Museum is real hidden treasure

Swindon Advertiser.

Museum is real hidden treasure

Tuesday 27th December 2011

Memorial event 16th March 2012 Eltham Churchyard

Richard Oliver Launcelot Jefferies (18th July 1883 – 16th March 1885) memorial – ceremony at St John’s Churchyard, Eltham on Friday 16 March 2012 at 2pm

Richard and Jessie’s baby son (known as Oliver) died, aged only twenty months old, whilst the Jefferies’ family were living at 14 Victoria Road, Eltham (now 59 Footscray Road). 

 The Eltham Society are placing an inscribed stone to mark where Oliver was buried in St John’s Churchyard in a grave that was once marked by a simple wooden cross.

Harold Jefferies (Richard & Jessie’s first born son) recounted the death of his baby brother as ‘a terrible blow to father. His suffering, which was far greater than that of the child, prevented him from attending the funeral, and mother and I were, I believe, alone in the coach to Eltham church. The agonised expression on father’s face, as he stood at the open door watching the little cortège slowly move away, haunted my mind for many years,’ (Worthing Calvacade, Richard Jefferies: My Father by his son, 1944, p.19-20).

The Eltham Society want to mark the occasion by holding a small ceremony in the churchyard to which, they hope, Members of the Richard Jefferies Society might join them and perhaps do a reading or say a few words. They have chosen 16th March for the event - the anniversary of the date the baby died. Whilst in the area, Members might also like to take a look at the outside of the house where the Jefferies’ family were living (it bears a memorial plaque), about a 15 minute walk from the churchyard.

Birthday Lecture

Richard Jefferies Society Poetry Competition

The Richard Jefferies Society has launched a poetry competition that runs until 30 June 2012.

Full details can be found on the webpage.

Richard Jefferies Festival

Please go here to read more about the Richard Jefferies Festival taking place in Swindon from 24-28th August 2011.

You can download a copy of the full programme .

All events are free to attend. The Richard Jefferies Museum backs onto Coate Water (not as indicated on the flyer that points to the hospital).

Study Day: RICHARD JEFFERIES & SPORT

RICHARD JEFFERIES AND SPORT

SATURDAY 30 July 2011

RICHARD JEFFERIES’ MUSEUM, MARLBOROUGH ROAD, COATE, SN3 6AA

PROGRAMME

The day will seek to draw together some of Jefferies’ responses to sport and identify key common themes between them.

A Tribute to Hugoe Matthews

The Telegraph
13 April 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8448958/Hugoe-Matthews.html

Hugoe Matthews, who died on March 10 aged 72, was an eminent thoracic surgeon expert in diseases of the oesophagus; he was also an authority on the Victorian nature writer and mystic Richard Jefferies.

An Evening of Favourite Readings

An Evening of Favourite Readings
From the Works of local writer
Richard Jefferies
The Prose Poet of the Countryside

By Members of the Society
Margaret Evans, Simon Coleman, John Webb & John Price

7.30pm Tuesday 19th April 2011


Central Library,
Regent Circus, Swindon SN1 1QG

Tickets £2.00/£1.50 conc.

• In person: From Floor 2 Help Point, Central Library
• Telephone: (01793) 463238
• Email: central.library@swindon.gov.uk

www.swindon.gov.uk/swindoncollection

Download poster here: http://www.northwilts-communityweb.com/site/RJSocPub1/RJ%20evening%20poster.pdf

PROTECT SETTING OF COATE WATER AND JEFFERIES LAND

Fields at Coate as viewed from Liddington Hill

We, the undersigned, petition Swindon Borough Council to designate the open countryside between the A419, the Marlborough Road, the motorway and Broome Manor Lane as a high quality Landscape Character Area in order to protect the landscape setting of Coate Water Country Park, Dayhouse Copse Local Nature Reserve, the natural and archaeological history, as well as the literary importance of Jefferies Land and the views from the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Click here to sign http://www.petitiononline.com/coate/petition.html

Revised planning application to develop Jefferies Land

The new year has brought news of a revised planning application to build 890 houses and offices on Jefferies Land alongside Dayhouse Lane, and near to the Richard Jefferies Museum and Coate Water.

You can read more about it on the Jefferies Land Conservation Trust's news site and there is a sample letter that you might send: