February 2012: Guy Warner: The Bar Boat

The Bar Boat is a colourful depiction of one of the many busy restaurant boats situated along the River Thames in oils. These floating vessels add a charm and vibrancy to the London landscape.

Guy Warner, 'The Bar Boat' £590

February 2012: Guy Warner: Stow-on-the-Wold

In this beautiful oil painting, Guy Warner has captured the village square of his home town. Stow-on-the-Wold is a small, but well known, market town set in the Cotswold Hills.

Set on a hill top, it stands beside the Roman Fosse Way at its junction with six other roads, and where a settlement has existed since the Iron Age.

Like many of the Cotswold towns and villages, the houses were built with the very distinctive mellow Cotswold stone from the local quarries with many of the buildings dating back to the 16th century.

Guy Warner, 'The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold' £330

February 2012: Guy Warner: Buckingham Palace

This exhibition piece from Guy Warner elegantly portrays the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, Buckingham Palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. Guy has captured in oil on canvas the famous landmark which has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Guy Warner 'Buckingham Palace from St James's Park' £525

January 2012: Guy Warner: Cordes-sur-Ciel

Cordes-sur-Ciel is a beautiful hilltop medieval village fortress in Southern France built by the Count of Toulouse in 1222, after the destruction of the previous village on the site by Simon de Montfort, whilst on his crusade against the Cathars.

"The traveller who looks at the summer night from the terrace at Cordes knows that if he wishes it, the beauty of this place, day after day, will banish solitude." Albert Camus, 1954

"Cordes-sur-Ciel", Guy Warner, Oil on Canvas, £590

January 2012: New Exhibiting Artist Guy Warner

Born in Birmingham in 1985, Guy Warner is an exciting emerging talent; he uses oils and acrylics to produce vibrant landscape pictures with a fresh and radiant colour palette. His skill with tone and his adept brushwork lend each picture a greatly appealing sense of depth and texture.

Guy is entirely self taught and now lives in the Cotswolds where he continually explores new methods of representing the world around him. He derives much inspiration from his local landscape although he is equally inspired by the urban environment.

Guy regularly undertakes commissions as well as working on personal projects, selling to various collectors.

To learn more about Guy, visit his website www.guywarner.co.uk

Albert Embankment from Lambeth Bridge, oil on canvas, £950

December 2011: Bursary boost for local youth centre

The Curzon Centre in Beaconsfield is to receive a £5000 bursary from B P Collins, being made in memory of Ian Johnson. The money will be used to support youth work being run by the dynamic High Wycombe based charity, Street Dreams.

David Stanning, who took over from Ian as senior partner nearly 3 years ago, said:

"Ian's support for the local community, for local businesses and, above all for local charities, was unstinting. He really valued the help and guidance that the team at the Curzon Centre provides for local youngsters and he recognised the importance of giving everyone the chances and opportunities to do well. We hope that by making this bursary in his name, we will be carrying on the spirit for which he was so much admired."

The first bursary cheque for £1000 was presented to The Rt. Hon The Earl Howe, president of the Curzon Centre, named after his family, who have lived and farmed in Buckinghamshire for generations. The Rt. Hon The Earl Howe said:

"I am delighted to be able to collect such a generous cheque on behalf of the Curzon Centre. It does a tremendous job in helping and encouraging young people towards a brighter and more fulfilling future and this donation will help make a real difference. It is also a very fitting way to pay tribute to the work that Ian Johnson did at the centre. His enthusiasm and input are greatly missed and we look forward to seeing the projects that Street Dreams will be taking forward in his memory."

LtR: The Rt. Hon The Earl Howe and David Stanning

December 2011: The Ian Johnson Suite

Friday 2 December marked the official naming of The Ian Johnson Suite, the meeting room suite at B P Collins' Gerrards Cross base, renamed in recognition of Ian's long and substantial contribution to the firm.

A photo and plaque of Ian was unveiled at a special drinks reception which also provided the opportunity to present a bursary to the Curzon Centre in Beaconsfield made in memory of Ian, a long-time supporter and trustee of the Centre and former senior partner at B P Collins, who died last December.

The first bursary cheque for £1000 (the total bursary of £5000 is spread over 5 years) was presented on the night to The Rt. Hon The Earl Howe, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health. The 7th Earl Howe is president of the Curzon Centre, named after his family, who have lived and farmed in Buckinghamshire for generations.

The money will be used to support youth work being run by the dynamic High Wycombe based charity, Street Dreams. Its goal is to give a fresh start to youth clubs at the Centre by providing a range of activities during clubs.

The management committee at the Curzon Centre had agreed that the new idea and energy that Street Dreams will bring to the Centre's youth work will be of major benefit to local young people.