On Thursday last 34 members travelled by coach to Leyburn to spend the day at Tennant’s- the largest auction house outside London.

From the moment we arrived to be greeted by friendly faces, coffee and still-warm, newly- baked shortbread, until we left at 4pm having been sent on our way with hot drinks, cream scones and chocolate brownies , we were looked after fantastically well. The business was explained to us by a succession of knowledgeable staff, who showed us around the purpose- built building, displaying a wide selection of goods  available for auction, explaining the process as we went. We saw examples of goods from the humdrum to the exquisite, depending on the status of the sale we were viewing.

Our day was split by a delightful lunch in the bistro- yes, more food!

The whole experience was well- organised- Tennant’s certainly know how to look after their guests and I’m sure the experience was enjoyed by all.

Carol A

Seventeen members of the Art Group had a very enjoyable trip to Ushaw House to see ‘From Edinburgh to London and Beyond’ – an extensive exhibition, beautifully displayed, of railway posters through the 20th Century.

It was delightful to see how much the venue has improved. This beautiful building now looks well-loved and cared for, and was a hive of activity.

The weather was wonderful, showing the gardens to their best advantage

A lovely morning

Carol A

Just to remind you, our next visit will be June 16th to see the exhibition of Railway Poster Art at Ushaw College.

It is recommended that you use the Postcode DH7 7DW to take you to the visitors’ entrance. It opens at 11am and I propose we meet in the cafe soon after that, before we view the exhibition.

The cost of entry is £9. I think most people have been before, but should it be new to you, it is a wonderful building to look around.

I have been looking for somewhere to visit in July and there is rather a dearth of choice  at the moment.

I therefore suggest we visit the Laing’s ‘Liquid Light’, their current exhibition of watercolours taken from their permanent collection. The cost would be £7.20

Looking forward to seeing you at Ushaw

Carol A

Our May outing saw 12 of us visit The Great North Museum-Hancock to see their exhibition celebrating the 2020 Fine Arts BA Degree work from Newcastle University. It certainly was different, and saw many of us scratching our heads and looking mystified-even with the printed explanatory pamphlets in hand! Still – it is interesting to see a wide range of Art -even if a few of us did find ourselves muttering ‘emperor’s new clothes…. ‘As we wandered around!
CA

On 21st April, 24 members visited the newly -opened Spanish Gallery, at Bishop Auckland. The gallery itself, a stunning conversion of a bank building, housed a mind-boggling collection of paintings from the Golden Age of Spanish Art. We were all vastly impressed by the work we saw there, and enjoyed the experience, and chatting with the knowledgeable, welcoming guides.  We can’t recommend a visit highly enough- it is really something we should be proud to have in the North East!

I think we would also recommend the Nearby Fifteas Vintage Tearoom!

Carole A

On March 17th our group visited South Shields Museum and Art Gallery to view the John Peace exhibition ‘Tyne and Tide’.

John Peace lived and worked in Tyneside and painted landscapes depicting the region’s coasts and rivers, as well as scenes of local industry.

Our members, in the main, loved the paintings, both in oils and watercolours, there certainly being something to suit all tastes!

26 members joined us in South Shields and seemed to enjoy, as well as the Art on display, this ‘little gem’ of a museum-and the coffee in the museum’s quaint ‘Victorian Tea Room’.

Carol A