TALKS IN THE LIBRARY. I hope you were able to join us for the visit of Lady Aurelia Young last month. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear from her personally all about her father, the celebrated sculptor Oscar Nemon. Known for his busts of Royalty and statesmen, including Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill, Nemon was one of the foremost sculptors of the twentieth century. Aurelia gave a fascinating insight into his tumultuous life and it was a very special evening.
This month on March 20th, we are looking forward to the visit of Simon Mason, who will be telling us all about the role of anti-heroes in literature. Literature is full of badly behaved characters that we love to read about; think of Long John Silver, Mr Toad, Tom Ripley to name but a few. Why do we love to read about them and what does this say about our relationship to good and bad behaviour, issues of justice and the law? Simon will be considering this fascinating topic, drawing widely on examples of characters including those in this own crime fiction. Indeed, Simon’s latest novel in his Oxford-set DI Ryan Wilkin’s series ‘The Dangerous Stranger’ comes out this month and will be available on the night. Considering he is talking the very next day at the Oxford Literary Festival we are very lucky to have him!
Looking ahead to April, we have a huge treat in store, when India Hicks is visiting us to tell us all about her book on her mother Lady Pamela Hicks. India has been sharing anecdotes about the life of her mother Lady Pamela for many years and this beautiful, visual biography is a fascinating chronicle of Lady Pamela’s life. Born a British aristocrat to the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the last viceroy of India, Lady Pamela was a first cousin to Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh and served as a bridesmaid and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, before marrying legendary interior designer David Hicks. Sifting through her parent’s archives India has uncovered a trove of material, including letters from the Queen, details of Lady Pamela’s remarkable childhood during World War II, her marriage to David Hicks and the homes he designed for them, the assassination of her father in Ireland and more. Tickets for this hugely anticipated talk on April 17th at St Leonard’s church will be £15; watch out for when they are available at the library.
ART IN THE LIBRARY. I do hope you were able to visit the beautiful exhibition ‘In Search of Medieval Cuxham’ by accomplished local artist Margaret Peach. There has been a tremendous response to this body of work – and we are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to display it.
Margaret asked me to include this message.
“I would like to thank all the people who helped me try to imagine how Cuxham might have looked in the 1340s. With help especially from Joan Barker and her book ‘The Nixeys’, Richard Sibly, several Cuxham people, and local historians, I have been able to make alterations to the Work in Progress painting. Quite a puzzle. We now have fords and stepping stones, not little bridges.
Above all, there has been a very friendly and interested response, typical of the way Watlington responds to all the planning and hard work done. Thank you to the staff and volunteers of our community library and to FOWL for organising the exhibition.”
This month we are delighted to announce the opening of a wonderful new display by another supremely talented local artist; Jess Parker. Jess invites us to experience ‘Beyond the Ridge’; a new exhibition inspired by the sweeping landscapes and horizons of the Chiltern Hills. Through wide skies, shifting light and richly layered textures, Jess’ paintings explore midlife as a time of reflection, resilience and renewal. Drawing on her own journey through life she uses the horizon as a powerful symbol of change – representing the space between where we’ve been and where we’re going. ‘Beyond the Ridge’ offers a thoughtful and uplifting invitation to pause, reconnect and embrace the possibilities of a new chapter. Do come in and experience it for yourself.
FOWL FA. We are delighted to be hosting children’s author Sue Palmer this month and to be inviting specific classes from Watlington Primary School along. This month Storytime falls on March 7th and 21st whilst Rhymetime falls on March 3rd and17th. Lego Club will be on Saturday 28th and we are so pleased to have our new Lego cupboard up and running. Thanks to WPC for their grant towards the purchase of this vital piece of kit.
Looking ahead to our photography competition for the 2027 calendar, don’t forget that the theme has already been announced. It will be ‘Colours of Watlington’. Interpret this how you like; perhaps the colours of the surrounding countryside in specific seasons, or particular flora and fauna, the distinctive colours of the buildings of the town, or even town events. Get your thinking caps on and watch out for when the competition opens later in the year.
If you are not in the mood for a book don’t forget there are jigsaws available in the library to borrow for free; just the thing for a wet afternoon!!
Dr Anna Tilley; Chair FOWL
This lovely photograph was taken by Jo Aherne and can be found in our Watlington Walks calendar
Friends of Watlington Library 