Alfred Gillett Trust What’s On
Vaccination Centre
The Grange will once again host the NHS as a vaccination centre from April 2023. Please see below details for vaccinations taking place and opening hours:
- Dates: Friday 21 April; Friday 28 April; Friday 5 May; Friday 12 May; Friday 19 May; Friday 26 May; Friday 2 June and Friday 9 June.
- Opening Hours: 9am to 5.30pm
- Vaccinations must be booked in advance via your NHS – there are no walk-in appointments
- Vaccinations are available for those aged over 75 and those who are immune supressed under 75 only
- The Alfred Gillett Trust is acting as venue only and unfortunately, will not be able to help with any enquiries related to your vaccination or health. Any queries about your vaccination should be directed to the NHS
Outdoor Theatre
Join us in 2023 for 3-weeks of incredible outdoor theatre in the magnificent grounds of the Grange. We are joined by Taunton Thespians, Slapstick Picnic and Immersion Theatre bringing to life tales we all know and love!
Join us on Wednesday 19 July 2023 as we host the Taunton Thespians for an evening of Shakespeare with the awesome ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. Book your tickets now by clicking on the image above.
Shakespeare goes SteamPunk! Taunton Thespians present a fresh take on this comedy of misunderstandings, deception and love. Two young lovers, Claudio and Hero are to be married but a malicious scheme threatens their big day. Meanwhile marriage seems inconceivable for the bantering Beatrice and Benedick, Shakespeare’s wittiest and most loveable pair of reluctant lovers, whose endless sparring threatens to keep them apart. Is this the original Rom Com?
It’s all fun and games.
This summer, Slapstick Picnic are ripping up the recipe book and whipping up a theatrical treat like no other in outdoor venues all across the UK and will now be hosted by the Grange on Friday 28 July : a three-actor production of J.M.Barrie’s classic play Peter Pan, .
Let your imagination soar as they dish out this timeless tale of hapless pirates, feral children and a particularly punctual reptile. This show isn’t just for kids; their brilliant buffoonery will have picnickers of all ages cackling into their coleslaw. This is one flight of fancy you don’t want to miss!
Grab a bottle, grab a friend, and seek out some silliness with Slapstick Picnic.
Details on how to book coming soon!
Summer 2023 will see audiences treated to a laugh-a-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s riotous comedy, “Twelfth Night”!
Duke Orsino loves Olivia. Viola loves Orsino. What’s Viola to do? Why, disguise herself as a man in order to get close to the Duke, of course!
There’s only one small problem. Oblivious to this, Orsino sends Viola – who he believes to be a man called Cesario – to woo Olivia on his behalf. In true Shakespeare fashion, Olivia immediately falls desperately in love with Cesario and so follows a wild, whirlwind comedy of love triangles, mistaken identities, and the mayhem of love!
Throw in an identical twin, live music, audience participation, and yellow stockings, and you have all the ingredients for an unmissable production.
Join us as we host multi award-nominated Immersion Theatre on Tuesday 8 August who have developed a reputation for producing first class, fast-paced adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. This is Shakespeare as it’s meant to be: interactive, fun, and highly accessible!
Details on how to book coming soon!
Follow us on Facebook, or sign up to our newsletter to be the first in the loop!
Past Exhibitions & Events
- Our Wassail 2023 was an amazing success – thank you to everyone who attended.
– Heritage Open Days 2022 saw the Grange open our doors to celebrate the Astounding Invention that is the Latin Verse Machine.
- Friday 22nd July: Tales from 1001 Arabian Nights by Taunton Thespians
- Saturday 23rd July: NHS Vaccination Centre
- Open from 10am until 5pm
- Prioritising vaccines for 5-18 year olds
- Other vaccinations will be available
- Access opposite the restaurant terrace for Clarks Village
- This activity is being run by the NHS and any enquiries about vaccinations should be directed to them. Any enquiries about the venue can come via the Trust
Thursday 7 July: Street Chamber of Commerce Recruitment Fair
Thursday 2nd June: Whispering Willows outdoor theatre performance by Wassail Theatre
Following the ‘Magic Steps’ of the Clarks Point of Sale collection
Our Assistant Curator, Karina Virahsawmy, has worked on the Point of Sale collection from the beginning of her AGT journey. Let her take you through the ‘Magic Steps’ of cataloguing and digitising such a unique and large collection; showcasing prominent artists and photographers, well known Clarks shoe ranges, and firm family favourites.
Wooden Wonders
Take a trip around the world and throughout history to discover how the seemingly ordinary material of wood has been used to create extraordinary footwear with Rebecca Wormald. Furthermore, uncover how wooden soled footwear have inspired some, at times, unusual traditions.
Clarks of Street, Family, Company and Community 1725 – 2005
Join Dr. Tim Crumplin as he charts the origins of the Clark family and their beginnings in Street during the 18th century, this talk will concentrate on the commercial and social influences the Quaker business of C. & J. Clark had upon the town and its locality from the time of its founding (by brothers Cyrus and James Clark) in 1825, and through successive generations, to the start of the 21st century.
Eureka, the Victorian Automaton that creates poetry
The Latina Verse Machine, Eureka to her friends, is a one of a kind impressive feat of engineering, maths, poetry and sheer hard work and dedication by its inventor, John Clark.
This National Poetry Day, find out what inspired John Clark to create such a unique automaton and take a look at whether or not the poetry it created could hold its own with poetry of its day.
Footwear in Focus
Over the last 7 years the Alfred Gillett Trust has been working to digitise its collection of over 25000 shoes, sandals, boots, slippers, clogs and other footwear, producing an archive of high-quality digital images. The collection is hugely diverse, ranging in date from the Roman period right up to the present day, and features the work of many different designers and manufacturers. For historical reasons, these objects have not always had the best of care; accordingly, the digitisation work has been integrated into a multidisciplinary project to assess, treat, redocument and rehouse the objects in line with current museum practice. Although the project is still under way, the Trust is very pleased with the work we have produced so far and want to share it. Please join Will Punter and Kieron Cheek as they present this short overview of some of the highlights and challenges they have encountered in working with this unique and fascinating collection.
| 8 March | Event: International Women’s Day |
| 19 January 2020 | Event: Traditional Somerset Wassail |
| 28 Oct – 2 Nov 2019 | Exhibition: Sea Dragons of Street |
| 01-23 Oct | Exhibition: War without glamour: The Life and Legacy of Emily Hobhouse’s Peace Activism |
| 16-20 Sep | Heritage Open Days Tour: Grange Tours (pre-bookable) |
| 6 – 9 Aug 2019 | Arts and Crafts: The World Comes to Street Community Art Project |
| 7 Jun 2019 | Performance: Library of Lost Memories – The Shoebox Theatre |
| 4-18 May 2019 | Installation art: Wildedges |
| 4-18 May 2019 | Exhibition: Street Arts Trail (various venues) |
| 1-6 April 2019 | Exhibition: Sea Dragons of Street |
| 8 Mar 2019 | Secrets of the Blue Stockings (International Women’s Day) |
| 29 Oct – 3 Nov 2018 | “Sea Dragons of Street” Fossil Exhibition |
| 29 Oct – 3 Nov 2018 | “Sea Dragons of Street” Half term Kid’s Craft Activities |
| 6-16 Sep 2018 | “Extraordinary Women” Archive Exhibition (Heritage Open Days) |
| 6-16 Sep 2018 | “Footwear in Focus” Photography Exhibition (Heritage Open Days) |
| 16 Aug 2018 | Twilight Talk: Wooden Wonders: Footwear Through The Ages |
| 9-12 Aug 2018 | Strode @ the Grange (Outdoor Cinema) |
| 12 Jul 2018 | Twilight Talk: Clarks of Street: Family, Company and Community 1723-2005 |
| 14 Jun 2018 | Twilight Talk: Treading Carefully – Digitising and Preserving Historic Footwear |
| 11 May 2018 | Somerset Day |
| 11 May 2018 | To Stand and Stare: A Somerset Landscape |
| 11-13 May 2018 | Wildedges |
| 12 Apr 2018 | Twilight Talk: Eureka! The Victorian Automaton That Creates Poetry |
| 15 Mar 2018 | Twilight Talk: The Magic Steps of Clarks Point of Sale Collection: 1851 to the Present |
| 19-24 Feb 2018 | Sea Dragons of Street |
| 2 Nov 2017 | 100 Years Since Women Got The Vote |
| 23-30 Sep 2017 | ‘Lasts’ Art Installation – Somerset Art Weeks |
| 23-30 Sep 2017 | ‘Golden Bough’ Art Installation – Somerset Art Weeks |
| 7-10 Sep 2017 | Heritage Open Days: Sea Dragons of Street exhibition |
| 30 Jul 2017 | Strode @ the Grange Outdoor Cinema: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (12A) |
| 29 Jul 2017 | Strode @ the Grange Outdoor Cinema: Jurassic Park (PG) |
| 28 Jul 2017 | Strode @ the Grange Outdoor Cinema: Mamma Mia! (PG) |
| 1 Jun 2017 | “Surely You Would Be Happier Being a Nurse?” (International Women’s Day) |
| 6 Apr 2017 | “Feminism, Goddess Spirituality and Motherworld” (International Women’s Day) |
| 7-11 Mar 2017 | International Women’s Day |
Alfred Gillett Trust 