Episode 83. The Fry Art Gallery

SYNOPSIS

The Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden was opened in 1987 and houses an impressive number of paintings, prints, illustrations, wallpapers and decorative designs by artists of the 20th century and the present day who have local connections with North-West Essex and have made a significant contribution to their field. There is an emphasis on those, commencing with Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious and their respective wives Charlotte Epton. and Tirzah Garwood., who settled in the picturesque Essex village of Great Bardfield.

The Gallery is run by volunteers, both invigilators when it is open to the public and trustees. Its Public Relations Manager, Philip Neale tells the story of how the Gallery was established with the significant support of Edward Bawden and also of the artists who lived in Bardfield and its surroundings between the 1930s and 1960s. Even the potter, Grayson Perry is included in the collection, because he was briefly a newspaper delivery boy for his stepfather in Bardfield.

GUESTS

Having gained an interest in modern art and literature through reading Virginia Woolf and volunteering at Charleston, Philip Neale gravitated to the Fry, where he is part of the volunteer management team that runs the art gallery.

Simon’s interview with Philip Neale was recorded at the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden on 9 March 2026.