Dear Friends,

Our fifth lecture of the year is on Wednesday 27th May on the unusual subject of auction houses. Four auction houses dominate the International art world. They are one of the few remaining British global successes. Simon Cottle will reveal how they work and perhaps help us understand how such astonishing prices are achieved. The day begins at 10:00 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits. Bring a guest for just £5.

We are still selling tickets for our tour to Bavaria, to see the castles and lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. Our April trip to Shrewsbury and the surrounding area was a success despite issues with hotel where the management was clearly failing. We have learned lessons which we will apply to future trips.

This year we have part paid the music lessons of a young lady who could not otherwise have afforded them. We would like to offer the same opportunity to a young person in the 2026 to 2027 academic year and need to raise £300 by the end of June 2026. £90 was donated at our last meeting but we need another £150. We will be collecting donations via our card reader at the meeting in June.

Have you put 11th November in your diaries for our second day of special interest this year on the work of Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward and Agathe Christie? Tickets will go on sale in June.

Even further ahead we are planning a Diamond Jubilee celebration at the Bull Hotel for Saturday 26th June 2027 (yes 2027). We propose a banquet style meal with entertainment. Please reserve this date in your diary. More updates to come of course.

“Yes Nigel I would like to join the Committee, it sounds like you have fun and support each other and it would be sad to see the number of activities we all love fade away”

Best wishes from the committee
Nigel

Dear Friends,

Our fourth lecture of the year is on Wednesday 22nd April. Andrew Davies will take us on a trip around the architecture of New York. It will be interesting to see how he manages to cram it all into an hour. Andrew is a superb speaker with an entertaining style, he is also our President, I suppose you could say he is my boss.

The day begins at 10:00 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits. Bring a guest for just £5.

As we have mentioned before, we are only legally allowed 150 people sitting in the hall and our numbers have approached this level for our last 2 or 3 lectures. Which is of course good news. It will be very difficult but we may have to refuse entry to late comers. We are allowed to have a few people standing but clearly this is not ideal. We sometimes end up with single empty seats scattered around the room, please try to avoid this so we can get everyone in.

We are still selling tickets for our tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. We have plenty of people booked, so it will go ahead. As I write this letter some of our members are in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area visiting a long list of interesting places.

Diana has organised a day trip for us to go to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on the 6th May where we will have a talk on conservation, a sandwich lunch and a guided tour of part of the museum as well as time to look around other parts of the Museum by ourselves. The coach will leave Wildwood at 9.15am. Tickets will be on sale for £65 on Wednesday.  Wednesday 22nd April is the last chance to sign up. If we do not get sufficient people interested we may have to cancel the event which is a shame after all the work Diana has put into organising it. Please remember your cheque books for this!       

One of the aims of The Arts Society is to support Art in our community. In Gerrards Cross we support a superb group of young carers by funding materials for them to have a craft activity at their monthly meetings. We will be putting some photos of the impressive youngsters doing craft activities on our website so have a look. This year we have also supported music lessons for a young lady who would otherwise not been able to afford them. We are delighted to say she performed on two occasions at the Amersham Art festival. We should all be delighted we have given someone a chance to do something they could not otherwise have done. We would like to sponsor another music student for the year 2026 to 2027 and need to raise £300 by the end of June 2026. We will be collecting donations via our card reader on Wednesday.

Have you put 11th November in your diaries for our second day of special interest this year on the work of Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward and Agathe Christie?  Tickets will go on sale in June.

The committee has agreed our 2027 holidays which we will advertise next month. They are going to be popular. Sadly if we do not find volunteers to help organise these holidays in the future they will be our last. Please consider joining the committee, our monthly meetings are good fun. We all support each other so that no one is on their own, if you join now you can have an influence on our 2027 lecture program. Go on give it a go.  

Best wishes from the committee
 
Nigel

Copyright © 2026 Gerrards Cross DFAS, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email as you are a member of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross

Our mailing address is:
Gerrards Cross DFAS

EAST COMMON

GERRARDS CROSS, Bucks SL9 7AD

United Kingdom

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Copyright © 2026 Gerrards Cross DFAS, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email as you are a member of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross

Our mailing address is:
Gerrards Cross DFAS

EAST COMMON

GERRARDS CROSS, Bucks SL9 7AD

United Kingdom

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

  Dear Friends,

Our third lecture of the year is on Wednesday 25th March. Alice Foster will entertain and educate us on The Scottish Colourists who were 4 artists working in the period from 1905 to 1930. I am almost totally colour blind so their use of bright primary colours suits me. Their bold brush strokes may remind you of the paintings the art teacher used to pin on the wall when we were at school. They are the sort of paintings you look and think "I could do that". I love them. Come along and see what you think.

The day begins at 10:00 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits. Bring a guest for just £5.

                         
We are only legally allowed 150 people sitting in the hall which is one more than came to the Klimt talk in January. We apologise in advance but there may come a time when we have to refuse entry to late comers. We currently have 210 members and have decided to limit membership to 220 to avoid this sort of disappointment. We sometimes end up with single empty seats scattered around the room, please try to avoid this so we can get everyone in.

Several people have commented on the loud speakers. Unfortunately the memorial centres speakers still do not work. We will try a different combination of microphone and loud speaker this week to try and improved on the February lecture where we had an irritating echo.  
 

We are still selling tickets for two 2026 tours. A tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026 and a tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. Both trips have more than enough people booked already to make them a success.

Diana has organised a day trip for us to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on the 6th May where we will have a talk on conservation, a sandwich lunch and a guided tour of part of the museum as well as time to look around other parts of the Museum by ourselves. The coach will leave Wildwood at 9.15am. Tickets will be on sale for £65 on Wednesday.  Please remember your cheque books for this!       

One of the aims of The Arts Society is to support Art in our community. In Gerrards Cross we support a superb group of young carers by funding materials for them to have a craft activity at their monthly meetings. This year we have also supported music lessons for a young lady who would otherwise not been able to afford them. We are delighted to say she will be performing at the Amersham Art festival. We would like to sponsor another music student for the year 2026 to 2027 and need to raise £300 by the end of June 2026. We will be collecting donations via our card reader on Wednesday.

Please put 11th November in your diaries for our second day of special interest this year on the work of Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward and Agathe Christie. Didn't they write some decent plays? Tickets will go on sale in June.

This month the committee started to consider our Arts Society 2027 holidays and 2027 lecture program. The only way you can have a say in where we go and what lectures we have is by joining the committee. We need new members to help organise events, please come and give it a try. Don't worry, you won't be left to organise things on your own as we often work in pairs. Our monthly meetings are a very enjoyable social. Last month I met Rachel Fay the daughter of the lady who founded the Arts Society and Jeremy Thomas the current chair of the Art Society Trustees. We are in good shape and getting even better. The Arts Society now advertise on Boom Radio so have a listen.

If I do not see you on Wednesday let me wish you a Happy Easter now.Best wishes from the committee

Dear Friends,

We started the year with a 28th January lecture on the work of Gustav Klimt. We learned that he used a wide variety of styles from almost photographic portraits to impressionist landscapes and nude female figures wrapped in orange and gold for which he is perhaps most famous.  

On the 11th February we had a Special Interest Day devoted to Winnie the Pooh who is now a 100 years old. We learned about the work of Ernest Shepard the very clever artist who created the drawings of Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the 100 acre wood and also the characters from Wind in the Willows. Staggeringly Shepard fought on the front line as an artilery gunner for the whole of WW1 including fighting at the battle of the Somme from where he returned fantasic drawings to supplement his income as a solder, what a man!

On Wednesday the 25th February we have a lecture from James Butterwick on Oleksandr Bogomazov. James has spent a large part of his career bringing Bogomazov and his work to the eyes of the western world so we can expect many insights into the artist and his work. Bogomazov is most famous for his bright colourful bold brush strokes but his love of one woman is a truly gripping story. 

The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits. Bring a guest for just £5.

We are only legally allowed 150 people sitting in the hall which is one more than came to the Klimt talk in January. We appologise in advance but there may come a time when we have to refuse entry to late comers. We currently have 210 members and have decided to limit numbers to 220 to avoid this sort of disappointment. We sometimes end up with single empty seats scattered around the room, please try to avoid this so we can get everyone in.

Several people have commented on the loud speakers. As we may have mentioned previously, unfortunately the Memorial Centre does not yet have the financial resources to repair their speakers or the hearing loop so we have to use the single speaker at the front of the room. You may therefore want to sit near the front to maximise the volume and clarity of the lecturers voice.
 We are still selling tickets for two 2026 tours. A tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026 and a tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. Both trips have more than enough people booked already to make them a success.

We have organised a day trip to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on the 6th May where we will have a talk on conservation, a sandwich lunch and a guided tour of part of the museum as well as time to look around other parts of the Museum by ourselves. The coach will leave Wildwood at 9.15. tickets will be on sale for £65 on Wednesday.     Remember your cheque books for this!                                                    Please put 11th November in your diaries for our second day of special interest on the work of Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward and Agathe Christie. Didn't they write some decent plays? Tickets will be sold later in the year.
 We welcome feedback, but remember the committee are unpaid volunteers. We are always looking for new energetic people to join us. We are a friendly bunch and it is good fun. During our committee meeting last week we had to stop several times to allow our laughter and giggles to subside before we could continue. 

If you want to comment on the speakers please do so on our website. The password for putting your rating on is COLSTON.  The website is a good read.

 look forward to seeing you all soon, best wishes
 
Nigel

Dear Friends,

Winter is more than half over, the days are getting longer but the best news is that our next lecture, on the 28th January, is about Gustav Klimt, a Viennese painter whose most famous work is probably "The Kiss". You should recognise it as the cover of our 2026 program. He was also famous for letting cats roam his studio but that was not the only unusul thing about him....come and find out.

The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits. Bring a guest for just £5.

Lynda and Beryl organised a superb sell out Christmas visit to The Brick Lane Music Hall on the 11th  December. By the way the theatre was no where near Brick Lane famous for its curry houses. We had a very good Christmas dinner and excellent music hall entertainment. However the highlight for me was Beryl dancing like a teenager between the tables. Lynda still has not worked out why the wine for her table was served last despite the fact that she ordered first. "they saved the best until last Lynda"

Talking about last, Lynda and Beryl who have produced great days out for us over many years have made Brick Lane their last event. We are looking for volunteers to take over from them. Why not give it a try  -  the committee are a very friendly and supportive bunch. Lynda and Beryl thank you from us all for the fun you have provided on your countless adventures. You are much appreciated.

  
Barbara has organised our 2026 programme and Terri has organised a day of special interest and will be selling tickets next week to celebrate Winnie the Pooh’s 100th year on Wednesday the 11th of February 2026. Lunch with wine and coffees are included.  I hope they are not sold out, because I haven't bought a ticket yet, so I will see you (behind me) in the queue.
 
We are selling tickets for two 2026 tours. A tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026 and a tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026.
 
We are bit old fashioned as we only accept payment by cheque. We can only book your place after you have made a payment.
 

2026 membership is now due. A form is attached or ask Ann and Tracy on the welcome desk on the 28th. It is a real bargain.  Please encourage your friends to  come and join us. The lectures are very stimulating as well as the varied events.  
 
 
I look forward to seeing you all soon, best wishes
 
Nigel

  

Click here for:  Copy of  The Arts Society Gerrards Cross Membership Renewal Form

Click here for :
   Copy of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross New Member Subscription Form


 

Copyright © 2026 Gerrards Cross DFAS, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email as you are a member of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross

Our mailing address is:
Gerrards Cross DFAS

EAST COMMON

GERRARDS CROSS, Bucks SL9 7AD

United Kingdom

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Copyright © 2026 Gerrards Cross DFAS, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email as you are a member of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross

Our mailing address is:
Gerrards Cross DFAS

EAST COMMON

GERRARDS CROSS, Bucks SL9 7AD

United Kingdom

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Dear Friends,
 
We look forward to welcoming you to our Christmas festivities on Wednesday, 26th of November. Tony Rawlins will explore the songs of Christmas in a Wassail away. We will end the day with wine and mince pies.
 
The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits.
 
Terri has organised next year’s programme and will be selling tickets for a day of special interest to celebrate Winnie the Pooh’s 100th year on Wednesday the 11th of February 2026. Lunch with wine and coffees are included.  It will sell fast.
 
Lynda and Beryl have organised an exceptional Christmas visit to Brick Lane Music Hall on Thursday, 11th of December 2025. The bus leaves Wildwood at 10:15am.  It is sold out.
 
Lynda will be selling the tours for 2026. A tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026. A further tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026.
 
Remember No cheque book, No ticket.
 
As winter approaches, we would be grateful, if possible, you could share a car.
 
Liz and Anita are organising the support for a young, gifted player to continue with her cello lessons, as well as supporting young carers. The donation box is at the back of the hall.
 
2026 membership is now due. A form is attached or ask a member of the committee
 
Volunteers are always welcome to join the committee.
 
I would like to wish my successor, Nigel Wright, all success in 2026. Thank you for your kindness and support. I have enjoyed it.
 
So, lots to look forward to,
With best wishes
 
Alastair

Dear Friends, 

We look forward to welcoming you to our next lecture on Wednesday, 22nd of October. Mark Hill will delight us again, this time with Hot Stuff, the Birth of Studio Glass. The 1960s saw a change as glass became a medium for art. He will cover the history of glass before examining the work of six key glass artists.

The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea/coffee and biscuits.

Terri will be selling tickets for the special interest day, on Wednesday 12th of November 2025, when Angela Findlay will be exploring the ways that the Arts can affect and influence societies. This was vital in transforming Germany after WWII.
 
Lynda and Beryl are organising an exceptional Christmas visit to Brick Lane Music Hall on Thursday, 11th of December 2025. There is no need to dress up. 

Ian is explaining/selling the tours for 2026. A tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026. A further tour to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. 

Remember No cheque book, No ticket.

As winter approaches, we would be grateful, if possible, you could share a car.

Liz and Anita are organising the support for a young, gifted player to continue with her cello lessons, as well as supporting young carers. The donation box is at the back of the hall.

2026 subscription is now due and is the same as last year; a new form is attached.

Volunteers are always welcome to join the committee, especially for the day visits, otherwise there will be no visits next year.

So, lots to look forward to,
With best wishes 
 
Alastair
 

 

Click here for:  Copy of  The Arts Society Gerrards Cross Membership Renewal Form

Click here for :
   Copy of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross New Member Subscription Form


 

Dear Friends,
 
We look forward to welcoming you back to our next lecture on Wednesday, 10th September after a lovely sunny summer. Val Woodgate will delight us with a talk on the mysterious world of Salvador Dali covering his eccentricities and his paintings of the invisible world of the unconscious mind. Val Woodgate is a guide and lecturer at the Tate modern and lectures worldwide
 
The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea or coffee and biscuits.
 
Lynda and Beryl are selling tickets to an exceptional Christmas visit to Brick Lane Music Hall on Thursday, 11th of December 2025. NO NEED TO DRESS UP. It is now open to Guests. Please bring your cheque books.
 
Tickets will also be selling for the Special Interest Day, on Wednesday 12th of November 2025, when Angela Findlay will be exploring the ways that the Arts can affect and operate in societies. This was vital in transforming Germany after WWII.
 
Ian is explaining/selling the tours for 2026. The first to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. Secondly, a tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026.
 
Remember No cheque book, No ticket.
 
As winter approaches, we would be grateful, if possible, you could share a car.
 
Liz and Anita are organising the support for a young, gifted player to continue with her cello lessons, as well as supporting young carers. The donation box is at the back of the hall.
 
2026 subscription is the same as last year at £50. A new form is attachedat the bottom of this letter. Please print a copy if you can.
 
Volunteers are always welcome to join the committee.
 
So, lots to look forward to,
With best wishes
 
Alastair

Click here for:  Copy of  The Arts Society Gerrards Cross Membership Renewal Form

Click here for :
   Copy of The Arts Society Gerrards Cross New Member Subscription Form

We look forward to welcoming you to our next lecture on Wednesday, 25th June. Matthew Williams will talk about a Royal rescue at Dumfries House. He is a well-known lecturer on history of Art and architecture at Museums, Universities, the Tate and the National Trust. He explores the fascinating and interesting story of the restoration of the Marquess of Bute’s house, Dumfries House, with help from the then Prince Charles.
 
The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea or coffee and biscuits. It would be very helpful if you could bring a £1 coin!
 
 The AGM will follow the lecture at 11.45 pm. If you have any questions, please send them to any committee member.
 

Beryl will be selling tickets to an exceptional Christmas visit to Brick Lane Music Hall on Thursday, 11th of December 2025. Please wear something Victorian. Demand is great It is on a first come, first served basis.
Please bring your cheque books.  NO cheque - No Booking!!

 
Tickets will also be selling for the special interest day, on Wednesday 12th of November 2025, when Angela Findlay will be exploring the ways, that the Arts can affect and operate in societies. This was vital in transforming Germany after WWII.
 
Ian is explaining/selling the tours for 2026. The first to Bavaria, where we will see the castles and Lakes of Bavaria and Munich for 5 days from September the 25th 2026. Secondly, a tour in the UK to see the Historic Houses and Heritage of Shropshire and Ironbridge for 5 days starting on the 13th of April 2026

Dear Friends,
 We look forward to welcoming you to our next lecture on Wednesday, 28th May, when Christopher Bradley will show us the fascinating artistic record of the Romans through their mosaics. The mosaics show their lifestyle, beliefs, achievements and fun. Christopher Bradley is a worldwide lecturer, TV presenter and tour guide on the history of the Middle East. He worked as a cameraman and producer of many films and documentaries for the BBC and others and was invited to be a consultant to the UN.
 The day begins at 10 for 10:30. £1 for tea or coffee and biscuits.
 Lynda ran an enjoyable visit to St Albans Cathedral and Verulamium Museum on Wednesday, the 7th of May. It was well received by all.
 Sadly, Lynda and Beryl are stepping down, so there will be no visits next year, unless someone joins our committee to help organise them.
For those who haven’t joined the memorial centre there is a car parking charge of £2. If you don’t pay, you will get a polite notice. We all appreciate the memorial centre and it needs our support.
 The centre is planning to upgrade the hearing loop but have not yet the funding to do it.
 Volunteers are always welcome to join the committee.
 So, lots to look forward to,
With best wishes
 
Alastair
 

Our fees are £50 per annum plus a joining fee of £12.

We are one of the largest societies with around 225 members and meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month except July, August and December. The  session starting at 10:30 am. Coffee is served early. Visiters are most welcome to  the meetings with a small fee of £5.

Each year we organise nine lectures, two Days of Special Interest, two Cultural Tours (one at home and one abroad) and four day-visits.

Our website is - https://www.tasgx.org.uk