THE restoration project of the Kingdon House Community Association received a boost when 200 artworks by the late Helen Rowett (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts) went on display at the end of October.

With the agreement of the artist’s family, the Rowett bequest was handed over to Kingdon House Community Association by her niece and nephew, Alina and Mark Clark, earlier this year — the 100th anniversary of her birth.

It included two watercolours by Helen’s friend and travel companion Norma Beadle, who formed the Tavistock Group of Artists in 1953, and pottery, etchings and watercolours by Helen, life president of the TGA, which she joined as one of its earliest members.

In 1976 when the former Tavistock Times offices and printing works came on to the market, the two friends saw its potential as a centre for the arts and community use. They secured its purchase and renamed it Kingdon House in honour of the paper’s last editor at the building, Eric Kingdon.

Visitors to the exhibition and sale included friends, distant family members, fellow artists, former colleagues and students of both ladies — many of whom had touching memories and tales of gratitude to relate.

Photos and details of the life and work of both artists were on display together with a file of material on Norma Beadle and her associates in the Tavistock Peace Action Group, loaned by Dr Rupert Gude.

Also shown in public for the first time was a portrait of Arthur Southcombe Parker, the architect of Kingdon House, and of most of the magnificent buildings on the north side of Bedford Square and up Drake Road. A copy was presented to the town earlier this year, the 150th anniversary of his birth, by his granddaughter and Tavistock resident Jill Cutts. The portrait, together with files of recent research into his life and work, proved of interest to local historians and architects who attended the sale.

The community association expressed thanks to the Tavistock Group of Artists for the loan of screens to show the works, to professional artist Ian Pethers for hanging the etchings and Benji for hanging the paintings.

Arrangements for the disposal of works unsold on this occasion will be announced at a later date.