A Day Trip to Dudmaston

 

Another day, another day trip! On Monday Ann & Jos, Claire (who blogs here) and husband Gareth met up with us at the magnificent Dudmaston Hall in sunny(ish) Shropshire. 

Dudmaston’s story spans almost a millennium, lived in by the same family through inheritance and marriage for over 875 years and never sold. It started with a Norman knight and today Dudmaston is home to the Hamilton-Russell family. 

Photo courtesy of Claire

Despite those rather ominous looking skies it was pleasantly warm and we enjoyed a wander around the grounds before the house opened to the public.

Photo courtesy of Claire

Photo courtesy of Ann

 Dudmaston Hall houses one of the most important collections of modern art in Britain. Previous residents, Sir George and Lady Labouchere started collecting in the 1950s while Sir George was working for the British Embassy in Brussels. The National Trust are currently offering a tour called The Cocktail of Art where one of the volunteers walks visitors around the collection, pointing out their favourite pieces and giving some background information on the artists. The name of the tour comes from a quote by Sir George who likened the pleasure he got from seeing great art to having a cocktail. 

Alison, our guide, was great fun and we bonded over dresses - hers came from a boutique in Santorini and mine, by posh Athenian label Greek Archaic Kori, was an insanely cheap find on Vinted.

 

Alison's chosen artworks were those by Matisse, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and one of my personal favourites, Sonia Delaunay whose painted car I'd drooled over when we visited Malaga HERE. The Max Ernst painting is a rare mix of surrealism & abstract art and is listed as one of the National Trust's 100 top paintings. 

Photos courtesy of Ann

What a turn up for the books, it was warm and dry enough to eat lunch al fresco! I can thoroughly recommend the curried cauliflower pasty.

Suitably fed and watered we headed back inside. We loved this beautiful peacock wallpaper.

The yellow wallpaper was designed by Nina Campbell, one half of Collier Campbell who have been creating hand printed designs since the 1960s.

 

We tried not to laugh too much at the unfortunate looking lady to the right of the screen and were a bit scared of those evil looking twins, The Shining comes to mind!

The huge table in the entrance dates back to the 17th Century and was originally located in the servants quarters. Unusually the family seemed to value their employees, with paintings of them hanging alongside the ancestral portraits. I particularly liked this fellow enjoying what looked like the world's largest Aperol Spritz.

Dudmaston has a gorgeous exhibition of antique fans along with leaflets explaining Le Langage de L'Eventail (the language of the fan)

Photo of me courtesy of Ann

I'm Desirous of Acquaintance, Claire's saying Yes! and apparently Ann Wishes to get rid of you.

Dotted around the garden are sculptures by the artist, Anthony Twentyman. Born up the road in Wolverhampton in 1906, during WW2, Twentyman joined the RAF, was posted to Singapore and later captured and imprisoned by the Japanese for three and a half years. There's a strong Japanese influence in much of his work including Space Frame which Jon's posing by. You might remember seeing it restored in the first BBC series of Treasures of The National Trust.

Here's The Watcher, also by Twentyman.

Snakes alive! Look what we spotted in the garden!

The stuff of nightmares!

Photo courtesy of Claire

During some recent restoration work this Regency-era ladies bathing pool was unearthed.

Mega gunnera!

I can't help but think of the film Saltburn when I look at these photos although I can assure you that there was no drunken debauchery yesterday (we're saving that for next week.)

Photo courtesy of Jos

 Gareth reminded us that in September we'll have known him and Claire ten years. We met when we traded next to each other at a VW weekender in Bridgnorth. I think that deserves a celebration in the not too distant future.

Photo courtesy of Jos

Miss you already, Ann & Jos, see you in 2025!

Dudmaston Hall, Quatt, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV15 6QN

10.30 - 4.30 daily (Closed Fridays & Saturdays.)

Thanks for reading! We've got a hectic few days ahead but I'll do my best to post before we leave for Glasto. 

Belgians In Birmingham!

Thanks for the lovely comments on Jon's skills. The biggest incentive to get the decorating finished was that our dear Belgian friends, Ann (Polyester Princess) & Jos would be visiting us during their annual Shropshire holiday. We were so excited to see them on Wednesday that when they drew up outside Stonecroft we already outside in the avenue waiting for them.

After exchanging hugs and presents, we had a coffee and walked down to the bus stop where we caught the X51 to Birmingham.

After a wander around Victoria Square where we pointed out Antony Gormley's Iron:Man, Birmingham Town Hall and The Floozie in the Jacuzzi we headed to The Gas Hall.

As a huge fan of Pre-Raphaelite art (I don't think I could be friends with anyone who wasn't!) Ann was keen to visit Victorian Radicals. 

 

As you'll already know, it's not the first time I've visited the exhibition (previously with Annie HERE and Liz HERE) and I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. 

Photo courtesy of Ann

Photo courtesy of Ann

That's Jon photobombing us! 

Photo courtesy of Jos

I'm pretty sure I've shared almost everything on display by now but here's a brief reminder of the incredible metalwork and jewellery on display.

Why isn't this belt buckle mine?

Or this one....

I think I want this one the most! 

And the two paintings by Birmingham artist Kate Bunce which are rapidly becoming my favourites, possibly because of those glorious dresses.

Swoon! 

This Victorian gown was a bit of a trailblazer in its time, made from William Morris fabric, originally intended for upholstery.

Photo courtesy of Ann

After lunch in the uber-hip bakery, Medicine, inside the wonderfully grand former premises of the Birmingham Society of Artists on New Street we walked round the corner to the cathedral so we could show Ann & Jos the William Morris & Edward Burne-Jones stained glass windows (last seen with Nikki HERE and also Lynn & Brendan HERE)

We caught to bus back to Walsall and after another coffee and a tour around the house & garden, Ann and Jos headed back to Shropshire...but it wasn't a sad goodbye as we'll be seeing them again very soon.

Showered with pressies - a vintage road atlas from 1954 (Jon loves maps!), Belgian beer and chocolate (which didn't last long!) and singles by PiL, Blondie and Ian Dury.

Fabulous bangles and a couple of statement necklaces, a Wedgwood-inspired vintage nail kit, a 1970s scarf I've already converted into a sun top, a hilarious book on cat etiquette, a raffia clutch bag (perfect for holidays!) and a stunner of a 1970s St Michael maxi.

William was on his best behaviour and was thrilled with his clockwork gerbil, felted peapod and the Belgian version of Dreamies, the much more aptly named, Catisfactions, although it was my new dress he liked most of all.  

Wednesday was an epic day all round as it also marked my 5300th Wii Fit workout. That works out at half an hour a day for the last 14 and a half years! 

Although I've been wearing clothes for the last fortnight (it's been too chilly not to) I've not posted an outfit photo for ages so here's what I wore today for a day of staying indoors and sewing. The trippy vintage maxi skirt was a gift from Ann & Jos back in 2019 and has been frequently seen at festivals ever since and the tee shirt speaks for itself, I am a part time mermaid (I aspire to become a full-time one eventually.)

We've got a fantastic beauty salon down the road where I usually have a gel manicure before I go on holiday. I've kept it up since I went to Kefalonia and chose this holographic blue when I visited last week. It wasn't until I went to pay that Charlotte, my regular nail technician, told me what the colour was...Electric Mermaid. How appropriate!

Our regular festival customers seem to like the mad stuff I make so the last week has mainly been spent creating stuff from textiles we've found in charity shops. No curtain, sheet, duvet cover, vintage scarf or ragged off-cut is safe from my clutches!

I'm off to watch the footie, the rum's on ice and the official Euros wallchart is ready. I'm cheering Scotland on even if they probably won't reciprocate when we play on Sunday.

See you soon.

PS My friend Elaine recommended this  if you can't get to see Victorian Radicals.