Dear Members,
Whilst writing this letter to you, I am once again in Poland enjoying a break in the spring sunshine. But as you must surely know, all is not well: the country is in a state of shock and mourning after the appalling air crash in Smolensk on Saturday 12th April. Red and white flags are flying at half mast trailing black ribbons, everywhere is subdued. TV and newspapers show us the grim pictures of the fated plane and later the official reception of the coffins at the Presidents palace in Warsaw. This is yet another cycle in the tragic history of Poland. In an age of rapid communication, travel, climate change and the threat of terrorism we must now expect the unexpected, hoping against hope that it doesn’t happen in our back yard. Yet none of us is immune to tragedy and catastrophe whether on a national or personal scale.
Anthea Godfrey preparing to speak to us at the AGM
Sometimes this can lead to an outpouring of creativity and renewal as clearly illustrated in Anthea Godfrey’s lecture at our AGM. She talked about her mother Margaret Nicholson, an imposing and remarkable lady who I remember meeting briefly at the London College of Fashion. Margaret was born in 1913 in Sheffield. Her family was far from well off but at an early age she showed great talent for drawing. This was greatly encouraged by her grandfather who adored her and at the age of 15 she gained a bursary to go to Art School. Eight years later she began her career in the Fashion industry in Northampton which included designing shirts for C&A and Selfridges. At the same time she became a salon model so she learned both sides of the business. During the war Margaret was evacuated to Evesham where she worked in the local labour exchange. After the war she met her future husband Ian who was an electrical engineer. They settled down to married life and lived in several places including Reading, Potters’Bar and London. During this time they suffered the loss of no less than seven stillborn babies until eventually Anthea was born. It is hard to imagine how this couple coped with their grief but both of them must have had great determination and optimism. Margaret immersed herself in working for the Women’s Institute, the NSPCC, the Crafts Committee and later collaborated on projects with Avril Colby and Laura Ashley.
At some point she also took a course in horticulture because she always loved flowers and floristry. With her boundless energy and idealism she joined the Embroiderers’ Guild and was the first tutor to teach the City and Guilds certificate, one of her students being Audrey Walker.
Later, at the invitation of Dorothy Allsopp, she began to run courses on embroidery for the ILEA. This led to her appointment as lecturer at the London College of Fashion where she revolutionised the department with a fresh approach to design, filling the fashion houses with her students. As a consequence, the College now runs a foundation degree in fashion, embroidery and theatrical costume.
Throughout her life, Margaret somehow found time to develop her own work with a special interest in hand stitchery, gold work, or nué and beadwork. Her commissions included the Mother’s Union banner for Coventry cathedral, the St. Clare panels and 70 pieces for the Guild’s portfolio. When her husband died, Margaret moved in with Anthea and at the age of 65 started on a new series of work. Her designs were inspired by her passion for heads, plants and flowers, Byzantine, Japanese and Aztec patterns. According to Anthea she had a cupboard full of beads, some of which she dyed to make many exquisite necklaces. All the examples of her work and sketchbooks which Anthea brought for us to view showed a sensitive use of colour and pattern with superb technical ability. Today her idealism with her love of embroidery and fashion is still continuing through the work of her daughter who shows the same modesty and enthusiasm as her mother.
At present there seems to be a feast of art exhibitions in London: Arshile Gorky, Paul Nash and Van Gogh. I visited the R.A. over the Easter weekend due to a longstanding interest in Van Gogh. His brushwork seems to have an affinity with stitch and I love his use of colour. The thoughts expressed through his letters to his brother Theo, revealed an articulate and highly intelligent man setting out on a spiritual path for truth – whatever the cost. As you know, his awareness of everything he saw and sought to convey, was heightened by his possible bi-polar condition leading to his suicide at the early age of 37 years. This would seem to be yet another tragedy but seen in the light of today a triumph of creativity over adversity leaving us with a visual record of what it is to be truly human.
In our own way, we hope that our forthcoming exhibition at East Grinstead will inspire others with hope and encouragement to try their hand at some artistic pursuit which will immeasurably enrich their lives.