Sunday 10 May 2026

Visit the Sidney H. Sime Gallery this Surrey Day and step into the extraordinary imaginative world of one of Britain’s most original Victorian artists.

Explore the artwork of Sidney H. Sime – renowned illustrator, caricaturist and humourist – whose fantastical creatures and darkly playful drawings were shaped by an unexpected beginning. As a young boy, Sime worked underground in the Yorkshire coal mines, labouring long hours in a confined world of darkness and grime. Yet it was here, deep below the surface, that his imagination first took hold. As he rested between shifts, Sime scratched eerie imps, goblins and strange creatures onto the coal seams around him — images that later emerged fully formed in his published illustrations and artworks.

Children and families are invited to “go underground” with a trail of quizzes and activities to help spot Sime’s weird and wonderful creatures throughout the gallery, discovering how those early underground experiences fired a lifelong creative spark.

Programme

• 2.00–2.30pm – Illustrated talk on Sidney H. Sime
• 2.30pm – Guided walk along Sime’s Art Trail
• Children’s quizzes and colouring activities available throughout
• Tea served all afternoon

Location:
Sidney H. Sime Gallery, Worplesdon Memorial hall GU3 3RF