Membership year 2025/26 Lecture programme Great Hale (Magna) Hall - postcode NG34 9LH Lectures begin at 2pm followed by tea and biscuits. We hope to continue with the lunches, October, December, February, April and June. Further details in the newsletters. Start of the new membership year. November 13th 2025 Moorcroft Pottery James Smallwood William Moorcroft 1872 – 1945 was brought up in the back streets of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. He knew tragedy from an early age losing his sister when he was 8, his mother a year later and his father when he was just 12. Perhaps it was this tragic upbringing that helped develop his strength of character and resilience that saw him establish himself as the most accomplished studio potter of recent times. Update:- Moorcroft pottery is back in business, with production having restarted in September 2025 at its historic Cobridge factory after Will Moorcroft, the founder's grandson, purchased the company in June 2025. The company was saved from liquidation, which had occurred in April 2025, allowing many of the former staff to return to their roles. The reopening includes preparations to restart the Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre. A group of William Moorcroft wares, 1913-1930's. In the centre is a tall "Florian" vase of the type first produced under Macintyre, with the later "Pomegranate" pattern on two plates and a mug. Original uploader was Robmcrorie at en.wikipedia. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 For the latest information on the saving of Moorcroft click here December 11th 2025 A Cornucopia of Curious Christmas Customs Tim Stimson Strange, wondrous, perplexing, alarming; mischievous trolls descending on villages, and terrifying demons, the bane of naughty children; punishment and presents and traditional incarnations of the Yuletide Spirit… some of the fascinating Christmas customs from Iceland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and elsewhere, will be brought to life in this journey through the rich folklore surrounding the Festive Season. Illustrated with paintings and engravings depicting some of these mythical creatures, as well as photographs of traditional costume and celebration, this lecture will demonstrate that there is far more to Christmas than Santa Claus! There is no meeting in January February 12th 2026 The Art Collection of the Bank of England Tim Kidd The Bank of England sets the leading interest rate for the UK and also regulates the UK’s financial services industry – its actions affect everyone in the country. It has also accumulated, since its foundation in 1694, an impressive range of artworks. Some are easily visible on the outside of the Bank’s City of London building in Threadneedle Street, whilst others are on display inside the building. During his lecture, Tim Kidd will show pictures of the artworks and explain their background. You can expect to hear about architecture, statues, mosaics and, of course, the intricate designs on the banknotes. There will be no free samples! The Old Lady avoids the Guillotine - This cartoon was published in Punch magazine in 1935. It refers to Labour leader Clement Attlee’s desire to nationalise the Bank of England. Attlee offers the reluctant Old Lady a lift to the guillotine in a carriage labelled ‘nationalisation of banks’. The Bank of England is still referred to as ‘The Old Lady of Threadneedle Steet. March 12th 2026 Gilding the Cherry Blossom: how Western Jewellers discovered Japan Rachel Church Japan re-opened to the West in 1868 when the Meiji restoration brought the end of the Shogun era. Japanese lacquers, wood-block prints, ceramics and silks caused a sensation in the West and inspired fantastic jewellery from Cartier, Tiffany, Falize, Boucheron, Fouquet, Gaillard, Vever, Lalique and Fabergé. Chrysanthemums, cherry blossom, kimonos and samurais decorated jewels inspired by the colours and materials of Japanese art. The art of Japan became the foundation of the Art Nouveau movement. Sculpture d'Oshima Joun (Musée Guimet, Paris) Jean-Pierre Dalbéra Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 April 9th 2026 Historic Building Mythbusting in Nottinghamshire James Wright In his book Historic Building Mythbusting the archaeologist James Wright, a resident of Nottinghamshire, has used many case studies from the county to articulate some of the tales which are told about ancient architecture. These include stories of secret passages underneath Wollaton, ship timbers in Worksop, strange sculptures at Laxton parish church, stones used by archers to sharpen arrows in Wilford, and yarns about Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem being the oldest inn in England… but are any of these stories true? Above: “Harrowing of Hell” model. The Rev Richard Camenisch, Vicar of Laxton 1959-68, had this statue made by Stanislas Reychan. May 14th 2026 Nordic Women Artists and the Modern Breakthrough James Vaux With the exception of Munch, it’s only in the last forty years that Nordic art from 1880 to 1920 has made an impression on the wider world. Exhibitions and books have traditionally focused on the supposedly unique Nordic light and evocative national landscapes painted in this era. But this was also a period of heady experimentation, of vastly different genres and painting styles, influenced by wave after wave of the French avant-garde. June 11th 2026 AGM Pots and Frocks: The world of Grayson Perry - From Essex punk potter to superstar national treasure Ian Swankie Grayson Perry is one of Britain's best known contemporary artists, and one of the most successful. Known primarily as a potter and visual artist he's also famous for his outlandish appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, Claire. He is now a core part of the art establishment, a Knight of the Realm, Turner Prize winner, Royal Academician, popular broadcaster and colourful character. His works are highly sought after. Often controversial, he tackles difficult subjects in a poignant yet witty manner and holds a mirror up to modern society. Exposition Vanité, Identité, Sexualité, La Monnaie de Paris, du 19 octobre 2018 au 3 février 2019, Paris. Photo: Arroser Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication