Shamba Barn – shades of Wolf Hall!

Shamba Barn, Upton St Leonards

This hideaway holiday cottage is part of the atmospheric, 400-year old Bond End Farm at Upton St Leonards near Painswick, Gloucestershire. Dating from Tudor times, this is just the place for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in history – coinciding with the huge new wave of interest in the Tudors fuelled by the BBC's compelling new drama series, Wolf Hall. Henry V111 himself is said to have dropped in to Bond End Farm, adding yet another dimension!

http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p1611714

Wollombi's Perfect (Back) Drops! Sculpture in the Vineyards 2014

Ross Fletcher - Ponder. Image ©AP

Sculpture In The Vineyards

Monday 27 October - Sunday 30 November 2014. Wollombi, NSW.

Following Wollombi Valley's Sculpture in the Vineyards 2014 trail at the weekend was a real pleasure. From small (but ambitious) beginnings twelve years ago, the exhibition has grown to become an established highlight on the arts calendar, not only for visitors but for the entrants who spend time here installing their works.

The four major venues are the Wollombi Valley Wine Trail's vineyards – Undercliff Winery, Stonehurst Cedar Creek, Wollombi Wines and Wollombi Village Vineyard. Each winery provides its own superb setting and character for the rich diversity of mediums used by over sixty contemporary Australian sculptors.

Anne Gaulton- Untitled   Image ©AP

Curated this year for the first time by Christiane Keys-Statham, Sculpture in the Vineyards is a not for-profit organisation relying on volunteers, professional pro bono support and financial sponsorship   – this year from Destination New South Wales, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Wollombi Valley Progress Association, Cessnock Regional Art Gallery, Cessnock City Council and more.

As Christiane says of the installations: "Showcasing their [the artists'] work in the stunning and historic landscape of the Wollombi Valley is a challenging proposition: the works are at the mercy of the elements and will inevitably respond to their environments in unpredictable ways."

Elyssa Sykes-Smith -Emotional Evolution  Images © AP

For the wineries and the owners who work so hard each year to make this exhibition happen, it is a chance to showcase their vineyards and wines and to help bring visitors to the region to discover the delights of Wollombi Village and the surrounding countryside. This is rewarding  driving country –  car companies are often seen filming along the roads here. (Find fuel  and more at Laguna's Great North Trading Post.)

Wollombi is just under a two-hour drive from Sydney, but those in the know book ahead to stay to enjoy time here to explore or to take part in the events associated with Sculpture In The Vineyards. This year the Education Program includes innovative workshops for schools including postcard making - kids draw or photograph their favourite sculpture and make it into a postcard.

Mike Kitching - Gai-um-Garm
 Image ©AP

Director Tara Morelos has been involved with Sculpture in the Vineyards for eight years and is delighted with the way it has evolved, attracting sculptors from around Australia including Queensland and Tasmania. Now with national recognition, it is gratifying to see the exhibition become an established fixture in the arts world –  a significant achievement  as Tara says. Word is also spreading internationally; one of this year's impressive line-up of judges, the renowned Janet Laurence, flew in from Germany especially for the judging weekend.

Tended and nourished by the wine-makers including founders Phillipa and Daryl Heslop of Stonehurst Cedar Creek and Jane and Peter Hampshere of Undercliff Winery, Wollombi's  sculpture trail is gathering significant traction with each year. With the necessary funding, Tara Morelos can see exciting new directions for the future to benefit the wineries, Wollombi village and New South Wales itself as a destination, attracting both sculptors and art lovers from far and wide.

Akira Kamada - Hira Hira  Image ©AP

Sculptors including Akira Kamada say they'll  be back to exhibit as they love the environment and the whole installation experience at Wollombi. Meaning weightless movement or fluttering in the wind, Hira Hira is the name Akira has given to a number of hanging pieces and this year he has used fabric and hessian tape for a bold creation strung between trees, symbolising renewed energy and freedom.

For the visitor, the first thing to do is to pick up a brochure ($5.00)  and then wend your way through the vineyards, taking time to discover the pieces, large and small, some obvious, some tucked away. The exhibition is designed to appeal to adults and children and includes a separate small sculpture exhibition in the Wollombi Fireshed and a night-time closing ceremony. Don't forget to vote in the People's Choice Award and to try the delicious wines and local produce as you go.

As well as inviting cellar doors, Wollombi has cafes, an iconic country pub, general store, a fascinating museum (check out the convict history) eclectic shops, plus tours to the Mount Yengo National Park with Ngurra Bu.

Stonehurst Cedar Creek Cellar Door Image ©AP

Undercliff Winery: Pink lines in space (Greer Taylor -Inclusion), multi-coloured flying fish (Sharon Ridsdale-Pi-ces School of the Air), a caravan full of childhood memories (Freya Jobbins - Museum of Childhood Memory) and a playful female form doing a handstand (Selena Seifert - Regeneration) are just a few of the sculptures in this beautifully designed vineyard.

Wollombi Village Vineyard: A man's love for his poodle (Kerry Cannon- Poodle Love), humble materials (Jayanto Daminik - White Seeds), a thunderbird (Mick Martin - Thunderbird Sawing) and harmonious polished lines (Larissa Smagarinsky- Achievement) are among the sculptures to discover.

Wollombi Endeavour Museum: See a glass, wood and metal work (Alison Mortiss - Once Was).

Wollombi Wines: Dogs (Belinda Clarke - Companion), happy and colourful snakes ( Emilia Krumm - Asudem), Ned kelly ( Lyndsey Hatchwell - Ned Turns A Corner), grass painting (Anthony Sawrey - Chaos Latticework) a hollow throne ( Lou Steer - Hollow Throne) and getting your head around a rasta steel band (Jannese Parkes - Rasta Steel Band) are a few of the many works.

Stonehurst Cedar Creek: Kinetic fish (Phil Relf - Leonardo's Fish), flowing lines in stainless steel, recycled copper and galvanised pipe (Bev Chalmers - Fantasia & Phantasm), a scientific voyage corroborating the indigenous Australian belief that life came from the stars (Mike Kitching - Gai-um-Garm) a phoenix (Ludwig Micek - Resurrection), a giant wine bottle (Nigel James- Claret Bottle) and delicate intricacies (DoGsWooD - Utopia) are among the sculptures not far from the the cellar door.

Glimpses of DoGsWood - Utopia, left, Mike Kitching - Gai-um- Garm, right.
Image ©AP 

Sculpture In The Vineyards
www.sculpture in the vineyards.com.au

Undercliff Winery and Gallery
www.undercliff.com.au

Stonehurst Cedar Creek
www.cedarcreekcottages.com.au


Wollombi Wines
www.wollombiwines.com.au

Wollombi Village Vineyard
www.wollombivillagevineyard.com.au

Cessnock Regional Art Gallery
https://www.facebook.com/.../Cessnock-Regional-Art-Gallery/17968944...

Mandy Pryse-Jones and Simon Savage - We Live In Your World. 'Kite' installation
(glimpsed left) in the vines.

Bonvillars Swiss Truffle market, 25 October 2014

Starring the Burgundy Truffle – truffle growers,  preservers and processors, chefs, nursery owners, dog trainers and all connoisseurs of this fragrant truffle. Also featuring on local menus ...

Where?
Cours de Bonvillars

When?
25 October, 2014

www.vaudtourisme.ch
www.lake-geneva-region.ch

Hong Kong Art Gallery Week 2014

Head for Hong Kong and enjoy the events at Art Gallery Week, 26 November to 5 December.

The Hong Kong Art Gallery Association announced today that the second edition of Hong Kong Art Gallery Week, sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong) Private Banking, will launch on 26 November 2014 with a city-wide public programme of events, talks, tours and exhibitions presented by about 50 member galleries.

Adriana Alvarez-Nichol, Head of the Hong Kong Art Gallery Week Committee and Vice-President of the Hong Kong Art Gallery Association said: “Hong Kong is one of the world’s fastest-growing cultural hubs and the leading art sales hub in Asia. HKAGA was founded with the aim of developing new connections and relationships within Hong Kong’s vibrant arts sector. Last year, the festival brought over 6,000 art professionals, collectors, university students and the general public together. For the second edition, we want to cement the week as a highlight of the art calendar in Hong Kong and across the region. There will be an enhanced focus on arts education and discovery, developing younger audiences and investing in the next generation of arts practitioners and gallerists.”

Studio Visit & Private tour of Hanart Square by Mr. Johnson Chang, Gallery Director of Hanart TZ Gallery. 

Hong Kong Art Gallery Association 

www.hk-aga.org 

Bank of China (Hong Kong) Private Banking 

www.bochk.com 

Leading lodge re-opens in UNESCO World Heritage-listed Okavango Delta

Images courtesy &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge.

News update from &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge 

Rebuilt to combine spectacular design with exceptional wildlife adventures, &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge re-opened its doors on 1 September 2014. Situated on a private concession in the magnificent Okavango Delta, Sandibe boasts exclusive traversing rights over a vast stretch of land adjacent to the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve. The most architecturally magnificent lodge in the Delta, Sandibe combines outstanding design, exceptional wildlife viewing and warm local hospitality. The Okavango Delta has recently been named the 1000th UNESCO World Heritage Site and the design for this incredible new lodge draws its inspiration from this unique natural setting.

In spite of the lodge having been closed for the extensive rebuild during much of the year, &Beyond Sandibe retained its title of Botswana’s Leading Safari Lodge for the fourth year running at the recent 2014 World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean gala ceremony. This prestigious achievement is even more notable in view of the fact that it was bestowed on the lodge by fellow travel and tourism professionals worldwide, who cast their votes in the World Travel Awards in order to reward commitment to excellence.

Latest in sustainable technology
In keeping with &Beyond’s core ethos of Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People, Sandibe has been designed with a light footprint and a heavy focus on sustainability and efficiency. Situated in a remote area without easily available electricity, instead of relying on a generator to supply the lodge’s extensive energy needs, Sandibe’s combined solar electricity and hot water systems will produce in excess of 200 000 Kwh of energy per year. This will save the lodge 67 000 litres of diesel per year, which translates into a carbon footprint saving of 180 tons of CO², an amount that the lodge would have had to plant 4 615 tree saplings to offset.

For more information see: http://www.andbeyond.com

 Source: Press Release 

Settling in nicely ... at stunning Dormy House, Broadway

Just had lunch in the Potting Shed... delightful, as is the whole hotel. The Cotswolds' Dormy House recently re-opened after extensive refurbishment, with a fabulous spa. Take a look ...