theGALLERY at Bishop's Castle

Of Cabbages, Kings, The Weather and Woolly Wonders!

2012-02-11T09:55:00.003Z

theGALLERY will be showing an exhibition on the theme "Talking About The Weather" during Feb. On 16th Feb from 6.00pm we will be holding an evening of viewing, reading and chatting about the arts, literature, cabbages and kings AND of course, in true British eccentric style, mostly we will be TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER!!! Hope you can come along and join in!

Look out around town during the Bishop's Castle Arts Festival for some woolly wonders - Knitwits will be out and about "yarn bombing" so come along and see if you can follow the yarn trail and find them all. I can't promise the local bus will look as lovely as this one, but Bishop's Castle will definitely be looking creatively woolly!

Bishop's Castle Arts Festival 16 - 19th February

2012-01-07T17:18:00.002Z

For more info on where & when events will be taking place during the festival visit: http://www.bishopscastleartsfestival.co.uk/

theGALLERY is moving house

2012-01-07T14:31:00.000Z

Charmed By Bishop's Castle

2012-01-06T14:21:00.000Z

January's issue of Shropshire Life features Bishop's Castle and the people that run some of the fabulous independant shops that make it so special, including theGALLERY! Grab yourself a copy to read all about it!. Sarah Hart says "It's a little town with a warm and welcoming personality" and I am especially proud that she calls theGALLERY "one of the prettiest shops in town, a showroom for regional artists & potters"

Castle Artists Autumn show

2011-11-24T16:09:00.000Z

The Castle Artists Autumn show is this weekend. Hope you can find time to pop along to see some lovely art including a couple of my paintings.

theGALLERY wins an award

2011-11-22T08:49:00.000Z

Lots of customers have made positive comments on theGALLERY's lovely new outside paint and Welsh slate. To put the icing on the cake, theGALLERY has just been awarded the Civic Society's Robert Gwyther Cup for the best kept business premises in Bishop's Castle, which we are really proud to shout about!

A Gift with Love from theGALLERY

2011-11-12T08:33:00.003Z

A very special Christmas gift with love from theGALLERY - 10% Discount on all marked prices AND 15% discount on single item purchases over £70.

New Vintage Tea Towel Cushions

2011-09-23T10:47:00.000+01:00

These are all genuine vintage tea towels and therefore one off/limited availability. I have some lovely new designs available in stock, just perfect for all sorts of locations and occasions.

Love a traffic sign & yarn bomb it!

2011-09-15T18:46:00.006+01:00

theGALLERY has been spruced up, just in time for this weekends Michaelmas Fair, not only do we have a nice new outside paint job that just might be dry in time for Saturday, but this year we have been busy yarn bombing the traffic signs especially for the Michaelmas Fair in honour of National wool week. It could start a whole new country wide trend! Come and admire it on Saturday or Sunday and join in the fun!

Michaelmas Fair September - 17th-18th

2011-09-10T16:27:00.000+01:00

For anybody left that doesn't know... next weekend is Michaelmas fair in Bishop's Castle. Come along and shop till you drop in theGALLERY, watch the parade, listen to music, or just soak up the great atmosphere.

You can find out what will be on or how to buy tickets at:

http://www.michaelmasfair.co.uk/default.aspx

Love Wool

2011-09-07T12:34:00.000+01:00

It's National wool week and theGALLERY has lots of knitted woolly gems on offer .... and a few sheep too!

Rural Retro - an online treasure trove of vintage & retro collectables

2011-09-02T12:49:00.006+01:00

Hang out your bunting! The Rural Retro treasure shop has opened it's "virtual" doors. Hurrah!
The shelves are starting to fill up nicely, and Rural Retro has lots of vintage & retro studio pottery, homewares, glass, design classics and many other things to love besides!. theGALLERY will continue to stock a selection of Rural Retro style, but the online treasure shop will bring you lots of other goodies to rummage through.

Visit the new shop and let me know what you think:

http://www.ruralretro.co.uk/

Coming Soon...

2011-08-31T16:50:00.000+01:00

Dust off the bunting, make some lemonade and bake your favourite cake - get ready for theGALLERY's new venture.
To be brought to you by the wonders of the "tinternet", theGALLERY is opening an online shop dedicated to the Rural Retro range of vintage, retro and design classics.
I am currently hard at work arranging the vintage & retro treasure on the new shelves, so watch this space for news of the shops grand opening soon so we can all have a (virtual) party together to celebrate the launch!

Keep on Glamping!

2011-08-12T13:39:00.000+01:00

The new glamping and festival pillows are proving to be very popular for all sorts of places and occasions so pop in and see which one takes your fancy. I will have some new designs available soon including the wombles of Wimbledon Common and Caburys milk chocolate amongst others!

Exclusive & Stylish

2011-07-26T16:52:00.000+01:00

Don't look now but theGALLERY is delighted to have endorsement from a 60's style icon who recently purchased a pair of our stylish hand knit socks. These cosy knits are specially handcrafted by my mum but you don't have to be rich or famous to step out in this exclusive footwear, as lots of colours are always available. Each pair are one-off and unique so no chance you will turn up on a red carpet wearing the same pair as somebody else!

Glamping & Festival Cushions

2011-07-26T16:18:00.004+01:00

Check out our new glamping and festival pillows made from Vintage Tea Towels. These are all genuine vintage tea towels and therefore one off/limited availability............lots more designs to follow. Made by Penny Thompson of Cusionology with specially firm feather pads. I am happy to post out these fab pillows if required. Contact theGALLERY for details.

SOLD

Fun Butlin's Holidays

SOLD

"Find the Lady" competition winner

2011-07-15T12:19:00.004+01:00

Our recent Royalty theme "Find the Lady" competition was great fun and we had lots of people hunting high and low for the Queen of Hearts in theGALLERY! The winner was JONAH SCOTT- he takes home a genuine 1953 Coronation Souvenir Tin (with some genuine 2011 Chocolates included for Luck!) The Queen of Hearts playing card was hiding in the mouth of a bronze finish "Laughing Piglet" Sculpture by Max Baccanello-Well done Jonah!

Castle Artists Show

2011-07-08T16:23:00.000+01:00

I have been busy helping out on the organisation for the next Castle Artists show so please pop in and view all of the members hard work which will be on display and available to purchase until 11th July. There is always a varied selection of artwork to suit all tastes and pockets.

Blue Forest by Jacs

New artist - Pauline Bradley

2011-07-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

Pauline's work is inspired by the human form and articulation of the body's shape to express and represent a range of inner moods and emotions.She likes to place the figure in a landscape or contrasted with the textures of nature such as bark,rocks,and plants. Recent work has evolved from observing shadow or water reflections running across areas of the body-obscuring or highlighting and giving the effect of integration with the landscape or a decoration of the body's surface. She usually combines several printmaking techniques in each work - particularly Japanese style woodblock on silk papers with collograph. Since 2006, when she exhibited as part of the UK/Japan Artists group, she has visited and exhibited in Japan several times.

Finderskeepers Handmade Cards

2011-06-25T14:48:00.000+01:00

I have been busy making a special handmade card order for a forthcoming wedding whilst putting the finishing touches to theGALLERY Royal Flush window display for next weeks Bishop's Castle carnival.

FindersKeepers is a range of handmade cards designed using vintage ephemera and the otherwise irritating and useless Junk Mail envelopes! I have many themes available from a lifetime of hoarding old magazines,books and other papery treasures-1950's DIY/Vintage Fashion patterns/Ladybird Books/Famous Five/Jigsaws Puzzles Games etc etc.......just waiting for you to imagine how I can use them.

See the website for details:

http://www.thegallerybc.co.uk/gallery.html

Bishop's Castle Carnival 3rd July

2011-06-24T13:08:00.001+01:00

theGALLERY is joining in with the celebrations - this years window display competition theme is "royalty" so come and see our "ROYAL FLUSH" window display. To add to the fun, The Queen of Hearts will be hiding somewhere inside theGALLERY until 4th July so come and have a browse and see if you can find her. Everybody who discovers her hiding place will be entered into a draw, and the first name out of the hat will win a fab prize. Keep your fingers crossed for some sunshine on 3rd July!

Home on the range

2011-05-27T15:59:00.001+01:00

This Artist/Gallery owner was encouraged by the recent sale of my own work"Home on the Range" which has just left home to go and hang in a London location.
I feel a whole series of Kitchen Sink subjects coming on!Plenty of inspiration-just need to find time.
Check out the "FindersKeepers" page for examples of my JunkMail greeting cards and other themes which can all be made to commission order.

theGALLERY recommended in the Guardian Travel Tips

2011-05-10T15:52:00.002+01:00

It's always great to receive feedback from customers, thank you!

ivebeenthere.co.uk recommends theGALLERY

The Names of the Hare

2011-05-07T10:24:00.002+01:00

The man the hare has met

will never be the better for it

except he lay down on the land

what he carries in his hand-

be it staff or be it bow-

and bless him with his elbow

and come out with this litany

with devotion and sincerity

to speak the praises of the hare.

Then the man will better fare.

Original Artwork by Susie Hunt

“The Hare, call him scotart,

the big-fellow, bouchart,

the O’Hare, the jumper,

the rascal, the racer.

Beat-the-Pad, white face,

funk-the-ditch, shit-ass.

The wimount, the messer,

the skidaddler, the nibbler,

the ill-met, the slabber.

The quick-scut, the dew-flirt,

the grass-biter, the goibert,

the home-late, the do-the-dirt.

The starer, the wood-cat,

the purblind, the furze-cat,

the skulker, the bleary-eyed,

the wall-eyed, the glance-aside

and also the hedge-springer.

The stubble-stag, the long lugs,

the stook-deer, the frisky legs,

the wild one, the skipper,

the hug-the-ground, the lurker,

the race-the-wind, the skiver,

the shag-the-hare, the hedge-squatter,

the dew-hammer, the dew-hopper,

the sit-tight, the grass-bounder,

the jig-foot, the earth-sitter,

the light-foot, the fern-sitter,

the kail-stag, the herb-cropper.

The creep-along, the sitter-still,

the pin-tail, the ring-the-hill,

the sudden-start, the shake-the-heart,

the belly-white,

the lambs-in-flight.

The gob-shite, the gum-sucker,

the scare-the-man, the faith-breaker,

the snuff-the-ground, the baldy-scull

(his chief name is Scoundrel).

The stag sprouting a suede horn,

the creature living in the corn’

the creature bearing all mans scorn,

the creature no one dares to name”

When you have got all this said

then the hare’s strength has been laid.

Then you might go faring forth-

east and west, and south and north,

wherever you incline to go

but only if you’re skilful too,

And now sir hare, goodday to you.

God guide you to a Howd’ ye-do

With me; come to me dead

in either onion broth or bread.

Translated from the middle English by Seamus Heaney

Spring Has Sprung

2011-05-06T14:31:00.002+01:00

At my humble homestead, the view from Pear Tree cottage is looking lovely after all this warm weather we have been having and the apple blossom in the garden is just amazing - I will need to start looking for recipes to use all of those delicious apples that will be arriving later in the year!

Vote for Bishop's Castle

2011-05-01T10:04:00.023+01:00

We always knew Bishop’s Castle was a special place and now it has been named as one of the top 10 market towns in Britain by the BBC’s Countryfile Magazine. The town is included on the shortlist for the Best Market Town in Britain title in the first awards run by the magazine.
It was praised by the magazine authors of the list, complied using information from Lonely Planet for its picturesque architecture and landscape.

You can vote for Bishop's Castle in the best market town category at http://www.countryfile.com/awards

We think Bishop's Castle is a great place to visit, shop, live or work in, but why don't you come and see for yourself!.

You can read what Shropshire Life has to say about Bishops Castle at http://shropshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/bishops-castle-and-clun-shropshire-19582/

Many hands make African Quilt

2011-04-22T13:28:00.000+01:00

Nearly 12 months ago, theGALLERY held a fund raising evening for the benefit of the Landirani Trust which works to build schools and other community education+orphan support programmes in Malawi-at the same time we launched a project to to create a patchwork Quilt using colourful African Fabrics and had a fantastic response from local artists and needleworkers who each made a 50cms patchwork square.Nine of these have now been sewn together by Clare Greig a local expert quiltmaker who also made a beautiful border which has transformed the x9 individual designs into a colourful and wonderfully clashing quilt which perfectly showcases African Fabric style and at the same time manages to evoke the community spirit and collabrorative nature of Landirani and it's links with Malawi.

The Quilt is travelling between several exhibitions and venues in Shropshire and Surrey and will now be raffled to raise much needed funds to continue Landirani's work.Tickets are £1 each and can be bought everywhere that the Quilt is displayed as well as online via the Landirani Website http://www.landirani.org/ of course you can buy as many tickets as you like to increase your chances of winning this beautiful Quilt!

The Raffle for this particular Quilt will be drawn in July but we still have many other square Quilt blocks and any volunteers to combine these to design and complete another quilt should contact theGALLERY for more details.
Thanks and congratulations to everyone who has contributed their skills and creativity so far.

Castle Artists Spring Show

2011-04-15T13:35:00.000+01:00

Allotment Art 2011

2011-03-05T14:36:00.000Z