AN EVENING WITH PERCY – AND ME!

Date Posted: 2nd May 2019

It was good to see so many of you at the Pencil Museum in Keswick on Saturday enjoying the chat, the letters, artefacts and etchings – oh and the humbugs. Thankfully - because it ran from 1 -5 -  you didn’t all turn up at the same time. It was lovely to see all ages gathered around the tables in the museum drawing, painting, chatting and enjoying the experience.

I’m just preparing my talk and choosing the images for next Wednesday evening when I will be talking about Kelly’s letters and picking up on some of the stories and paintings referred to in his letters. I have been looking back into my Kelly archive and found footage of a film made by Channel 4 in 1996 in which people who knew him share their memories of him. (His son Brian, Audrey his first wife, Melvyn Bragg, Lord and Lady Ralli, Mary Burkett, Peter Scott etc.etc)  I well remember the producer and researcher taking me out to dinner at The Trout Hotel in Cockermouth a few weeks before they began filming. They were obsessed with Percy’s habit of cross dressing and I was trying to keep them on the importance of his work. After 2 gin and tonics followed by several glasses of wine they became more insistent so I mentioned Percy’s visits to The Purple House at Newlands as a diversion. They went over the next day and came back with nothing much about Percy but they related to me in detail their dramatic encounter with the owner Mrs Vee descending purple stairs clad head to toe in purple nightwear.  Sadly they had no cameraman with them. More about that on Wednesday!

Here are the details. Please pass them on to anyone who may be interested. There are still tickets available.

Wednesday 8th May  6.30 - 8.30pm   EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY. An illustrated talk with lots of stories, a short film and demonstrations of some of the techniques that can be used to create your own letter.or piece of art using Derwent materials.

Sunday 19th May  2.00 - 4.00     HAVE A HUMBUG  - FAMILY DAY An informal mix of talks and art activities. All materials provided.  

Tickets for these 2 events can be purchased from the Museum in person or by telephone 017687 73626 cost £5 members £7.50 non members. More information  www.DerwentArt.com.  or telephone the museum.