In this issue

This issue, we take a look at the lives and places touched by Sir Edward Elgar in the county, including his Birthplace at The Firs in Broadheath and his great friend, Arthur Troyte-Griffith, subject of Elgar’s Enigma Variation No. VII (‘Troyte’); and we chat with Julian Lloyd Webber, President of the Elgar Society, about the great man and also learn more about the renaming of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

We lift the lid on the life and career of the incorrigible self-publicist Gerald Nabarro, MP for Kidderminster (1950–64) and Worcestershire South (1966–73), who was also a man of principle; and we delve into the life of English classical scholar and poet, Bromsgrove boy Alfred Edward Housman, author of the wistful, evocative A Shropshire Lad, who was ranked as one of the greatest scholars who ever lived.

We document Worcestershire’s built Art Deco legacy with the help of author Philip Butler, who spent a year researching, photographing and compiling a dossier of suitable candidates in the county. An absolute labour of love, his new book about the subject is out now.

We also add a splash of colour to short, grey days thanks to two county artists whose work we celebrate: Alexander Rhys, who very kindly gave permission for a photo of one of his glorious paintings to grace the front cover; and Antony Griffiths, who has created illustrations ranging from historical interpretations and book illustrations, to depictions of wildlife and local myths, and now has a book of his own in the offing: a children’s picture book that he has both written and illustrated.

We have the usual excellent contributions covering gardening, interiors, fashion and wine; and Pershore Patty samples and reviews the culinary delights of The Jockey Inn at Earl’s Croome, which was awarded the title of ‘Regional winner’ for the Midlands in the Good Food Guide Local Restaurant of the Year Awards 2017; and has a local gem entry in the Good Food Guide 2018.

WR magazine Worcestershire Magazine Description:

WR magazine is Worcestershire’s own ABC lifestyle magazine reflecting the culture, heritage and modernity of the UK county.