Christmas Lights Fantastic at Harewood!

Our first ever Christmas Lights Switch On was a fantastic success with a swinging festive party on stage hosted by Real Radio's Dixie and Gayle followed by the highlight of the show - a state of the art light show, using a three dimensional projection onto the stunning exterior of the 18th Century House...

If you missed the Lights Switch On (and all the recent press coverage too!) you can watch a snippet of the show on our Harewood You Tube channel, or visit our website to read more and to watch it now!

Adam has left the building...!

‘Adam’, an extraordinary piece by one of Britain’s most important twentieth century sculptors Sir Jacob Epstein, and one of the most important items in the Harewood modern collection, was carved from a single piece of Derbyshire alabaster in 1938 and 1939.

On 11th November this year, Adam left Yorkshire for London for conservation prior to being displayed at the Royal Academy... Removing Adam from the Entrance Hall here at Harewood was a considerable feat of engineering in itself, requiring an A-frame, winch and trackway, as well as scaffolding to support the steps and undercroft of the House and a Hiab outside the building to lift the sculpture on to a lorry... a big job for the scaffolders and art handlers, and the beginning of a long journey for Adam...

Adam was uncrated today at the conservation studio where he will remain until the New Year whilst cleaning work on his surface and repairs to his base take place.

We are filming the process - short snippets of which will be available on our website in the New Year and the final film will be shown as part of the exhibition here at Harewood in the spring when Adam returns... check out our website for details: www.harewood.org/findingadam

Eric Robson seeks some expert advice on growing Himalayan plants from Head Gardener Trevor Nicholson

BBC Gardeners' Question Time came to interview Harewood's Head Gardener Trevor Nicholson here at Harewood last week.

The show itself was recorded today in front of a live studio audience at Askham Bryan College near York and will be aired along with Trevor's interview on Gardeners' Question Time this Friday 12 Nov at 3.00pm on BBC Radio 4 (repeated Sunday 14 Nov at 14:00).

Click here to read more about the Gardens at Harewood and see video blogs from Trevor...

Listen online to this week's show, download podcasts of previous shows and find out more on the Click on the BBC Gardeners' Question Time website...

Bigger and Better than ever!

This year's Autumn Glory was better than ever and we had record numbers of visitors to prove it!

This classic Harewood event has always been popular but this year's event was bigger and better including dry-stone walling demos, glass blowing, the West Garden transformed into an enchanted forest with giant toadstools, fairytale gateways and tipis as well as an all-new craft market with unique hand-made craft goodies on sale in our cosy (and massive!) 3-tipi tent on the North Front.

The West Garden tipis were full of delighted children taking part in seasonal fun, storytelling and activities... and the weather was perfect!

If you missed Autumn glory this year you missed a treat! Join us next October Half Term for entertainment and seasonal fun and to see the grounds and landscape showing their glorious autumn colours! More details will be available on our website in the spring...

One to look out for...

The BBC were here at Harewood this week filming for a new BBC series based on the 1936 novel 'South Riding' by Winifred Holtby.

Harewood House's facade and Gallery will feature in the series as 'Maythorpe Hall'.

The book is set in the fictional South Riding of Yorkshire, the real inspiration being the East Riding. The book won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for 1936.

The novel was first adapted for the cinema in 1937 and was later adapted for television in a 1970s production starring Hermione Baddeley, Dorothy Tutin, Nigel Davenport and Judi Bowker. A radio version starring Sarah Lancashire and Philip Glenister has been made for BBC 7 and this latest adaptation by Andrew Davies, starring David Morrissey and Anna Maxwell Martin, is being produced by the BBC to be aired later this year or next...so keep your eyes peeled...!

Read more about the shoot and the series, inlcuding comments from the actors and Andrew Davis on Screen Yorkshire's website...

Norman Ackroyd at Harewood

Norman Ackroyd RA is used to wild, romantic landscapes as well as being out in all weathers armed with sketchbooks, watercolours, etching plates and acid... which is just as well as his visit to Harewood took place on an unseasonally cold day in June earlier this year!

House & Garden were keen to photograph Norman here at Harewood as part of their piece on prominent house painters (check out the October edition of House & Garden to read the article). Norman was first invited to Harewood in 1997 to mark the bicentenary of Turner's watercolours of Harewood House commissioned by the 1st Viscount Lascelles 200 years earlier, in 1797. As a master of his artform, Norman was the ideal choice, especially as he is, as Turner was before him, obsessed with geogrpahy and travelling.

Retracing his steps to the hillside where he came to sketch Harewood House overlooking its 'Capability' Brown landscape, wreathed in autumn mist Norman was enthusiastically greeted by our cows who have been enjoying the view in their summer pasture!

Norman Ackroyd selected several watercolours from the Harewood collection as part of our exhibition 'Twenty-One' this year.

What Norman had to say about his involvement in the Terrace Gallery and this year's exhibition at Harewood:

The foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts in London by George III in 1768 opened up an awareness and patronage of British artists that had not previously existed. We are all aware of the great surge of portraiture led by Reynolds, Gainsborough et al - but it also resulted in a golden age of watercolour landscape with Turner, Girtin, Cotman, Varley, Cox and many others.

It was a great privilege to be asked to visit Harewood on the 200th anniversary of Turner's visit, in 1997 as a 22 year old, to produce my impressions of the house and grounds. I have therefore chosen three watercolours, from that golden age, as my contribution to this anniversary.

Image left: Harewood in Autumn, Norman Ackroyd

Find out more about Harewood collections, exhibitions and more on our website... www.harewood.org

Tales from The Tempest

A review by Antonia Pudney, work experience student at Harewood House this week...

A tale of love, betrayal and forgiveness performed by ‘Lord Chamberlains Men’ took centre stage on Harewood’s North Front. With minimalistic staging and few props the actors themselves were the ones that brought Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’ to life.

An audience ranging from ages four to sixty four enjoyed an afternoon of open air theatre thanks to ‘Lord Chamberlains Men’- their interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’ was greeted with both applause and laughter by the audience. Periodic costumes and cleverly used props aided the actors in their performance but it was the actors themselves that made it a truly enjoyable experience.

The ability of the actors became very apparent whilst I was watching the play from the sidelines, seeing them exit the stage was like seeing a personality switch as they came out of their characters for the brief period of time they were backstage. The majority of the actors had to take on two roles as there are only several men in their company making the costumes a vital part of the play as they helped the audience differentiate between who was who at different points in the performance.

However, even without the costume changes it was clear that the actors had developed their characters meticulously so it was obvious when they had switched into their second character. The matinee performance was watched by both a primary and secondary school and even though some of the younger students couldn’t understand the complex language I believe they enjoyed themselves as the actors put both effort and emotion into their performance making it understandable even to young minds.

Overall the play was an enjoyable experience showcasing Shakespeare in a more intimate environment.

Find out more about upcoming events at Harewood House on our website www.harewood.org/whats-on

Save the Bees!

The Bees at Harewood were the focus of BCB Radio's news bulletin today.

Research work being conducted at Dundee University has sparked renewed interest throughout the country in declining bee populations.

John Annett, of the Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers' Association spoke to James Crossling from BCB Radio to fill him in on the situation locally.

Suited-up James ventured into the apiary to meet the bees...you can read his article and see the video here: http://bcbnews.blogspot.com/2010/06/honey-bees-buzzing-off.html

Plot to Plate: New developments in the Walled Garden at Harewood

The Gardens are waking up after a long and exceptionally severe Yorkshire winter...

The Gardens team are now busy at work on the new vegetable beds in the Walled Garden at Harewood. This new kitchen garden is very much a team project with the Gardeners, Catering staff and Volunteers all working together to make the Harewood plot-to-plate plan a reality.

The Walled Garden at Harewood will revive the tradition of growing food on site to support the House and Estate and as part of our continuing support of local growers, reducing food miles and home-grown produce these new vegetable beds will supply both the Courtyard Shop and Café – so you’ll be seeing the food grown here on the menu in the café too!

As you can see from the pictures, the new beds are huge, much bigger than even the Gardeners had envisaged when they marked them out. Muck-spreading is the first job with sowing taking place late March to early June - parsnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, cabbages; many of which are new varieties for 2010. Next time you visit, take a stroll around the lakeside to the Walled Garden and see how work is progressing!

We’ll keep you posted with developments, just sign up to follow our blog!

Conferences, Corporate Hospitality and Christmas

On Thursday the sales team went off to the Yorkshire Conference and Hospitality Show at Savilles near the Royal Armouries. It was the first time in a ages that we've been to a corporate exhibition. Our new stand, which had been put together at a rapid rate of knots by the amazing Beck Marriott, was a roaring success. We attracted 15% of the total visitors to the show on the day.

Among the many attractions to our stand were the delicious mulled wine and mince pies, prepared by our fantastic hospitality team. Yes it was a bit early for mince pies but there was method in this madness. We were launching our Christmas party options and working on developing awareness of Harewood as a Christmas party venue.

Here is a short video of the stand. It was videoed using a mobile phone so the quality is fairly low.


On Friday we hosted 20 Conference buyers, from Conference Leeds, to lunch and a show around. A great bunch they were too. Fortunately the sun shone as we showed them our new Pavilion which will hold over a 1000 theatre style when it has been completed. Maggie Mash and Sue Sharpe provided us with an excellent tour of the State Floor and highlighted that the House has always been used for business as well as pleasure.

To end the lunch we asked for a volunteer. We didn't say what they were volunteering for. But Rachel was very overexcited when we told her it was to feed our penguins.

This is just the start of Harewood's drive to be the best conference venue in Leeds.

Family activities at half term

Harewood has opened for half term, the weather has been cold, sometimes clear, sometimes wet!
However there has been lots going on. One of the most popular activities has been the felt puppet making of tiger puppets to celebrate the Chinese year of the Tiger. in fact it has been so popular that Jennifer Auty, one of our Learning and Access Officers (she provides fabulous ideas for school trips) has had to go an buy more felt for the puppets twice! Here she is making a prototype puppet.

Today is Shrove Tuesday or now more popularly known as Pancake Day. It has been a spectacular success today with a huge number of families coming to see the demonstrations and get some ideas for their own pancakes. The pancake tossing was particularly popular. This year we will be doing a lot more food demonstrations in the Old Kitchen.