Burgh House Easter Newsletter

 

"Now if yer want a 'igh old time, Just take a tip from me.  Why 'Ampstead, 'appy 'Ampstead, Is the place to 'ave a spree." From Albert Chevalier's song 'Appy 'Ampstead, 1893

The destination for day-trippers to 'Appy 'Ampstead was the funfair, which took place on bank holidays. In 1871, the Bank Holidays Act was passed. Four new bank holidays in Britain gave Londoners the chance to catch a train to Hampstead and delight in the fun of the fair. By the 1880s an estimated 100,000 merrymakers made the trip to the Heath. All day and into the night fairgoers would spin and whirl on the rides, try their hands at the coconut shies and tuck into a tea of stewed eels or baked potatoes. The image above is from our collection and is titled Hampstead Heath, Easter Monday by artist Herbert John Finn (1860-1942). You can see the painting currently hanging on our staircase.

In this week's newsletter you will find some information on our upcoming events and exhibitions, plus our new weekly yoga classes. You'll also hear from one of our brilliant volunteers Elizabeth. From all of the team at Burgh House we hope you have an enjoyable and restful bank holiday weekend!

Easter Weekend Opening Times

Burgh House (free entry): Good Friday - open from 10am to 4pm Saturday, 16th April - closed Easter Sunday - open from 10am to 4pm Easter Monday - open from 10am to 4pm Café Good Friday - open 10am to 5pm Saturday, 16th April - 9:30am - 5:30pm Easter Sunday - 9:30am - 5:30pm  Easter Monday - 9:30am - 5:30pm

Event: Simply George with Chad Lelong and Oliver Darley  Wednesday, 20th April 2022, 6:30pm

Simply George is the second collaboration between singer Oliver Darley and pianist Chad Lelong, following the success of their sell-out hit show Simply Bowie. Continuing on the same theme, the duo have worked together to strip back some of George Michael`s most iconic hits, presenting them in a new and unique way. As well as the newly arranged songs, the show also includes entertaining commentary of the often unknown stories that lay behind George Michael’s original recordings. Many people are still not even aware of his talent as a songwriter. As with Simply Bowie, Simply George is not only a treat for George Michael fans, enabling them to learn more about this much-loved artist, but also a fascinating introduction for those who are new to his music. Event kindly supported by Osbornes Law.

Click here for tickets

Yoga at Burgh House

Join Emily Burningham in the Music Room at Burgh House on Wednesdays and Thursdays for a yoga session in a beautiful and unique space. Emily says: "I am delighted to share my love of yoga and to help my students gain better posture, emotional health and overall enhanced wellbeing through their practice. Having trained under Jean Hall and Mimi Kuo-Deemer at Triyoga, I blend elements of Vinyasa Flow and restorative yoga to create a state of being where movement is connected to the breath. This enables students to experience an internal dialogue which draws upon the body’s wisdom, enabling them to go beyond perceived limitations and to enjoy a deeper, safer practice.". Vinyasa Flow: Wednesdays 9:00am-10:30am, £15 An uplifting, flowing class, uniting breath and movement to explore areas of tension and deeply relax mind, body and soul. Suitable for students of all levels. Yoga Gently: Thursdays 10:30am-11:45am, £15 A restorative, slow-flowing class which gently mobilises the body and relaxes the mind. Suitable for students of any age and experience who wish to practise gently and unwind fully.

Click here to book your space on Wednesdays

Click here to book your space on Thursdays

Volunteering at Burgh House

We rely on the generosity of our wonderful volunteers to open Burgh House to visitors and we have a fantastic team of volunteers who support us. Elizabeth, who is one of our volunteers, have written a bit about her experience of volunteering with us: "Hi, I’m Elizabeth and I am one of the volunteers in the Front of House team. My role is to welcome visitors, provide information about our exhibitions and work on the shop desk. I have been here since October and it has been a wonderful experience getting to know the fantastic team, meeting lots of lovely visitors and spending time in this beautiful and stimulating setting. I have a love of art and especially enjoy the mix of exhibitions on display and the permanent collection. Alongside Burgh House I also volunteer with other organisations including the Garden Museum and the Museum of London to gain experience in the cultural sector. My other passion is helping out at my local nature reserve both in conservation, with school groups and at community events. Outside of volunteering I like to draw, design posters and take on creative challenges - I am currently experimenting with used plastic bags as a material! Endlessly curious about London, I love exploring by bike or on foot and finding out different stories about the city from books and exhibitions are a source of continual fascination." If you would like to express an interest in volunteering with us, please click the link below to get in touch!

Get in touch

Exhibition: John Cecil Stephenson: A Modernist in Hampstead  Until 18 September 2022

John Cecil Stephenson was an artist, craftsman, and engineer. He lived and worked at Mall Studios in Hampstead from 1919 until 1965, a neighbour and friend to celebrated modernists including Hepworth, Nicholson, Mondrian and Calder. "He was one of the earliest artists in the country to develop a completely abstract style." - Herbert Reed, art historian and friend of the Hampstead Modernists.

Event: Lara Feigel and Caroline Maclean in Conversation  Wednesday, 25th May 2022, 6:30pm

Alongside our current exhibition on pioneer of Modernism John Cecil Stephenson, we are really looking forward to welcoming Lara Feigel and Caroline Maclean who will be in conversation about the creative, tangled overlaps of life, art, literature and motherhood in their recent works: Maclean’s Circles and Squares: The Lives and Art of the Hampstead Modernists and Feigel’s Free Woman: Life, Liberation and Doris Lessing and her novel The Group. Event kindly supported by Osbornes Law.

Click here for tickets

Exhibition:  Heath Scapes by Sally Hyman  Wednesday, 20th April to Sunday 24th April 2022

Opening on Wednesday, 20th April in the Peggy Jay Gallery, Heath Scapes is an exhibition of new oil paintings by Sally Hyman celebrating Hampstead Heath.

Exhibition:  Strata by Junko O'Neill Wednesday, 27th April to Sunday, 15th May 2022

An exhibition of contemporary abstract paintings using ‘Iwaenogu’, a Japanese traditional medium. Iwaenogu is a medium made from mineral pigments. For centuries, it has been used for traditional Japanese paintings and, today, for their contemporary counterparts. As a medium, however, it has not been well recognised outside of Japan, especially in the UK. Its properties are unique: matt, muted, and particulated. The pigments also give a beautiful shimmer when light falls on them. There will be painting demonstrations (1–3 pm daily on Wed, Thu, Fri & Sun) as well as displays of pigments and their ore forms, plus other painting materials.

Our friends at Camden Art Centre present: Lily van der Stokker - Thank You Darling Friday, 29th April 2022 to Sunday, 18th September

Camden Art Centre presents the first institutional solo exhibition in London by Lily van der Stokker (b. ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 1954), one of the Netherlands’ most celebrated contemporary artists. The exhibition will bring together a group of works made by van der Stokker between 1989 and 2021, which address ideas of society, home, friendship, work, finances, illness and care; as well as speaking to this extraordinary contemporary moment. For more information, follow the link below.

Camden Art Centre website

Burgh House Food Bank Donation Point

As you'll have read in our last newsletter, we have partnered with Chalk Farm Food Bank and we are now accepting donations. You will find the donation box in the Front Hall of the House and we would be extremely grateful for any donations you are able to give. For more information on what items they need and about their work, please follow the link below.

Chalk Farm Food Bank Website