A large dinner gong, in need of some tender loving care, has recently been donated to Sewerby Hall and Gardens, and staff at the venue are keen to get it restored, to complement the return of the exhibition ‘Dinner is Served’.
Education officer Robert Chester explained:
“I am very pleased about and very grateful for, the kind donation of this gong. At the moment, it is on a rather rickety brass stand, and I am appealing for a volunteer with metal working skills who might be prepared to repair and refurbish it for us. It really would be a wonderful addition to our education sessions here at the hall.
“It’s a sad state of affairs that the butler here simply doesn’t have a gong that works, and I really hope we can get this resolved!”
Appropriately, the exhibition ‘Dinner is Served! The Edwardian Dinner Party’ will return to the house and will be open at weekends from Saturday, 12 January until Sunday, 17 March.
Curator Janice Smith said:
“Nothing preoccupied the mind of an Edwardian hostess so much as the planning of a dinner party. From matters of food and drink, table service, the guest list, and matters of precedence, every detail was of the utmost importance and great store was set at arranging the menu for a dinner party.
“The gong had its part to play in summoning the diners to the table, and it would be lovely to get this one restored to complement the exhibition.”
Anyone who thinks they could help is asked to contact Robert Chester at Sewerby Hall and Gardens on Robert.chester@eastriding.gov.uk
The house is open at weekends only during the winter season, from 11.30am – 3.30pm (last admission 3pm). Admission is £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children. A family ticket costs £11.
