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SCHOOLS GET IN LINE FOR GUILDFORD EVENING’S DISPLAYTravellers at Guildford station can now view an inspiring exhibition of artwork from local schools while waiting for their train. Guildford Evening DFAS (which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary), in partnership with South West Trains, has funded and installed a rolling exhibition of local students’ work in the waiting room on one of the platforms.“Our aim is to support local young arts and the chance to stage a ‘proper’ exhibition at Guildford station, in such a great space, was just too good to miss,” explained Cherry-Anne Russell, the Society’s Young Arts Representative. The project launched with the work of four Guildford County School A-Level photography students and shows a breadth of styles and subject matter. Headteacher Jack Mayhew said of HART FOCUSES ON CHURCH TREASUREThere are many reasons to undertake Church Recording – to record for posterity what used to be at the heart of our culture; to create a record in case something happens to the church; and to appreciate the skills of unknown craftsmen. Occasionally it is just about enjoying a treasure and telling people about it. The chancel arch in St Mary’s, Winchfi eld is one such treasure. For 19 years between 1139 and 1153, there was anarchy in England. As Stephen and Mathilda fought for their right to the crown, the population felt insecure. St Mary’s, dating from 1150, has a tower with walls 5ft thick – a place of refuge. But at the other end of the nave the chancel arch presents a glorious and peaceful spectacle. It is classic Norman in style, unusually small, with much typical decoration, such as rows of lateral and frontal chevrons and foliage on the capitals.On close examination it is clear that the decoration is neither regular nor symmetrical. Some of the zigzags are very short and the decoration on the capitals varies, though the carving is crisp. This prompts many questions. Did the stonemasons run out of space? Did they also work on St Cross in Winchester, which has very similar capitals? Was the arch ‘re-tooled’ during the 1849 restoration of the church or is it all original? The challenge is to assess all the evidence, some of it confl icting, and then to strike the right balance between describing it briefl y or with fi ne detail, using all of the available jargon, of which there is plenty. Whatever the approach, photographs clarify where words cannot. Donald Hepburn, former Chairman of Hart DFAS says: “There’s plenty to ponder during a long sermon, but stand back and these details become less important. What matters is the overall impression of a wonderful piece of design and craftsmanship. You can see why we look so happy recording it.” ■the initiative: “Art @ the Station gives art students an incredible opportunity to show their work beyond the classroom, an invaluable opportunity for aspiring artists to reach a wider audience through public exhibition.”Commuters have been delighted too. David Walthew, SWT Guildford station Duty Manager, commented that there had been “lots of positive feedback from passengers and staff at the station who have appreciated the quality and variety of the work exhibited”. Future exhibitions will feature work from a number of local schools. Guildford station is the third station to take up the initiative (Haslemere and Farnham stations also host exhibitions organised by local NADFAS Societies) and thanks to their popularity, there are plans in place to roll out more along the line. “Our aim is to support local young arts and the chanceto stage a ‘proper’ exhibition at Guildford station, in sucha great space, was just too good to miss”CHERRY-ANNE RUSSELL GUILDFORD EVENING DFASVOLUNTEERING www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / SPRING 2017 59