Vision Division
Controversy and challenge - vision and division are the themes of the art and literature events at All Saints Church in Harrow Weald beside the Leefe Robinson pub. All week you can see art works on display at the church and even along the path to the church, illuminated at night.
Art & Living Statues
The preview night, Friday 11th September was really buzzing. As you walked up the path you saw the first living statue, a drunken woman with torn fishnet stockings and bottle of booze sprawled on a bench. Inside were a static angel (who moved location) from pulpit to pews, a sullen black-lipped girl, an army combat man with a machine gun, and somebody whose rear stuck out of a curtain beside the baptismal font. (See my pictures.) The actors were students of the Bearfoot Performing Arts School at Harrow Arts Centre.
The jolly vicar, Reverend James Mercer, opened with a prayer and thanks to art show organizer Stephen Nash - art works by Stephen and his family were displayed. Mayor of Harrow, Eric Silver, gave a speech, saying that when you saw the drunken woman on the bench you knew you were in for a surprising show. (Eric and his wife - both very friendly and chatty are in one of my pictures.) The offbeat art included a piece made by ironing on the paint, assorted religious pieces, artwork full of deliberately mis-spelled words and a cross which had somebody sitting on it.
Edible Art
Another entertainment was the edible art by Hatch End resident, Lorraine Pollard, who makes cakes. Her imitation Henry Moore sculpture was sold at £1 a piece and photos of those eating a piece (I'm one as you see in a picture) will be made into a mosaic artwork. Lorraine is a very glamorous lady and resembles me - a voluptous figure which suggests that the beaming owner enjoys eating cake as well as making it. You can see her and her cake as well as me eating her cake in the pictures.
Members of the church and even a visiting woman vicar from another church had turned up to look around. From groups who meet at the nearby Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End included a performing arts group and students stood around dressed as an angel and other characters.
Several members of Harrow Writers' Circle turned up to enjoy the event, and promote their own show this Thursday, September 17th, with leaflets and by talking to people. I shall be master of ceremonies
I announced the forthcoming Harrow Writers' Circle evening, which is free. The obliging church warden signalled when the microphone was turned on by giving me the thumbs up. I got attention from the crowd by by squeezing a klaxon.
(Somebody asked me, 'Do you always carry a klaxon in your big bag?'
I told her I bought it at the party shop in Swanwick when I was at the Writers' Summer School I go to every year. I go into party shops and ask, 'Do you have anything which makes a noise and will help me get attention while Im on stage?')
I said that I would be master of ceremonies for the evening on Thursday September 17th and that we would be reading or performing comic poetry and prose, a play, part of a novel. some serious stuff and some funny pieces including my poems on wedding disasters, and the gatecrasher at a wedding - the groom's ex-girlfriend. I finished with a klaxon.
I forgot to mention that we would be selling our books and our calendar. I said that if you miss the event, you will be able to read about it and see photos or videos on blogger or Facebook or You Tube or twitter.
If you want to know more go onto the website of Harrow Writers' Circle.
The Writer's Circle prose and poetry free entertainment is 7 for 7.30-9.30 at All Saints Church, next to the Leefe Robinson pub.
All Saints Church Heroes In The Cemetery
It's an interesting cosy church. Inside is a monument on the wall to Gilbert, who wrote the words to comic operas. He must be buried in the cemetery alongside. On the wall beside his monument is a stained glass window by pre-Raphaelite Burne Jones, with three characters who have red halos. Outside in the cemetery is the grave of Leefe Robinson, hero of the Great War, (after WWII known as WWI). HE was first person to shoot down the dreaded Zeppelin. He died of the flu. Also in the cemetery are Crosse & Blackwell. The Blackwell Hall in front of the church is run separately but the two buildings are linked.
I shall look on the site Find a grave and add more details later.
Free Prose and Poetry Evening Sept 17 2009
So, Harrow has lots of interesting events and characters. Come along to the poetry and prose performance (pieces about Adam and Even, wedding disasters, and people assocated with the church, vision and divisions, lots of amusing things to see.
Text and Photos copyright Angela Lansbury
You may quote two sentences provided you attribute them to me and refer back to them appearing here. Thank you.
Editors - of course you may reproduce times and dates of meetings. Please contact me for permission to use photos or copy any text. Thanks.
The Vicar, Revd James Mercer
The Mayor Councillor Eric Silver and his wife
Author Angela Lansbury B A Hons eating cake
Edible art and its creator
VISION DIVISION ART EXHIBITION - FREE
Saturday 12th September 10 am- 4pm
Sunday 13th September 12 noon - 5 pm
Monday 14th Sept 10 am-5 pm
Tuesday 15th 10 am-5pm
Wednesday 16th 6 pm-9 pm (Harrow Writers Dress Rehearsal 8-10)
Thursday 17th 6 pm-9 pm Harrow Writers perform approx 7.30-10 (For details see Harrow Writers' Circle website)
Friday 18th Sept 10-5
Saturday 10-4
Sunday 20th September 12 non- 5 pm Vision Division - an Exhibition of Contemporary Art
at All Saints Church, 90 Uxbridge Road, Harrow Weald HA3 6DQ
HARROW WRITERS' CIRCLE MEETINGS
See harrowwriters.org.uk
(Autumn Programme begins on Thursday 3th September 2009 with a GENERAL MANUSCRIPTS evening.)
Meets fortnightly at Harrow Arts Centre for members and guests, with additional meetings for members in private homes
~~~~ HARROW WRITERS' CIRCLE VISITORS AND NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME ~~~~
Current annual subscriptions £30. Visitors’ fees £3 per session.
(programme may be subject to change)
Chairman: Oscar Monteiro 020 8427 6299 4826 e-mail: ocmonteiro@hotmail.com
Vice Chair & PR Officer: Indra Sikdar 020 8954 5824 e-mail: Indra Sikdar
Secretary: John Monaghan, 189, Canterbury Road, Harrow, HA1 4PA 020 8863 4826 e-mail: johnmonaghan679@msn.com
Treasurer: John Samson 01923 778105 e-mail : john@thesamsons.wanadoo.co.uk
Should you wish to buy the art, prices range from £75 to several hundred.
Books by Angela Lansbury include
Dating Online Did I Really Write That (Lulu.com)
(includes comic answers to emails from people who cannot spell);
Poetry Workshop Workbook - (Lulu.com)
Funny poems in alphabetical order by style, From acrostics, via ballads, haikus, limericks sonnets, tankas, terza rimas through to villanelles - handy for teachers, pupils and lovers of poetry. Handy poet's index at back so if you want to write a sonnet Shakespeare or Italian style, it reminds you of the rhyming scheme. Famous poems quoted include limericks by Lear, funeral poem Remember by Christina Rosetti, quotations from The Highwayman by Noyes Poems by Angela Lansbury include Grandmother's Clock, a parody of the song Grandfather's Clock. comic vaillanelles The Mess; I wish I Could Be Like You.
You can buy the books from Lulu.com for £12.50 for postage and hope that you will meet me so that I can write you a little verse and sign the book. Or you can become my friend on Facebook. Come to the poetry evening and buy a book and get it signed. Or join my facebook fan club (it sounds awfully boatsful, but facebook is full of fan clubs, basically any group following a particular person's site - whether they are an author or musician or whatever). If you join my Facbook fan club and ask me I will write you a personalised poem about you - or indeed your business.
Writing Poetry For Fun With Angela by Angela Lansbury (Lulu.com)
tells the reader how I write poems for all occasions from anniversary and birthday cards and Christmas cards, to leaving cards, also for advertisements, funerals, pets,with funny examples which include:three poems on weddings which i shall perform, wearing a veil, at Vision Division: Wedding Gatecrasher; Wedding Disasters, Secret Perfect Wedding.
Links:
All Saints Church www.ashw.org.uk
Harrow Writers' Circle harrowwriters.org.uk
Lorraine Pollard www.thecakeprincess.co.uk
www.bearfootperformingarts.com
lulu.com Angela Lansbury
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