Today we had a Cambridge Society talk on the Artist Eric Gill, by Nick Wheeler-Robinson.  Nick is the owner of the Piggotts house and workshop which Eric Gill last lived and worked in before he died.  Eric Gill was an artist, engraver and sculptor and the inventor of several type faces.  I see Word on my PC has Gill Sans which is one of his type faces.

Gill’s work reflects his strong belief in both Roman Catholicism and promiscuity.  At Piggotts, his ménage included a wife, at least two pupil/model/mistress/muses, and a priest, probably a much needed confessor.  Gill seems to have lived life to the full.

Piggotts was bought by Nicks father from Eric Gills family in 1963.  The place has been used since to live in, and provide a place where musicians are invited to come and play.  From Easter through to November there are people camping in the fields, rehearsing music and then playing it on Sunday.  They are a mixture of professional and amateur musicians.  This Sunday they were playing Utopia Ltd’ by Gilbert & Sullivan.  Next weekend it is the Planets.

After the talk and guided tour of the buildings, we took a walk through the bluebell woods and then had a BBQ in the woods.

I’m afraid we did not listen to the music, leaving just as it started.

The buildings in which Gill worked were old farmyard barns, some converted to strengthen the flooring to take the weight of the stones.  The were all very cold and draughty in winter.  He had many apprentices who brought in money by engraving grave stones.

We heard a lovely story about a grass roller, made from stone, which had been thought to have been carved by Gill.  It had been sold for £50,000 to Leeds University.  One of the apprentices (Kindersley) when visiting Nick, after the roller had been sold, said he had carved it as a training exercise.  The money was used to purchase 30 acres of woodland adjoining the house.