Mary Alexander BA (Hons) MA is an experienced and very popular lecturer.  Two years ago many of us ‘time travelled’ with Mary to ‘New York, New York’, this time she will be taking us on a ‘time travelling tour’ back to the Cote d’Azur of the 1920s/1930s.

Since the 19th Century English high society had regularly ‘over wintered’ on the Cote d’Azur, promenading by the sea and leaving by April.  In the 1920s, however, an intoxicating mix of artists, writers, musicians and international visitors arrived, inspired by a mythological seascape of luminous colours and creating a new summer season. Sun tans and sportswear soon became ‘de rigueur’ in the chic new coastal resorts, villas and hotels. In this experimental Riviera playground of ideas, a vibrant synergy pulsated across the visual design arts.  Traditional boundaries were torn down.  Matisse, Picasso, Dufy, Cocteau and Chanel merged the worlds of fashion, theatre and interiors. The impresarios Serge Diaghilev and Paul Poiret generated an exciting fusion in the creative arts, whilst Cole Porter, Scott Fitzgerald and the intriguing Americans, Gerald and Sara Murphy, became lifestyle icons and attracted an influential new set of discerning patrons and collectors.

We will be ‘time travelling’, recreating the romance of rail travel on the iconic Train Bleu, calling in on Matisse’s studio in Nice, sharing a morning cocktail with Sara and Gerald Murphy on their secluded beach, seeing Dufy’s magical murals at Antibes, checking out the fashionable interior designs at the Palais de Mediterrannee, buying a pair of Perugia shoes, taking a spin up to Monte Carlo to play the tables and attending an opening night featuring Cocteau’s designs for the latest Ballet Russes production.

Join us for a fascinating day on the Riviera.

Schedule for the day:

Coffee/Tea available from 09.45 am

10.30 am – First Lecture  (1 hour).

Coffee/Tea break (20 mins)

Second Lecture  (1 hour)

Sit down lunch (1 hour 30 minutes)

Third Lecture (1 hour)

We expect to finish the day by 4.00 pm.

COST:  £25.00 per member, including coffee/tea. (Guests: £27.00) A light lunch is available for £7.50 if pre-booked. Special dietary requirements can be accommodated.

Please Contact:  Penny Brentnall for details on 01747 838028 or email penelopeab@gmail.com