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Kettering Civic
Society |
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Time Travellers on the Northamptonshire Open Studios Trail |
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Kettering has been described as a town that people ‘pass through’, the Society is keen to invite travellers to explore what the town has to offer, specifically it has a rich heritage of the Arts and art, it can boast many great artists such as the well-known Dan Dare cartoonist, Frank Bellamy, Gotch, Sir Alfred East, Nettleship the list goes on. Kettering can also boast philanthropists, one of them being Sir Alfred East who bequeathed the art gallery to the people of Kettering. Wonderful exhibitions can be found here that are ever changing. The colours of the walls will be black for one exhibition, purple for another and even, for one exhibition, ‘Comics’, cartoons were drawn directly onto white walls. This, all due to the imagination of Katie Boyce the Gallery Manager. Needless to say that such inspiring work needed to be recognised and during the launch of Northamptonshire Open Studios the Society presented its Annual Silver Rose Bowl Award to Katie for her inspirational displays of artists’ work and the organisation of the Northants Open Studios Trail. |
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As well as exhibiting Jamie Poole’s art at the station, on show is a piece
of the 1960’s mosaic by Kenneth Budd. It is Kettering’s own public art.
(Budd’s works include the Kennedy Mosaic that was in the Bull Ring Shopping
Centre in Birmingham, also now re-sited).
It was a privilege to have Susie Corke’s traditional hand and machine patchwork quilts on show during September. She is very well-known within quilters as a professional teacher and an award winning textile artist. Thank you to our volunteers who staffed Time Travellers during September. Sushila Wright, Maria Shurville-Pym, Sandra Clipstone, Phyllis and John Wilson from The Friends of the Alfred East Art Gallery & Museum, and last but not least Eleanor Patrick who is not in the photo but a dedicated member of the Society |
You too could become a Station Adopter! |
 When
I told my family that Dan Eustace, East Midlands Trains Customer Service
Manager had asked me to be a “Station Adopter” it was met with a degree of
hilarity, hadn’t I adopted enough causes! Why would I have been asked to
join this group, what would I be expected to do? Dan explained that I had
already qualified by what had already been achieved in December 2015-
February 2016 and that by transforming a disused room on platform 1 into a
pleasant meeting room cum exhibition room for the community and engaging
Prince’s Trust Team 43 in creating an attractive garden approach from the
station carpark for early morning commuters to pass through was sufficient.
Having achieved this in a short time Dan nominated me for the “East Midlands
Trains Customer Experience Award”.
In July I was shortlisted from 700 nominees to attend the East Midlands Trains Oscars and what a magnificent event that was! The Oscars took place in Leicester’s Athena, a building with a wonderful Art Deco interior. Tables were beautifully set, we enjoyed a delicious four course meal and entertainment before the Awards ceremony. It was a privilege to be part of the day and to learn about the amazing work and care that East Midlands staff undertake in making passenger’s experience on the trains safe and comfortable. Awards were presented to staff who had helped in a variety of ways from getting a passenger quickly to their mother who was dying in hospital, to helping the family of a rail fatality. It was moving to hear of the compassion of those members of staff. I felt humbled that I was there because I had decorated a room on the station. When it came to announcing my category, “Community Partnership Award” I was delighted to receive the “Runner-Up” award and a bottle of Champagne. At the end of September, I was invited once again by East Midlands Trains to their Annual Station Adoption Conference, this time the occasion was at the IPRO Stadium, Derby County Football ground. Another great day out courtesy of East Midlands Trains. It was an enlightening experience to be invited to this great stadium and after hearing about the work that all station adopters carry out it is clear to understand that East Midlands really do recognise the valuable community work that volunteers at the station provide to enhance the customer experience. To be invited to attend and meet other station adopters as well as getting to know Jake Kelly the General Manager and Andrew Conroy Customer Experience Director of East Midlands Trains it was a worthwhile experience and one where Kettering Civic Society can continue to forge good links aimed at keeping our station looking good. Any number of people can become station adopters and if you feel that you would like to help to enhance Kettering station please do join us and make sure we come first next year! Monica Özdemir |
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Operation Spring Bloom |
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We are going to give the area around the station
along from the Northampton Road bridge to the station some colour and we
have ordered over 400 daffodil, bluebell and snowdrop bulbs from
Kettering |
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Coach Tour to Cheshire, Merseyside & North Wales |
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Tuesday was our Liverpool day and, having viewed the
iconic historic waterfront from the Birkenhead side of the river, we
crossed to Liverpool on the famous ‘Ferry ’Cross the Mersey’ with its on
board commentary. We then went on an open topped bus tour around the
city centre and viewed many important buildings including the two
Cathedrals. Tony again provided the commentary on both Our party then split, as individuals and small groups explored locations of particular interest to them including the Walker Art Gallery, the Cathedrals and the Albert Dock. Some of us went on a walking tour with our guide and viewed the impressive marbled Departure Foyer of the Cunard Building and the high domed Entrance Hall of the Port of Liverpool Building. Our return was via one of the road tunnels under the river and a good night’s sleep was followed by a trip into Wales to visit the Italianate village of Portmeirion, the dream of the Welsh Architect Sir Clough Williams Ellis. This was built between 1925 & 1972 as his ideal village on a romantic coastal site. Famously, this was the location of the 1960’s television series ‘The Prisoner’. Our day was blessed by beautiful weather and our route to Port Merion had been via Betws-y-Coed and spectacular, if tortuous, roads across Snowdonia. We returned to Mold via an alternative route passing on the way the picturesque Lake Bala. That evening many of the party visited the Theatre Clwyd in Mold to see the first performance of the National tour of the play ‘Be My Baby’ which featured in the principle roles Ruth Madoc and the Coronation Street actress Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster). Our final day, Thursday, began with a morning visit
to Chester where our guide took us on a walking tour around the City
Centre on the City Walls, past the Roman Amphitheatre culminating in a
visit to the Cathedral. We continued our journey home via the historic
Moreton Hall near Congleton in Cheshire. This spectacular half-timbered
moated Tudor Manor House marked a fascinating end to our trip and we By Phil Evans |
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Toller Coffee Morning Click here for details of our full 2016 programme
Shopping on the internet?
President: Dr J M Freeman OBE Chairman: Paul Ansell Dip Arch
RIBA Secretary Monica Özdemir
If you would like to know more about membership of the Society email the secretary or download a membership form
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A
surprising venue for
art could be found at Kettering railway station, and what an excellent place
to find an exhibition by Jamie Poole to cheer up the spirits and buy a work
of art. Time Travellers is the name that Kettering Civic Society has given
to the room, because the Society is interested in the past, present and
future of the town and if you have visited you would see from archive
material that things do go around in circles. An art exhibition by one of
the oldest art Societies, The Kettering & District Art Society, took place
in the station masters office in 1979!
The
Mosaics’ abstract images tell of Kettering’s rich heritage, it is a modern
version of Kettering’s coat-of-arms and pays homage recognising the
importance of the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society, William Knibb
the emancipator of slaves as well as recording the towns industry; made
possible because of the railway coming to town. The Mosaic had adorned the
former Grammar School, latterly Tresham College but when it was decided to
pull the building down no provision had been made to keep the Mosaic and it
was offered to Kettering Civic Society as custodians to save for the town in
2007. Since then it has been in storage awaiting funds needed to restore and
re-site it. A mammoth cost for a small Society who has worked hard over the
years fundraising. Ł24,000 is still required to restore and re-site it, a
small price to pay for a large piece of an iconic 1960’s mosaic showing
Kettering’s heritage. Are there any philanthropists out there willing to
sponsor and donate a Kenneth Budd Mosaic to the town and have their name in
Kettering’s list of benefactors along with Carnegie (Library) and Charles
Wicksteed (Pleasure Park)? 
Following
successful 4-day trips to Scotland and Northumberland in 2014 and 2015,
the Society decided this year to venture less far afield and
Committee Member, Phil Evans, prepared an itinerary based on places
which he knew. As in previous years Taurus Holidays, Pytchley, provided
the transport and this time arranged for accommodation at the Beaufort
Park Hotel at Mold in Flintshire which is about 10 miles from Chester.
After leaving Kettering at 8.30 am on Monday 12 September, we arrived at
the village of Port Sunlight around midday. The village was created by
William Hesketh Lever, a soap manufacturer and founder of the now world
renowned Unilever group. He wanted to build homes for the people who
would work in his new factory and created a wonderful informal and
picturesque Garden Village. More than 30 Architects, including Sir Edwin
Lutyens, were used to create his vision which included not only the
houses but a Church and a range of other buildings including Shops, an
Inn, a Theatre, a Fire Station and as a memorial to his wife, the Lady
Lever Art Gallery. This contains a most magnificent range of well-known
Pre-Raphaelite paintings and many from other eras. Of particular
interest to us from Kettering was an Alfred East painting of Lever’s
Estate near Bolton. We went on a walking tour of the village conducted
by our personal guide, Tony Vaughan.
