Category: Edgar Wood Society

The banner for this year’s Heritage Open Days was taken down at 4.00pm today after another successful year of opening to the public. The Church and School Rooms opened for five afternoon sessions during the designated period of HODs.

Thank you to the members of the Edgar Wood Society for organising and stewarding the open days, without whose help this event would not have take place.

The Headteacher of the Edgar Wood Academy, Mr. Marcin Kojder, visited the home of the Edgar Wood Society at the Long Street Methodist Church and Edgar Wood Rooms today. The Society and school wish to forge closer links, which was obvious from the informative and pleasant chat throughout the visit. The school at the moment is in temporary classrooms on the Hopwood College Campus with a year 7 intake. The school, which is under construction in Bowlee, is to be fully opened in September 2022 and we look forward to the pupils being inspired by the achievements of Edgar Wood, Middleton’s ‘remarkable architect’.

The Society wish Mr. Kojder, his staff and pupils, a successful year ahead.

The first event in the Arts and Crafts Church hall (Edgar Wood Rooms) since the easing of the lockdown, organised by the Edgar Wood Society was a cream tea this afternoon. The hall was set up and awaiting the first guests at 2.00pm.

Although the Church is in lock down, members of the congregation made images and decorated the Church gates (keeping a social distance) in recognition of this important Sunday in the Church calendar.

The Italian evening was a well attended, convivial and informative, thanks to Anthony Dolan who gave a presentation showing examples of Edgar Woods paintings in the ownership of collectors in Italy. Thank you also to members of the Society, who provided refreshments, Italian of course. We had no idea of the range and quantity of the work that EW embarked upon in his retirement  to Porto Maurizio , on the Italian Riviera in 1926.

Nick (committee member and researcher for the society) was back in the UK with Rita for the Christening of their daughter Maya, a member of the next generation perhaps? There is not an Arts and Crafts property in the country that Nick as not heard of or knows about and now living in Finland his horizons have widened. Not only as committee representatives, but also as friends, Chairman David Morris, researcher Richard Fletcher and Christine and Geoff Grime were present at this pleasurable occasion. We extent the Society’s best wishes to Rita, Nick and Maya.

The lecture room was used this afternoon for the first time for its original purpose, following the restoration of the Edgar Wood Hall and Rooms completed in late 2018. The talk by Christine titled “Arts and Crafts Church – The Big Four” was given to a well informed group and was motivated by a talk given by Alec Hamilton the other year. Alec had been doing research into Arts and Crafts Churches and suggested that the four at the top of his list were ……….. Continue reading “The Big Four”

The afternoon started with a talk by Dr. Julian Holder of the University of Oxford and EWS member. Title: Exotic Influences on the Arts and Crafts Movement.  In an excellent lecture, Julian demonstrated how the English Free Style of architecture emerged from the historic styles of Gothic and  vernacular buildings, which had inspired the early Arts and Crafts Movement. Our own Edgar Wood moved from designing buildings influenced by historic and vernacular styles, to a style of his own that is not easily categorised. Julian includes Wood with the English Free Style architects. We look forward to another lecture by Julian on this subject.

The Society AGM followed after a short refreshment break chaired in the absence of David Morris, by Rob Trueblood.  There was a good turn out for the talk and business meeting with several members offering to join the committee.