Despite the drizzle 18 Eye Matter members and volunteers took the train out of London to the Henry Moore Studios and Gardens in Hertfordshire on Thursday 5th June 2025. After a short mini bus ride they were soon at the former home of this prolific artist. Moore, similar to todays Banksie believed art should be for the everyday people and he donated many of his sculptures to poor neighbourhoods. Unlike the heavily guarded sculpture donated to a Kennington council estate Eye Matter members were allowed to get a close encounter with the sculptures .
Eye Matter’s member Mark exclaimed, “As usual this special trip was extremely well organised by Suzie Simons of Eye Matter which included a very comfortable coach journey from Ware Station to the Henry Moore house and sculpture park.
There was plenty of time to explore sculptures including an arranged guided audio tour with history and when stepping out of the house into the gardens I was met with sheep bleating nearby which I haven’t heard for years and the smell of the countryside and grassy area was very uplifting all enhanced by the rain which made it a very pleasant experience indeed. Touching the wet sculptures was much more preferable than ones that were dusty and a bit dirty!”
This was the charity’s second visit to the gardens and the facilitators from the foundation, once again, provided excellent support throughout the day. Eye Matter were divided into two groups to enable maximum access to the exhibits and audio describers. One new member expressed their delight at Eye Matter’s friendliness. This was also reflected in Marks feedback, “During the break there were cakes and tea which enabled us all to discuss our experiences and discoveries. With the security of the prearranged transport and purchasing of tickets Mark concluded .”making the whole experience a day to remember!”
A huge thanks to the staff at the Henry Moore studios, our sighted volunteers and everyone involved in this event. A special thanks to the photos sent by Hayley and Jo .