Renchi and Vanessa invite you to a

Glastonbury Positive Living Group

Film and talk by Renchi, Marcus and Susie Bicknell

The Marvels

of

 Clarence Bicknell

7 for 7.30 p.m.

Thursday 15^th November 2018

Glastonbury Town Hall

Magdalene St, Glastonbury BA6 9EL

Tonight’s presentation by Renchi Bicknell tells the incredible story of his Great Great Uncle, Clarence Bicknell.

This year we recognise the 100th anniversary of Clarence’s death in 1918. His life is a celebration of the maverick spirit! Destined for life in the church, Clarence threw off the dog collar and embraced instead, the beauty, the detail and wonder of nature with his outstanding ability to draw, study and research it in all it’s forms, from botany to archeology. In a spirited life, a parallel to Blake, Turner and the later free spirits of the 1960’s Clarence moved from London to Italy and with the passion of a true Renaissance man, took to the mountains in his heavy Norfolk tweed coat and proceeded to paint in watercolour, the flora and fauna of the region. He discovered and documented pre-historic rock engravings, found and recorded fossils and pressed flowers. His was a true exploration of the depths and gifts of nature.

Clarence Bicknell was a product of the late Victorian Enlightenment, driven by a desire to understand our world and the quest to represent and express it creatively. He lived of course, at the same time of the figures we know as The Avalonians. During his years in Italy, Clarence made great friendships with prominent figures of the International artistic community in Bordighera including such luminaries as George Macdonald, Claude Monet, Peter Kropotkin, and Doctor John Arthur Goodchild, discoverer of The Blue Bowl. The solid friendship between Clarence and Dr Goodchild is written about in Clarence’s extensive diaries of the time along with other collegues and friends.

In an inspiring introduction to this extraordinary man, which will include slides and a beautiful short film presentation, this is an evening to shine a light on a genius and free spirit who was, and is now, an inspiration to the artist and explorer in us all.

There will also be an interactive experience of hands-on rubbing with wax and interpretation of the prehistoric rock engravings of the Mediterranean Alps, a co-operative and improvised quest for understanding of the spiritual side of the Victorian polymath, botanist, archaeologist, artist, pacifist, esperantist, Clarence Bicknell, friend of Dr Goodchild of the Glastonbury Blue Bowl.

Admission £5 on the door.

RSVP rench.ness@gmail.com or 01458 830321

Watch a preview of the 18-minute film at www.vimeo.com/clarencebicknell

More at https://glastonburyplg.com/november-2018/thurs-15th-renchi-bicknell/

You can find out about Clarence Bicknell on this web site www.clarencebicknell.com