Helios

 The latest of Luke Jerram's travelling exhibitions, Helios, has been moving around National Trust properties.  As we'd seen both his Museum of the Moon and Gaia installations  at Derby Cathedral we wanted to see this latest attraction and we found it was to be on display at Kedleston Hall, near Derby.  

We booked our timed tickets, necessary as it was showing in quite a small space compared to the other two.

Helios looked rather wonderful in the domed Salon on the first floor of the Hall.  The sun sculpture is named after the ancient Greek god of the sun.

There were seats around the outside of the Salon and bean bags underneath the installation. Helios is scaled so that each centimetre represents 2,000km of the sun's surface.

The accompanying music, by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson, was calm and soothing, and there was a lovely atmosphere as people moved gently and thoughtfully around the room.  The installation has been touring National Trust properties through this year and Kedleston was it's final showing.

I've added below photos of both of the other installations.

 

The Museum of the Moon at Derby Cathedral October 2019

Gaia at Derby Cathedral October 2022

I've just noticed that we visited all three in the month of October as we saw Helios on 29th October.  The exhibition closed on 2nd November.

Helios was part of the Diwali celebration held at Kedleston each year.  This would take a whole new post but in lieu I've added two or three photos to give some idea of how impressive the festival of light was.

All for now.

Magic at Haddon Hall

 The exhibition Magic at Haddon Hall tells the story of rituals, charms and superstitions in Elizabethan England.

In the courtyard were displays of superstitions we know of today.  Things we think will bring bad luck.

Things like - never walk under ladders, never put new shoes on the table, don't put up an umbrella indoors, touching wood, black cats crossing your path and throwing salt over the left shoulder if any is spilt.

In the main hall are displays about witch marks, broomsticks, things kept or done for protection against evil spirits and the saving of lucky charms.

The kitchen displays tell of the magic surrounding apples in Elizabethan times.  

All around the house are details of the way Elizabethan (and I assume those before and after) people dealt with their fears and superstitions.

In the Long Gallery details of 'witches' - often just wise and capable women - and the way they were treated.

 

The rooms adjacent to the main hall dealt with the themes of lotions and potions, poisons and herbs for healing, the fear of some birds and animals who were thought to bring bad luck.

Apologies for some of the photos not being of great quality as lighting was very low - for obvious reasons.  The whole place was very atmospheric.

Back soon

Books and Baskets

 On Wednesday we had a lovely day out when we met up with old friends from Beeston, Nottingham at the village of Cromford in Derbyshire. (I mention Nottingham as there is also a Beeston in Cheshire, not so many miles away)   Cromford is a great place to meet up being about halfway between their home and ours.

Cromford is most famous for its industrial history and heritage.  It's two mills - Arkwright's Mill and the later Masson Mill - both are open for visits, although perhaps seasonal in the case of the latter. The village is also known for its canal side walks and I've taken you to these places many times over the years I've been writing this blog.  In fact my very first post was about Dab Chicks on the Cromford Canal. 

On this visit we stayed in the centre of the village.  One of it's main attraction is, of course, Scarthin Books - link to their website.  Again I've written about the shop before.  I love its higgledy-piggledy rooms, creaky stairs and overloaded bookshelves also the café hidden behind them. 

After morning coffee there we spent ages looking at the books.  Our friends bought some books but this time we didn't make any purchases.  

When we visited  earlier this year I bought a Persephone book. Here is a link to the post I wrote in January. I always love their bright window boxes.

After a leisurely lunch at The Boat Inn went in search of the basket makers - link to their website.

They are based at the Water Mill on Water Lane across the mill pond from the bookshop.

There were lots of lovely baskets in the retail area.  

Our friends wanted to enquire about basket repairs as they had an old beloved basket that had a broken handle.

All too soon it was time to say farewell and set off for home. 

More on Kedleston

In my last post but one I promised more on our visit to Kedleston during the very sunny week we had earlier this month.

We didn't go into the house this time as we've been in a couple of times before.  We decided to go on one of the estate walks first before lunch and then visit the gardens, bookshop and church.

Lots of sheep baaing in the fields as we walked.  Some were curious, others not.

 

We used Merlin to find out what birds we could hear as we walked along.

Woodpeckers were rat-a-tat tatting almost all the way of the walk.

Kedleston has been owned by the Curzon family since the mid 12th century.  The Mansion was designed by Robert Adam and was commissioned by Nathaniel Curzon in the 18th century c. 1750.  The church is much earlier, probably 13th century and is all that is left of the mediaeval village of Kedleston as it was moved to make way for the building of the Hall.

Inside are many memorials to the Curzon family.  It was difficult to take photos inside as there were a few visitors moving around and also a small group in front of the later tombs.  I was able to take a few photos of the earlier memorials.  the one above from 1456 is of Sir John Curzon and his wife Joan, daughter of Sir John Bagot of Blithfield in Staffordshire.

Both figures have a dog at their feet.

Below, within the chancel, is the memorial to an earlier Sir John Curzon who died in 1406, his wife was Eleanor Twyford.

Apparently he wears  a Lancastrian SS or 'esses' livery collar.  This was an emblem of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

I was trying to work out what animal he had at his feet.

Is it a lion? Or is it a mythical creature? I can find little on google but my book on Derbyshire by Arthur Mee says it is a lion.

Three of the six heraldic shields which decorate the ogee arch above the earlier Sir John's effigy

Two of the stained glass windows which were behind the heraldic shields above.  They both have the inscription Curzon of Kedleston.

Back out in the garden the sun was still shining, but it was time to think about heading for home..

Below is a link to a blog post I wrote in September 2018 about the inside of the Hall.

Post of 2018

All for now.