Monthly Photographic Meet-Up: PATINA

It’s November and our Prompt this month is PATINA

Last Thursday I entered the delightful sepia world of Nuffield Place, nr Henley-on-Thames, where my camera could have a patina feast

and I found myself falling a little bit in love with the man who had this little workshop

….. in his bedroom!

and with his wife who loved needlework and made clothes for her staff

 

This quote is taken from an article written in the Telegraph

Morris, later Lord Nuffield, was Britain’s greatest ever philanthropist and gave away over £30m of his fortune, equivalent to £700m in today’s money. Yet, despite his enormous wealth, his lifestyle could not have been more modest.

William Morris, the designer of the car the Morris Oxford, left school at 15 and started his working life repairing bicycles. How is it that I have never heard of this man before now? This is the sort of person children need to learn about in History! This is the sort of role model we need to know about.

I feel quite cross that my teenage history-hungry mind was filled with the war-mongering men of yesteryear when there was THIS MAN to learn about! as well as plenty of wonderful women through the ages.

The couple had no children and the house is full of evidence that they enjoyed the company of friends

The room guide explained that the carpet we could see was in fact a photograph of the original carpet printed onto fabric and laid on the floor. The original, which was being restored, when new, had been the same blue as the glasses.

They each had a bedroom, with a delightful connecting room and it struck me how modest their rooms were compared to the more luxurious feel to the guest bedrooms.

Every room of the house had windows framing views of the garden, but Thursday was a dull day and I only had time for a quick visit so I did not get out into the garden.

The house held so much evidence of a gentle cosy life well lived

some of the photos are a bit blurred as the lighting was low, no flash allowed and I was in a hurry…….

as I am now …. there is more I want to tell you about this marvellous William Morris, but I can tell you another day (hint: iron lung)…. and you can click on the links to discover more

EDIT: since writing this I have discovered some disturbing and hideous information about this man: link to an article in the Daily Mail

Now I understand why this man can not be publicised as the hero he so plainly wanted to be seen as.

 

For now I leave you with a photo of the patina put on my cappucino in the suitably modest little coffee shop on site 

~

To join us in our Photographic Meet-up please leave a link in the comments – I’m really looking forward to seeing what you have found to photograph this month.