Sign at the Railway Depot in Settle on 4 August 2024..
Mike Hume, Grit Eckert and I arrived in Settle on the evening of August 3, 2024. We had driven down from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne that day, stopping in Richmond to visit the Georgian Theatre Royal.
The town of Settle on a map of England.
Our visit to Victoria Hall was scheduled for late morning on Sunday, August 4. This meant that we had ample time to explore the area. We took very little time settling into our hotel before heading out to dinner.
Settle is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire. As Settle is a very small town, we were able to cover ample ground that evening and the next morning before heading south to Buxton.
There are just a few photos that I want to share before jumping into Victoria Hall and the Act-Drop painted by Edmund Handby. By the way, the music hall very close is to the Railway Station. The line now offers scenic rides between Settle and Carlisle.
The Railway Station at Settle on 4 August 2024.Victorian footbridge at the Settle depot.Victoria Hall in Settle onn 3 August 2024..
The first thing that struck me about Settle was the feeling of community. It may have been the knitted tops that decorated mailboxes or dozens of flowerpot sculptures, but there was an immediate sense of belonging.
We scoped out the location of the music hall. It was the woman who ran the cafe next to the building who would let us in the next morning. The entrance to Miss Victoria’s Refreshment Gardens is a white tent, pitched on the side of the music hall, set back from the road about thirty-five. A sandwich board on the street advertises “Amazing Community Space and Café”.
Entrance to Miss Victoria’s Refreshment Gardens on 4 August 2024.
All the proceeds from Miss Victoria’s fund the theatre. After purchasing food and drink in the tent, one has the option of entering the “Refreshment Garden.” This is a variety of seating areas in playfully decorated tents with children’s toys strewn about. What a GREAT place to visit, especially with small children. It offers an immediate sense of belonging.
Miss Victoria’s Refreshment Gardens in Settleon August 4 2024.
Here are a few more photographs of Settle during our stay.
Flowers at the railway station in Settle.Buildings surrounding the town square in Settle.The River Ribble running through Settle.The River Ribble in Settle.Knitted mailbox top in Settle.A knitted version of Victoria Hall. There is quite an active knitting group in Settle.Another mailbox top in Settle.
Here are my favorites flowerpot sculptures.
The sign next to a bin where you could pick up free flower pots.Eeyore!I thought this was pretty hysterical.The Quaker’s Garden across the street from Victoria Hall in Settle.One of my favorites!Just outside the birthplace of Rev. Benjamin Waugh (1839-1908), founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Settle.War Memorial in Settle.Under a tree in the graveyard of Holy Ascension Church in Settle.Not a surprise!This just made me laugh! It was on the Railway grounds, near the water tank for steam engines.For parents who spent endless hours watching Thomas the Tank Engine.Paddington Bear!This one really impressed me!Under the bridge!Here is the bridge with the flower pot sculpture in Settle.One of the many bikers that parked in the town square.Two more flowerpot sculptures on a bench in the middle of the town square.Here is a bigger view of the town square.
To be continued…
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
View all posts by waszut_barrett@me.com
3 thoughts on “Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Settle, England. 3-4 August, 2024.”
Hi Wendy. I ought to have looked at this while we were up in Newcastle as my father was a head honcho in the Masonic movement in Auckland, and did a lot of research into the music and rituals particularly in the Scottish lodges. As a matter of interest, his father and grandfather were also Grand Masters, in Vienna. Alas my brother has never displayed any interest.
Maybe we will discuss it when next we meet.
Oh – and we really liked your paintings!
Best wishes
Diana (on Alex’s iPad)
Hi Wendy. I ought to have looked at this while we were up in Newcastle as my father was a head honcho in the Masonic movement in Auckland, and did a lot of research into the music and rituals particularly in the Scottish lodges. As a matter of interest, his father and grandfather were also Grand Masters, in Vienna. Alas my brother has never displayed any interest.
Maybe we will discuss it when next we meet.
Oh – and we really liked your paintings!
Best wishes
Diana (on Alex’s iPad)
Well that is very interesting!!! Thank you so much for your comment and it was great to see you both again! I can’t wait to chat with you about this.
Love the knitted Victoria Hall! 🤣