BECKENHAM & BROMLEY NATIONAL TRUST CENTRE

Following the AGM held in the Great Hall of the Civic Centre on April 9, Jean Martin gave an interesting illustrated talk in Standen, a National Trust Property in West Sussex near East Grinstead.

Standen was a family home built in 1891 for the Beales, a banking family. Designed by the fashionable architect Philip Webb the house was decorated by William Morris and ornamented by the ceramist William de Morgan.

There have been few changes and so the house encapsulates the ideas of the Arts and Crafts Movements; hand made furniture in simple but elegant styles, hand-blocked wallpaper and hand-woven fabrics and carpets made a statement that artefacts produced by hand in congenial surroundings were superior to factory products.

No expense was spared. We were taken on a visual tour of the house from the hall used for entertaining through the dining room to the pretty breakfast room and then on to the bedrooms.

William Morris' wallpaper and carpets dominated each room as did the elegant simple wooden furniture with the occasional reference to Chippendale and Hepplewhite. De Morgan's tiles and beautifully decorated luminous bowls and jars added a touch of opulence and finesse.

the next meeting will be held in the Civic Hall Bromley at 8pm on May 14, when Kev Reynolds will give a talk entitled "The Best of Kent". Everyone is welcome, information about the Centre is available on 020 8650 9041 or visit our website at: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/assocs/beckenhambromley.