Sussex – My London+

The Bloomsbury Group and all that (Part 3)

Gate leading from Berwick Church which to me shouts an invitation!

Apologies for the delay in posting the final part of this trip. I have had a really busy week.

I left you as we departed Berwick Church, and headed to Bateman’s, the home of Rudyard Kipling.

This was an added bonus for me because though it has nothing to do with The Bloomsbury Group, it did play into my other passion – The Pre-Raphaelites, who I have written about a few times before on my blog. Rudyard Kipling’s aunt Georgiana Burne-Jones, nee McDonald, was married to Edward Burne-Jones, great friend of William Morris. The Burne-Jones and Kiplings had houses in Rottingdean in Sussex for a time.

However, Rudyard Kipling liked his privacy and wanted to escape his fame, and found Bateman’s which sits in grounds of its own away from the village and even further from a station. Even so, people did sometimes venture out to the house. There is a window where his wife could peep through to see who had knocked on the door. If it was some hopeful fan, the door wasn’t opened!

The downstairs rooms of the house are quite dark and there was no electricity when the Kiplings moved in. He was one of the earliest people to have electricity installed. It also made it easier for his servants. It seems he was quite a thoughtful employer. The dining room has original leather wallpaper which has been cleaned once, but they have to be careful now as it is so delicate. Like lino, it cracks.

Around the house are photos and plaques of Rudyard’s beloved India where he was born and later worked. However, he didn’t have a very happy childhood. He and his sister were sent back to England and looked after by a married couple. The lady did not take to Rudyard and preferred his sister. He had a miserable existence, due to neglect and cruelty, until his parents returned and removed them from the house.

Rudyard Kipling and his wife had three children. Josephine died aged 6, something that affected them deeply. Their son John died in the war. Their third daughter, Elsie, eventually married, but there were never any children.

I fell in love with Rudyard Kipling’s study where he wrote It is a large room with many book shelves, and a day bed where Rudyard would often mull over things when he got stuck with his writing. There is John’s old bedroom with his football boots and hockey sticks and photos of him in his army uniform

Outside there are lovely gardens, but due to lack of time we didn’t have quite enough time to visit them all. This would be worth a second visit – I shall have to persuade a friend with a car as local transport is still infrequent and there is a long walk. He really knew what he was doing, did Kipling.

Edward Burne-Jones’ painting of the three Kipling children

Windowsill with items about May Morris, daughter of William Morris

The Orange Tree embroidered by May Morris

The final day of our trip, we started off in Eastbourne and the Towner Art Gallery. Here we spent time in the gallery’s storage facilities. Metal frames on wheels were pulled out for us to view paintings that started their original collection. At that time, they were in a different building, which was part of a museum. I remember going there years ago. Now they have their own purpose built gallery almost on the seafront. We were shown paintings by Eric Ravilious, a particularly productive Sussex artist whose paintings I much enjoy, along with other artists of the same era, including Edward Bawden. The two of them worked together on murals for Morley Collage in London, but sadly they were destroyed by bombing in the war. Edward Bawden later painted some different murals for the college which can be seen in their refectory.

The main reason we were there was to see the preparation paintings for Berwick Church by Duncan Grant and Venessa and Quentin Bell. These were stored in a box with paper between the pictures. These were spread out for us on a table so we could look at them more closely.

Last time I said I had a story to tell about one of Duncan Grant’s paintings proposed for Berwick Church. The original painting was not acceptable to the Bishop due to (a) the rather serene looking face of Jesus and (b) Jesus was totally naked – no loin cloth. Now the model for this painting had to stand in the crucifixion pose for a very long time. He was plied with alcohol and tied to an easel. Even so, it was impossible for him to keep his arms straight for any length of time, which is why the arms sag. The serene face was due to all the alcohol consumed. It was possible he was totally out of it! However, the second painting (see below) was accepted.

I have to thank various people for these snippets which came via our gallery guide, other guides, and our leader on the tour. They know their stuff. Like the fact that the name Rudyard comes from the place he was conceived.

After time in the storage room, we went into one of the galleries and through to the library and Eric Ravilious’ room. This contains various paintings and ceramics. Well worth a second visit.

We had lunch close to the sea, under a tree to shelter from the spits and spots of rain. After lunch, we headed inland to visit our last house – Farleys House, which is between Eastbourne and Bexhill. I’d only heard about this house a few months earlier and wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was the home of Roland Penrose (Surrealist painter) and Lee Miller (photo journalist), but that was all. Well, I fell in love with house.

Sadly, no photography is allowed in the house, as it still belongs to the family, but the walls are brightly painted in yellow and light blue. In the dining room the fireplace has a beautiful wall painting by Roland of the sun and moon. The house had interesting visitors, one of whom was Picasso, and there is a tile painting of his by the Aga. Every space has something interesting to look at. Even in the hallway, paintings and sculptures fill corners and walls.

There is much I could say about the couple who lived in this house, but I would direct you to the website. When the couple moved here, Lee became interested in cooking. She sort of reinvented herself. Her past was shut away in attics which her son only found after she died. Her photography is still being collated and it is hoped that an exhibition of the photos she took after troops liberated the camps after the war will then go on show.

The garden is littered with sculptures of all kinds. Also on site is a warehouse/barn with some photographic exhibitions, Roland Penrose’ Jeep, as well as a second exhibition space, cafe and toilets.

Roland’s Jeep. He travelled around the world for several years in this

What do the Surrealists have to do with The Bloomsbury Group? Well, they came after them. It was perhaps a natural progression. Art always takes elements from a previous period and adds something new. Influences go a long way and you can often see aspects of another painter in the work of other artists. And then there are the rebellious ones!

I came home with all these images and thoughts running through my head. This holiday had been cancelled twice due to Covid. Third time lucky. It was worth the wait.

The Bloomsbury Group and all that (Part 2)

Could the second day of our holiday be better than the first? Oh, yes it could! Our first stop was Charleston House where Vanessa Bell lived with her two children, Julian and Quentin, as well as Duncan Grant and his lover David Garnett. Vanessa was also in love with Duncan and later had a child by him, Angelica. The girl was brought up to think she was Clive Bell’s daughter and was only told she was Duncan’s when she was about eighteen. I told you relationships were rather complicated! It gets more so because when she was born (at the house), David Garnett said that he would marry her one day. He did! I’ve bought the book Angelica wrote about growing up at Charleston. I’m sure it will be mind blowing!

The house, when they first lived here, had no running water or electricity. It was rented, and as I said in my last post, the men were conscientious objectors and moved here so they were able to work on the land. Later, the house was used mainly as a holiday home. Gradually, the group put there own touch to it by painting walls, fireplaces, doors and furniture. A studio was built on and Vanessa moved her bedroom downstairs next door to the studio.

Dining room – walls decorated with paint and stencils

The house is beautiful. There is so much to take in. Everywhere you turn, every room, there is something to look at. To say I love this house is an understatement. Although I have been here before, it still astounds me. The last time I came people were not allowed to take photos. This time people could, so I went a little crazy, despite a rather rushed tour because everything has to be booked in advance (due to Covid restrictions) which mean a backlog and delayed tours if we lingered too long. But linger I so wanted to do!

Vanessa’s bedroom surrounded by paintings of her children

We were at leisure afterwards to view the garden and the galleries. I think the galleries and cafe are new additions, as I don’t remember them (there is a cafe too). There were two art exhibitions, but the one everyone wanted to see was Duncan Grant from the 1920’s. If you are interested, there is another exhibition of Duncan’s in London at the Philip Mould Gallery, and I’m going along to that next month.

I have heard that Charleston House is fully booked for the next six months. I may be wrong, but it shows how popular this house is. Enjoy the photos.

From Charleston we got back in the coach for the ten minute drive to Berwick Church. I’ve longed to go here. It was shut for some months while work was carried out, and then there was Covid. It opened again in the spring this year. Here are the murals painted by Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell. Bishop Bell (no relation to Duncan) wanted to revive the art of murals in churches, most being lost during the Reformation. Duncan was approached and he put forward preparation studies for the project.

The Pulpit – Duncan Grant. The original paintings by Vanessa Bell of the saints were vandalised back in the 1960’s and Duncan repainted them.

He used local people as models, as well as themselves. Angelica Bell was the model for Mary. The church was still in the harvest season with a few fruits and veg on windowsills . A lot of the stained glass windows were lost during war bombing and never replaced in case the same thing happened. The result is a lovely light church.

The Victory at Calvary – Duncan Grant (I have a story to tell you about this one next time!)

Earlier in the year I watched a Zoom performance from here. Words by Virginia Woolf (I think from her book Orlando) and music. While the music played the camera moved around the walls and I saw for the first time the beautiful murals. It was a very moving performance. Seeing the murals in the flesh was stunning. I’d love to return sometime.

Plain glass windows and some stained glass

We had one more place to visit that day – Bateman’s, the home of Rudyard Kipling. Now what had he to do with the Bloomsbury Group? Nothing, other than he was accused by Virginia Woolf (I think it was) of being imperialistic and approved of war. The Bloomsbury Group were opposites to the Victorians, who they considered hypocrites. The Victorian carried on the same things as they did, but the Victorians hid it all!

The other reason for going to Bateman’s was that Monk’s House, the home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf is only open at the weekends, so we could not visit. I have been there before, and it is worth a visit (Virginia’s writing studio is in the garden). It is only a short drive from Charleston House.

Part 3 will be up shortly when I will talk about Bateman’s and the last day of our holiday when we visit another extraordinary house.

48 hours in Sussex

Looking towards Rottingdean (Roedean School on the cliffs)

It’s amazing what you can fit into forty-eight hours! And boy, we were lucky with the weather.

A friend had invited me to stay with her at her apartment at Brighton Marina for two nights. I have been many times before, but this might be the last as she is thinking of selling after fifteen years of it being a family bolt hole. Circumstances change and all that. My family have borrowed it twice as well and I shall be sorry not to visit again. We made the most of it!

The day we arrived, the weather was beautiful, having left London in spots and spits of rain. This is often the case. Once over the South Downs weather can change rapidly. We dumped our stuff, nipped to Asda for some provisions, and returned to the apartment to eat our lunch. Then it was time for a stroll. We headed off along the lower cliff path towards Rottingdean. The tide was in and the heat of the sun was reflecting back on us from the white chalk cliffs. The lower cliff path attracts joggers and cyclists (you can hire bikes nearby) and is flat. The sea was still (sometimes) crashing over the wall, and we nearly got caught.

The sea looked so inviting on such a hot day, and I was tempted to go in and paddle. There were a few stretches where sand made an appearance between the stones, and quite a few people (as well a dog) were out swimming. As we neared Rottingdean the urge to paddle grew stronger. I knew if I didn’t do this now, I probably wouldn’t get another chance. So we went down the steps on onto the beach. My friend, who at first said she’d photograph it, decided to join me (I lead her into all sorts!). Off came the shoes and sandals and into the sea we went. Actually, the sea was warm once the initial wash-over the feet came. It felt refreshing. It was just great.

After sitting on the beach to dry our feet, it was onwards up the steps to Rottingdean itself. This is a favourite place of mine. It was the home of Rudyard Kipling and Edward Burne Jones for a time, and there is a Burne Jones stained glass window in the church. It is a lovely village with a green, pond and beautiful gardens, once belonging to Kipling, which is free to explore. This time we didn’t get into the village, just to a shop that sold ice creams. I was impressed to find they had two vegan choices.

Coming back we walked along the upper cliff where you can spot the windmill and the breeze is very welcome.

The upper and lower paths (Brighton Marina in the distance)

The following day we had tickets for Ditchling Museum, so we set off in plenty of time in order to find somewhere to park. We were a little early, so we had cup of tea before going in. The man associated with the place is Eric Gill, an artist lived in Ditchling with his family. Later the abusive relationships he had with his daughters made it difficult for the museum to know how to approach his art in light of this.

Illustrations for his children’s book, The Jam Sandwich

There were some exhibits of his on show, but less than I had expected. However, the exhibition we saw was works by John Vernon Lord. He is a fascinating illustrator, especially his notebooks. The tiny writing and intricate drawings were just mind boggling. He is obsessed with numbers, and he uses a stop watch throughout the day. He knows how long he takes to complete a picture. John Lord has illustrated works by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and James Joyce, as well as writing and illustrating children’s books. There is video interview which makes great viewing.

An illustration of a flat he lived in in London

I had never heard of John Vernon Lord before this exhibition, but was totally knocked out by his work. I found that he also illustrated an album cover for Deep Purple, a record I have in my collection! This was a wonderful exhibition.

Deep Purple a bum cover illustrated by John Vernon Lord

Afterwards sat on the green between the museum and the church to eat our packed lunch. The day had started overcast and a bit drizzly, but was now improving. We visited the church, and then sat outside a pub with our pots of tea (very civilised) and relaxed. By the time we got back to Brighton, the sun was fully out and had chased away all the clouds.

There are some very old buildings in Ditchling

We ate out that evening – no cooking, no washing up.

The next day was leaving day. The time had flown by. It was a leisurely start and then we packed up. We decided to do a short detour before coming back and headed from West Sussex over the border into East Sussex to Seaford. Seaford has a flat seafront, but then at the end you have the cliffs, which we have walked over before. There is a fantastic museum in a martello tower, which isn’t often open, but was that day (we have visited once before). We sat on the seafront with our rolls and crisps and then took a short stroll before stopping at a seafront cafe for a cup of tea. The day was perfect. The earlier clouds had vanished quickly this morning, and the sky was blue and the sun hot. Reluctantly, it was time to leave. Just two nights away makes all the difference. I was more relaxed and with good company. We had plenty of laughs and plenty of memories to take home.

A day out of London

On Tuesday I visited my brother who lives a few miles inland from Eastbourne. I was a little worried about how busy the train would be, but it was quiet. It was my brother’s birthday. He’d have been on his own and I felt it important to be there. I remember how much of damp squib my birthday was while we were deep in lockdown.

After lunch at my brother’s house we went into Eastbourne. There is something to be said for a seaside town not swamped by people like in Brighton. I guess people still associate Eastbourne with the older generation (which of course my brother and I are), but I’ve always loved the place. I felt quite safe, and we even took a stroll on the beach so I could get some close up photos and take a video.

At present Eastbourne has a big wheel, which I believe is staying now until the end of August. I treated us to a ride on it. That was great fun and really made the day. We wandered along the seafront, had a cuppa, and just enjoyed the sunshine. It was a beautiful day, so wonderful to be by the seaside again. This was the best day out this year.

My Week in pictures (6) and something from the archive

I visit Sussex quite regularly, especially around the Brighton and Eastbourne areas. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that I shall get there this year, but I live in hope. I thought I’d share a few photos of a walk I took with my family back in 2004 along the South Downs Way taking in The Old Man of Wilmington. The countryside is stunning and I miss being able to walk there, or anywhere in the countryside right now.

This week I reached a mini goal in my jogging by running down the side of the park and along the back until I came to the where the main path slices the park in half, all without stopping. Then it’s a walk until I come to a certain post then off again until I reach the trees. That is my favourite part of the journey. It is peaceful and I always stop (I need to by then anyway!) and admire the undergrowth. Them I set off again to the top of the park – another breather – a short run, another stop and then I’m in the final stretch. At the end I sometimes visit the flower garden and take some photos.

I’ve been binge watching Look Up London videos of virtual walks in London and Museums in Quarantine on BBC4, catching up with some art exhibitions that closed before I could see them, plus others I probably wouldn’t have gone to, but I found them interesting nonetheless. These included Young Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, and a documentary about Monet’s garden and other artist’s gardens. The later was particularly beautiful and relevant to me as we were due to visit Monet’s garden in June. This is the nearest I would get to it this year, sadly, but I am even more excited about the prospect of visiting next year (all being well).

So, here is my week in pictures.