On Tuesday 19th August I caught the train to Winchester. This was for the book project suggested for Farnborough Camera Club after a speaker’s talk in the 2024-25 season.
Each participating club member should spend a day in Winchester during August, taking photos on a theme of their choice. Absolutely anything that interests the member – people, architecture, history, nature etc. Aim for approximately twelve images each which should be about right for the final submission for the member’s chapter in the book.
The book would then have a general introduction, and each chapter could have also a small introduction. We all had to remember that this project is all about the photos taken on a theme on the same day in Winchester.
My chosen theme was Art and Art Galleries. To save time in Winchester I had printed off maps with the art galleries and shops highlighted.
#1 Fulflood Gallery & Framing – 3 Stockbridge Rd, Winchester SO22 6RN
And on to the next stop…
#2 The Colour Factory – Gordon Rd, Winchester SO23 7DD
Next to the Colour Factory I passed some street art.
#3 The Winchester Gallery – School of Art, University of Southampton, Park Ave, Winchester SO23 8DL
The gallery was empty but at the side of the attached building was this sculpture.
I found myself retracing my steps towards the place where the Roman Northgate had been and passed this closed corner shop.
#4 The Gallery at The Arc – Jewry St, Winchester SO23 8SB
I had a wander around the Gallery at The Arc before I had a closer look at the sculpture and the road next to the building.
#5 Jewry Artist Studios – 5A Jewry St, Winchester SO23 8RZ
As I walked down Jewry Street I came to an A-board advertising the Jewry Artist Studios – not on my map.
There were two rooms and I headed into the nearest and chatted to the artist, Becca Galbraith. She was working on a commissioned piece of a view of Dunoon. I was given permission to take a picture of her working on the painting.
Back on Jewry Street I could see my next stop across the High Street.
#6 Tillius – 63 High St, Winchester SO23 9BX
This antique shop went quite a way back and I spent a lot of time looking at the cabinets of porcelain and the paintings on the walls
And on to the next stop…
Then I passed this piece of street art by @hendog.
#7 Clarendon Fine Art Winchester – 8 Market St, Winchester SO23 9EP
This was a company whose galleries I have visited often either on a ship or in towns. I spent a lot of time looking at the art on display especially the original Lowry. Definitely made my day worthwhile.
Next to the gallery was another piece by @hendog.
#8 Castle Fine Art, Winchester – 4 The Square, Winchester SO23 9ES
This gallery had lots of art from the likes of Johnny Depp. Inside while I chatted to the lady in there I mentioned seeing similar presentations of Depp’s art in Harrogate. Not surprising, as I found out that the Harrogate gallery was part of the same company!
Other members of Farnborough Camera Club were also in Winchester doing their own challenges. We had agreed to have lunch together at the National Trust property. It turned out that this was closed and after a quick call we switched to the pub opposite. This “diversion” was not on my planned walking route around Winchester but as it turned out it was a beneficial change – more on that later.
The Bishop on the Bridge
At 1 pm I was ready for a sit and a rest and joined three colleagues from the Farnborough club.
The pub was opposite one of my stops and close to another.
#9 Canvas Gallery – 169 High St, Winchester SO23 9BQ
#10 Winchester Framing – 2-3 Bridge St, Winchester SO23 9BH
Back over the bridge, I went down the side of the pub onto The Weirs. The change from my planned route gave me the opportunity to have a much more pleasant walk rather than through built up areas.
I passed the St Mary Magdalen Almshouses until I came to the Wharf Mill.
#11 The Yard Studios Winchester – Units 3 & 4, Matley’s Yard, Wharf Hill, Winchester SO23 9NQ
The Yard Studios were in building that looked to me to have been built on land that had been left after an old quarry had stopped operation. The studios wre not open as artists were setting for a weekend opening. This artist (sorry no name) agreed to pose for me in his section.
Now I was retracing my original route and heading back towards the centre.
#12 Kingsgate Books & Prints – Kingsgate Arch, Winchester SO23 9PD
Kingsgate was one of the 5 medieval gates into the City.
I was now on my final part of the challenge.
#13 The Minster Gallery Ltd – 3A Great Minster St, Winchester SO23 9HA
This last one was a bit tricky. I spent a lot of time walking up and down trying to find the gallery. I was running short of time so I left without a picture – for my own satisfaction I will return BUT the result will be outside of the club challenge. By chance finding the extra studio on Jewry Street did make up for the loss.
Back to Farnborough
I now had to get back to Winchester Station to catch my train. From Little Minster Street I had about a 15 minutes walk for a train due in 12!
I found that I had done a complete circle and approached the station down Station Road.
I had “rushed” and the train was a few minutes late…
While the train was stopped at Basingstoke I used the Adobe (Project) Indigo camera app and a little editing for this threesome on the platform.
Finally…
As part of the challenge that was described for other camera clubs I wrote a Haiku on the way home.
Winchester today
Exploring for art shops
Completed the task
This is the first draft of my short introduction –
For my day in Winchester I choose to explore the numerous art shops, galleries and studios that Google Maps highlighted. I explored inside the ones that were open and had interesting conversations about the art that was on offer. In one of the studios I was able to watch the artist paint her commission and discuss how she was interpreting the picture supplied by her client.
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