Friends of the Harris

Following on from the VE Day commemorations last month, one of our members, Peter, has a letter written during the liberation of Belgium, sent to his mother, Brenda, by her penfriend in Belgium.

The first page of the letter (above)

The full letter is written below and describes some of the trials of occupation and joy of liberation:

27th February (1945)

Dear Brenda,

I am very pleased to receive your letters, the first the 17th and the second the 19th of February. Yes it is a long time since I have any words from you. Your last news was from May 1940. It is a great great pleasure to hear from you and to know you have not suffered during these terrible years.

For us it is not the same. In 1940 we evacuated to my grandparents and we wait the Germans. (!!) (sic). During 6 days we were in the battle. After we came back to the house, and in July my fiance came back from the war. He was a prisoner a few days and was liberated.

After it is the occupation and we were very sorry and abominated the Germans. Then it is not easy to have more to eat and all the produce: no clothes, no bacon, no eggs, no butter (half a litre for a month) a little black bread (it is not good) and no coal. All the other things we bought on the black market, good bread, butter, bacon. Many families are hungry because they had not enough money to buy these things. Many children were without milk and bread and without clothes and shoes. But everyday we heard news of the BBC and we were encouraged a little.

I am not working I went to school to learn to make my clothes and cook. In September my fiance could work in Germany. He was not going away and he hid and made the ‘Mag….’(?). It is always a veritable anxiety for him and for I. In May 1944 he was prisoner to the Gestapo, he was kept 8 days and was liberated.

In April the bombardment began and a bomb fell in our garden, the house is in a bad condition but we were not wounded. We were again evacuated until the liberation finally in September 3rd, the Americans come, it is a real delivery of joy.

It is the Liberty a great word for us. We have not a good Christmas time because the Germans are again near us and many families of the region Liege, Luxembourg, Bastogne and all this region are in dissolution. But now we hope for the end is not far and we forget rapidly all these afflictions and I thank God because He has kept us well.

I hope to receive the visit of your friend's brother, I await him. It is a pleasure for me to have this military address. I can write to him. Robert does not go to school he works also. Also I hope that you understand my letter I think that I make many mistakes because it is a long time that I have not written in English. My kind regards to your parents and to Marrion and for you my love. Edit

Edith (above)

Belgium was neutral at the start of World War II but found itself at war after being invaded on 10th May 1940. After 18 days of fighting, Belgian forces were pushed back into a small pocket in the north-east of the country. The Belgian military surrendered to the Germans, resulting in an occupation lasting until 1944. Most of the country was liberated between September and October 1944, though areas to the far east of the country remained occupied until early 1945. The letter relates to the Germans coming back in a counter offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge which took place in December 1944.

Peter’s mother, Brenda (above)

The letter was received by Peter’s mother, Brenda, from her Belgian penfriend, Edit (or Edith), who hadn’t written for nearly 5 years due to being evacuated and then occupied.

We were very sorry to say goodbye recently to Agnes Holden, Honorary Life Member of the Friends, who passed away on 24th January 2020.  Agnes was a sterling supporter of the Harris and a volunteer since the 1970s when she began leading tours of the Egyptian Balcony and the fine art galleries.  Agnes also served on the Friends’ committee for many years, including serving as Chair between 2002 and 2004.

Agnes (right) with fellow Friend of the Harris, Adele Jennison, at a special event for members to celebrate the Harris’ Masterstrokes exhibition in 2013.

Agnes began visiting the Harris as a child, and developed a huge level of expertise, particularly regarding the fine art collections and the textiles. She combined this with her support for the Museum of Lancashire, including as a member of their Friends’ organisation.

Agnes was born in Preston in 1925.  She attended St Gregory’s Primary School, followed by Lark Hill Convent.  Finishing school during the Second World War, Agnes began work as a telephonist.  Her trips to and from work meant cycling in the blackout, which must have been a challenge.  

In 1951, Agnes married George, and they were married for over 66 years.  Not long after their marriage, they set up a grocer’s shop in Frenchwood, which Agnes largely ran while George worked for Ribble Buses.  However, by the mid-60s the rise of the supermarket meant that the shop was no longer viable.  Agnes and George bought a house on Southern Avenue and Agnes focused on being a full time housewife and mother to two boys and a girl.

However, it was not long before Agnes began to fill her spare time with evening classes, including Italian and German, which she then used on European holidays.  She also became involved in the Samaritans, and was Chair of the Preston branch for a period.  It was following this that Agnes began to devote her energies to the Harris, and she remained on the Friends’ committee into her 90s.  Her Honorary Life Member status was given in recognition of her long service to the Harris.

Don’t miss our talk on Robert Pateson: Preston’s Forgotten Photographer and Philanthropist, here at the Harris on Wed 1st April at 2.00pm.  This talk is exclusive to @harrisfriends members as it accompanies our (brief) AGM.  It’s free and there is no need to book.

Well-known Preston historian John Garlington will talk for the first time about his new research into the life of early Preston photographer Robert Pateson. 

As one of the first people to understand that photography could be art as well as simple recording, Pateson was a truly remarkable photographer.  However, John has recently learned that the story of Pateson’s own life is as fascinating as his photography 

The talk will take place following the Friends of the Harris’ brief AGM and a break for refreshments with a fundraising raffle.  All raffled profits and any donations support the Harris.  

Meet David Barber, Swan Marker to the Queen, and get to know our painting,  Swans, Cookham (1935) by Hilda Carline.

(Image: Hilda Carline, Swans, Cookham (1934) Copyright Estate of Hilda Carline)

David will talk about his long career on the River Thames and his work to develop swan conservation as part of the historic Swan Marker role. His boatyard is featured in the painting of swans on the river at Cookham by Hilda Carline which is in our fine art collection. There will be an opportunity to see the painting, which is not currently on show, up close, and talk to our fine art curator, Lindsey McCormick, about the artist and her husband Stanley Spencer. We'll also direct you find some of the other objects on display around the Harris featuring swans. This is a unique event for Preston, so don't miss out!  More details and tickets online here or call 01772 905414

@harrisfriends member Irene Flack’s poem is from 2013, but with @harrispreston’s exhibition now on, it’s a great time to post it. @incertainplaces @LancashireCC @prestoncouncil @PRBusStation @charlesquick

Irene says,  “I wrote this in 2013 while the debate about what to do with the bus station was raging. I remember what a grey, bleak day it was - sky and bus station seemed to be almost the same colour. Of course, the underground passageways are now long gone ...”

Concrete

Cold, draughty, cheerless

Loved and despised

Grey concrete claws

Reach for grey concrete skies

Nestling the rich folks’ chariots high

While the poorer ones wait

For a cramped Stagecoach ride

Underground tunnels

Once vibrant with shops

Now echo the sound

Of skateboards and hip-hop

And the people debate

The building’s demise

While grey concrete claws

Reach for grey concrete skies.

© I Flack 2013

Harris Friends member, Irene Flack, is inspired by the #CuerdaleHoard, on display in the #DiscoverPreston gallery and the Harris’ current #FearsomeCraftsmen exhibition to write this poem:

My Lady

Once, I graced my Lady’s neckline As she sat by firelight, Listening to heroic sagas; Tales of Saxon warriors’ might. Proudly would my Lady wear me As she stood beside her Lord, Hearing pleas for his wise justice; She the Mercy, He the Sword. Then we heard of Norse invaders Threatening our cherished land; Tales of neighbours dead and dying Slaughtered by their foreign hand. Hastily they hid their treasures Safely, for a brighter day. Gathered kinfolk, donned their weapons, Stealthily they crept away. Where they went, I cannot tell you; Of their fate I cannot say. But I never saw my Lady Since the dawn of that dread day. Through the days and years I waited, Hearing peace and warfare’s noise, Time’s wheel turned, and I grew weary, Longing for my Lady’s voice. Then a sound, a shout, a shovel Woke me to a strange new face; Full of awe he gently raised me, Took me to a safer place. Not forgotten is my Lady, Though she lies I know not where. Her sweet hand caressed my patterns, I am burnished by her hair.

Coins from the Cuerdale Hoard

Friends of the Harris member, Peter, gets his hands dirty at the Harris’ summer exhibition, Fearsome Craftsmen ...

“We like Vikings so we sought to know the Fearsome Craftsmen, usually more famous for their plundering and reputation as adventurers on the wild seas. 

On entry to the exhibition there is a fine scene, a Viking boat with dried fishes hanging from the rigging backed by a very large image of a Viking town and a realistic Viking stall with stallholder and warrior.  To add an extra dimension there is a fishy smell from the dried fish on the boat.  Not only that, but in the boat are some inviting Viking staples of life: antlers, bones and fur.

On the lookout for a ‘hands on’ experience, the Blacksmith seemed the place and although the theme is based on fine Viking craftwork such as in the Silverdale Hoard, shown elsewhere in the exhibition, we decided our blacksmith was a heavy hitter - perhaps starting on a metal helmet or sword. The photo below shows one of us having a go!

Around the corner from the shop is a Viking house and weaving shed.  It’s cold in the northern seas, especially around Norway or Denmark, so those woolly cloths and furs would be in demand. If you wish, you can wear a Viking helmet and outfit and frighten the locals or you can go in the house with its piglets.   Around the exhibition are descriptions of where the Vikings travelled, including a section on Preston, plus posters of their Gods which we know of such as Thor - who gave us Thursday.

The Viking Silverdale Hoard found in Lancashire has its own area to show what the Fearsome Craftsmen could do, and part of the locally-discovered Cuerdale Hoard (the largest ever Viking hoard found outside Russia) is in the Discover Preston gallery on the first floor.

Above: Part of the Silverdale Hoard courtesy Lancashire Museums

Maps are always good and the model of York or ‘Jorvik’ is interesting. I tried to locate where the Minster is and the Roman Wall which would have been there for hundreds of years when the Vikings arrived.  The Vikings modified the walls. The top of the model is east and the two rivers are prominent.  The Minster, or what was there before the current building, being over to the left of the town boundary.

If you want a memento of the exhibition, there is a shop in the gallery.

We had a good tour.  It’s a fine exhibition and we’ll return.”

Here Irene tells us a bit more about herself and the difference @harrispreston has made to her ...

“As the newest member of the Friends’ committee, I thought I would say ‘Hello’ and tell you a little about myself. I’m really excited to have been asked to join the group, and I hope I will be able to help the Friends continue our amazing work to date.

I am currently in the first year of a PhD course at UCLan, where I am studying English Language – specifically historic aspects of our incredible mother-tongue. I am also a Street Pastor in Chorley and work part-time at the Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley centre.

I first started visiting the Harris regularly after a breakdown in 2010; I found I loved the peace and serenity within its walls. It became my ‘go-to’ place if ever I was struggling to deal with the crowds in Preston’s shops and streets – somewhere I could take a mental breath of fresh air.

Here I am at my 60th birthday party

When my grandchildren were very young, probably about 7 years ago now, I brought them to an activity day based around the Puck painting in the Fine Art gallery (a painting which had, it turned out, been part-funded by the Friends). At this stage I was beginning to experiment with creative writing and submitted a blog piece about the day to Blog Preston. The Lancashire Post picked this up and featured it in a weekend edition which led to my receiving a lovely email from Hilary Machell at the Harris. This led me to becoming a member of the Friends, then to helping during the Guild celebrations by manning the Friends’ stall, then to stuffing envelopes full of updates to members … I’m sure lots of you will be familiar with the jobs and roles she finds us!

Anyway, it was lovely to be asked by her to join the committee, and even the meeting with Hilary and Greta, the former Chair of the Friends, wasn’t enough to put me off, so here I am.  I look forward to getting to know many more of the members in the coming weeks and months.”

We had a fantastic time with #Preston photographer Ashley Hardman @AHphoto2025 at our AGM ... when we also adopted our new rules so that we can support the @harrispreston library as well as the museum and art gallery.  We also said a huge THANK YOU to Greta Krypczyk-Oddy, who stood down as Chair after 16 years on the committee, and to Lucie Whalley, who stood down as Secretary after 21 years!  Both will be staying on the committee to support new Chair, Mary Grasar and Secretary, Nicola Mather.

Jo Lloyd, a student @UCLan, recently took part in @harrispreston’s Feel Good consultation workshops. #Well-being #Preston #HarrisYourPlace

“I am a student at the University of Central Lancashire and got involved with the Harris’ Feel Good gallery activities in February and March this year as a volunteer.

This exciting project is all about creating a new gallery space for Well-being and Feeling Good at the Harris. The Feel Good activities were a range of free well-being activities in Yoga, Tai-Chi and Meditation and each one was a fantastic opportunity to ask advice from everyone who took part about what a new gallery space should look like and what sort of activities should be offered.

Well-being and the creative arts are areas of interest to me as part of my academic course, so volunteering at these sessions offered some really helpful insights and was a great opportunity for me to gain some experience in the work-place alongside curators Caroline Alexander and Lindsey McCormick.

My role was mainly to make notes of all the comments and ideas from everyone who attended, so the new space can develop in response to the local community.

The sessions were really informal and fun and we enjoyed herbal teas and lots of discussions about the new gallery space and what sort of well-being activities people would like to take part in. Possible paintings for the gallery walls were viewed and even the colour of paint for the walls was discussed!

With 360,000 visitors to the museum, art gallery & library, we think that’s made a difference for a lot of #Preston and #Lancashire people http://bit.ly/2zscAAS #HarrisYourPlace @prestoncouncil @LancashireCC