Keswick: Thanks to Derwent and the volunteers

The volunteers

Left to right: Dave and Sylvia Richards, John Heffer, Suzy Herbert, Tricia Hunt, Pat Heffer, Shirley and Eric Henderson, Eileen and Eric Armstrong

Thanks are due to a number of people who help make the 2009 World of Coloured Pencils Exhibition in Keswick a success.

First of all, I'd like to offer my own personal thanks to Dave Richards who organised the exhibition this year for providing me very promptly with the details for this post and the two previous posts on this blog this week:

• Keswick - exhibition opens and awards announced
• World of Coloured Pencils 2009 - Other Award Winners

Derwent

Derwent kindly host the Annual 'World of Coloured Pencils' exhibition at the The Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick each year and the exhibition is judged by Derwent staff at the Museum. UKCPS would specially like to thank Alex Spencer, the Museum Manager and Kath Thompson who led on judging this year's entries.

Dave commented

I would like to include a thank you to the judges and staff for their hospitality, as we always receive such a warm welcome from all the staff at the museum. We're also very pleased to highlight Derwent's continued help and generosity in hosting the event every year and providing such super prizes.

There's lots to see at the Museum besides the Exhibition - you can see what's on at the museum events page for June.

The exhibition is turning out to be a real talking point with the customers visiting the Museum.
Alex Spencer

Leisure Painters Magazine

UKCPS would also like to thank the Leisure Painters Magazine for providing the prize of two years subscription to the magazine for our Best Newcomer.

The volunteers

An exhibition always takes a long time to organise and then often has to move very fast at the end in terms of transporting work, getting it hung and communicating about it. As with all UKCPS activities, nothing happens or moves without the involvement of the people who volunteer their help in an official capacity, as a member - and even as a spouse or partner of a member!

The two principal people who are involved in organising the show are Pat Heffer, the UKCPS Exhibitions Secretary and Dave Richards whose principal responsibility is organising this show. They are both supported by a number of members and members' partners.

Here's what Dave had to tell me about the contribution made by the volunteers.

The helpers were wonderful as always and we could not manage without them, in collecting pictures and transporting them to Keswick, unwrapping and hanging. It is wonderful to have so many experienced eyes to settle on the final arrangement, although it does mean numerous picture movements which can very often be reversed and changed again. This can get a bit fraught but we always have great fun and it is a good social occasion for all including those members who join in on the day.

I would add my congratulations to all the winners. I have never come near getting an award personally but it is always a thrill to have a picture in this exhibition.

It should be noted that Dave didn't enter a picture this year as there were so many entries for this exhibition!

Finally a special mention for Liz Ridley, the UKCPS webmaster who remained wonderfully unflappable when a serious power failure near her home meant she lost all access to broadband for an unknown length of time while they dug up the road - just as she was about start posting all the competition entries to the UKCPS website!

If you've not already checked it, you can now see the online exhibition on the UKCPS website.