';
Tom Duncan, 'Windsor Castle';
Ann Clements, 'In the Bleak Mid-Winter'. |
|
2006 |
Margaret Davis, 'The Musée
d'Orsay and French Impressionism';
Peter Medhurst, 'Mozart and his World'. |
|
2005 |
Eric Shanes, 'Art
Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow';
John Benjamin, 'Jewellery through the Ages'. |
|
2004 |
Nicholas Bagshawe, 'A Day with a
Picture Dealer';
Barbara Peacock, 'The Georgian Country
House'. |
NADFAS encourages societies to
support Young Arts as so little money is
given to schools these days for art. The aim is
to inspire young people with an enthusiasm for
the arts. By 2005 we had built sufficient
reserves to begin sponsoring a local school.
Last year we supported
Groveland’s Primary School in Walton.
In summary we have now supported:
|
2010 |
Groveland’s Primary
School in Walton |
|
2009 |
Ashley Church of England Primary School
in Walton |
|
2008 |
Burhill Infants School in Hersham |
|
2007 |
Walton Leigh School in
Walton |
|
2006 |
The Pupil Referral Unit
in Hersham |
|
2005 |
Bell Farm School in
Walton |
It is an exciting and lengthy experience to
thoroughly record a church. St Mary Magdalene at
Littleton, Shepperton, was founded in 1135 by
the Benedictine monks of Chertsey Abbey and has
a wealth of history for us to record.
One thousand buildings have been recorded by
NADFAS volunteers nation-wide and the
information in these records has been used by
researchers, insurance companies and the police.e and the
information in these records has been used by
researchers, insurance companies and the police.
Our Group meets twice a month from about 10am to
2pm; we work in pairs or more, recording the
section we are involved with. The sections cover
memorials, metalwork, stonework, woodwork,
textiles, painting, library, windows and
miscellaneous items. (This last is nobody’s
favourite!). We have guide books to help us and
it’s amazing how quickly we can pick up the
method. I think we all feel enriched after a
session recording.
Each item of note is also photographed and the
final record goes to the Church. Copies are held
in the County Record Office, the Victoria &
Albert Museum, the Council for the Care of
Churches and the National Monuments Record
Centre.
In the past, volunteers have helped with
cleaning the Tudor Kitchens at Hampton Court
Palace and one of our Members is now a Garden
History guide there. Another is a Steward.
Data Protection Act
- Member’s details will be processed
fairly and lawfully and in accordance with
the Society’s legitimate activities.
- Members’ details will be disclosed to
NADFAS and to other Member Societies, Area
or organisations affiliated to NADFAS or the
Society.
- Members shall notify any change of
address to the Society.
- NADFAS uses your details for the mailing
of the NADFAS Review and for no other
purpose. NADFAS does not share your
details with third parties.
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