The Minack Theatre, Penzance. Photo: Tim Lewy
Unexpectedly glorious weather accompanied the Friends on their tour of Cornwall. Stopping off at Tewkesbury, many amongst the group enjoyed an informative and lively talk around the Abbey before our first stop-over in Cheltenham. Although technically in administration, Hestercombe provided a welcome venue for a break en route for Truro where we could wander through the gardens, formal and informal, admiring the views, Gertrude Jekyll’s planting and the mill. Sadly the cascade was dry owing to lack of rain earlier this year. Arriving in Truro, we settled into the Alverton Hotel, a former convent and our base for the next four nights, a mini visit in itself.
The following day was devoted to Barbara Hepworth, Bernard Leach and other like-minded artists who sought the clear air of the Cornish coast as their studio. Our very knowledgeable guide, Steve, took us round the Tate St Ives, a work of art in itself with breathtaking views of the coastline, before we were left to wander at our leisure, sample the best of Cornish fare over lunch and, in the case of one member of the group, take a dip in the extremely inviting sea. After lunch Steve joined us again for a talk at the Hepworth Sculpture Garden, a truly inspirational space where nature and art coalesce seamlessly.
Day three took us to Penzance and the Penlee House and Gallery, where although much of the permanent collection had been removed to make way for an exhibition on birds and their relevance to the Cornish coast, there was still much to enjoy in the gallery and outside in the gardens. Nevertheless it was a little disappointing not to see any paintings by Laura Knight or her husband, Harold. However, any slight edge was soon forgotten on arrival at the wonderful Tremenheere Sculpture Garden where, in the words of one member of the party, the sub-tropical planting outshone the sculpture with strategic views across the bay to St Michael’s Mount enhanced by the brilliance of the sunshine. Amongst the sculptures, mostly, if not all, by living artists, the stand out feature was Skyspace by James Turrell where, like his installation at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, it was possible to lie back and look up at the clouds through an oval oculus and meditate.
We were well prepared for the following day for our visit to the Minack Theatre, an outdoor arena carved out of the rocks leading down to the sea, so in spite of the sun, coats, rugs and cushions were in evidence. But first we enjoyed a tour around the Kurt Jackson Foundation gallery in St Just, voted the best gallery in Cornwall for three successive years. Set in a light and spacious industrial building the paintings – all by Jackson – were shown off to advantage, while on the first floor there was an exhibition featuring the Cornish tea plantation. But, back to the Minack -not an easy place to get to especially with a 56 seater coach and contradictory information as to how far road works would affect access. In the end, after much speculation, the coach made it to the car park, but that still left a steep walk up the hill to the theatre. The view from the top though was certainly worth the walk. As for the play, Making a Killing, well, this was not to everyone’s taste, but as it is coming to the Georgian Theatre in Richmond next year, it will be possible for Friends not on the trip to judge for themselves.
More drama followed as the exit from the coach park was not designed for such large vehicles and stones by the wayside had to be physically moved. Unfortunately a critical stone, hidden by the greenery, was not dismantled and the side of the coach was damaged in spite of the best endeavours of our very careful driver, Steve. A few metres of masking tape came to the rescue and we all arrived back at the hotel, coach and passengers, in one piece.
Our last day in Truro started with a visit to Cornwall’s only cathedral built in the Victorian Gothic style by John Loughborough Pearson, one-time architect for Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere and whose first commission was at Ellerton in East Yorkshire. Another interesting talk charted the history of the building and we were able to admire the three spires, beautiful marble paving and stained glass before saying goodbye to Cornwall and driving into Devon. Coleton Fishacre near Dartmouth was the home of the D’Oyly Carte family and was built for them by a protegee of Edwin Lutyens, Oswald Milner in the Arts and Crafts style, but with Art Deco furnishings. It is now in the hands of the National Trust and is the most delightful property, set in glorious surroundings, with formal gardens and walkways through the woods to spectacular views of the sea. More re-arranging of the roadside encumbrances enabled the driver to manoeuvre a safe get-away.
The final night was spent back in Cheltenham before the drive back to York, with short breaks at The Firs and nearby Worcester. The Firs was the birthplace of Edward Elgar, a neat cottage filled with musical memorabilia to which an introductory hall and café have been added. We were treated to an expert talk punctuated by samples of Elgar’s music by Richard Westwood-Brookes, the author of three books on Elgar and which provided an excellent context for our visit. From there to Worcester and free time. Most chose to visit the mediaeval cathedral and to catch a glimpse of the river walk before re-joining the coach for the journey home. All in all this was a rewarding and stimulating visit.
Dorothy Nott