What a super Soroptimist Club Social/Summer Outing we had on 15 August!
Ten of us arranged to meet at St Albans Museum and Gallery to see the “Passion, Determination, Vision” exhibition that had been put on by “Eastern Region Textile Forum”.
The exhibition was of textile art celebrating individuals who have made a real impact in St Albans, the wider eastern region and beyond. The textile works showed the impacts and consequences of diverse individuals’ lives – across time, place, space and occupation – from each artist’s unique and creative perspective.
There were textile portraits representing local people including Saint Alban, Stephen Hawking, Francis Bacon, Ebenezer Howard, Louis Wain, George Bernard Shaw, Kathleen Kenyon, Michael Morpurgo, Pauline Gower, Lady Constance Lytton, Tim Rice and many more.
We were particularly keen to see the piece by Maggie Hands which was inspired by St Albans Soroptimist Peggy Hodges OBE – please see the photos above. Maggie contacted the Club ahead of the exhibition to make sure that we were aware that the display included our inspirational Member. Maggie was chuffed to know that we had made a special event of the gallery visit. She discovered Peggy as her inspiration from Hertfordshire Heroines https://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/people/herts-hidden-heroines-project – in which SI St Albans & District had contributed pieces for our Soroptimist Club’s special figures Audrey Collins OBE, Hilary Ratcliffe OBE and Peggy Hodges OBE. Maggie was surprised how little info there was about Peggy when she read the snippets about what she had achieved… All of the artists displaying had created really diverse and interesting pieces. Some of the Soroptimists who attended were so impressed that they are arranging visits with other groups that they belong to. The exhibition is on until 3 Nov.
Afterwards we went to the George St Canteen for a delicious lunch with the Cathedral as a backdrop https://www.georgestreetcanteen.co.uk/ . We picked the venue because it is known for its sustainable credentials and even has its own mini nature reserve!
It was lovely that past Member of our Club Jill could join us (she is a Member of the Brixham Club and was visiting).
Many of us wore orange to raise the profile of our Orange the World campaign to end violence against women and girls.