Form 6 at Bowes Museum
On Monday 18th May, Form 6 were invited by Greville Worthington to visit the Bowes Museum to view the Gerald Scarfe “Milk Snatcher” exhibition that he has recently curated. The exhibition presents a selection of the many satirical cartoons made of Margaret Thatcher over a period of 22 years from her days as a member of the shadow cabinet to her leadership of the Conservative Party and her tenure as Prime Minister, as well as her political decline. Scarfe pulls no punches, portraying Thatcher as equally cunning, ruthless, mean spirited, vain, terrifying, sharp and sexy. The cartoons, mainly from Scarfe’s own archive, highlight key moments in British social history, such as the Winter of Discontent, the Miners’ Strike and the Falklands War. It was a fascinating exhibition encapsulating great artistic skill, wit and social history and it stimulated some interesting discussion. After viewing the exhibition there was an opportunity for Form 6 to see the impressive permanent collection housed at the Bowes before returning to school to continue preparations for their Common Entrance exams. The school is indebted to Mr. Worthington for so kindly giving the pupils his time and expertise.