The Trust had been assembling an archive on Copped Hall and its estate long before it purchased the mansion and gardens. The archive covers all aspects – including architectural details, planting, information on the people involved, etc...

The Trust welcomes any information (or objects) relating to Copped Hall whether it be verbal, photographic, drawings, etc... People should write to the Trust Administrator at 112 Torriano Avenue, London NW5 2SD.

Helen Lowther – Seasonal Garden Workshops

9.30am - 4.00pm Spaces limited to 10 people, so please book early.
Cost £30. Includes tea or coffee, light lunch and a tour of the garden.

Tuesday 20 April 2010: Spring Gardening
Advice on planting baskets and containers, pricking out seedlings, spring flowering plants and shrubs and making plant supports from natural materials.

Tuesday 13 July 2010: Summer Gardening
Care and maintenance of the summer border, summer pruning of fruit trees, dying herbs and flowers and an introduction to topiary.

Tuesday 21 September 2010: Autumn Gardening
Plants for late summer colour, planning for next year, seasonal tasks for autumn.

Now in their third year, these popular, relaxed, informative and practical workshops will cover the basics of gardening and are ideal for giving extra confidence and knowledge to the amateur gardener. The “hands-on” workshops will cover flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Your tutor will be Helen Lowther who is an experienced gardener and, among other things, is in charge of the 450-foot-long herbaceous border at Copped Hall. She has also been part of the advisory team on the Garden Organic stand at the Chelsea Flower Show. Helen also manages four allotments and is a trained adult education tutor.
Please contact Helen on 07778 423615 for further details and availability of spaces.

A MORNING IN THE GARDEN

9.30am - 12.30pm, maximum 2 people
Cost £20.00 Days and dates by arrangement.

This is a new idea for people who perhaps are unable to attend the day-long workshops but would enjoy the experience of spending a morning working alongside Helen in the beautiful Long Border or the Walled Garden. This session will offer the benefit of individual tuition and will include tea/coffee and homemade cakes/biscuits in the restored glasshouse.
Please contact Helen to book your preferred day on 07778 423615.
Cheques should be made payable to the Copped Hall Trust. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

ARBUTUS MUSIC - an all-day music workshop
Saturday 22 May

We welcome back Christine Gwynn and Frances Quintrell of Arbutus Music who will be running an all day workshop at Copped Hall. These extremely accomplished musicians and voice coaches will be taking us through a variety of songs and pieces of music that we can all sing together.  Everyone from novice to accomplished singer will enjoy themselves and an ability to read music is not essential.  It is an ideal chance to discover your voice or just enjoy the pleasure of singing in a group of like-minded people.

Both Christine and Frances have long and impressive musical pedigrees, but the reason they are so successful running these courses is they make it fun.  Go to the gallery on their website and you’ll see a lot of happy faces!

The cost is only £25 per person, with refreshments provided mid-morning and afternoon.  Lunch will be your choice.  You can either bring a packed lunch or go for a meal at one of the local pubs.  You will be provided with everything you need for the day, so all you need to bring is your enthusiasm. 

Call Frances Dennett (01992 610713) to book a place or via the Arbutus website

Finally, anyone wishing to join the Copped Hall Choir should particularly try to get along, because we got many of the choir from the last workshop that Arbutus ran for us.

For other information visit www.arbutusmusic.net

Tutor: Dilys Bidewell – Drawing Courses

Wednesdays 2 June, 16 June, 23 June, 30 June and 7 July
9.30am to 5.00pm

Cost £30 per day which includes tea or coffee on arrival, a ploughman’s lunch and afternoon refreshments. You may attend any or all of the days. The course is limited to 10 people per session.

The historic architecture and gardens of Copped Hall (and the inside of the mansion if it rains!) offer a rich and varied range of subjects to anyone interested in drawing from observation. You can spend the day drawing just one flower or the whole mansion. The course will provide an opportunity to spend time in this inspiring location, while developing your drawing skills, at your own pace, with the one-to-one support of an experienced artist and tutor. There will also be a brief presentation of different aspectsof drawing at the start of each day.

All levels of experience are welcome, including beginners. The course places no restrictions on the choice of media used for drawing. Easels will be provided.

Dilys Bidewell is an artist and qualified teacher. Originally trained as an architect, Dilys has an MA in Fine Art and has taught as a regular visiting lecturer on the BA and MA Fine Art Painting Courses at Wimbledon College of Art since 1991. She has also conducted summer schools for Central St Martins at Byam Shaw School of Art.

Please telephone Alan Cox on 020 7267 1679 or emial: coxalan1@aol.com for any questions to do with the course an the purchase of tickets.

Tickets are available from Alan Cox, 112 Torriano Avenue, London NW5 2SD
Tel: 020 7267 1679 Email: coxalan1@aol.com

William Tyler – “Aspects of Stuart Life”
Tuesday 20 July, 10.00am for 10.30am start. Cost £25.00
Price includes lunch and coffee or tea on arrival.

This Study Day will look at the social changes in the lives of the county elite and the county’s middling classes that occurred during the 17th century. It will do so by looking at the changes in the architecture of the private house, and at the internal layout and furnishings.

Amongst the issues we shall look at will be the food they ate, the clothes they wore, the leisure they took, the flowers they grew and the furniture they bought. We shall also look at the political and social catalysts for change that arrived from continental Europe – in particular from France after 1660 and from Holland after 1688.

Peter Lawrence – “For King, Empire and Themselves”
Thursday 12 August, 10.00am for 10.30am start. Cost £25.00
Price includes lunch and coffee or tea on arrival.

This study day follows on from last summer’s “The Lost Country Houses of Essex”. This year we will concentrate on south-west Essex, the occupiers of these grand country houses and how they made their money. The study day will not only identify many of the empire builders in this area, but will uncover some of their adventures and questionable business dealings, often by forming trading cartels whilst living as neighbours, sometimes even in adjoining properties.

Professor Gill Perry – “18th Century Women in Paintings and on the Stage”
Wednesday 8 September, 10.00am for 10.30am start. Cost £25.00
Price includes lunch and coffee or tea on arrival.

This study day will explore the roles, status and often notorious lives of some of the best known late 17th and 18th century actresses, singers and dancers through their portraits. It will enable participants to view and discuss images of some fascinating and often misunderstood women performers, providing an introduction to the social and theatrical environments in which they worked. More broadly, the day will provide information and insights about portraiture, biography, theatre history, gender and 18th century celebrity culture. Gill will also discuss the ideas behind her recentbook Spectacular Flirtations on portraits of 18th century actresses, and her forthcoming exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery: The First Actresses.