There were two excellent exhibitions at The Old School House (TOSH) in Leyburn throughout April: one by photographer Clive Herdman, and the other of some of the brilliant wrought ironwork produced by Brian and Ivan Russell and Tom Savage at the Little Newsham Forge in Teesdale. (Above: a wrought iron rose forged by Tom Savage.)
Brian Russell will be giving a demonstration at TOSH from 11am to 4pm on Monday, May 1. He began using traditional forging methods 40 years ago and has trained his son, Ivan, and many journeymen like Tom.
It is obvious that Brian loves being creative and he is a true artist as well as a highly skilled artisan, using wrought iron like others use paint. His work is reminiscent of the organic creativity of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
In the Studio at TOSH there are some amazing examples of the work produced at the Little Newsham Forge including the gates with which Brian won the wrought ironwork competitions at the Yorkshire Show in 2015 and 2016.
There are also photographs of commissions they have undertaken, from the initial designs to the completed work. These show how brilliantly Brian can design wrought ironwork which is not only evokes the best of the Arts and Crafts Movement but also fits perfectly with a modern setting.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a fascinating garden sculpture which Brian designed.
This exhibition continues until Monday May 8, whereas the photographic exhibition in the Café will finish on Thursday, April 27.
Clive Herdman is a retired GP who now does voluntary work in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The inspiration for many of his photographs comes from the National Park such as his Winter in Wensleydale and his excellent study of Swaledale sheep.
For some of his other landscapes he has gone further afield. The most striking is that of an awesome sunrise at Kefalonia.
TOSH is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Refreshments are available in the café when there are films being shown.