News | Delapré Abbey News

Help banish the January blues with a three-day Wellbeing Festival at Delapré Abbey

Posted on 17th January 202317th January 2023 by Delapré Abbey

Help banish the January blues with a three-day Wellbeing Festival at Delapré Abbey Relax and unwind with activities and talks […]

A healthy New Year boost announced for Delapré Abbey’s 19th century stable block project

Posted on 12th January 2023 by Delapré Abbey

Northampton health care provider General Practice Alliance is set to join forces with Delapré Abbey’s new Wellbeing Hub in spring […]

Local company announced as new partner for Delapré Abbey’s 19th century stable block project

Posted on 20th December 202211th January 2023 by Delapré Abbey

An established physiotherapy business has been announced as the first company set to move into Delapré Abbey’s new wellbeing hub. Thanks […]

Delapré Abbey appoints Currie & Brown to project manage the restoration of its 19th century stable block

Posted on 2nd December 202211th January 2023 by Delapré Abbey

Currie & Brown’s Milton Keynes team will oversee the project management, contact administration and quantity surveying for the historic Abbey’s […]

Our Christmas Fair returns this November and December!

Posted on 24th November 202225th November 2022 by Delapré Abbey

On the 26th & 27th November and 3rd & 4th December, our Christmas Fair returns with a whole host of […]

Life-saving defibrillator installed at Delapré Abbey

Posted on 22nd November 202223rd November 2022 by Delapré Abbey

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been installed in the grounds of Delapré Abbey through funds raised by Delapré Abbey […]

Our Christmas Fair returns later this month

Posted on 17th November 202217th November 2022 by Delapré Abbey

For the third year running, we will be asking all visitors to donate an item of food to Northampton Hope […]

Delapré Abbey Hosts 8th UK Cluniac Conference

Posted on 13th October 202213th October 2022 by Delapré Abbey

On Friday it was with pleasure that we hosted a group of people from across the UK at Delapré Abbey […]

Share your memories of Delapré Abbey’s gardens for a new exhibition

Posted on 12th October 2022 by Delapré Abbey

Delapré Abbey invites people from the local community and beyond to help shape a new exhibition through sharing their memories, […]

Have a spooktacular Halloween this October at Delapré Abbey

Posted on 3rd October 20223rd October 2022 by Delapré Abbey

Delapré Abbey invites you to have a fun-filled October with a variety of new tours, Halloween activities and more. It’s […]

june, 2023

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thu25mayAll Daythu13julThis Grief ThingGrief gatherings are small, free group conversations about grief and they're open to all.(All Day)

Event Details

Thu 25th May – Sat 29th July, various times and locations
Free, booking required
Sessions will last a maximum of 2 hours

This Grief Thing is a project that invites people to think, talk and learn about grief. We’re living at a time when many people find death and grief – our own grief or other people’s – almost impossible to talk about. We don’t know what to say, what to do, or how to act. So we stay silent, we pretend that grief doesn’t exist, or we hide it. This Grief Thing pushes against this, by opening up conversations about grief and making it visible.

As part of our wellbeing programme we are pleased to be working with Fevered Sleep who have created Grief Gatherings. They’re small, free group conversations about grief and they’re open to all. They’re for people who have experienced grief, and for people who haven’t. This will be an inclusive space. Any age, gender, race, faith welcome.
We’ll share thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences. If you don’t wish to talk that’s fine, people are welcome to just be present.

This project is a partnership between Delapré Abbey and Fevered Sleep and is funded by Northamptonshire Community Foundation.

Dates and Locations

Thu 25th May, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Mon 5th June, 6:30-8:30pm, Saints Coffee
This Grief Thing host: David Bowden

Thu 15th June, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Sat 24th June, 2-4pm, Delapré Abbey
This Grief Thing host: Lisa Lovett

Mon 10th July, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Saints Coffee
This Grief Thing host: David Bowden

Thu 13th July, 2-4pm, Umbrella Fair
This Grief Thing host: Laura Graham

Sat 29th July, 2-4pm, Delapré Abbey
This Grief Thing host: Lisa Lovett

How to get to each location

Saints Coffee: 62 St Giles’ St, Northampton NN1 1JW (map)

Umbrella Fair: Racecourse Pavilion, Kettering Rd, Northampton NN1 4LG (map)

Delapré Abbey (this session will be held in our Library): London Road, Northampton, NN4 8AW (map)

Meet the hosts

Laura Graham
Laura Graham is a freelance writer and content creator based in Northampton. In 2009 she lost her mum to breast cancer, a loss that changed her life and taught her about the complexities of grief. She went on to work for a local charity on a project to support people coming towards the end of life. She believes that grief is the last taboo and hopes that grief gatherings will enable participants to feel connected and seen by their community.

David Bowden
Dave Bowden – A.K.A Word Guerrilla – is a poet and performer. Utilising beatboxing, live looping and multi-instrumentalism, he delivers Word Guerrilla’s unique brand of spoken word poetry performances and workshops to a variety of different educational settings, workplaces and events across the country. As an educator and creative facilitator, he seeks to generate creativity in people through writing, empowering them with language and words.
He believes that grief is ever- present, and like bits of glitter: long after you think it has gone, it continues to turn up everywhere, often unexpectedly. It can be challenging to make sense of grief and adapt to it. Dave wants to facilitate grief gatherings to help others understand the experience, giving them a space to articulate how they think and feel about the process of grieving and help others adapt to the experience of grief.

Time

May 25 (Thursday) - July 13 (Thursday)

Buy here

Book Tickets

Calendar GoogleCal

sun28may(may 28)11:00 amsun29oct(oct 29)4:00 amExhibition: "The Walled Garden Was Magical"An exhibition of your memories of the gardens.(may 28) 11:00 am - (october 29) 4:00 am

Event Details

Sunday 28th May – Sunday 29th October
11am-4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
Entry included in the price of general admission (£8 adults, under 18s free)

“The walled garden was magical… the absolute treasure.” Councillor David Smith

This exhibition explores the vast history of Delapré Abbey’s gardens and tells the stories of those who have worked here over the centuries to make beautiful outdoor spaces for the house owners and, subsequently, for the general public to enjoy.

There have been gardens here since the opening of the nunnery in 1145. On Saturday 19^th July 1952, Delapré Abbey’s gardens opened to the public and have continued to be a place open for all to enjoy. As Alderman J.V. Collier said upon their opening 71 years ago: “The gardens offer a haven of rest away from the milling crowds. Within almost a stone’s throw of the centre of the town, we have something unique.”

Timed to coincide with the centenary year of Delapré Abbey’s water garden, the exhibition captures and celebrates the local communities’ memories of Delapré through photos, text, ephemera and oral history.

Whether you enjoyed the walled garden as a child, have attended a wedding here, or discovered the grounds during one of the Covid-19 lockdowns, we want this exhibition to encourage visitors to tell their friends and loved ones about any existing memories they have made here while making new ones together.

Photo: John Pettitt