MERL Spectacular 2010

MERL's biggest family event

Saturday 12th June, 10am to 5pm

FREE admission

 

This year there will be an artistic theme to our biggest family event to tie in with the  Looking at Landscape: colours and contours exhibition.

Come along and find out how rural England has inspired artists.

Join in the family workshops and get creative! Everyone will be able to contribute to a giant landscape weaving project - using plastic bags!

 

 

Special guests and demonstrations

We are lucky to be able to welcome several special guests to the Spectacular this year. 

• Korky Paul, award-winning illustrator of the Winnie the Witch books. Children will be able to sign up to take part in a series of free drawing workshops run by Korky throughout the day! Korky will also be signing copies of his books!
  
  
• We are also delighted that Robin Wood, bowl turner and Chair of the Heritage Crafts Association, will be demonstrating his craft (until 3pm). Robin uses a replica of the George Lailey's lathe, which MERL curators chose as one of the 10 objects from Berkshire as part of the History of the World project.
  
  
• On the HCA stall, you will also be able to meet Sophie Lister Hussain, stained glass mentor from the BBC's Mastercrafts programme.

Stalls and activities

• Local watercolour artist group
• British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
• MERL's modern & Victorian allotments
• Traction engine 
• Oxfam books
• RISC, including drop-in craft activities
• CPRE
• Heritage Crafts Association
• R&J Nickless Beekeepers with observation hive
• Country Markets
• WI
• Reading & District Fuschia Society
• Face painting

Workshops

Plenty of opportunities to have a go, including...

• Help turn artist Julie Roberts' landscape design into an enormous woven sculpture for the MERL garden using plastic bags and other recycled materials. Drop-in all day and take part!
• Fun drawing workshops with award-winning illustrator, Korky Paul. Workshops at 10.15am, 11.45am, 1.45pm, & 3pm - sign up on arrival. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis) Korky will be signing books (available at the MERL shop) from 4 to 5pm.

Guided tours

• Our trained tour guides will be giving free guided tours at 11am and 3pm. You will also be able to meet the curator of the 'Looking at landscape' exhibition in Q&A sessions throughout the day.

Entertainment

• Enjoy music from the beautiful steam fairground organ
• Watch and join in with the Yateley Morris Men at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm

Food and drink

• Refreshments will be available, including tea and cakes  - all day
• Light sandwich lunches will be available from 11am in our new marquee (well, our lunch team got very wet and miserable in the rain last year, so we thought we'd better look after them better this year and make it a bit more pleasant for visitors too!!)
• You'll also be able to cycle your own smoothie!

Come along and enjoy a fun and relaxing day in the MERL garden! (And let's hope for better weather than last year!)

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