Chalk & Ice

One of the highlights last year was the adventure to East Sussex and the marvellous Peggy Angus exhibition at the Towner gallery in Eastbourne. This was followed by a visit to the wonderful Furlongs where Peggy lived and Ravilious visited so often - friend Demus and I were invited to walk around the garden after finding the property by its lovely understanding owner. We pictured some of the scenes ER painted and looked at from his very sitting / painting position.

Furlongs - 1934

Furlongs - 2014

You can still listen to the splendid BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature: Chalk and Ice (by clicking this link) which was aired back in February and if you haven't done so you may like to squeeze in a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery where a huge exhibition of the great mans work is showing until 31st August - we are hatching another adventure to visit that in the coming weeks.

The old saying goes - take only memories and leave only footprints - I always have this in the back of my mind, but I did actually pick up a fallen cobble which was hidden in the grass. It now rests on my desk as a paperweight and something to fondle as a memory of this treasured corner of England.

Dim parcio

The recent trip to Sussex was filled with delights - not just the visit to the the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne and a visit to Furlongs (more of this another time), but an idle interlude exploring the exquisite village of Firle which is nestled in the heart of the Sussex Downs did not disappoint.

The days events were pretty much in the hands of my good friend Demus and I am pleased he knew I would appreciate this delightful village. Not just for the Ravilious and Charleston connections, but just the sheer simplicity and attractiveness of the place.

A very fine lunch in The Ram Inn with a couple of pints of Harveys finest Lewes ales was just the ticket before a gentle stroll around the village and extremities of Firle Place estate. I was more than interested to hear about the Gage family who own the estate as Sir Thomas Gage (1781-1820) was a horticulturalist who introduced the greengage plum to the British Isles. The labels on the trees he brought back from the monks at Chartreuse were lost and the fruit was subsequently named greengage after Thomas.

The 13th Century St Peter's Church which is surrounded by east Anglianesque flinted walls contains a large stained glass window by John Piper depicting Blake's Tree of Life.

After filling our pockets with conkers it was time to wend our way, but I have a feeling I will return..........there is much to explore in this lovely fold of the Sussex Downs.  
  

The sweet curl of the Downs

Peggy Angus - The Three Bears, Furlongs 1945

I don't need to be persuaded to go on an adventure. Especially with good friend Demus to lovely East & West Sussex. The main item on our agenda was to visit the wonderful Towner Gallery in Eastbourne. It has been on my list to visit for a while and it was truly superb. All the better as the wonderful Peggy Angus exhibition was on - it is running until this Sunday, so not long left if you want to go.    

Peggy Angus - Carters of Poole tile

The Towner building was an architectural joy in itself - light, bright and roomy with an altogether good feel about the place. I could have spent all afternoon enjoying the view and wonderful weather from the art gallery cafe balcony, but we had much to fill our day. 

Peggy Angus - Carters of Poole tiles

I have written before of my liking for Peggy Angus - it all started with me getting to know the links that all my favourite artists had with each other (Ravilious, Bawden, Olive Cook, Edwin Smith) and finding an article some years ago that Olive Cook wrote in World of Interiors magazine on the house Peggy lived in called Furlongs. This, of course, was the house below Beddingham Hill on the South Downs so famously painted by Ravilious.

Peggy Angus - Carters of Poole tiles

I am lucky enough to own some of Peggy's tiles that she designed for Carters of Poole and use them every day, which I am sure she would approve of, as pot stands and the like. The one thing that struck me in the exhibition and those paintings on display in the Eric Ravilious room at The Towner was how frequently the same chairs (see Three Bears, above) feature in all the paintings. Whatever happened to them? They are slightly iconic in their own weird way - anyone know?  

Peggy Angus - Cuckmere Coast Guard Cottages 1947

Furlongs - Edwin Smith

I'll leave you with a quite wonderful bit of footage showing Peggy Angus singing in her house, Furlongs, filmed some years ago - I wonder what she would have made of all this attention relating to her work now?

  

Art for Life

Art for Life - Peggy Angus

Ouses, ouses, ouses

Grace and beauty in these chalk hills

Sometimes I think it's just meant to be. A rummage through an interesting box on a market stall sometimes unearths treasure. It did the other week. A set of War Office and Air Ministry OS sheets of the South Coast, some covering my most favourite folds of coast and countryside. 

The lovely curl of the Downs

Look at some of the locations here in darkest East Sussex so favoured by Ravilious and if you look closer you may find more..............Iv'e given you a soundtrack too while you explore the lovely curl of the Downs.  

Peggy's place

Furlongs 1953 - Edwin Smith

Furlongs 1961 - Edwin Smith