This hybrid talk will evoke the variety and excitement of Morris's angling ventures on the lower and upper Thames.
William Morris fished many rivers during his long, impassioned career as an angler, but none of them meant as much to him as the Thames - 'our only English river', as his utopia News from Nowhere describes it. This hybrid talk will evoke the variety and excitement of Morris's angling ventures on the lower and upper Thames - his best catches, his best fishing spots, the friends he fished with, his piscatorial mishaps too - and will set his exploits in a wider context of Victorian angling. Fishing plays an important role in utopia too. 'I dreamed last night that we were off up the river fishing', says Bob the weaver in News from Nowhere. Hence the title of this talk; for Morris fishes both the actual and the utopian Thames.
This event is part of the Totally Thames Festival, an annual celebration of what is arguably London’s biggest natural asset; the River Thames.
Tony Pinkney was until recently Senior Lecturer in the English Department at Lancaster University. He spent his teenage years fishing at Southend-on-sea and his adult years researching, writing and publishing on William Morris.
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The Kelmscott House shop stocks a wide range of gifts including china, textiles, books and stationery all inspired by the work of William Morris, founder of the Arts and Craft movement. Enjoy 10% off all purchases during your next visit with your National Art Pass.
Expires: 1 Jan 2025
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Address
26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London, Greater London, W6 9TA
020 8741 3735
Opening times
Thursdays 2pm-5pm
Saturdays 2pm-5pm
Sundays 2pm-5pm
Exclusions and safety measures
PLEASE NOTE THAT KELMSCOTT HOUSE ITSELF IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. The Society is based in the Coach house and Basement.
School groups and private tours are welcomed. Please email wmsadmin@williammorrissociety.org to arrange.
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