Below are some reviews and pictures from a few of our many social events.
This summer's guided walk with Robert Dunn on 25 June continues our exploration of Bloomsbury. Last year's walk covered the university quarter; this year we'll move across to east Bloomsbury, defined by its medical and caring institutions. As before, we'll cover the history, buildings and people of this fascinating area.
Numbers are limited to 20 people for this walk starting at 6 pm on the evening of 25th of June. The walk will last about 90 minutes.
This talk focuses on the ways in which the study of scribal handwriting from Syon Abbey, England’s first and only Birgittine monastery, can shed light on the ways in which the sisters of Syon participated in broader late-medieval communities of reading. Focusing primarily on examples of women’s handwriting preserved in both printed books and medieval manuscripts, this talk will paint a picture of the ways in which scribal hands and inscriptions can illustrate the ways in which reading, writing, and community intersected in late-medieval London.
Tracey Trussell is a leading professional graphologist, who analyses handwriting to reveal what it says about the writer. From a few handwritten sentences Tracey can gain insight into how individuals behave, think and feel. Tracey has worked for many companies, including Montblanc and has appeared on BBC’s The One Show and ITV’s This Morning talking about what you can tell from people’s handwriting and doodles. She is often called on by the media to analyse the handwriting of people in the news such as, in recent years, Lucy Letby, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
On 19 October members of the South London Lettering Association again took part in the Bloomsbury Festival by demonstrating calligraphy inside St George’s Church. The scribes worked for an hour or two each on their own projects using different tools and styles of lettering, taking the theme of the 2024 Bloomsbury Festival – Human.Kind – to inspire them. Visitors were able to learn about calligraphy and talk to the calligraphers, both amateur and professional, and have a go themselves, guided by experienced calligraphers.
At a well attended social evening on 25th September 2024, Chrissie Nicholls used slides and examples of her work to illustrate the journey that led her to World of Maps, Visual Diaries, Playing Cards and Artists’ Books, all of which in some way incorporate hand lettering. Here are some of examples of her inspirational work for you to see, if you missed it.
Around 20 people went on this fascinating walk around the squares and significant buildings of Bloomsbury, led by Robert Dunn on 26th June 2024. It was the hottest day of the year so we were all very grateful for the shade provided by the trees in the garden squares, as well as for the opportunity to learn from Rob about the history of the area and some of its notable residents. Among the buildings we studied, of different periods and styles, were the Hotel Russell (now the Kingston Fitzroy Hotel), the British Museum, Senate House, Birkbeck College, and the BMA building. We also walked around Russell, Torrington, Gordon and Tavistock Squares, examining their various memorials.