Windsor Contemporary Art Fair

This coming weekend, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th November, Windsor Racecourse hosts the annual Contemporary Art Fair.  This is a fabulous event that gives art lovers the opportunity to buy from local artists and galleries in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Buying art made easy

The event takes place:

from 10am until 6pm on Saturday 10th November and
from 10am until 5pm on Sunday 11th November

to see who's exhibiting visit : www.contemporaryartfairs.co.uk

Amongst many other great artists is Laura
who paints many famous faces from the entertainment industry

LAURAMYTHOMPSON

EXHIBITING AT WINDSOR

Unusually choosing to work with emulsions Laura explores the qualities and playfulness of paint, layering bold brush strokes, splatters and drips with flimsy linear marking, contrasted with focused pen work to add structure to the form.

Email – contact@lauramythompson.com

Website – http://www.lauramythompson.com

Windsor Racecourse, Maidenhead Road, Windsor SL4 5JJ
FREE PARKING
Ticket Prices: Adult £10.00  Concession £8.00
Under 16 free

Advance Tickets valid all weekend:  Adult £8.00  Concession £6.00

Windsor Host to Another Royal Wedding 2018

Windsor Castle

Windsor is excited to be hosting its second Royal Wedding of 2018 in St George's Chapel for the marriage of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.  Although not as high profile an event as Harry and Meghan's bash earlier this year, it is rumoured to be a very starry event with Robbie Williams' daughter as flower girl and the Clooney's back in town.

In fact, Windsor will be welcoming a whole host of A-listers and top royals for the service which takes place Friday 12th October at 11am.  1200 people from around the country have been invited into the castle grounds to share the experience and members of the public will be able to wish the couple well on a short carriage procession through the town and back into the castle via the Cambridge Gate.  They will not be journeying along the Long Walk so the best place to stand will be on Windsor High Street or Park Street.

Eugenie is the Queen's grandaughter and 9th in line to the throne.  She is the youngest daughter of the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.  She completed a degree in English and History of Art at Newcastle and now works in a London Art Gallery.  She is 
Patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and Patron to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital having undergone a back operation there as a child for Scoliosis. Her partner is currently the UK brand ambassador of Casamigos Tequila which is co-owned by George Clooney.  

The couple have been together for seven years and met whilst skiing in Verbier.  He proposed to her in Nicaragua against a backdrop of a volcano.  Very romantic...!  Both sides of the family are in approval and will be very involved in the event tomorrow.  

The bride has confirmed she will be wearing a British designer but no clues beyond that, so will be lovely to see her dress and what all the glamorous guests will be wearing and of course it's always wonderful to see your hometown on the telly!  

Stunning St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle

Legoland Windsor Offering Season Passes For Just £45

Devotees of Legoland Windsor will welcome the news that they can now visit Legoland as many times as they like between now and the end of the 2018 season for just £45.

The full gate price for a day ticket to Legoland is at least £47, rising to £60 on the

most popular days. Therefore, the season pass is a great deal.
Anyone staying in Windsor accommodation on holiday can take advantage of the offer in order to visit the park on several days of their trip.
With around 30 rides, all aimed at young children and adults alike, there’s enough to keep the average family entertained for several days.

The season pass allows ticket-holders to return to the theme park an unlimited number of times until the end of the season on 1 November 2018. Season ticket holders also enjoy discounts at the Legoland shop and in Legoland restaurants.

Legoland Windsor has long been a favourite of the town’s younger locals and visitors.

One of the latest additions to the park is the Miniworld area with Lego interpretations of four countries. There is also the Lego Ninjago world, based on the popular film, and the Heartlake City Lego Friends world, where families can watch live shows and enjoy some of the best rides.

The Season Pass offer is available to anyone visiting the park before 6 September.

Sculpture Trail Comes to Windsor Great Park's Savill Garden This Autumn

One of Windsor Great Park’s highlights, The Savill Garden, will be even more enchanting this autumn, as it is filled with beautiful sculptures.

Surrey Sculpture Society is to turn the garden into a sculpture trail, mainly focusing on animals, and visitors can walk among the works of art as part of the regular admission price to the gardens.

The Savill Garden stated: “Horticulturists and art lovers will enjoy an inspirational day at The Savill Garden, discovering impressive sculptures

nestled within the Garden’s magnificent blooms and woodland.”
van der Does, the Surrey Sculpture Society chairman, who added: “We are proud to announce our renewed involvement with the management and design of the sculpture exhibition at The Savill Garden this autumn.
textures and colours with hand-crafted and soul searching works of art.”
materials, including wood, stone, found objects, resin, glass and bronze.

The Windsor Observer spoke to Henriette

It is one of the most prestigious locations to show the work created by our members. This garden offers us the perfect backdrop, combining the magic of nature and its

The exhibition will run from 25 September to 5 November and members of the public will have the chance to buy the sculptures as each piece featured in the event will be for sale.

The pieces will have affordable price tags and will be made of a variety of

The Savill Garden also runs an Autumn Nature Trail each year which takes visitors past some of its most impressive autumn colours, including the maple and cherry trees.

Tickets are priced at £10.50 per adult, over 16 years old, while children have free entry.

Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress May Be Displayed at Windsor Castle

Several royal sources have claimed that the decision has been made to put Meghan Markle’s famous wedding dress on display at the historic castle as part of a major exhibition.

Tourists looking for accommodation in Windsor might want to keep one eye closely on the Royal Collection website in case an announcement is made soon.

Newspapers are claiming to have spoken to sources close to the Trust, which overseas visits to royal residences. Some claim that the dress will definitely go on show at the castle before the end of the year. Others have apparently denied that such decisions have been made and that more information will be available at a later date.

Windsor Castle has enjoyed its second most popular year in its history as a tourist destination. This is thanks to a combination of factors, including the weak pound, the hot summer and the Royal Wedding.

The newly titled Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress was met with great admiration in the fashion world and among fans of the royal family. It was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy and is thought to now be worth upwards of £350,000.

Tickets for any opportunity to see the dress up close and personal at the venue in

which it was worn, as will short-term lettings in Windsor, will no doubt sell like hot cakes - so early booking is essential.

40 Town Criers Descend on Windsor for Annual Championships

Visitors to Windsor town centre on Saturday 4 August were treated to a rare spectacle - the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers (AHGTC) 2018 Guild Championships.

At 11:30am at the Guildhall, some 38 of the UK’s town criers gathered to demonstrate their lung-power. The British criers were also joined by two members of the AHGTC who came all the way from Australia to compete.  

Dressed in their traditional finery, including tricorn hats, liveried overcoats and 18th century-style buckled shoes, they competed to be named this year’s top crier.

The AHGTC stated wee clearly thrilled to be able to hold their event in Windsor this year. They stated: “This is our Guild’s 40th anniversary and to mark this celebration we are delighted that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Crown Estate and The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are allowing us to hold this event right in the heart of town, directly beneath the walls of Windsor Castle.”

The criers were all asked to inform onlookers about their own towns, using their most impressive vocal skills, all whilst ringing their famous bells. They were judged by some notable poeple from the local community, including the Mayor’s secretary, Alison Singleton, and Debbie Raven who runs the local Thames Hospice.

Although Windsor’s own crier didn’t win the top prize, it was a former soldier with the Household Cavalry, Christian Ashdown - the crier for Haslemere, who was named Best Town Crier 2018. He was formerly based at Windsor’s very own Combermere Baracks.

Artists Flock to Windsor Castle for Annual En Plein Air Painting Contest

Windsor Castle has opened its grand gates to artists from around the country who entered this year’s Windsor and Eton En Plein Air painting competition.

Anyone staying in Windsor for the weekend, alongside interested locals, was able to vote for their favourite painting in the People’s Choice Award. The paintings were also judged by experts and the overall winner, Wendy Kimberly, who came all the way from Norfolk to paint within the castle walls, won a £500 prize.

The annual event began in 2012 as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. It gives artists the opportunity to paint a picture within a 6.5-hour time-frame from one of ten spots within the castle grounds. The beautiful weather meant that the artists were treated to perfect painting conditions and created some impressive artworks. This year, the painters were even able to locate themselves at the beautiful private moat gardens.

The organisers told hopeful applicants: “This special experience affords artists a once in a lifetime painting opportunity in one of world’s most recognised castles. You will be setting up your easel and spending the day in one of a number of prime sites in this historic venue.”

Each artist displayed their works at the Royal Windsor Shopping centre following the competition and this was where the judges cast their expert eyes over the pictures.

The public has the chance to purchase a piece from the En Plein Air competition before the pain had even dried, thanks to a pop-up gallery set up immediately after the contest. This year, prices ranged from £30 to £1,500

Garden Cottage Refurb

We are hugely excited to show before and after pics of our recent Garden Cottage refurbishment at ALMA HOUSE Bed and Breakfast.  The room had always been awkward to furnish as it had existing patio doors on the back wall, a window on the right and a doorway leading from the kitchenette to an upstairs storage area.  This really limited the layout possibilities and the internal staircase jutted into the room and made it feel cramped.  We really wanted to improve the layout and give staff more flexible access to the storage area so we bricked up the patio doors and moved the internal staircase to the outside wall.  This freed us up to move the beds, redecorate and put in a new and larger kitchen area.  So pleased with the end result!  The room is much more spacious and the table and chairs now sit next to the kitchenette making it more accessible and improving the flow.  Previously we had a feature wall on the left of Farrow and Ball's Downpipe and we added this colour to our new wall behind the two beds in order to create a cosy and warm room.  We put a mirror opposite the remaining window to bounce light around, but the white furniture is striking against the dark background.

Before, looking towards the patio doors

After, where the patio doors used to be.  

Back in November we took our annual pilgrammage to the Windsor Contemporary Art Show and I was delighted to meet artist Erica Just.  Being a keen gardener I was instantly drawn to her beautiful watercolours of lavender, alliums and seed pods.  I bought a print for my own home for £25 and framed it cheaply in an large white IKEA frame (less than £10).  On completion of the the building and decorating work in the Garden Cottage, I started looking around for some lovely artwork to complement the white furniture and purple accessories.  Suddenly remembering Erica's work, I dug out her card and dropped her an email and within a week I had ordered and received 5 prints of her beautiful work.  I hot-footed it back to IKEA for a further 5 frames and placed two above the double bed and one above the single.  I hope you will agree that they finish the room off perfectly and the final effect of the whole room is both stylish and welcoming.  I'm delighted with the result.  

If you would like to come and visit Windsor & Eton, whether for work or play Alma House is perfectly located just 5 minutes walk from Windsor Castle, the River Thames, Theatre Royal, train stations and stunning shops, restaurants, bars and cafes.  Always book direct for the best prices on 01753 444444 or check prices and availability and book online at www.Almahouse.co.uk.