Celebrating 30 years of the Arts Society Tring Park with John Bly

We were delighted to receive the following article by John Bly, President of the Tring branch of The Arts Society as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The first meeting of what was to become NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) was held in Ashwell Court, a large timbered building in Prestwood near Great Missenden. It was the home of Anthony Hales-Tooke who hosted an evening reception for the newly formed Chiltern Antiques Group headed by Patricia Fay O.B.E. It was her aspiration to create a group of like-minded young women friends to enjoy and encourage a greater understanding of the fine and decorative arts. For this launch event she sought the viability opinion of a local jeweller, a porcelain specialist, Arthur Negus whose father had a business in Beaconsfield and my father Frank and I from Tring.

The concept had immediate and enthusiastic backing from all involved and quickly became diversified in its aims, namely identification, authentication, conservation and preservation, with a programme of lectures by museum curators, renowned collectors, auctioneers and dealers giving advice backed by their experience in those areas of their particular field.

Soon to be of special benefit to communities in the Home Counties was the cataloguing of the local church silver, so much of which at the time was inadequately described or valued. The emphasis of the lectures was on broadcasting useful, practical knowledge in addition to providing an insight into a world unknown to many of the members. It is reassuring to judge from the current lecture programme that Pat would be more than pleased in the knowledge that her legacy lives on.

It is an honour and source of great pride to have been and currently remain President of the Tring Branch of The Arts Society and I look forward to attending selected lectures when possible in the coming season.

John Bly

A celebratory lunch is scheduled for Wednesday 6 August for members including talks from John Bly, antiques dealer, author and broadcaster (possibly best known from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow TV programme) and Stephen Hearn, director and owner of Tring Market Auctions and trustee of the Tring and District Local History and Museum Society.

The local society meets at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 10.30am

Note: NADFAS was launched in 1965 and the name change to The Arts Society took place in 2017. The Arts Society Tring Park was founded 30 years later as NADFAS Tring Park in 1995.

More details of the history of the organisation can be seen on the website: theartssocietytringpark.org.uk.