Lady Stern
Lance Cattermole (1898–1992)
Worthing Museum and Art Gallery

This next painting is Lady Stern by Lance Cattermole, 1896 to 1992. It was painted in 1941. She reminds me of the clothes she’s wearing, the clothes they sell in shop Jaeger shop, it’s a German shop.  For women who are quite slim. And it’s like a three piece. Yeah, it’s a two piece suit.
And what did you like about Lady Stern? Well I happened to like her because of what she’s done. I read about it and I like what she’s done. So I thought well I will take that.  Obviously she had a reason to make a formal pose. I saw other photos of her looking very casual outside, you know, outside in the garden. More relaxed, very much more relaxed. But that photo there was only because she thinks maybe she was told to dress up, have a photo taken. But I’ve seen photos of her when she’s relaxed and just a very casual person. And I took to her because of the fact that she donated Highdown Gardens to ordinary people, the public. That’s what I like.  I like her too yeah, all I see is blue, so I thought that reminds me of Margaret Thatcher’s suit. But it’s not. But I just like how the stern-ness you know like the old photos.
Yeah, I know, stern. Yeah. But she looks, looks she looks formal and, she’s got dark hair, dark short hair, wavy hair, and she’s just looking solemn. But more thoughtful. And she’s just sitting there because she’s told to sit there and have pose like that. And she had to sit there for that time. She’s sitting on top of a railing in front of the fire, and, she’s got a bookcase just behind her, and she’s inside of a house with carpet.
To me, it’s giving me, like, a relaxed power pose, like don’t upset me. So that’s what I got from her.
She’s a sort of woman who carries self-respect and dignity. But inwardly with that, she’s very thoughtful of ordinary people. She’s very thoughtful people. She has compassion. Yeah. And that’s why she donated Highdown Gardens to the Worthing Town Council, because she had passion about the public, ordinary people she doesn’t look like it, but she does.
She does look a bit scary, I have to say.
Well, she’s got a Cleopatra look about her. Yes, because some people, they look stern, but go through they’re they’re quite soft and they’ve got a heart of gold. Then you get other people who are who are soft on the surface, and they’re hard in the core.  To be honest, if it wasn’t for her, Lady Stern and Lord Stern, we wouldn’t have Highdown Gardens. Absolutely. I mean, we’re very lucky really to have to Highdown Gardens.
What do you like? What’s your favorite part of Highdown Gardens. Well I like every single bit of it. I love all that. You know, with the trees on all the way, all the gardens on everything like that. Yes, I love that. I love where we do our painting. We did our painting. And I also love the cafe. Get a cup of tea. And I love that house. The house had a nice feel to it somehow.