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Showing posts from September, 2019

The Hutton Window Comes to Litchfield

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The West Screen at Coventry Cathedral by John Hutton When Coventry Cathedral was built, Sir Basil Spence, the architect, chose John Hutton to create the vast screen on the building's western end where it forms an open link between the ruins of the old Cathedral and the nave of the new one.  The screen is engraved with a translucent pattern of saints and flying angels which partly, but never entirely, obscures the view in either direction. Sir Alfred Herbert was, of course, a generous benefactor to the new Cathedral ( despite having argued for the old cathedral church of St Michael to be rebuilt ) and although he died before it was completed, his widow, my grandmother, continued to take a great interest in the building and attended the Consecration in 1962. Alfred Herbert's daughter also donated the Elizabeth Frink Lectern to the Cathedral. As a consequence, in due time the family received one of a limited edition (of 25) miniature windows engraved by John Hutton wi...

Sir Griffith Humphrey Pugh Evans of Lovesgrove 1840 - 1902

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Sir Griffith Pugh Evans of Lovesgrove A Cardiganshire Squire in India Sirv Griffith Humphrey Pugh Evans KC As the procession wended slowly down the gravelled walk the snow was falling softly, renewing the white garb of hedgerows and the fields, where patches of green and brown were showing after the thaw at midday. Little groups of people were waiting in the snow here and there on the road, and the cortege grew in numbers as it proceeded. When the main road was reached, a considerable number of persons on foot followed the long line of carriages. This touching description appeared in the Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard of Friday 14 February 1902 describing the scene the previous Monday afternoon for the funeral of Sir Griffith Humphrey Pugh Evans of Lovesgrove, who had died at his home on 6 February at the age of 62 after a long illness.  Griffith was born in Aberystwyth on 13 January 1840, third son of John Evans, a wealthy Merionethshire born A...

Peter Lawford 1923 - 1984

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Peter Lawford and John Kennedy Peter Lawford was the son of General Sir Sydney Lawford and May Sommerville Bunny. Sydney's father was the son of Thomas Acland Lawford whose brother John was my great-grandfather. There is a comprehensive article about Peter, his life and his acting career in Wikiwand here Click here for a YouTube film of his wedding to Patricia Kennedy in 1954 Return to  Archive Index  

Lucy Luxmoore 1953 - 2019

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Lucy in her garden in Plymouth Sept 2019 Lucy Luxmoore, my sister in law, who died on 21st September 2019, met my brother Fuff in 2007 and quickly became a much-loved member of the family. Lucy and Fuff in Luxmoore's Garden, August 2007 I first met Lucy on a visit to Luxmoore's Garden at Eton where an ancestor of Fuff's  HE Luxmoore had been a noted housemaster and had created a garden on an island in the river opposite chapel. I was immediately struck by her cheerful and charming personality. They were married in London in July 2008  with a reception that included a string quartet and some Scottish reels and where we met her mother, Mary Barker and her sisters, Judy and Sue and brother Will as well as her children Hugh, Ralph and Camilla. Fuff and Lucy's wedding July 2008 Lucy was then teaching music at St Anthony's, Fitzjohn's Avenue but soon moved to be with Fuff in Plymouth where she began teaching music and conducting choirs with great su...