THINGS TO SEE AND DO CELEBRATINGLEAMINGTON’S 200 YEARS HISTORY OF WELCOME TO OUR FESTIVAL Welcome once again to Leamington Looks Back, our third festival of heritage “ and culture. We’ve assembled a great line up of mainly free events for you. We A First Class are proud to be running three major events in partnership with Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Pump Rooms: A Regency Ball, Victorian Sunday and a World War One Day, Watering Place” as well as many other events and activities throughout the sixteen days. Please come along to commemorate, celebrate and enjoy Leamington’s varied history and culture. Anne Warren and Jenny St John Heritage Matters Royal Baths and Pump Room, 1822 Contents • 200 Years of the Royal Pump Rooms • Foreword by the Leamington Mayor Elect 05 3 May – 25 August 2014 Pre-Festival Events 06 Festival Events 08 Acknowledgements 19 Opening Times Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am – 5pm Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade Map 20 Sunday 11am – 4pm Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 4AA Monday closed (except Bank Holidays) Tel: 01926 742700 Admission Free www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalpumprooms F LEAMIN O GT S O D N N E S I P A R F A R M T U G SE AL U LERY & M All information correct at the time of going to press. Stay up to date online: Website: www.leamingtonlooksback.co.uk Twitter: @LeamLooksBack Facebook: Leamington Looks Back I URGE AS MANY OF you AS POSSIBLE to JOIN IN THE celebrations. Leamington LOOKS BacK 2014 promises to BE AN EXCITING VENTURE. IT IS GOOD to BE “I am very pleased to lend my support to Today, Royal Leamington Spa is a Leamington Looks Back 2014. Having fashionable and elegant town, popular REMINDED OF OUR history lived in or near Leamington for more than with tourists, with celebrated examples of 40 years, I have become more and more Regency and Victorian architecture, and impressed by, and familiar with, its rich beautiful open spaces. But there are many cultural, scientific, industrial and sporting parts of the town that the tourist rarely history, and the important part the town has sees. The Old Town, south of the river A foreword by played in both Warwickshire and National contains much of architectural and industrial affairs. Many local voluntary organisations, archaeological interest. The railways and the COUNCILLOR JOHN KNIGHT through their researches, have done much to canal have played a vital part in the town’s Mayor Elect 2014/15 bring this history to life. There are few towns development. Royal Leamington Spa in the country of comparable size, that can boast such a wide range of clubs and I urge as many of you as possible to join in societies that enrich the lives of local people. the celebrations. Leamington Looks Back 2014 promises to be an exciting venture. It Two significant upcoming landmarks are the is good to be reminded of our history. Royal Bicentenary of the opening of the Pump Leamington Spa Town Council is pleased Rooms and the Centenary of the start of to support the occasion, which will remind World War One. Heritage Matters will be us that the town is a good place in which to organising exciting events to commemorate work, play and live.” these two anniversaries, in addition to contributions once again from a wide range of voluntary groups, organisations and individuals showcasing the town’s heritage. Festival themes this year focus on the 200 years in 50 year sections i.e. Regency; Victorian; World War One; 1960s. There will be around forty, mainly free, events including walks, talks, live performances, workshops, exhibitions, family events, etc. 4 5 200 YEARS OF REGENCY AS part OF THE celebrations OF EDWARD THE ROYAL RETICULES ADULT THE 200TH anniversary OF THE DUSINBERRE & PUMP ROOMS WORKSHOP OPENING OF THE PUMP ROOMS, CHARLES OWEN A FIRST CLASS WATERING PLACE Saturday 7 June , 11am - 4pm Leamington MUSIC PRESENTS THE Sunday 1 June, 4pm 3 May – 25 August following concerts: COST: £15 COST: £12, £15 AND £18 To book phone: Tickets available from the FREE EXHIBITION KINSKY PIANO LEAMINGTON SPA ART 01926 742700 Visitors Information Centre at TRIO OF PRAGUE GALLERY & MUSEUM, LEAMINGTON SPA ART GALLERY & the Royal Pump Rooms or LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA MUSEUM, LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA call 01926 776438 or online: Friday 30 May, 7.30pm www.bridgehousetheatre.co.uk Celebrate the bicentenary of the Royal Pump Learn about and create your very own ROYAL PUMP ROOMS, Rooms at the A First Class Watering Place Regency reticule bag with Denise Stanton. COST: £12, £15 AND £18 LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA exhibition. The exhibition will explore the Places are limited. Payment required to Tickets available from the Visitors whole 200 year history of this landmark confirm booking. Non-refundable. Information Centre at the Royal Brahms Violin Sonata No 1 in G Op 78 building, with a focus on the years 1814, NB If you are attending the Regency Ball Pump Rooms or call 01926 776438 Bach Chaconne 1864, 1914 and 1964. Find out about the on Friday 27 June, this is a workshop you or online: www.bridgehousetheatre.co.uk Mendelssohn Variations Serieuses Op 54 people who built the Royal Pump Rooms might be interested in, to produce your own ROYAL PUMP ROOMS, Beethoven Violin Sonata in C minor Op 30 and the major redevelopments that were fashion accessory for the ball. LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA No 2 made in the 1860s. Discover the role the building had during the First World War, and Hummel Piano Trio Op 65 Edward Dusinberre returns to Leamington the impact the introduction of the NHS had Fibich Piano Trio Op posth where he was born and brought up to give on the services that were provided here. Martinu Piano Trio No 2 a recital that will raise funds for a bursary Dvorak Piano Trio in Bb Op 21 to help young local musicians. He himself The Royal Pump Rooms opened in summer was helped at a crucial time in his career to 1814; it was the first and only bath house to This young trio play in Leamington for the go to the Juilliard School, where he landed be built in the fashionable area of the town first time with an all Czech programme, the position of leader of the world famous north of the river Leam. From then until continuing the tradition of promoting Czech Takacs String Quartet. The good news is the 1990s spa and medical treatments were music in the Assembly Hall, where Vilem that the Takacs Quartet will perform in provided in the building. The Royal Pump Tausky used to rehearse the Czech Free Leamington in November. Rooms also functioned as a centre for Army Choir in the early 1940’s. entertainments in the town. 6 7 © Warwickshire County Record Office. LILLINGTON FROM INDUSTRY HISTORY DISPLAYS TO COMMUNITY WORLD WAR ONE DAY Saturday 21 June, 10am - 12pm Saturday 21 June and Sunday 6 July 11am & 3pm WORLD WAR ONE FREE DISPLAY POETRY ADULT THE OCTAGON,ST MARY FREE GUIDED WALKS WORKSHOP MAGDALEN PARISH CHURCH, Suitable FOR ALL ages. VICARAGE RD, LILLINGTON, CV32 7RH PRINCES DRIVE, LEAMINGTON, 11am – 1pm CV31 3PH Lillington Local History Society hosts COST £8 a Coffee Morning. Displays and the Foundry Wood is a Community Woodland (£4 for over 60’s and free for people on opportunity to exchange details of local in the heart of Leamington and Warwick certain benefits). Places limited. history. Refreshments available. on part of the old Ford Foundry site off To book, please phone: 01926 742124 Princes Drive. You will learn about the work or 01788 552933 that has taken place as well as the history of LEAMINGTON SPA ART GALLERY & the site and its links with the Ford Foundry MUSEUM, LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA and the railways. The distance covered is less than 1/2 mile. NB Access may be difficult The workshop will be run by for those with mobility restrictions. Warwickshire’s Adult & Community Please contact us for details to check: Learning team will cover: [email protected]; 07906 262 364. • The background to poetry and war • The importance, impact and influence Foundry Wood project-managed by local of World War One poetry -which was community group ARC CIC (Achieving unique, as it is estimated 1.5 million Results in Communities Community Interest poems were written by soldiers! Company) in partnership with the Friends of • Telling the history of the war Foundry Wood. through the poetry • Information on well-known, and some www.foundrywood.co.uk less well known, poets and their poems Twitter: @foundrywood • Pictures/film of some of the places featured • Poems from the ‘Home Front’ and also Warwickshire Soldier, Raymond Reynolds. one from a German poet 8 9 WORLD WAR MACBETH SCHOOLS ONE DAY PROGRAMME Saturday 21 June, 12pm - 4pm Saturday 21 June, 7pm – 7.30pm Leamington Looks Back is participating in the national ‘Letter FREE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FREE LIVE PERFORMANCE to an Unknown Soldier Project’ PUMP ROOM GARDENS, PUMP ROOM GARDENS, www.1418now.org.uk/letter/ LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA LEAMINGTON, CV32 4AA as part of the World War One centenary. Any school interested in joining Leamington Discover more about World War One, which A short free taster from Heartbreak Looks Back in submitting letters, please began 100 years ago, during this day of Productions of their new Macbeth contact Jenny St John 01926 774373, activities and events, including re-enactors, production, set in the period of the or email: [email protected]. in the Pump Room Gardens and the First World War.