And just like that, we’re back, summer’s coming to an end. Winchelsea’s had the fête and the art exhibition and Rye, the jazz festival. Autumn beckons in the shape of the arts festival and the inaugural Rye Wine and Food Harvest Fair, so plenty left to look forward to. And of course many of us choose to go away in September, no longer tied to school holidays, or just waiting for cooler weather in the Mediterranean.
The first Winchelsea Wednesday following the August break, is on Wednesday September 11 at 2.30pm and we are joined by Isabel Ryan, prior to her arts festival workshop a couple of days later in Rye.
Though her father John is more commonly known as the creator of Captain Pugwash and Mary Mungo and Midge, he was simultaneously the in-house cartoonist of the Catholic Herald for over 40 years. During that time, the Catholic Church in the UK was led by three different Archbishops of Westminster, one of whom, Cardinal Basil Hume, was a childhood friend of his.
Like all successful cartoonists, he knew his subject matter inside and out. He was an alumnus of Ampleforth and had a brother who was a Dominican priest-philosopher. He was also a skilled draughtsman, with a gentle, colloquial sense of humour. He teased his audience with benevolence and wit, not politics or admonition. And remember he started in the sixties, a time of huge cultural and doctrinal change, both nationally and globally.
Religion, like humour, is a deeply personal thing, but when satirised with skill or sensitivity, one can get on just fine with the other. Humour is often the way in to a complex subject matter or situation. If I say “Dave Allen” at this point, you’ll know exactly what I mean. His sketches were viewed as irreverent, but didn’t just make you laugh, they made you think. His famous sign off, “May your God go with you”, revealed a man who understood the role of religion in people’s lives, wherever you’re from, or however fervently you practice it.
More latterly, one of my favourite lines in a TV series is when the Archdeacon in Rev turns to Tom Hollander’s character, Reverend Adam, and says: “Make this quick, I have a reservation at The Ivy at 1.00.” – the pomposity of high office revealed in one sentence and instantly recognised, whatever your chosen profession.
Similarly, the skill of the cartoonist means that with a couple of strokes of the pen and few very well chosen words, 2000 years of liturgy and culture is distilled into a simple message, which resonates more and is remembered for longer, because it’s funny.
So join us for Sink or Swim: Catholicism in Sixties Britain through John Ryan’s Cartoons, to discover an entirely different side to someone you thought you already knew. Back in the New Hall, back with friends and neighbours, back for another enlightening talk and back for the wonderful afternoon tea.
Image Credits: Isabel Ryan .