Programme Venue: Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall, 50a Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves, LE12 8RZ. 7:15pm for 7.45pm please be seated by 7:30 Thursday 11th June 2026 Lucretia Walker 'The Powder & The Glory' Helena Rubenstein Cosmetics There are no ugly women, only lazy ones, quipped cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein, whose company made her one of the world's richest women. Business woman, art collector, and philanthropist, she was the first female millionaire. She commissioned work from avant-garde artists, Joan Miró, Picasso, Salvador Dali who was to design a powder compact for her. Her exclusive beauty salons influenced and blurred the conceptual boundaries between fashion, art galleries, and the domestic interior. Helena Rubinstein, from a 1921 publication. Print by Paul César Helleu. E.V. Brewster Publications Inc. Public domain New Membership year 2026/27 10th Sept 2026 Timothy Walker Beauty in Truth - The past, present & future of botanical illustration. Many people now carry a phone with a camera capable of taking very high-quality pictures, and yet the painting of botanical specimens persists with new Florilegium Societies still being formed. Why is a drawing and painting still considered to be superior to a digital image? This talk looks at the history of botanical illustration from the early herbals 1,500 years ago to the present day, taking in the lives of both the artists and the plants immortalised in the artwork. Illustration Cucubalus baccifer0, Coulichon, Cucubale à baies, Otto Wilhelm Thomé Public domain 8th October 2026 James Smallwood The Life & Work of William Moorcroft William Moorcroft 1872 – 1945 was brought up in the back streets of Burslem, Stoke- on-Trent. He knew tragedy from an early age losing his sister when he was 8, his mother a year later and his father when he was just 12. Perhaps it was this tragic upbringing that helped develop his strength of character and resilience that saw him establish himself as the most accomplished studio potter of recent times. William trained at what was to become the Royal College of Art and could have pursued a career as an art teacher but instead chose to employ his artistic talents in the medium of pottery. He stuck faithfully to the principles of the great William Morris who stated that “nothing was worth producing if it hadn’t come from the artist’s own hands”. Whilst not unique, his skill in producing tube lined pieces with designs inspired by nature are at the very pinnacle of the potter’s art. International gold medal awards, a supplier to renowned retailers Liberty and Tiffany, a successful global export business and a Royal Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Mary in 1928 are just some of his many achievements. Walter Moorcroft Iris Charger on stand, Tangerineduel, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 12th November 2026 Christina Faraday Time Machines & Clocks in Art & Literature C1300 until now. Few people nowadays give more than a second thought to their clocks: practical, sometimes beautiful, devices that form the background noise of our daily lives. But from their introduction in the thirteenth century onwards, clocks have held a variety of philosophical and social meanings. This talk explores the visual and literary uses of the clock, the varied meanings it could hold throughout the ages: as an ominous symbol of oncoming death, but also as a metaphor for the soul, for capitalism, and for the good use of time. The famous astronomical clock of 1428 by Novello Dondi, the success was such that the family name became: Dondi dell'Orologio - Piazza del signore in Padua. Didier Descouens. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 10th December 2026 Ed. Williams The Art of Christmas The Festive Season brings with it the familiar nativity scenes, winter landscapes and of course Father Christmas, but how did these images become synonymous with Christmas? This lecture takes the audience on a journey from the Medieval to the modern era explaining the development and important iconography of these Festive favourites. You may never look at a Christmas card in the same way ever again. A Nativity scene where the figures are represented by customized Coca-Cola bottles. The bottle representing Christ is labeled "INRI," initials which often appear in artwork of Christ's crucifixion standing for the Latin phrase meaning, "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews." The bottles representing angels say "Gloria In Excelsis Deo," lyrics from a Christian hymn which mean "Glory to God in the highest heaven.". Author: WalksAwayFromOmelets. Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. No January 2027 meeting 11th February 2027 Julia Musgrave Cezanne & Van Gogh - Death as a Career Move Van Gogh and Cézanne made little impact on the public mind during their lifetimes – the British art world remained in thrall to the academic art of the nineteenth century and the French and British Impressionists. Both were rebels with art as their cause – Van Gogh painted quickly, exploiting the power of vibrant colour to express his emotions. Cézanne’s analytical approach led him to ponder each and every brushstroke. Neither sold much in their lifetime – only their artist friends appreciated the changes they brought into being. This lecture looks at how the work of Van Gogh and Cézanne went from unsold to blockbuster in the early years of the 20th century because a few brave, but important art dealers and critics decided to sponsor them posthumously. 11th March 2027 Roger Askew A Boy from Lowestoft - The Life & Works of Benjamin Britten On Saturday November 22nd, 1913, Mrs. Edith Britten of Lowestoft, Suffolk, gave birth to her fourth child, a boy. She said, “Today is St. Cecilia’s Day, - the Patron Saint of Music - he must be a musician” – and she imagined that he would become the fourth “B”, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms …. and Britten. 2026 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the death of one of this country’s most original and versatile composers, Benjamin Britten. There’s to be a new statue of him as a boy erected on Lowestoft seafront this summer, 2025. Edward Benjamin Britten (1913–76), Baron Britten. Composer. Bromide print from 1921. 8th April 2027 Rupert Dickens Off the Record - Album Covers 1950 to 2000 Some of the most iconic images of the 20th century were created, not for galleries or private patrons, but for record sleeves. The zebra crossing immortalised on the cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road is the site of a pilgrimage for people travelling thousands of miles to recreate this famous scene. Album covers have been adorned by Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Salvador Dali, Richard Hamilton and a host of lesser-known artists and designers. We will explore the art of the album cover and reveal the close connections between visual and musical creativity in this vibrant period of popular culture. Front cover of Abbey Road by The Beatles. The view really is Abbey Road, London, NW8 looking north. The gates of the Abbey Road Studios are behind the white VW Beetle on the left. John Kosh / Iain Macmillan. Public domain 13th May 2027 Suzanne Perrin The Art of Tea in China & Japan Tea was first discovered and used as a herbal remedy in China, going back centuries to the early Han period (206 BCE – 220 CE). It was then developed as a herbal drink for special occasions and enjoyment in the Tang dynasty (618-907) and used by the emperor’s court and high officials. Delicate porcelain cups were used with a variety of added flavours, including ginger, ginseng, orange peel and onions. Tea of different fermentation: From left to right: Green tea (Bancha from Japan), Yellow tea (Kekecha from China), Oolong tea (Kwai flower from China) and Black tea (Assam Sonipur Bio FOP from India). Haneburger. Public domain 10th June 2027 Simon Seligman Venice to Sheffield - John Ruskin's Passion for Art, Crafts & Social Justice As writer, teacher, artist, collector, patron and critic, Ruskin was perhaps the most complete polymath of the 19th century. He left behind a dazzling range of writing and collections that continue to inspire and generate debate around the world. Perhaps most famous today as a champion of Turner and admirer of Venice, Ruskin’s impact ranged far and wide; his ideas inspired the Arts and Crafts Movement and the founding of the National Trust, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the Labour Movement. George Eliot wrote ‘I venerate him as one of the great teachers of the day’, and he influenced the thinking of Tolstoy, Proust and Gandhi among others. John Ruskin, self portrait, watercolour touched with body colour over pencil, 15.2 x 10 cm. Date 1861