Another first – this one our first trip to an exhibition in months. It was showing at Blackwell, a wonderful arts-and-crafts style house not far from us, and centred on the way Japanese art and culture inspired the arts-and-crafts movement in the UK – and vice versa.
There were some amazing exhibits including ceramics from followers of Yanagi Soetsu and Bernard Leach; art (including one ukiyo-e woodblock print by the iconic Hokusai – think The Wave); a fun trail of “Yokai” (mischievous creatures from Japanese culture) hidden around the house; and a beautiful and historic kimono.
We combined a look round the exhibition with lunch with some friends of ours in Blackwell’s lovely cafe, and it all made a super change. No photos, though, as I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to take them or not. So I’ve used a picture from visitlakedistrict.com instead.
FIONA GLASS 