Summer Painting Review

 © Cecil Higgins Art Gallery 

Joan Eardley (1921-1963) - Ragwort no 2 c 1960

One of the many reasons I admire this painting is due to the artist’s excellent use of colour and shapes that fit in brilliantly with the summery theme of this image.

Throughout art's lengthy history, it has been proven to be very difficult to project an image of a certain scenery onto a canvas, but this painting achieves this feat. One can also say it reminds them of walking amongst a field full of flowers in a summer breeze accompanied with a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. 

Eardley massively succeeds in bringing a season and location of a past year to life in this remarkably unique painting.

This painting is currently on display in the Round and Round the Garden exhibition.

Written by Volunteer Lauren

May Half Term - For Children & Young People

Get creative with art and craft workshops based on current exhibition 'Round and Round the Garden – A Celebration of Horticulture in Art'. Not only are there fun activities for young children, but The Higgins Bedford has also introduced workshops for young people to enjoy. 

Events for Children - National Children's Gardening Week

Each Workshop has two sessions per day that start at 11am and 2pm and are aimed at accompanied children aged 5-11, not suitable for children under 3 years old.

Cress Craft

Tuesday 28 May  £3

Decorate a wooden house and garden, then plant and grow your own mini salad.

Garden Caddy

Wednesday 29 May  £3

Assemble and decorate a little wooden caddy for carrying hand tools and small plants around the garden.

Herb Planters

Friday 31 May £3

Make and decorate a self-watering planter.

Events for Young People

All workshops start at 12:30pm, last an hour and are aimed at 12-16 year olds. No parents required.

House and Garden

Tuesday 28 May £3

Create a mini-house and garden, plant your own salad.

Handy Caddy

Wednesday 29 May £3

Create a garden caddy, handy for garden tools or art stuff.

Planter People

Friday 31 May £3

Upcycle a plastic bottle and create a cute planter.

Places are limited for all workshops and can be booked in advance by buying a ticket at The Higgins Bedford reception desk. Spare tickets can be purchased at the desk on the day. We are currently unable to take bookings online or over the phone.

Brickworks Weekend

Bedfordshire Brickworks Day and the Invisible Folk Club Festival

Saturday 25th May

'Fuelling the brick firing kilns,
London Brick Company,
Stewartby', 1952 © The Mutual Security Agency

11am - 4pm, Free

Explore all things brickworks in a day filled with music, talks, activities and sharing memories.

Enjoy a variety of folk songs and stories, with performances from local musicians and the Invisible Folk Club. Join in a ‘Brickworks Questions Time’ with two Former Directors of London Brick Company, David Szymanski and Richard Manning, to share memories of Bedfordshire’s Brickmaking industries and help build our wall of inspiration.

All shared memories and stories will become part of the museum’s archive of brickworks and will enrich our knowledge and understanding of the social history of Bedfordshire Brickworks for future generations.

Working in Collaboration with SHARE Museums East, Invisible Folk Club, John Bunyan Museum & Library, The Bedford Chronicles, Heritage Lottery Fund and Greensand Country Festival.

Displayed in current exhibition
'The Journey From Bunyan to the Brickworks'.

From Open Fields to Fletton Bricks: a History of Landscapes in Bedfordshire from John Bunyan to Sir Malcolm Stewart by Brian Kerr

Sunday 26^th May

2pm, Free

Discover the stories of two historical Bedfordians and how they navigated through a period of change in the town.

Join Brian Kerr as he discusses John Bunyan’s use of Bedfordshire’s topography to inform his writing, and Sir Malcolm Stewart’s legacy in the village built for the workers at London Brick, Stewartby.

Brian Kerr recently launched his new book, ‘A Certain Degree of Magnificence People in the Bedfordshire Landscape’, and will be on hand after the talk for book signing for visitors who would like to purchase a copy.

Click here for more Brickworks talks and tours.

Spring 'Bunyan to the Brickworks' Events & Talks

As part of the exhibition, ‘Pride Inspiration Hope’ The Journey From Bunyan to the Brickworks, enjoy a variety of accompanying events and talks which explores the journeys of pride, inspiration and hope made by John Bunyan and those who came to Bedford after the Second World War to work at the Brickworks.

Stained-glass window of John Bunyan in
Bedford Gaol, Bunyan Meeting,
Bedford. With kind permission from 

Trustees of Bunyan Meeting.

John Bunyan, Bedford and Beyond by John Pestell

Tuesday 7th May, 12pm

£5.90 (concessions £4.70)

Join John Pestell, author of Travel with John Bunyan, for an immersive lunchtime lecture as he outlines the life, times and works of John Bunyan. 

Booking is essential. To book your place, please email thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk.

Remininscence Session: Bunyan to the Brickworks

Thursday 9th May, 11am

Free Entry (£1 for refreshments)
Join the discussion, meet new people and be inspired by memories and stories of the past. Explore the story of Bedford’s long heritage as town, as well as the journeys of John Bunyan and the people who came to work at the Brickworks after the Second World War.

'Algerino De Eso and Alfredo Minggei,
recruited from Italy and working for
London Brick Company, Stewartby',
1952 © The Mutual Security Agency

Pride, Inspiration, Hope: Bedfordshire Brickworks Day
Saturday 25th May
11am-4pm, Free Entry
Explore all things Brickworks in a day filled with fun activities, music and talks. Enjoy a variety of folk songs and stories, including performances from local musicians, Invisible Folk. Participate in an interactive panel discussion, where members of the public are invited to share memories and help build our wall of inspiration.

From Open Fields to Fletton Bricks: a History of Landscapes in Bedfordshire from John Bunyan to Sir Malcolm Stewart by Brian Kerr

Sunday 26th May
2pm, Free Entry
Discover the stories of two historical Bedfordians and how they navigated through a period of change in the town. Join Brian Kerr as he discusses John Bunyan’s use of Bedfordshire’s topography to inform his writing, and Sir Malcolm Stewart’s legacy in the village built for the workers at London Brick, Stewartby.

More Brickworks talks and lectures will take place in the Summer on a variety of topics, including the rise and fall of Bedford’s brickmaking industries.