Jane Shilton takes influence from the latest runway trends to produce ranges rich in innovation and quality, whilst always ensuring the very best in functionality and value. Established for more than 75 years, this British accessories brand offers beautifully crafted, design led fashion products.

Our collection of footwear, handbags and purses are the perfect accessory. With an option to suit any age and occasion you are bound to find the perfect gift to give at Christmas and there is sure to be something to treat yourself to at this special time of year. Our footwear collection boasts a beautiful range of on trend styles.

From stunning occasion shoes, contemporary courts and vintage style loafers to beautiful fashion led and winter worthy ankle and knee high leather boots.

Jane Shilton Leathers offers a classic yet fashion led range of handbags and purses for a quality conscious consumer.  Carriage is crafted from Italian hides to produce a timeless collection of classic products. Whilst our recently re-branded synthetics range, JS for Jane Shilton, is the epitome of style for the fashion focussed, using materials fresh from development for that contemporary look making our designs so unique.  From design to delivery, everyone involved is committed to maintaining the high standards that Jane Shilton represents.

www.janeshilton.co.uk/funkyfogey

The style is smooth and silky, the touch is warm and seductive – and there you have two beautiful 9ct gold jewellery pieces from F. Hinds that exactly suit a more sophisticated Christmas.

Smooth, rounded smoky quartz pebbles are strung on 9ct gold wire and linked by oval eyes of 9ct gold to create this lovely bracelet (£125.00) and matching drop earrings (£89.95), with easy to use and comfortable to wear continental fittings in 9ct gold. Available from jewellers F. Hinds’ stores in high streets and shopping centres across the country, (for full store details visit www.fhinds.co.uk or tel. 0800 0344637 for a mail order catalogue) or via the secure online shopping store at www.fhinds.co.uk

Established in 1856, F. Hinds is Britain''s largest independent family jewellers with a reputation for top quality customer service and an extensive selection of beautiful gold, diamond, gemstone and silver jewellery, watches, clocks, collectibles, giftware and porcelain. The company offers free professional advice, a comprehensive valuation service plus an expert cleaning and repair service for watches and jewellery. www.fhinds.co.uk

WIN! A 9ct Gold bracelet! Go to the THEATRE QUIZ for your chance to win this exquisite prize!

This year Hasbro have some great new board games for you to play over the festive season. So turn off the TV, ditch the DVD box sets and get playing!

Brand new this year, Pictureka! is a fast moving visual game of hide and seek! A totally absorbing game for all the family, you can play as an individual or work together on exciting group missions. Simply arrange the mission cards and roll the dice to see which challenge you need to complete. And don’t hang around – you have to complete your go against the clock!

Age 6+ SRP £19.99

Fancy yourself as a bit of a sleuth? Think you can solve the most famous crime in history? Then brand-new Cluedo is for you! A new twist on the classic ‘who dunnit’, this new version of Cluedo is bang up to date and features some intriguing new rooms and murder weapons. It has lots more twists and turns and will keep you in complete suspense right up to the end!

Cluedo: Age 8+ SRP £14.99

Partini is THE brand new party game for adults. Cool, chic, funky and flirtatious it’s a real icebreaker and guaranteed to add spice to any soiree! The ultimate party starter, it features six fun games in one - simply select a Partini drinks coaster to find out what your team will be playing next! Packaged in a luxury box it’s THE game to take along to a party or perfect as a gift.

Age 18+ SRP £24.99

All games are available from www.hasbrotoyshop.co.uk and selected retail stores.

WIN! Hasbro are offering 2 lucky winners the chance of winning the game Partini. Go to our holiday quiz ezine for your chance to win!

Portrait of Boris Johnson in Annual Exhibition of Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the Mall Galleries, London

A portrait of London’s colourful and flamboyant Mayor, Boris Johnson, will be exhibited in a major exhibition of oil paintings, launched by the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

Entitled ‘The changing face of London’, the City’s notorious politician is shown surrounded by other iconic images of contemporary London, including the London Eye, a red double-decker bus and the Mayor himself on his ubiquitous bicycle.

Painted by Dennis Syrett, Past President of the ROI, the painting will be exhibited alongside other work by leading British oil painters at their annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.

Visitors to the exhibition, which runs from 29 October 2008 to 9 November 2008 at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1, can also try their luck and enter the June Mendoza Portrait Draw.  June is one of the country’s best-known and distinguished portrait painters and for just £1.00 the winner can commission a portrait of themselves or any member of their family for free.  Tickets will be on sale throughout the exhibition.

Wednesday 29th October to Sunday 9th November 2008, 10am-5pm daily including weekends, closes at 1pm on final day.

Mall Galleries, The Mall (near Trafalgar Square), London SW, Tel: 020 7930 6844, web: www.mallgalleries.org.uk, email: info@mallgalleries.com

Admission

£2.50, £1.50 concessions (Free to FBA Friends, Art Fund members, Westminster Res-card holders and Under 16s)

Forget the Christmas tree! - why not buy the forest!

While you’re struggling to choose gifts for loved ones (for whom you used up all your best ideas years ago), the annual consumer frenzy now brings with it burgeoning lists of suggestions to make your Christmas more eco-friendly. As more of us become environmentally conscious, it really is time to steer away from buying stuff that will end up in landfills. The Animal Protection Agency (APA) has a couple of ideas for meaningful gifts that will make the world a better place…

Wrap up the rainforest

For as little as £1 per tropical tree – and a personalised gift certificate for a minimum of ten trees – you can make a genuine difference to conservation efforts in Ecuador. Seventeen per cent of the world’s bird species reside in Ecuador’s tropical forests, as do spectacled bears, jaguars and a wide variety of bat and monkey species.

The Animal Protection Agency Foundation aims to buy one thousand trees by Christmas and, by working alongside Pixeltrees.com and the World Land Trust, we can guarantee that any trees purchased will be protected indefinitely. Trees at £1 each can be purchased online at www.apa.org.uk (on APA home page from late September).

Adopt a feathered friend

For the bird lover in your life who will chirrup at the opportunity to take a rescued exotic bird under his/her wing… A majestic macaw or a playful Amazon parrot – birds that have been rescued from trauma and abuse – can be ‘adopted’ and many more saved from suffering in the pet trade.

The Animal Protection Agency has teamed up with New Life Parrot Rescue (NLPR), based in Cambridgeshire, to offer ‘virtual adoptions’ of some of the birds in its care. 50% of the adoption fee will help feed, house and pay for veterinary treatment of the birds cared for by NLPR. The other 50% will fund APA’s campaigns against the commercial exploitation of parrots and other exotic animals as pets.

Standard Sponsored Adoption - £25:

You will receive a Certificate of Sponsored Adoption, a special pen, a 5 X 7" photograph of your chosen parrot along with information about your chosen parrot, an APA enamel badge and window sticker. Birds can be adopted online at www.apa.org.uk (on APA home page from late September).

www.apa.org.uk

Mendip’s spectacular illuminated carnival season gets underway this month.

The district’s first processions take place in Frome on Saturday, September 20, and Mendip District Council is urging everyone to show their support. The town will host its annual children’s parade in the afternoon, starting at 2.30pm in Victoria Park, while the illuminated evening procession begins at 7pm from the junction of The Butts and Manor Road.

June Barnes, chairman of Frome Carnival, said she was thrilled at the donations given by spectators last year and wants to continue building on that success. She said: “Last year we got a magnificent response from the crowds which saw our collection go up by thousands of pounds. We are extremely grateful and hope to repeat and build on it this year so we can continue to give more money to local people in need.”

“Carnival isn’t free and with costs going up every year we rely heavily on our sponsors and the public being generous. Despite last year’s fantastic response we still know that lots of people who watch these fabulous shows still don’t donate anything towards it. “Carnival is such a magnificent event for Somerset, and it is about everyone getting together and having fun, but it’s also a chance for so many volunteers to show off their creative sides whether it’s through their carpentry and artwork or their costume making and performance.”

PIC LEFT:  Mendip councillors Maggy Daniell (middle row, centre) and John Osman (right) join Frome Carnival chairman June Barnes (middle row, left) and carnival committee members preparing for Frome Carnival.

The afternoon children’s procession starts at the Victoria Park gate, travels along Weymouth Road into Christchurch Street West, goes along Wesley Slope, into Butts Hill, along Somerset Road before finally making its way back into Victoria Park via Weymouth Road Gate. The illuminated evening procession begins at the junction of The Butts and Manor Road, it continues towards Butts Hill, goes along Wesley Slope, along Bath Street and Market Place, through North Parade, continues along Berkley Road and Badgers Hill before finishing at the football ground.
Motorists are also being warned of delays during the processions, including a number of road closures. Those travelling in and around Frome are asked to read road signs and follow diversions (full list of closure in notes to editors below). Frome district councillor and shadow portfolio holder for regeneration Cllr Maggy Daniell, said: “It’s great to see the community getting together for carnival each year. The carnival does such good work for the local community in terms of getting involved with events and especially fundraising for local good causes.”
Cllr John Osman, who is Mendip’s portfolio holder for regeneration, which includes tourism, said: “It’s fantastic news that spectators were even more generous last year, and I hope they continue to support the carnival this year so that more local good causes can benefit from the thousands of pounds raised at the parades.
“Mendip’s spectacular carnival season is unique, and is rated as among the best in the world. It encourages communities to work together to host a fantastic show but also to raise thousands of pounds for charity. “Mendip District Council will continue to support our carnival season through assistance and promotion as well as advice and guidance when carnival committees and clubs seek support.” For more details about Frome Carnival please call its chairman June Barnes on 01373 461625. Mendip’s main illuminated carnival season gets underway in November with processions in Shepton Mallet on November 12, Wells on the 14th and Glastonbury on the 15th.

Art and design workshops at Sir John Soane''s Museum - "The best house museum in the world" 

Lovers of heritage interiors, art and design will have a unique opportunity to explore their interests and skills at one of London’s best loved small museums this winter.

Described as “the best house museum in the world” Sir John Soane’s Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, will be running a series of adult art workshops throughout autumn and winter 2008 / 09 – giving participants a unique insight into this extraordinary and inspirational building.

These popular events, ranging from classes in drawing and watercolours to stone carving and print and model making, offer adults the opportunity to explore new creative skills in a small, relaxed group of like-minded people at one of London’s most quirky and fascinating museums.

Highlights of the autumn season will be a workshop taking place on Thursday 13 November, where participants will use the multi-layered spaces and unexpected dimensions of the Museum as inspiration to create their own beautiful and original advent calendars using a range of collage techniques. And in December a one day workshop will focus on glass panels and architectural ornament in the museum, inspiring students to create their own designs on glass.

The National Gallery invites you to meet the remarkable families of Renaissance Europe…

Children were treasured in the Renaissance and portraits became an increasingly popular way to express this. This exhibition features some of the most beautiful portraits of families and children ever painted and helps us to understand what their lives must have been like over 400 years ago.

In the days before photographs, relatives of noble families often commissioned portraits of children to find out how their young relative was growing up or to emphasise the power of a family dynasty. Sons of rulers are often shown with their fathers, often dressed in very impressive clothes to mark their importance as heirs. Other portraits show families in more relaxed scenes at home, with parents watching their children at play.

In one of the rooms of the exhibition, a cheeky young boy, a future King of England we think, giggles to himself in a bright green outfit. A beautiful young princess plays with a small globe but she isn’t just holding a toy, it’s a message to a place far away. In another painting, a merchant family pose in front of an elaborately dressed table. Elsewhere, a kindly old grandfather hugs a very precious grandson. Why is the red-haired boy so happy with his stick-man drawing? Could it be a self portrait? Would his father be proud?

Children’s Faces Lecture

Adults interested in this subject shouldn’t miss this special lecture in the Sainsbury Wing Theatre on Wednesday 26 November 6.30-7.30pm.

Tickets are £5 (£3 concessions). Catherine Reynolds, a specialist in 14th and 15th century painting will explore the forms and functions of children’s portraits in the Renaissance.

For bookings/ further information contact the National Gallery on 020 7747 2885 or information@ng-london.org.uk

www.nationalgallery.org.uk



 

Giovanni Francesco Caroto

Portrait of a Young Boy holding a Child’s Drawing, about 1515

Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona (INV. 130)

A happy young boy, with bright red hair, turns to show us his drawing – a figure with round eyes, spiky hair and skinny legs. The drawing is probably meant to be a self portrait, which may explain why this little boy looks so pleased with himself. The meaning behind this painting remains mysterious but many experts think the boy was the artist’s own son. The painting also shows how little children’s drawings have changed over four hundred years!

A Laughing Boy (Henry VIII?), about 1498

The Royal Collection Trust, London

Children may also like to try and guess who this mysterious little boy is! This animated bust is a work of remarkable skill by the Italian sculptor and mask-maker Guido Mazzoni. Recorded in English royal collections over a long period, experts now believe this boy could be the future King Henry VIII (1491–1547).

His coat evokes a woven green silk with metal thread. Below the shoulders the boy’s red sleeves are partially revealed, while his cap is of gold lace similar to the clothing that Henry VIII and his brother Arthur wore.

A Young Princess (Dorothea of Denmark?), about 1530

The National Gallery, London

A beautiful young princess, now thought to be Dorothea of Denmark, holds a special toy directing us to her father’s lost kingdom. She is pointing to the latitude of Copenhagen on a celestial sphere, which is upside down. This might symbolize that her world has been turned upside down. By this time, Dorothea’s royal family had been deposed and thrown out of Scandinavia.

When Gossaert painted this portrait in around 1530, Dorothea was living in the Low Countries. She resided at the courts of Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary. Both Margaret and the Emperor Charles V, their uncle, gave them enormous quantities of jewellery including huge numbers of decadent pearls.

An Old Man and his Grandson, about 1490

Musée du Louvre, Paris (INV. R.F. 266)

Grandfatherly love is celebrated in this painting. The warmth and intimacy of the pair has led to the conclusion that they must be grandfather and grandson. The boy’s features are naturally less individual than those of the distinctive old man and the old man embraces the child who, in turn, gently rests his small hand on his grandfather’s chest.

Portraits of Johann the Steadfast and Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, 1509

The National Gallery, London

In this remarkable diptych Johann the Steadfast (1468–1532), Elector of Saxony, is shown alongside his son, Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous (1503–1554). These paintings are all the more important because the young boy’s mother, Sophie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin, died in child birth in 1503.

The motherless son is presented here as the future hope of the Saxon ruling dynasty. If the diptych is positioned upright and opened at an angle, as was probably intended, the gaze of the child follows the viewer. His father is shown against a green background and wears a black coat patterned with dark grey and a black hat decorated with small pearl ornaments while the portrait of the fair-haired, six-year-old Johann Friedrich reverses this green and black colour scheme. Placed against a black background, he wears a green doublet with bands of red and white in a tartan pattern.

Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and his son Guidobaldo, about 1477.

Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino

Federico da Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino, sits beside his young son Guidobaldo, in a celebration of dynastic power. Born in 1422, Federico became Count of Urbino in 1444 and Duke of Urbino in 1474. He died in 1482 and throughout his lifetime was an important patron of learning, architecture and art. Here, he is represented as ruler, soldier, scholar and parent. Beside him is his only son Guidobaldo, who was born in January 1472, succeeded as duke in 1482 and died in 1508.

Guidobaldo, perhaps 5 years old here, is dressed in gold robes and wears a prodigious number of pearls and jewels indicating a bright future for his people when his time to rule comes.

Portrait of Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children

Completed 1547

The National Gallery, London

Here, Lorenzo Lotto depicts his landlord, the merchant Giovanni della Volta, alongside his elaborately dressed family. The family look relaxed as they gather round a bowl of fruit. The mother offers cherries to her wide eyed daughter while the father offers them to his son. The young boy appears to dance before his proud father in the foreground.

The table is beautifully decorated with a Turkish carpet of yellow arabesques on a red field which are of a type often represented by Lotto.

Open to public: 15 October 2008 – 18 January 2009, Daily 10am–6pm, Wednesday until 9pm. Last admission 5.15pm (8.15pm Wednesday)

Admission: Enter by the Sainsbury Wing Entrance. Full price £10, Senior/Concessions £9, Senior/Concessions Tuesday afternoon offer £5, Art Fund members £5, Students/Unemployed/12–18s £5, Under-12s free

Family Ticket: (2 adults & up to 4 children aged 12–18) £20. Season Tickets: Full price £25. Senior/Concessions: £23. Art Fund members £13. Students/Unemployed/12–18s £13

Tickets

For advance tickets to Renaissance Faces: Van Eyck to Titian please visit www.nationalgallery.org.uk or call 0870 906 3891 (booking fee). You can also book tickets by post and in person from the Gallery.

www.nationalgallery.org.uk