Tower and Town, December 2020

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Arts Review

A final hurrah to a year that has been rather dreadful. But, with all the doom and gloom, we must try to optimistically look forward to a great 2021.

I have missed trips to London to see shows, exhibitions, friends, family and many other things. In addition to this, most of the wonderful exhibitions we had lined up at The White Horse Gallery had to be postponed until next year. It was great however to have Alison Grant’s exhibition No Ruined Stones fill the space of the gallery from March till October. Hopefully many of you got a chance to see it online, or in person when the bookshop and gallery re-opened in June.

I want to end this year on a positive note by saying how much I (and I’m sure all of you) are looking forward to returning to museums, galleries, exhibitions, theatres, cinemas, festivals, concerts, workshops and everything and anything else that the creative industries have to offer. We all know how much they have suffered these past twelve months; they remain central to things we should be looking forward to and in the meantime supporting in whatever way we can.

As you may know I work as a bookseller in The White Horse Bookshop. All of us at the bookshop are delighted and very grateful for the continued support shown to our independent business during this difficult time. Thank you!

I’ll finish by inserting a few photographs of some pieces I have discovered online that left me feeling elated and excited. (I have actually seen Cuneo’s magnificent painting at the National Railway Museum in York, but had no idea it had been damaged in 2014 and needed serious repair. The full article can be read on the National Railway Museum’s website.)

Here’s to a bright and happy New Year. Take care all, and Merry Christmas.

Gabriella Venus