Black - White - Silver

Our last SID was over subscribed so book early to be sure of a place.

The Living Legacy of two Amazing Balkan Women, Edith Durham, an Edwardian collector of beautiful Balkan items, the other a photographer, Princess Ksenia, daughter of the King of Montenegro.  Learn about the history of 'the silver thread' see and touch examples of exquisite filigree work. Hear about the stories that Balkan women left for us to read, without the use of the alphabet.  The journey through Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania will give a face and a human narrative to the history and culture of this region.

Click HERE to open the full progamme at the bottom of which you will find a link to the booking form.

Special Interest Day

UPDATE

15th September 2025

The story of aboreal art, getting to the roots of how artists, writers and poets have long viewed trees.

Fascinating story of trees in art and literature, getting to the roots of how artists, writers and poets have long viewed the tree, crossing time and space, where reality and dream meet and mingle in strange and unexpected ways. 

Justine Hopkins looks to the fascinating story of trees in art and literature, getting to the roots of how artists, writers and poets have long viewed the tree.  'I am curious about difference and communication - above all I get excited by the unexpected, by being surprised at the direction things take and the way they turn out'

10.00 am - Registration

10.30 - 11.30 am - Growing in the human brain? 

11.30 am - Coffee

12.00 - 1.00 pm - Never two leaves alike?

1.00 - 2.15pm - Lunch

2.15 - 3.15pm - Enchantment and terror?

3.15 -Questions 

Booking is now open - please click here to book your place.

Each artist will take his place in his coastal home town.  We will explore how Picasso learnt his trade from his father in Malaga, Andalusia; how Sorolla adored the light of Valencia and could hardly bear to leave the city; and how Gaudi shaped the city of Barcelona with his quirky architectural style which drew heavily on nature and the sea.

BOOKING IS NOW OPEN - We anticipate this SID will sell out very quickly so would encourage you to book early.

Click here to open the Programme and link to the booking form.

BYZANTINE BRILLIANCE - 
‘SHINE SOME LIGHT ON BYZANTINE ART’
With Dr Helen Rufus-Ward
 3 lavishly illustrated lectures for you to enjoy:

• Glorious Things, discovering Byzantine through its Art.
• The Mosaics of Ravenna: For the Glory of Kings, Emperors and Empresses.
• Icons: Exploring their History, Power and Enduring Mystery.

This is the fascinating story of the Byzantine Empire through its art.  The day will introduce you, perhaps for the first time, to the wonder of Byzantine art; the magnificent architecture, spectacular buried treasures, dazzling mosaics, sacred art works, extraordinary ivory carvings, exquisite enamel work, beautifully carved sarcophagi, captivating holy icons and bejewelled crowns. You will be, entertained and amused about a period sometimes known as the Dark Ages but which was dazzling in the richness of material culture.    
 
Dr Helen Rufus Ward is a published art historian and a specialist in early Christian and Byzantine art.  She is returning to us once again following her excellent lecture in May on Queen Victoria’s Portraits and the Durbar Hall.  A relaxed and friendly speaker whose lectures open up a world of wonderful treasures.  Helen has a Higher Education Academy teaching qualification, is a member of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, a member of the Society of Jewellery Historians and Chairman of the Eastbourne Arts Society supporting the Towner Art Gallery.

Click here for further information.

Click here to complete your online booking form

This years Members' New Year Luncheon is to be held at The Titchwell Manor Hotel.

To reserve your place and confirm your menu choices online please click here

Or

To download and print your reservation form and menu choices click here.

For additional information please contact Liz Peer.  Email: lizziepeer@gmail.com or call 01328 730044

THE SECRET WORLD BELOW STAIRS

FOOD, FASHION AND FINE DINING IN ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The Story of the Evolution of the Kitchen, the Fine Art of Feasting and The Personalities and Predilections of some Historical A-listers for food, fashion and drama in their lives.

We invite you to come and spend the day with Dr. Sarah Pearson, historian, writer and University of Cambridge lecturer.

Click here to see the full programme.

Click here to complete your online booking form.

Sedgeford Village Hall 

OBSESSIONS, PASSIONS, EXTRAVAGANCE, VOLUPTUARY, THE CORONATION CROWN. 

THE ROYAL COLLECTION.

THE STORY OF QUEEN MARY AND THE HANDSOME, RICH PRINCE REGENT - HER COLLECTING INTERESTS “MY ONE GREAT HOBBY” AND HIS COLLECTING MANIA, “THE FIRST GENTLEMAN OF EUROPE”

Queen Mary was born in May 1867, the only daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the cousin of Queen Victoria. Her subsequent marriage to the heir to the throne lead to her becoming in 1910 Queen of England and Empress of India.  This brought out her sterling qualities.  The travails she witnessed in her life, with a complete reversal of all that she had known as a girl, imposed an enormous strain.  However, through all these vicissitudes collecting and re-arranging the extensive Royal Collection was, in her own words, “My One Great Hobby”.  This lecture explores in detail these collecting interests, and shows how her influence remains today.

The Prince Regent was handsome and rich, seemingly he had it all.  But this Prince, later George IV, whilst having all these attributes, would undermine all these benefits by a life-style that was not only raffish, extravagant and selfish, but also that of a voluptuary. Ironically, at the same time, through his collecting of works of art, he did much to re-establish the Royal Collection as one of the greatest in the world. This talk explores not just the forming of the collection but something of the character of this conundrum of a prince. “The First Gentleman of Europe.”

Crown Jewels: Dynastic Diamonds., Coronation Crown - Wherever there is a king there is a crown.  We discover some of the most fabled gems the world has ever seen.  The British Crown jewels are some of the richest in the world, along with the magnificent jewels of the Indian Princes and Maharajahs, as well as those of Persia and Russia.  We will learn about the Imperial State Crown, which has the Cullinan II diamond, cut from the world’s largest diamond and hopefully to be seen at the Coronation of King Charles II in May. 

Nicholas Merchant has worked for some of the major auction houses in London as well as running his own book business devoted to the decorative and fine arts.  His particular interest is English 18th century furniture and country houses; he enjoys discussing objects, particularly in their historical context.  He lectures extensively in the USA, South Africa, Europe and UK, including the V&A. 

Click here for full programme details.

This Special Interest Day will be an exhilarating journey into the world of the Grand Tourist looking at how this societal rite of passage became such an important cultural part of our history together with a fascinating talk on fakes and forgeries through the ages; both talks bolstered by objects from Marc’s personal collection.

An erudite and entertaining Arts Society accredited lecturer, Marc is a writer, TV broadcaster on BBC Antiques Roadshow, presenter, valuer and auctioneer.
Marc’s own interests range from pre-history to modern design, and he is self-confessed collectaholic.  His imagination was fired at a young age by Charles Paget Wade, a collector of unrivalled eclecticism and character, by amassing fossils and digging up bottles.  
His most unusual piece is a canteen of water drawn from the River Jordan in 1854 by a female grand tourist called Jane Boodle.  Present day his collecting involves finding all the period accessories for his 1953 Austin Champ, a military vehicle

Coffee, lunch and wine included in ticket price of £42.50

Collecting, Squandering, Treasuring and Preserving

The three lectures span 3000 years of Chinese culture from the earliest kingdoms and dynasties, which would evolve into the Chinese Empire and finally became the present day super power- the People's Republic of China.
 
The first lecture looks at the early Emperors who became patrons of the arts and their objectives in collecting antiquities and buying contemporary art.  
 
The second lecture focuses on the Han, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties  (from  206BCE to 1911 CE) as they prospered and then collapsed and on the art produced and collected by them which formed the Imperial Collection.
 
The final lecture explores the way the Imperial Collection managed to survive the traumas of the 19th and 20th century and the collapse of empire with China becoming a republic  and then a communist state. The talk concludes with a review of China’s greatest modern museums housing the surviving Imperial Collection.

Take this opportunity to join David as he works his magic and opens up a rarely seen world of beauty, rare objects and paintings.  It promises to be a challenging, fascinating, and enjoyable day.

David Rosier, spent 25 years in East Asia.  While working there, he became totally fascinated by the Chinese Imperial Court and its history, culture, and art, specifically in Imperial Court Costume, Insignia of Rank and Dress Accessories. 

This study day investigates the artists who have lived and worked in Venice and their styles, their techniques and how each has added his own unique contribution to the artistic legend of the city.

1.      Origins – the dawn of the Venetian style from the gemlike paintings of Carpaccio and the serene altars of Bellini through to the enigmatic works of Georginio and culminating with Titian whose powerful brushwork and vivid imagination had a profound influence on generations of artists after him.

2.     The Golden Age – including artists like Titian, then the darling of Europe.  How his style was then turned and reformed by Tintoretto into turbulent flights of fantasy; the glowing ceiling paintings of Tiepolo and the crystal-clear cityscapes of Canaletto.

3.     Poets, painters and private lives -looks at the years of decline when the faded beauty of the city was rediscovered by artists like Turner, Whistler, Bonnington and Sargent; writers like Henry James and the critic John Ruskin who measured every building in Venice.

This event (rules and regs permitting) will take place in Sedgeford village hall from 10am to 4pm with a break for lunch. Cost to be advised.  Numbers are restricted so expression of interest to Joanna Strangwayes-Booth on j.vrystaat@gmail.com or 07956 278171. 

Because February is such a dull month, and we will all still be in some form of lockdown or other, your Committee has invited Irving to return to North West Norfork to give a Zoom version of one of his highly successful Special Interest Days.  This will consist of two lectures – one in the morning and one in the afternoon with an off-Zoom break of lunch.

11.00  The Wonder of Cuneiform Writing.
The speaker has spent his entire life in the British Museum reading cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay.  In this light-hearted and and brightly illustrated talk he will explain how the world’s first writing came into existence among the Sumerians and the Babylonians, and the remarkable use to which these ancient people put their invention. 
 
There will be no homework and no test, but Irving guarantees that a new world will become familiar to all participants who will never see the world in quite the same way but rather will be looking for packages of clay and clean-cut chopstick to do their writing  and throw away with disgust their computers and tablets.

12.30  Lunch break

2.00  The First Ghosts.
In this illustrated talk,  Irving will discuss how the universal belief in ghosts goes back to the beginning of time, and reveal how the oldest cuneiform script on tablets of clay gives us a full picture of the ancient Mesopotamiam ghost experience; who might be a ghost; how to keep the dead happy in the Netherworld; how to banish annoying ghosts that keep appearing and how to summon the dead to come back and reveal the future.
 
No one need be frightened.  At least not much. And there will be plenty of time for questions.

To participate.
So participants can have maximum interaction with the speaker, we are limiting numbers to 50 and there is a small charge of £10.00.  To book your place please remit £10.00 directly to our bank account:
The Arts Society North West Norfolk
Sort code: 40-52-40
Account number: 00060512
Ref: SID
and register with Joanna Strangwayes-Booth - j.vrystaat@gmail.com
07956 278171

If you are unable to pay online please forward a cheque to Joanna at: 
The Loke House
108 The Street
Kettlestone
NR21 0AU

Postponed due to the Coronavirus - we hope to reschedule for the Autumn.

The story of wine from before the Bronze Age, visiting the ancient societies of Egypt, Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and 18th century Britain to the present.  Andy will examine the extraordinary diversity of paintings and artefacts, including drinking vessels that have been created by history's greatest artists and craftsmen to enhance the pleasure of wine and impress guests.

Andy has dealt in antiques since adolescence, but served an apprenticeship in journalism.  After working in music, film and television, he returned to writing in 2004 as the author of the acclaimed tome The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass From 1650.  He followed this in 2006 with Miller's' 20th Century Glass.  He writes regularly for journals as diverse as The Times and Glass Circle News and runs Britain's largest antique and vintage glass gallery in Rye, Sussex.  He is best known as the distinctly humorous glass specialist on BBC's evergreen Antiques Roadshow and has recently completed his sixth series.

The cost, £40.00 which includes an excellent lunch and glass of wine.

Andy’s ability to both inform and entertain will inevitable make this day very popular. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Click here to download an application form.

Starting at 10am and finishing at 4pm.  The Silk Road Special Interest Day consists of three lectures:
1. Introduction to the Silk Road's history and cultures.
2. Exploration and Discovery. How 20th century archaeologists discovered forgotten civilisations in the desert sands.
3. The final lecture tells the story of several wonderful pieces of Silk Road Art.

It promises to be a challenging, enjoyable and fun day!
£40.00 pp. Coffee, tea, lunch and wine are all included 
 
Please register with Joanna Strangwayes-Booth
Telephone 01328 878788
Email: j.vrystaat@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE THIS SPECIAL INTEREST DAY WILL TAKE PLACE IN BINHAM VILLAGE HALL AND NOT SEDGEFORD.  Binham Village Hall, Warham Road, Binham NR21 0DR (click here for map)

Following the positive feedback we received last year we are holding our New Year Lunch once again at Titchwell Manor.

To see the Menu please click here.

To reserve your place and confirm your menu choices please contact Valerie Pepper - Telephone 01485 570755 or click here to email.

DAY OF SPECIAL INTEREST – 19 NOVEMBER 2018.

SANDY BURNETT ON

CLASSICAL ELEGANCE AND ROMANTIC REVOLUTION

MOZART  AND BEETHOVEEN:TWO MASTERS OF

VIENNESE CLASSICAL MUSIC.

SEDGEFORD VILLAGE HALL

10AM TO 4PM

£40.00 per person to include COFFEE, LUNCH & FREE GLASS OF WINE

Please make cheques payable to 'The Arts Society North West Norfolk'

TIMETABLE

10.00 Registration and coffee.

10-30-11.30  Overview and Session 1

The Amadeus myth: the dazzling career, and the mysterious death of Mozart.

11.30-11.45  Break

11.45-13.00 Session 2

“Four intelligent people conversing:” why the Viennese loved the string quartet.

13.00-14.15 Lunch

14.15-15.30 Session 3

Ludwig van Beethoven, music’s first romantic artist.

The study day is illustrated throughout with videos, slides and live music sung and played at the piano.

For further details of this event click here

CONTACT: JOANNA STRANGWAYES-BOOTH

The Arts Society East Anglia has arranged a special day at Culford School (Nr Bury St Edmunds) to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of The Arts Society.

The day will include a new talk by Bertie Pearce, who is a Member of the Magic Circle, and a glass of fizz before a special lunch. The afternoon will include more magic and music by the classic jazz band Joyspring.

The day will finish with tea and celebration cake.

Please click here to find the booking form.

Sedgeford Village Hall

10am-4pm

With an eye to the important painting, musical instruments and pictures with musical content, Peter explores some of the quality galleries like the Mauritshuis in the Hague, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Vleeshuis in Antwerp and the Ca’Rezzonico in Venice and examines their content.  The day is illustrated with live music, sung and played at the piano,the virginals or the harpsichord.

We are returning to the Crown at Wells for our yearly lunch after the popular and much praised event of last year.

Antonio Vivaldi was born on the day of an earthquake that shook Venice to its core – no doubt a symbol of the dramatic effect he was to have on the musical world of the late Baroque period! 

Venice in the 18th Century is the setting for this study day which explores the musical extravaganza that is Vivaldi in all his musical genius. 

Come and join us for a day of interpretation of this unique sound:  Peter Medhurst brings Vivaldi alive with a live performance to entrance us all ....highlighting the composer’s influence and his connection with Venetian politics and events. 

A hugely illuminating day ...

In Mary's words ,this will be a 'time-travel' of the art and design of New York. Discover more about the personalities of the artists, designers, patrons and social climbers who shaped this extraordinary and ever-changing city. The aim will be to create the sense of 'being there' and to capture the vibrancy and energy of the city - whether today or travelling back in time Vanderbilt's horse drawn carriage up Fifth Avenue and along 'Museum Mile' to the then newly built Metropolitan Museum.

New Venue Details to be announced later