 | Happy Halloween!We're marking Halloween with a couple of spooky pieces this week. Find out about an object from the collection with a gruesome history, a new family challenge and enjoy a lovely autumnal recipe!
(Ps. The house is still open and Covid-safe, you can book tickets to visit Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays 10am-4pm!) |
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 | Bullet Casing associated with Ruth Ellis case (1967)Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged for murder in Britain. She was convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely after shooting him outside the (now closed) Magdala Tavern near Hampstead Heath station. Ellis, born in Rhyl, Wales left home at 14 to become a waitress. At 24, she married George Ellis, a 41-year-old divorced dentist. He was a violent, possessive and jealous drunk and the marriage quickly deteriorated after she gave birth to their daughter and he refused to acknowledge paternity. |
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 | | In 1953, she met David Blakely; they had a passionate and tempestuous relationship. Blakely was known to have had relationships with other women and Ellis had an older lover, a former bomber pilot who wanted to marry her. Their relationships caused jealousy and bitter rows and the situation continued to worsen until the evening of Easter Sunday, 10 April 1955. After repeatedly ignoring her calls, Ellis tracked Blakely down to the Magdala (pictured in the background) with a loaded revolver and fired five rounds at him; he was rushed to the nearby New End Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. |
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Arrested at the scene by an off-duty police officer, she immediately confessed to the murder whilst stating that she was “a little confused”. She was charged with murder and found guilty by the jury in only 25 minutes on 20 June. On 13 July, at the age of 28, Ellis made history by becoming the last woman to hang in England. Her hanging provoked much controversy and in 1965 the death penalty was abolished in Britain. Her story has been told in film, television, plays, musicals and operas.
Main image: Bullet Casing associated with Ruth Ellis case (1967)
Second image: Malvina Cheek (1915-2016), Hampstead Heath Station and Magdala Tavern, Watercolour, 1949
Image (left): The Evening News Tuesday June 21, 1955 (Ruth Ellis to Hang), 21 June 1955 |
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 | Halloween Family Challenge! This week our Family Challenge has a spooky theme! Inspired by the work of Fred Uhlman, Maria shows us how to make an eerie autumnal watercolour. Crack out your art supplies and get creative!
Make sure you tag us in your creations @burghhouse #fromhouse2house
You can find all of our previous Family Challenge videos below. |
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 | Art in Adversity:Joanna CohnIn June 2020, as lockdown restrictions in the UK began to ease, we invited our community to tell us about the creative projects they had produced during the Covid-19 pandemic. We wanted to understand the impact of the lockdown on our local residents, and how they had been using art during this time. We learnt that art and creativity has served as a valuable tool for many in the pursuit of happiness, understanding and purpose during this difficult and isolating period.
In each newsletter we want to highlight one of the contributions to this fantastic, digital, community-curated project. Here is what Joanna had to say about her work:
"During lockdown I wanted to continue making work, even though I no longer had access to a print or painting studio. I started working in the streets locally, combining some print and painting techniques to record the textured surfaces of York stones. I found some extraordinary stones with surface patterns implying vast seascapes and landscapes. The stones seemed to hold their long history of becoming in these surfaces. Formed million years ago, we are walking on forests turned into stone over millions of years." |
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"These works are produced simulating the natural processes of corrosion, sedimentation and evaporation as layers of materials are added and removed and allowed to dry at various speeds. I record through tone and movement the quivering dappled sunlight prints its own design onto the pavement’s surface. The purpose of these works is to invite the viewer to connect with the Earth and our environment, to take a moment to consider our place and relationship to the Earth at this moment in time."
Main image: New End, Joanna Cohn. Etching.
Image (left): Burgh House, Joanna Cohn, Etching |
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The Burgh House Cafe The cafe is serving a fabulous selection of homemade cakes, freshly made onsite everyday.
Enjoy a cup of tea, coffee, a glass of wine or a cold beer in our beautiful cafe garden and help support a local business.
(Please note we cannot take bookings for the cafe.)
Opening hours:
Wednesday-Friday, 10am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday, 9:30am-5:30pm |
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 | Art in Adversity:Clay Head Sculpture WorkshopYou may have already discovered the 'Create' section in our online exhibition Art in Adversity. Contributors to the exhibition have shared their expertise in various creative projects. You can find all the projects below including a Clay Head Sculpture Workshop by Jennifer Louise Martin.
Image: Jennifer Louise Martin, Clay Heads |
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 | Spicy Butternut Squash SoupI think we can all agree that it's officially soup weather! This recipe is inspired by Tom Kerridge's Thai-style soup and is the perfect winter warmer. It's also very easy to make!
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions (diced)
3 garlic cloves (finely grated)
2.5cm piece of ginger, grated
1 red chilli (finely chopped)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 butternut squash (peeled and diced)
500ml vegetable stock
200ml tinned coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the onions and cook gently for 5 minutes until they start to soften
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 2 minutes, add the ground cumin and stir for 1 minute
3. Add the butternut squash and stock and bring up to a gentle simmer. Put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the squash has softened
4. Pour in the coconut milk, stir and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes
5. Blend the soup (in batches if necessary) and return to a gentle heat. If it's too thin simmer for a few more minutes or add water if too thick.
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper
7. Serve straight away, enjoy! |
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 | A Nest of Gentle Artists: Randolph Schwabe and his Hampstead ContemporariesWednesday 16 September 2020 - Sunday 7 March 2021
This exhibition highlights Randolph Schwabe’s (1885-1948) distinguished contribution to the practice and spirit of twentieth century British art through his skill as a painter, draughtsman and illustrator as well as his career as art educator, having succeeded Henry Tonks as Professor and Principal of the Slade School of Fine Art in 1930. It draws on his richly detailed diaries which he commenced immediately prior to his Slade appointment and continued until his untimely death in post in 1948 to offer insights into the artistic and literary circles of which he was a part. |
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| This exhibition has been made possible with the kind support of Osbornes Law |
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 | | We are still taking bookings for beautiful, intimate ceremonies and receptions at Burgh House. Our lovely wood panelled Music Room is the perfect space for a socially distanced wedding for 15 and our friendly, experienced team are on hand to help you create the perfect, Covid-safe day for you and your guests. |
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With catering provided by our wonderful in-house team, they can offer everything from a lavish three course dinner to a family afternoon tea.
The Leafi team provide delicious food and excellent service- find the full sample menu below for inspiration. |
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Just because weddings are smaller doesn't mean they can't be beautiful!
We still have a few dates left for 2020 so please contact us if you would like to find out more.
Main Image: YTZ Weddings
Above (both): Steven Carter Hewson |
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 | How you can help
Closing the house has had a significant, detrimental financial impact on Burgh House.As a self-funded charity, we rely on our events to keep the house open. If you aren't already a member, please consider joining up!
We will be keeping in regular contact during the closure period and every donation no matter how small will make a huge difference to us. Thank you. |
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