Comments on: So Long, Polly Hope

By: Ottilie Von Henning

Ottilie Von Henning — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:31:35 +0000

I knew Polly when I was a child- my father, based in Germany, had worked with Polly and they were friends. So, when he came to visit me in London, we would often stay in this Spitalfields paradise together.
I feel truly honoured to have spent many a night wandering around this space, completely unaware of its significance.
I was incredibly saddened when my father told me about her death all those years ago, but I find great comfort being able to read a profile like this, learn something new, and feel her spirit again.

By: Brendan Kennelly

Brendan Kennelly — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 02:42:50 +0000

This morning I broke my treasured Polly Hope Globe Theatre coffee mug I purchased when visiting the theatre in 2012. I didn’t know anything of Polly until today…really happy to read about her and discover more of her work.

I’ll try to mend my mug for now and ill hope to be fortunate enough to have some of her other work in the future.

By: Peter Moran

Peter Moran — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 03:18:08 +0000

I lie here deep in Southern Greece, a fellow philhellene looking at my treasured Byron ceramic with rekindled admiration for Polly’s prodigious skills and grieve at her sad passing… ‘ελευθερια η θανατος’ (freedom or death….)

By: Francois-Eudes Alexander Marquis de Louiville H.S.H. Prince Mdivani

Francois-Eudes Alexander Marquis de Louiville H.S.H. Prince Mdivani — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:11:13 +0000

An TRUE friend.

By: Francois de Louisville

Francois de Louisville — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:18:57 +0000

A beautiful lady who always had lunch ready, had one of my female Bengal cat. I am a collector of her work, represented in my book published by Phaidon in the UK and Rizzolli in the US.

By: Gerda

Gerda — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 11:46:31 +0000

Today, July 21st 2018 I realised really for the first time how incredibly much I miss you. We had quarrelled too much which lay like a dark pall over all the amazing great wonder of you, the so many treasures you created, the brilliant treasures you brought and deposited wherever you were. I never experienced such rich gifts anywhere else in my life and the space you left empty at your departure is just so immense. So very much art including even the many small creature friends always also included, your fabulous prodigality with which you actually blessed all around you BUT I was never able to understand your temperament, could never understand to just shut up and enjoy. And NOW I so miss you and long for just one tiny quarrel to help me face the weirdness of our times. I am ashamed that I was just too slow and stupid to even begin to understand my own stupidity. Gerda

By: Jonathan Weightman

Jonathan Weightman — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 11:18:07 +0000

I’ve had a lovely Polly Hope work in my possession for many years and am delighted to discover this website to discover a bit more about Polly Hope and her world. It’s an ink and gouache (I think) in pinks and purples of a boy and a horse lying down together in a field and signed December 1959. All I know about it is that it was given to my mother (Xila MacLeod) by Michael Trevor-Williams, the manager of Portmeirion hotel in the early sixties because he said it would frighten/shock the guests if hung in the hotel! Unfortunately this mail doesn’t accept attachments so I can’t send a pic of this early work of PH.

By: Bela Romer

Bela Romer — Sat, 03 May 2014 18:45:33 +0000

Dear All,

I know Polly from 1999 , when she asked me to turn the house into a theatre as she got a brand new opera produced in her great home. I was a just finishing my course at the Guildhall and with the Opera Class we produced a great opera there. It was a great opportunity
As I was going thru my stuff I found a letter from Polly and looked her up and sadly found she past away.

Thanky you Polly for the opportunity to have meet you

Bela Romer

By: Jose Cruanes Ballester

Jose Cruanes Ballester — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:49:03 +0000

As you use to tell me;
Techniques can be learned, art cannot

By: Jose Cruanes Ballester

Jose Cruanes Ballester — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:47:26 +0000

Dear Polly and family;
I am writting to you all to express how deeply sorry I am for our loss, you taught me for 5 years of my life how to understand to love as a family, to fight for the things we want and to respect others as beeing such a strong woman you are, thank you very much because you made me part of who I am and I will always feel that you are my English mum.
Missing you
Jose