Nina Hamnett and Winifred Gill wearing Omega designs,
24 October 1915

Since the war came as a bolt out of the blue to all but a few voices crying in the wilderness, Germany and England were full of each other's holiday makers, so a sort of moratorium of three or four-days was arranged to give them all time to get home.

Winifred Gill to Duncan Grant, September 1966.

Winfred Gill (1891–1981) is the unsung heroine of the Omega Workshops. As well as producing designs for the Omega, she also played a key role in running the workshops. After the Jubilee reunion of the Omega Workshops in the 1960's, Winifred Gill began corresponding by letter with Duncan Grant, who was also a significant member of the group. The letters covered many things from Gill's memories of the artists involved in the workshops to the experience of living through the First World War and how it affected everything they undertook.

At the time of writing the letters, Winifred Gill was living with her niece, Dr Margaret Bennett, in an East London general practice. True to many close family members they share a very similar voice. Dr Bennett recounts that patients telephoning the surgery would often mistake Gill for her, much to the patients frustration and their amusement.

Below are recordings taken from two of the letters written by Winifred Gill to Duncan Grant and read out by Dr Bennett, to whom we are very grateful. The recordings were made in the house the letters were written.

Introduction

by Dr Margaret Bennett

 

Listen to podcast

Letter number 5

written August 29, 1966

 

Letter 5, part 1

Letter 5, part 2

Letter 5, part 3

Letter number 6

written September 12, 1966

 

Letter 6, part 1

Letter 6, part 2

Letter 6, part 3