THE JOURNAL OF THE FRIENDS OF BUSHEY MUSEUM New Series No. 13 elcome to the latest edition of have memories about one of the vari- Summer/Autumn 2015 the Friends of Bushey ous drama groups that they can share W Museum’s Journal. It contains its with the readers of the Journal. I’m still usual collection of articles and waiting for something on the history of illustrations on a wide range of topics music in Bushey as well. and I hope that there is something of interest for everyone. Although there Ian Read has been helpful in finding are no articles about the First World photographs to illustrate the articles War, it gets a mention in several of the and Nick Overhead is responsible for articles. the layout and design of the Journal. Thank you. Bushey has a long history of drama, A registered charity in support of but it has not featured in the Journal, Thank you to all the contributors. Bushey Museum Registered Charity 1039713 with the exception of Jane Parker’s Please keep the articles coming in, article about The Bushey Story in the without your support there will be no very first issue of this series of the Journal. Journal fifteen years ago! Does anyone Janet Murphy Journal Editor Janet Murphy IN THIS ISSUE Layout and Design The Chewett Diaries Nick Overhead Fascinating insight of life from the turn of the 19th century 2 Bushey Museum That Reminds Me Rudolph Road Mollie Thomas remembers life in the 30’s 4 Bushey, Herts WD23 3HW 4 Tel; 020 8420 4057 A Remarkable Coincidence Fax; 020 8420 4923 Dianne Payne and a chance encounter 8 E; [email protected] Sporting Bushey www.busheymuseum.org Audrey Adams and local Open; Thurs-Sun 11am-4pm sporting hero’s 10 Reveley ‘s ‘Secret’ Journals The Journal is published by the 10 Barry Hyman uncovers the Friends of Bushey Museum Ladies’ Home Journal 12 and is mailed to all friends and selected local organizations. Moina Belle Michael-The Poppy Lady Contributions on all aspects of Janet Murphy tells the story of how Bushey’s social and artistic history are we came to love the poppy 13 welcome and should be sent direct to the editor at the Museum. What is the connection between Bushey, The Friends support the activities of Chesterfield and Scarborough? Bushey Museum and can be contacted Janet Murphy takes you on a via The Secretary, 119 Aldenham Road 12 historic journey 14 Bushey, Herts WD23 2LU Herkomer- Founder of Car Rallying in Germany © Bushey Museum 2015 Philip Morgan responds 16 Printed by ‘A little piece of Belgium in Bushey’ Beaver Graphic Service Katherine Whitaker and Toc H 18 Bushey Hall from the Air 16 Could it be from a balloon? 20 journal laytest 2015.indd 1 27/07/2015 09:44 The Chewett Diaries Dianne Payne Archive Museum Bushey Pictures ore than a hundred years ago, Albert Ranney Chewett, who later owned MReveley Lodge in Bushey Heath, kept a series of pocket diaries covering the years 1898 to 1903 when he was a student at the Herkomer Art School in Bushey. in Bushey High Street. Albert was orchestral rehearsal in the village, Written in small, spidery already an art student, but needed he set off to London to buy a new handwriting, they provide a to improve his skills to enter the B flat instrument and case for which fascinating insight into his Herkomer Art School in the village. he paid £14/5/- (£810 at today’s personality and experiences at that He had arranged to receive tuition values). He later noted that ‘R.H.H. time. from Edward Bent Walker, one of Co’, the Rossin House Hotel Com- Herkomer’s talented students, a pany, which his father had owned,2 The first diary begins on 3 versatile flower, figure and portrait contributed a third of the cost. October 1898, when Albert, born artist and an experienced coach..1 Over the next four years Albert into a wealthy family in Toronto, set Over the next seven months Albert played regularly with the orchestra sail on the Parisian from Canada to took classes in sketching, painting on Tuesday evenings and took part Liverpool. Albert was twenty, the and life drawing at Walker’s in their concerts. youngest son of William Cameron studio, for which he paid him £2/8/- Chewett, who had died the previous a month (£137 at today’s value). Every month Albert received an year. His parents both had English He posed for his tutor a couple of allowance of £2/1/2d (£115) from ancestors and Albert had probably times and, in June 1899, Walker, his mother. Even though he was visited England previously but this gave him a pencil sketch. Albert wealthy, he was obsessive about time he had come for a specific kept it, the only image we have of recording his expenditure, noting reason. He makes no mention of his him during his student days. every purchase in his diary, a mother on the voyage, but she and practice he continued throughout a small family group are referred A typical student, Albert his life. His early diaries are littered to later in the diary, and must have recorded very little in his diaries with the prices of a wide range of travelled with him. about work and study but a great items: deal about social activities. On arrival in Liverpool, the Afternoon tea, a regular pastime of Railway ticket to London 1/9d, party set out for London and then the wealthy, was an ideal venue for tip for the porter 2d went straight to Bushey to find a introductions and, by Christmas, he Brushes and paint 5/7d, suitable house to rent. After a few had entertained a number of Art canvas 3/6d, days’ sight-seeing in the capital and School students, including several fee for life model 2/- a short visit to Ongar in Essex, young ladies. Albert played the Boots 16/8d, they settled in at The Red House clarinet and, after attending an stockings 4/6d, shirt 7/6d, 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE FRIENDS OF BUSHEY MUSEUM journal laytest 2015.indd 2 27/07/2015 09:44 tie 1/6d Herkomer’s Hair-cut and shave 9d students were Mouth organ 1/-, required to work bicycle bell 3/-, fireworks 1/-, hard in the studio brandy 6d all day with a break Orchestra fee 14/6d for lunch and were then encouraged Prices of entrance tickets for to draw or paint in art exhibitions and money lent or the neighbourhood borrowed were all diligently or at home in the documented. £5 notes were valuable evenings. It was a (£285) so Albert noted down the rigorous regime and number of any note he received or Albert was required passed on. On 30 December 1898 to present his work he paid 1/- for a new diary for the at the Boss’s ‘show- following year. ups’, some of which were ‘for men only’. As the months passed, his circle Albert’s diary of friends increased and he met records sketching Clement Flower, William Bennett, and painting Henry Kortwright and Frank Heath, interspersed with all students at the Herkomer School. walks, tea He took walks and bicycle rides parties and social Archive Museum Bushey Pictures with friends and at weekends made gatherings at the Bushey Coffee Two Herkomer students believed to be (left) Lewis John Mason regular trips to London to visit art Tavern. Heavy snowfall in Grant and (right) A R Chewett exhibitions or the theatre. In July February occasioned ‘a snowball 1899 Albert took his first long break fight’, the purchase of skates for In Toronto he made five from study and he and his family 2/- and several days tobogganing. appointments with his dentist, spent five months back home in Orchestral activities continued, running up a bill of over £37 for Toronto. When they returned to Albert bought a C clarinet and a the treatment (more than £2,000). Bushey in December they rented 2 piano arrived at the family Returning to Bushey in October, the Grey Villas in Falconer Road. lodgings. He played croquet and family rented Tyncote in Bournehall tennis, enjoyed ‘Spook’ and bonfire Road and Albert brought back a On 1 January 1900 Albert began celebrations and late night generous supply of tobacco to share work as a student at the Herkomer gatherings, including one at the with his friends. In November 1900 School and his next diary took the home of Lucy Kemp-Welch, which photography was mentioned in his form of a notebook, continuing ended at 2am. He attended London diary for the first time, when he through to June 1901. Herkomer theatres and concerts and as his art and two friends exchanged prints, gave his tuition free but Albert paid training was essentially practical, he photographed each other nude for six guineas a term (£360) towards had time for private reading study purposes and took the running of the Art School. On including Malory’s romantic tale photographs to paint or use as Sundays he often attended ‘Herk’s Morte D’Arthur, Goethe’s Faust and studies. The following February receptions’, where ‘the Boss’ the Victorian poetry of Robert Albert bought a Brownie camera for displayed and discussed his own art Browning and Edgar Allan Poe. In 5/- and four rolls of film for 2/4d. works. On 11 February, Herkomer May 1900 Albert was present when His art studies continued but showed The Lady in Black, one of the Duke of Connaught opened the photography took on new the outstanding portraits he Royal Masonic School for Boys in significance and he spent whole days painted during his visit to America in Bushey.