Talks and Lectures by Lucy Quinnell - to enquire please email Lucy at info@fireandiron.co.uk
Lucy Quinnell owns Fire & Iron Gallery at Rowhurst Forge in Leatherhead, where she lives and works with her son Tom Quinnell and her blacksmith husband Adam Boydell. Fire and Iron specialises in contemporary art metalwork, representing 150 British and international makers. Lucy is responsible for numerous public artworks across the UK. In 2008, she designed and produced Fire & Iron’s gold medal garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show; in 2012 she and Adam designed and created the Amesbury Archer sculpture in Wiltshire; and in 2015 they designed, built and installed the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Lucy has a passion for ecology, and Fire & Iron is run as a green business. In addition to her work, Lucy has developed a keen interest in genealogy and history. She lives in Leatherhead’s oldest house, Rowhurst (pre-1346), and her family research has led her from Surrey and Sussex to Philadelphia, Africa, Northern India and Australia. In 2012, Lucy’s campaign to save a local woodland, Teazle Wood, for the sake of ecology and community, reached a successful climax with the completion of the purchase and the founding of a charity: Teazle Wood Trust. She is Chair of the Leatherhead & District Countryside Protection Society. Lucy has appeared on television and radio to promote blacksmithing, and gives talks on subjects connected to her work and her home within its local context. Talks can be tailored to suit the individual requirements and interests of each group, and Lucy is happy to go out to talk to groups or small groups can visit Fire and Iron / Rowhurst / Teazle Wood. Length of talks can be adjusted to suit the time available.
Lucy’s fee for local talks 2024-2025 is £100. VAT is not applicable, and Lucy’s fee goes towards the sponsorship of children in India, a palliative care charity set up in memory of Lucy’s mother Jinny, or Teazle Wood Trust.
Typical subjects for 2024-2025 include...
The New Iron Age – a short history of blacksmithing and the work of Fire & Iron - What is a blacksmith? From the British Iron Age to the Dorking Cockerel, Lucy sheds light on a fascinating craft.
Saving Teazle Wood – the background to and fascinating story of the campaign to save and manage Teazle Wood in Leatherhead, Surrey.
Rowhurst – a house built of stories - a thorough investigation of Leatherhead’s oldest domestic property, featuring Leatherhead’s ancient history and how Lucy’s family came to be there.
”Thieves outside and Bedlam inside” (John Ruskin) - ironwork for gardens - a beautifully-illustrated wander through the wonderful ways in which ironwork has been used in gardens historically and today, by ironworker and RHS Gold Medallist Lucy Quinnell.
Jane Austen’s Leatherhead - Cathy Brett and Lucy Quinnell explore Jane Austen’s links to Leatherhead through her novel ‘Emma’ - the fee for this long double-speaker talk and discussion is £300 and VAT is not applicable
...although as mentioned above, if a group has particular specialist interest, Lucy is very happy to put together a special talk. Talks are accompanied by Powerpoint images, and Lucy often brings a selection of objects to hand round. Lucy has her own projector, laptop, projector stand, power cable and small screen, although if a venue has its own equipment this is preferable. Please contact Lucy if you require further information. Professional lectures on specialist metalwork subjects are also available - Lucy has spoken at The Goldsmiths’ Centre; the School of African and Oriental Studies; Kingston University; University for the Creative Arts; etc.
“Thank you for your spell-binding talk this evening. As I’m sure you could detect from people’s reactions, they were captivated by your story and the way you portrayed it. I’m so grateful to you for giving us such an enjoyable talk.” Elizabeth Weller, Westhumble Talks
“Your talk was excellent. Not only was the subject different and interesting, but you were also able to talk about your charitable work which sounds very worthwhile. Thank you very much indeed for making the time to give us such an interesting and entertaining evening last night.” Peter Hudson, Walton-on-Thames Rotary