We had brunch at one of the very nice courtyard cafes and then went to view a number of expensive paintings by Norfolk artist Kieran Williamson. The name may not mean a lot to you but I can dredge up memories of an artist that was claimed to be a child prodigy from lots of coverage on the local news.
Williamson is still only 19 years of age and has sold oodles of paintings. He started with his art at the age of something like four. He comes from Holt and, get this, his second exhibition in 2009 when he was probably seven, sold out in 14 minutes for £18,200. An exhibition in 2010 saw all his paintings sold in 30 minutes for a total of £150,000.
Many of his works are of Cornwall and there was a suggestion that the artist and family would be moving to that part of the world, but they didn't. And so the list goes on. In 2011, 33 paintings sold in 10 minutes for £100,000. By 2013 sales of his paintings was up around the staggering £3 million.
We went to the latest exhibition an hour after it opened and many of the paintings already had red sold dots on them. But are they any good? Well who am I to say? I like them but not in a "I want to spend £10,000 and hang this on my wall" way although they must be a good investment. He seems to be a pretty prolific artist so does that mean that the more he paints the more diluted the value of having one of his artworks becomes?
But do I like them? Well yes and no. There are certain studies I like but others that leave me rather cold. To me they are no better than hundreds of other artists. It's just that Williamson has/had a good pr team behind him and of course that little tag of being an art prodigy. That's really the crux of the matter.
People who bought his art when he was eight or ten probably continue to buy it now he's all grown up. His reputation is assured as he dashes out another 20 watercolours. Quite a few of his more colourful works surround fox hunting and that's certainly something I would never have in my lounge even if I could afford them.
I remember having an argument with a neighbour about fox hunting and my hatred of it. I was living in the shop in Hellesdon at the time so must have only been eight or nine. She was probably winding me up but I remember saying how cruel I felt the whole thing to be and I really haven't changed that view all these years later. Ripping a fox apart in the name of sport has always been grotesque to me. I will say no more.
From Holt we went to the home of Norfolk cricket at Manor Park, Horsford, to see grandson Elliot play for Norfolk Under-10s against Cambridgeshire. We had to leave before he bowled but apparently he took one wicket for 14 runs from four overs and bowled well. Norfolk lost. Elliot is young enough to play for the Under-10s again next year when we will really find out how he has progressed as a leg spinner.
Last port of call for the day was the launch of a community garden project at the back of Hethersett Village Hall. The temperature was around 27 degrees (hot hot hot). They have received a grant of over £5,000 from the lottery fund to set-up a community garden on the site of an old disused skateboard park.
Today's photos are of Holt and the garden project.
Just one other thing. My piece about City Station in Norwich brought a number of comments. I got things slightly wrong. There were actually two other stations in Norwich. City Station was further out in an area known as Barn Road. The one I mentioned was actually the Victorian Station which finished carrying passenger trains in 1916. So much earlier than I thought.