TAS KINGTON LANGLEY CHRISTMAS LECTURE AND LUNCH

TAS Kington Langley Christmas Lecture and Buffet Lunch

It was like the good old days before Covid – members pouring into the halls, Christmas jumpers and sparkles, mince pies and coffee, and a wonderful buzz of members chatting, greeting old friends and everyone full of Christmas Spirit.

Our Christmas lecture was ‘What would you like for Christmas’ - Faberge, Tiffany and Lalique - with Anne Anderson. We were taken on a wonderful tour of all the beautiful, creative and inventive novelties that Faberge, Tiffany and Lalique made for discerning or just mega rich people in the 1800s’ and 1900’s. Bell pushes, automata, boxes covered with engineered enamel, jewels to die for, highly decorated elephants on different artefacts the images just kept on coming.

All the beautiful things that we rarely see when discussing these three amazing designers and especially the use of semi resinous stones and even petrified woods.

It was a tour de force through the gorgeous ‘knick-knacks’ owned by the rich and famous with some of the famous stones being reset up until the present where we found Elizabeth Taylor with her glorious diamonds as part of her collection of jewellery.

Anne was an enthusiastic and inspired lecturer an all the ladies were just a bit envious at the end but there were sighs of relief from the men when prices demonstrated that everything was well outside anyone’s pocket!

This was followed by our first Christmas Lunch since – well can anyone remember their last big function in their Society?

93 of our members joined the committee once again for a wonderful buffet. Tables were suitably decorated and everyone joined in getting the hall ready for lunch. Wine flowed and the level of chatter increased as everyone settled into a joint celebration of being together in numbers once more. Jazz was playing in the background but losing out to the noise we were all making!

I would like to thank the committee for all their sterling efforts to pull the occasion together, the caterers for their wonderful spread and to all our members who embraced the joys of Christmas joining together for a very convivial afternoon.

Heather Leach