Our 30th Anniversary Event.

On Thursday 19th October the Art Society Gravesend held an afternoon tea at the Little Hermitage, Higham to celebrate our 30th anniversary. 33 members and guests participated.

After a welcome from our current Chairman,  our founder and first Chairman (and still a member) said a few words about how she and a small group of friends started the society.

Another long-term member of the society has over the years provided scrapbooks to record visits, tours and other noteworthy events. She could not be with us, but some of the scrapbooks were. It was lovely to see our history displayed in such an attractive way, and to see a photo of the cut down sycamore tree at Hadrian’s Wall in all its glory from our tour of Northumbria a few years ago.

We also had a slide show presentation of photos from our recent visits to Leonardslee Lakes and Garden and Cobham Hall as well as photos of a range of community and young arts projects we have supported over the years.

The venue is a Grade II listed building lovingly restored by its current owners, who live at the property and run a hospitality business there as well.  Towards the end of the afternoon, we were given a brief history of the house and the opportunity to have a look round, seeing the bridal suite, the Pink and Blue rooms, the library and the disco area in the basement where the owners found the original well which now features as a centre piece of the disco floor safely covered with reinforced glass.