The Arts Society, Henley
A very warm welcome to our website! Firstly, before reading further, please click here to see this wonderful collage of all that The Arts Society Henley, otherwise known as TASH, has planned and prepared for your pleasure in 2025. Details of anything that catches your eye are in the relevant sections - Lectures, Special Interest Days and Day Visits. Why not pop the dates in your diary straight away?
Stop Press! Firstly, may we remind everyone that we are encouraging members to bring friends to lectures without charge for the next three months, so that they can experience TASH for themselves. Please just let Monnik Vleugels know beforehand so that we can ensure we have enough space available. (Monnik: monnik.vleugels@gmail.com OR 07505 778405).
Secondly, we have arranged an additional day visit in August, to Longford Castle. This will be on 29th August 2025, with booking at the lecture on 19th June. Please click here to see the details.
Next, please click here to watch this delightful short video that encompasses all the valued aims and objectives of The Arts Society Henley, otherwise known as TASH. Our President, John Benjamin, gives us a splendid overview of all that we do. We are most grateful to our IT specialist, Quentin Clark, who has created this charming piece. More thanks to Quentin for creating two more delightful snapshots of our society, the first with a word or two from three of our recent lecturers. Click here to watch it. The third illustrates our enthusiastic support for a wide variety of artistic endeavour across the board, from Koestler Arts, a wonderful organisation supporting people in secure settings, to local schools. This video features a special prize awarded annually to top 'A' level students. Click here to watch this one. Both well worth watching and very short!
Now, a little housekeeping: please read the following statement as it is most important. We always endeavour to put members' safety and security at the forefront of all communications and actions. The following statement will further enhance this:
'By attending lectures or events, members consent to being filmed and/or photographed for inclusion in all TASH publications. If you do not consent, please let the meeting organisers know beforehand.'
The Chairman, Robert Gurney, Vice Chairman Monnik Vleugels, and Committee of The Arts Society, Henley, are committed to offer every one of our members an exciting selection of Lectures, Special Interest Days and Day Visits for all to enjoy. Please click here to see our full programme for 2025.
We have an arrangement for live lectures to be accompanied in the morning by a simultaneous transmission to members' homes, through YouTube. The day before the lecture an email link was sent to all members. All up-to-date information is posted in the monthly newsletter and on this website.
To get a flavour of our society month by month, please click here to see our June 2025 newsletter.
Our venue for our 2025 lectures and most Special Interest Days is the Henley Rugby Club, near the beginning of Marlow Road in Henley, on the left hand side. The car park for the Rugby Club is a few yards further down the road also on the left, clearly signed. Lectures take place in a large comfortable room. There is a delightful café serving hot drinks, pastries and delicious light lunches.
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"THE ARTS SOCIETY IS A COMMUNITY THAT WANTS MORE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE, TO APPRECIATE AND ABOVE ALL TO ENJOY THE ARTS AND DISCOVER HOW THEY ENRICH OUR LIVES” JULIE GOLDSMITH, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE ARTS SOCIETY.
Our Background
The Arts Society Henley (formerly Henley Decorative & Fine Arts Society) was founded in 1976 by Françoise White, with our first lecture in January 1977. The membership grew rapidly and now stands at about 420.
The Arts Society Henley is one of over 385 societies throughout the UK, in mainland Europe and New Zealand as well as 35 societies in Australia as part of the Australian Decorative & Fine Arts Society with a combined membership of over 98,000 worldwide.
We have a morning lecture starting at 10:45am and the same lecture at 2:15pm on the third Thursday of the month, except July and August. There are 10 lectures each year, with the Annual General Meeting in November. We also have three Special Interest Days where we embrace a subject in greater depth. Four day visits are arranged each year to exhibitions, houses, museums and many other places of interest.
In the autumn of 2022 we had a splendid holiday in France. This year, 2025, we have just had a wonderful holiday in May to the Welsh Marches and Industrial Ironbridge. Holidays are always accompanied by expert guides.
Do email your news, views and photographs to Ginnie Johnston (Website Committee Member), at henley@theartssociety.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
To find out more about The Arts Society world wide, its structure and history, visit theartssociety.org website.
To find out more about becoming a member of The Arts Society Henley, please go to Join Us.
Registered Charity No. 289323
Photograph of Henley above by kind permission of photographer Tim Hodges ARPS
The Henley Rugby Club,