The rules of Stone Club, of which there are four, were established in tandem with the succinct moniker, a riff on the two-syllable-titled action film from 1999 that the founders also honour, albeit playfully. “The third rule is ‘Pack a mac and pack a snack’, which is mainly because I’m rubbish at wearing weather-appropriate clothing,” shares Lally Macbeth. On a recent walk along the Ridgeway National Trail however, hosted by TOAST with Lally and her Stone Club co-founder Matthew Shaw, the bright rays of summertime proper left the order almost obsolete (the concluding rule of Stone Club, it should be noted, is that ‘Rules are for breaking!’).
The pair joined TOAST to celebrate its Autumn Winter 2024 collection, Patterns & Pathways, which examines how acts of mapping and exploration offer a sense of meaning in an ever-changing world. Gathering first at the TOAST Oxford shop, the group of twenty started their walk at the Uffington White Horse, which overlooks Dragon Hill, leading onto Uffington Castle, then along the Ridgeway to Wayland’s Smithy, home to a Neolithic long barrow encased in beech trees.
“These ancient sites date from really different times: The White Horse is Bronze Age, so around 4000 years old, then Uffington Castle is Iron Age, just over 2500 years old, and the Neolithic long barrow is 6000 years old, so it’s literally like travelling through time as you walk,” says Matthew. “Then looking too, at the small details along the pathway and broader man-made and naturally-occuring patterns, really applies to how we [as Stone Club], look and think about landscape.”
Largely a product of the pandemic, Stone Club began in late 2021 to serve a community the artist couple began identifying on their walks around the UK, when they’d often run into the same people. Initiated in the vein of a traditional fan club – swapping out music and comics for standing stones and prehistoric sites – they began with straightforward intentions, to provide a forum of sorts, at that point without any notion of formal get-togethers. “It was a rainy evening in November, and as a kind of fun thing we made some badges and membership cards,” recalls Lally. “We gave them to friends and family, then put it on Instagram and people got really excited. We realised there was an appetite for not only getting out into the landscape, but exploring ideas about what it all means. It was just a thing people could join.”
Growing up amidst the “stone heavy” terrain of Cornwall and later Ireland, Lally had an early introduction to menhirs, stone circles and fogous, though her real interest arrived as an adult she notes, after returning to the South West following a stint living in London. Matthew meanwhile, was privy to a particularly distinct scene as a kid in Cheshire. “The centre of town had these Anglo-Saxon crosses, really tall decorated stones. Although not prehistoric, they were always looming,” he remembers. “Then when I moved to Dorset, I bought The Modern Antiquarian by Julian Cope, this really modern take on prehistoric Britain. That was a bit of a gateway.”
“All of our journeys today are mapped by what's ancient and nearby,” continues Matthew. “That's kind of how we plan our time, it’s an ongoing obsession. We learn things as we go too, so ideas are always coming from different angles.” Indeed, Stone Club’s in-person events (which range from country walks to exhibitions and talks in more urban environments) are anchored in this desire to share knowledge. “That's the real beauty of it, that there'll always be people who know more about a certain aspect or niche,” adds Lally. “But also, some people just have a heart-led response, which is really interesting. We've had people say ‘it’s really changed my perspective’ or ‘it’s offered me a place where I didn't have one before’, which is lovely to hear. Someone even once said, at an event at The Social [in London], ‘it's like you're bringing the stones to the city’. It's always amazing what people will tell you, and surprises me often.”
Their nights at The Social began shortly after the earliest Stone Club walk (wherein the film producer, Denzil Monk took them to Bosiliack Barrow in Cornwall, and they presented him with membership card 002), and have become a core part of they do, much like their digital operation which includes, beyond Instagram, a newsletter, prize draws and a podcast. “We were keen that even if people couldn't get to events, there was a presence online that they could be part of,” notes Lally, observing the rich community aspect of Stone Club. For Matthew in particular, curating the talks and podcast line-up has become a vital part of the club’s offering, especially on a personal level. “I'm really enjoying being able to explore more positive aspects of what's going on in the world, because it's increasingly a difficult and upsetting time,” he shares. “Speaking to people who are working on amazing projects, especially those that provide a sense of our place in history, gives me hope for the future.”
Join TOAST and Stone Club for a guided walk steeped in folklore, ecology and history on Thur 15 August.
Words by Zoe Whitfield.
Photography by Marco Kesseler.
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