Members and friends set off from Shrewsbury at 8am on a very sunny Saturday 18th April for the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. After a pick-up at Wellington, we were soon heading south. News the night before that a massive fire had ripped through the Randoph Hotel opposite the Ashmolean’s main entrance, was on the minds of some of us, but fortunately, media reports of expected congestion, appeared to have kept traffic out of the city and at our time of arrival, also out of the Museum.
Soon we were marvelling at the “Great British Drawings” exhibition, the main reason for our visit. This major exhibition’s aim was to trace the history and development in drawing from C16th to post WW1 experimentation, inspired by developments in continental Europe. The variety of approaches and of technique was truly impressive.
Outside, the city offered a colourful spectacle, created by many groups of Folk Festival dancers and musicians, performing in every available space against a backdrop of the iconic Cotswold stone buildings glinting in the bright sunshine. Returning to our coach after exploring the city and its other galleries and attractions, it was generally agreed to have been a very full and enjoyable day.
