Our summer outing on 17 August 2026 will be to Ickworth and Lavenham.  Details are in the June 2026 Newsletter, click here.  For booking form, click here

How many times do we watch a costume drama and wonder where it was filmed?  The chances are that The Old Royal Naval College will feature somewhere.  This behind-the-scenes walking tour, led by one of our own members, will uncover the closely guarded secrets of filmmaking from Bridgerton to The Crown and from Pirates of the Caribbean to Les Miserables.  What is more, the tour includes a fun and interactive session on fan etiquette and its secret meanings as well as a chance to revisit the wonderful Painted Hall.  Booking Form  here

Guided visit at 11.

Following his livamely lecture to us earlier this year, we can now offer a rare treat: to view highlights of the Mesopotamia collection through the expert eyes of the Museum’s Assistant Keeper of the Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and cultures.  Dr Finkel will show us and talk about some of the items he finds the most fascinating for an hour from 11am.  Because we expect the Museum to be busy, the group will be limited in size, so we encourage all those who share Dr Finkel’s interests to sign up quickly.  Booking Form here.

Join our lecturer Ian Swankie on a walking tour of the exciting regeneration of the iconic former power station with its famous four chimneys. The vast scale of the building can only be appreciated close up.  On this walk we’ll see the glitzy new apartment blocks by well-known architects including Norman Foster and Frank Gehry, then we’ll explore the power station building outside and inside. Audio receivers are provided to aid communication. In response to high demand, Ian has agreed to a second walk on the same day. 

Please contact Janice Brooke to request a Booking Form, stating which visit time you prefer: janicembrooke@gmail.com

Illustrated lecture by Ray Warburton discussing some 25 artworks from the Modern Era, with Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism leading the way.  The Post-Modern Era commence in the 1960s ushered in by Conceptual Art.  Contemporary Art is just that, contemporary and diverse, multi-faceted and technology informed.  You are invited to nominate which of the works discussed you would wish to view from the list below.  Download Booking Form here.

1.    Kasimir Malevich ‘Dynamic Suprematism’, 1915

2.    Piet Mondrian ‘Composition C (No. III) in Red, Yellow and Blue’, 1935

3.    Lucio Fontana ‘Spatial Concept Waiting’, 1960

4.    Ben Nicholson ‘Feb-54’, 1954

5.    Barbara Hepworth ‘Untitled (Nyanga)’, 1959-60

6.    Joseph Beuys ‘Lightning with a stag in its glare’, 1958-85

7.    Belkis Ayón ‘The Supper’, 1991

8.    Georges Braque ‘Mandora’, 1909-10

9.    Anthony Caro ‘'Table Piece CCLXVI', 1975

10. Henri Matisse ‘The Snail’, 1953

11. Mark Rothko ‘The Seagram Murals’, 1958-59

12. Lee Krasner ‘Gothic Landscape’, 1961

13. Jackson Pollock ‘Yellow Islands’, 1956

14. Andy Warhol ‘Marilyn Diptych’, 1962

15. Marcel Duchamp ‘Fountain’, 1964

16. Meschac Gaba ‘Art and Religion Room’, 1997–2002

17. Mark Bradford ‘Los Moscos’, 2004

18. Roy Lichtenstein ‘Whaam’, 1963

19. Pablo Picasso ‘Seated woman in a chemise’, 1923

20. Salvador Dali ‘Metamorphosis of Narcissus’, 1937

21. Louise Bourgeois ‘Fillette (Sweeter Version)’, 1968-69

22. Louise Bourgeois ‘Mamam’, 1999

23. The Guerilla Girls ‘Various Screenprints’, 1984 to present

24. Cildo Meireles ‘Babel’, 2001

25. Monster Chetwynd ‘A Tax Haven Run by Women’, 2010-11

Ingatestone Hall is a 16th century manor house built by Sir William Petre, Secretary of State to four Tudor Monarchs.  Sir William’s descendants still live in the house which largely retains its Tudor form and appearance.  It will be opened especially for us to enjoy, with time to visit the grounds after a guided tour of the house with an introduction its interesting history.  No doubt we will hear of the ancestral connection with Pope’s The Rape of the Lock and other fascinating stories.

Queen's Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest was built in 1543 for King Henry VIII and renovated by order of Queen Elizabeth1st.  Right next door is the Epping Forest Visitor Centre packed with information about this historic area. The views are wonderful.  We understand there may even be a couple of cafes (usually with home made cakes) not too far away to set us up for the return journey to Blackheath.

The outing is by coach.  Booking Form here

Please note that this tour involves navigating steep, narrow staircases with limited headroom in places and is therefore not recommended to those who would find this difficult.

 We are all familiar with the Church of St Alfege dominating as it does the centre of Greenwich.  But what do we know about what lies under our feet and above our heads?  With our volunteer guides we can peer into the vaults and imagine how these would have looked 200 years ago, whilst hearing some of the fascinating stories of the extraordinary characters who are buried here.  From the depths of the church our guide will lead us up to the galleries from where there is a 360 degree view of the church and its suspended ceiling - the largest in Europe when built in the early 18th century.  And there are more stories to be told about the colourful lives of those who served and worshipped in this amazing space.  This will be an opportunity to experience an old friend in a completely different way.  We are indebted to TASB Member Isabel Trafford for suggesting this visit and agreeing to be one of our guides.

Booking Form here http://ST ALFEGE BOOKING FORM PDF (theartssocietyblackheath.org.uk)

The Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. It is a Grade I listed building. Designed by George Dance in the Palladian style, it was built primarily in the 1740s. It is the official home of the Lord Mayor of London and scene of two important annual dinners, one addressed by the Foreign Secretary the other by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The building was paid for by one of the less edifying devices in City history. There are superb collections of painting, silver plate and ceremonial swords. The residence used to contain a court of law, the last private home to do so, as the Lord Mayor is the chief magistrate of the City while in office. PRACTICAL INFORMATION: By 2.50 meet outside the Lord Mayor’s entrance in Walbrook

Click here for the booking form

Following Alan Read’s really interesting lecture on Sir Denys Lasdun in October, and in response to huge demand, we have arranged up to two private group tours which promise to ‘take you on a journey behind the scenes to see what’s being made in their on-site carpentry, props and scenic painting workshops, and discover how they create their world-class productions.  You will also explore the design and unique features of this renowned building, including the auditoriums’.

BOOKING FORM here

This lecture forms the intial part of a wider progeramme including a visit to the Gallery.  Since numbers for this visit are limited, members are invited to attend the lecture for a reduced price of £10 by completing and returning the Booking Form for Option 1, available here.  If you would like to join the wait-list for the Gallery visit as well, please tick on the form.

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in Ealing is the recently restored country residence of the Architect Sir John Soane.  We will have a private guided tour of the house covering Soane's residency combined with the fascinating story of the decisions made during the recent restoration work.

Its special exhibition space will be showing 6 huge tapestries entitled THE VANITY OF SMALL DIFFERENCES by Grayson Perry, works inspired by Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress originally purchased for and displayed in this house. Booking form here.

Our Summer Outing this year takes in two very special venues in Hertfordshire: The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban where we will have a guided tour focussing on the fine decorative arts of the medieval craftsmen who worked on the original building. Like so many religious establishments, it suffered from dissolution in the 16th Century but came to life again after restoration in the 19th Century, gaining cathedral status in 1877 whilst still also serving as a parish church. At 85 metres long, it has the longest nave of any cathedral in England.
The romantic turreted and domed Knebworth House, associated with the Bulwer Lytton family is now the hereditary home of Henry Fromanteel Lytton-Cobbold, 3rd Baron Cobbold. He is a screenwriter with strong Hollywood connections, and unsurprisingly therefore, the house has been the shooting location of many prominent films & TV series. The building dates from the 15th Century but with more recent interventions by others, including Sir Edwin Lutyens who married into the family. To many, the grounds have a fame all of their own as the venue for Knebworth Rock and Pop Festival, an annual event since 1974.
Booking form here.

This is an opportunity to visit two institutions we all know about but perhaps have never taken the time to explore.  The temporary exhibition at the Wellcome entitled The Cult of Beauty has been very well reviewed, especially by Laura Cumming in The Guardian: “this riveting show traces humanity’s obsession with beauty through time and cultures with a keen sense of the ludicrous and the shocking”.

We may also have time to at least dip into the Wellcome’s permanent display, the thought-provoking “Being Human” before moving on to the British Library for an independent lunch followed by a Buildings Tour. Afterwards, visit the Treasures Gallery containing among other things Magna Carta, pages from of one of the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, from Shakespeare’s First Folio and Michelangelo’s anatomical illustrations to say nothing of Paul McCartney’s sketches of George Harrison and John Lennon.

Booking form here.

Focussing on the evolution of the Tube, we start at Baker Street on the most beautiful platform of the oldest line (1863), before taking a look at a second platform that became the starting point of Metroland (most famous of the Underground’s suburban extensions). We will then travel on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines, two of the ‘Yerkes Tubes’, built it by the American financier (and crook), Charles Tyson Yerkes. These lines – opened in 1906 – were notable for their beautiful tiling.

 At Piccadilly Circus, we will take a walk around the glamorous, circular ticket hall, designed by Charles Holden, protégé of Frank Pick, who oversaw London Underground design in the 1920s and 30s. We will take a glance at the 1960s Victoria line (time permitting) and finish with a look at Southwark, one of the handsomest stations on the Jubilee Line Extension of 2000.

Our guide will be Andrew Martin – journalist, novelist, railway enthusiast, and author of London Underground: A Passenger’s History of the Tube.  Download the Booking Form here.

We start at Baker Street on the most beautiful platform of the oldest line (1863), before taking a look at a second platform that became the starting point of Metroland (most famous of the Underground’s suburban extensions). We will then travel on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines, two of the ‘Yerkes Tubes’, built it by the American financier (and crook), Charles Tyson Yerkes. These lines – opened in 1906 – were notable for their beautiful tiling.

 At Piccadilly Circus, we will take a walk around the glamorous, circular ticket hall, designed by Charles Holden, protégé of Frank Pick, who oversaw London Underground design in the 1920s and 30s. We will take a glance at the 1960s Victoria line (time permitting) and finish with a look at Southwark, one of the handsomest stations on the Jubilee Line Extension of 2000.

 Our guide will be Andrew Martin – journalist, novelist, railway enthusiast, and author of London Underground: A Passenger’s History of the Tube.

To download the Booking Form press here.

How Jewish Londoners shaped Global Style

Remember these brands from the not-so-distant past?  Alexon, Wallis, Cecil Gee or Mr Fish and the kipper tie? What about fashionable Chelsea Girl that later became River Island?  Or David Sassoon, one of Princess Diana’s favourite designers - still alive and able to record a talk about the relationship for this exhibition?

These names are all to be found in a special exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands that celebrates the contributions made by immigrant tailors, couturiers, and retailers to the fashion industry.   Many came from families settled in London’s East End, and who made their names in the West End.  With the aid of documents, short films, and examples of their tailoring, ball-gowns and millinery, not forgetting with a Couture Salon and Men’s Fashion Room, this is a fascinating story of adaptation and success. 

Booking Form here

As a prelude to Christmas, join us for a day in the lively Covent Garden area.  We begin with a private tour of The Royal Opera House, behind the scenes as well as in front of the curtain. One of the world’s leading houses for opera and ballet, and with recently upgraded backstage and costume-making facilities, there will be much of interest to see. Most areas are accessible by lift or escalator but some stairs may be involved.  The tour may involve the use of headphones to aid audibility.

The tour will last from 10.45 to 12.00.  From 10.30 a member of security will be waiting by the Bow Street Main entrance to let us in and we meet our Guide by the free Cloakroom in the main foyer. When the tour finishes, there will be a break until 2.15 during which time you can choose either to enjoy the area on your own or take advantage of a sociable lunch in the Piazza Restaurant on the 5th Floor of the Opera House.  The set lunch menu  is priced at £22 for two courses, and £30 for 3.  It is not included in the price, and we ask you to state on the Booking Slip if you would like to join the lunch party as I will make a reservation to ensure we can be accommodated.  See sample menu at the Visits Desk.

For those signed up to the Walk, at 2.15 meet Jonathan Causer at the junction of Henrietta Street with Southampton Street by the Jubilee Market for the second part of the day – a chance to immerse yourself in the history of the Covent Garden area as we stroll round. The walk will finish around 4pm.

Please note that the Opera House visit will accommodate up to 25 but Jonathan’s walk will be limited to 10, but with a second date possible.  [Janice Brooke 07910 34268]  As this tour has sold out, please contact me if you wish to join the Wait List

Morden College is a Charity dedicated to supporting older people. Founded in 1695 by the pioneering merchant, Sir John Morden for colleagues who were less fortunate than he:   ‘those who have lost their Estates by accidents, dangers and perils of the seas or by any other accidents ways or means in their honest endeavours to get their living by means of Merchandizing’.  The original  establishment was built to a design sometimes attributed to Sir Christopher Wren but largely carried out by Edward Strong, his master mason.  Many modern additions have been made to increase and enhance the facilities, resulting in the very impressive institution we see today.

We will be led on a guided tour of the grounds and principal buildings by their librarian and archivist, Gillian Edwards.  The tour will be followed by refreshments.  The Booking form is available here

 Please note that there is an error on the tear-off slip.  The cost remains at £10, not £16 as erroneously shown.

A short ride from Blackheath, on the River Medway, lies the attractive and historic city of Rochester.  We have assembled a day exploring the highlights, with an introductory walking tour and visits inside the most interesting buildings.

 These include Restoration House, the inspiration in Dickens’ novel ‘Great Expectations’ for the home of Estella and Miss Havisham, and the impressive Guildhall Museum on local history with its grand court room. We have built in some free time for exploration, with recommendations on the reverse side of the booking form, which can be accessed here.  https://theartssocietyblackheath.org.uk/DocumentStore/Rochester%20Booking%20Form.pdf

A visit and Study Afternoon with Arts Society Lecturer, Tate Guide & member of our Society, Raymond Warburton.

 In March, Art Critic Waldemar Januszczak wrote in the Sunday Times:

‘Dark rumours have been circulating about his [Director Alex Farquharson] disastrous Tate Britain rehang, with crazy captions, missing pictures and determinedly wokeish inflections.  I went along this week prepared fully for catastrophe. That is not what I encountered. What I encountered was a triumph.’ 

 Does our guide, Ray Warburton agree?  With Ray we will explore in theory and practice the impact and rationale of the changes.  Do they work for you?

Booking form here

This is the first time in the UK that there has been a chance to study the work of one of the 3 female artists who exhibited alongside their male impressionist contemporaries.  [The others were Mary Cassatt and Eva Gonzales].   In partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris which has a complete room devoted to her work, this exhibition will bring together 30 of Morisot’s masterpieces from international collections to reveal the artist as a trailblazer of the movement.  We will also have full access to the permanent collection.  The Booking Form can be downloaded here

From Priory to Church to Cathedral: A History Tour of Southwark Cathedral

 This 90-minute tour will aim to cover the 900 years of the Cathedral’s History:  architecture, monuments and stained glass windows including those commemorating the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare.  We will also see the tomb of John Gower and hear about the heresy trials held in the Retrochoir which led to the condemned being burned at the stake.  And not forgetting quirky features such as the roof bosses.

We are pleased that TASB member Isabel Trafford will be one of our guides, joined by another colleague if numbers warrant this.  Booking Form here

AN AMBULATORY ARCHITECTURAL APPRECIATION

A guided tour visiting the more notable and interesting surviving  18th Century City  Churches.  Chris's focus will be on the architecture of the churches themselves, and how they came to be built and financed.

We will look at examples by Wren, Hooke and Harwksmoor, such as St Stephen Walbrook, St Mary Aldermary and St Mary-le-Bow [but not St Paul's Cathedral].

The walk will begin and end at Cannon Street railway station.  Meet at 10.30 in the middle of the concourse where the Blackheath trains arrive.

Chris is kindly giving his services free of charge, but as usual, a £10 donation to the Society would be much appreciated.  The Booking Form can be downloaded here.

Barts Heritage is leading the rescue and rejuvenation of the Grade 1 historic North Wing of St Bartholomew’s Hospital.  With Will, we will spend time studying  the staircase walls decorated by William Hogarth at a time when he briefly aspired to the grand historical style, creating two huge paintings, “Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda” and “The Good Samaritan.”  The Great Hall is also spectacular and will be worth a second visit after completion of the works.   Refreshments will be served.  This charity is not making a charge, but would very much value donations towards their work.  Consequently, your payment will be shared between Barts and our Society.  The visit starts at 2pm and will last 1.5 to 2 hours, inclduing refreshments.  There is a lift for those with restricted mobility.

Booking form here

From its conception Spencer House was recognised as one of the most ambitious and splendid private palaces ever built in London and is today the city’s only great 18thC house to survive intact.

 Finished in 1766 John Spencer initially employed the Palladian architect John Vardy, a pupil of William Kent. Vardy was responsible for the external elevations of Spencer House and the design of the ground floor rooms including some of the furniture.

James ‘Athenian’ Stuart, then newly returned from Greece, superseded Vardy as Lord Spencer’s architect in 1758. As a result, the House became the first example in London of the application of accurate Greek detail to interior decoration, making it one of the pioneer examples of neo-classical architecture.

Although still owned by the family, it is leased by Earl Spencer to RIT Capital Partners plc under the Chairmanship of Lord Rothschild, who have recently undertaken a 10 year programme of restoration.  Booking form here

A guided tour visiting the more notable and interesting surviving 18th Century City Churches.   We will look at examples by Wren, Hooke and Hawksmoor such as St Stephen Walbrook, St Mary Aldermary and St Mary-le-Bow.

Booking Form here.

Henry Moore Studios & Gardens in rural Hertfordshire is the best place in the world to
appreciate the work of sculptor Henry Moore. Moore’s former estate is much as it was during
the artist’s lifetime and provides the perfect backdrop for his work, which was always
intended to be experienced in the landscape.

To access the booking form, click here.

Strand (in official documents it never has a “The”) is only 3/4 mile long, from Trafalgar Square to Temple Bar.  For a thousand years it has been a major highway and is packed with history, including the Gunpowder plot, a buried church, a murder, a crazed elephant, a crazed sculptor, a megalomaniac Duke and much more. 

 The walk starts at Charing Cross mainline station under the clock at 10.30am and then heads eastwards, with a coffee stop about half-way, ending near the High Court in time for lunch if you wish.  No stiles, but two sets of stairs.
 
The walk will be led by our Chair, Jonathan Causer.  As on previous occasions he is generously giving his services free but a donation to the Arts Society Blackheath of £10 per person joining the walk would be appreciated. 

Booking Form here

Strand (in official documents it never has a “The”) is only 3/4 mile long, from Trafalgar Square to Temple Bar.  For a thousand years it has been a major highway and is packed with history, including the Gunpowder plot, a buried church, a murder, a crazed elephant, a crazed sculptor, a megalomaniac Duke and much more. 

 The walk starts at Charing Cross mainline station under the clock at 10.30am and then heads eastwards, with a coffee stop about half-way, ending near the High Court in time for lunch if you wish.  No stiles, but two sets of stairs.
 
The walk will be led by our Chair, Jonathan Causer.  As on previous occasions he is generously giving his services free but a donation to the Arts Society Blackheath of £10 per person joining the walk would be appreciated. 

Booking Form here

The COURTAULD GALLERY in Somerset House is always worth visiting and now is the perfect time. It has recently re-opened after a major refit and complete re-hang of its magnificent art collection. 

 When you add the world's first ever special exhibition of Van Gogh self-portraits with loans from across the globe, it becomes unmissable.

Please note that all bookings must be in on or before 24th February.  Booking Form here:

If you are considering joining the informal lunch party at The Knights Templar and would like to check the menu, this is their website:

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-knights-templar-near-fleet-street. 

This monumental Victorian edifice, originally conceived to promote 'the advancement of the arts and sciences and works of industry of all nations in fulfilment of the intention of Albert Prince Consort' has since become most associated with musical events of all types.

Concert-goers experience one side of this venue; we now have the chance to go where they generally do not.  Over two private tours we will explore backstage, and then be introduced to the works of art  not generally accessible and learn about the design of the building itself.  This promises to be a fascinating afternoon.

A break is included with an opportunity to purchase refreshments. 

To download the booking form, click here.

This long-postponded private guided tour of Trinity House will now take place on Monday 22nd November 2021.  If you have booked on the tour due to take place on 13th September which has now been rescheduled to November 2021, please confirm with Janice Brooke  (janicembrooke@gmail.com or phone 07910 342683).

If you have not previously booked this guided tour but would like to do so, please fill in the booking form which can be accessed here.

The Old Royal Naval College has stood in for more locations than any other venue, from Buckingham Palace in The Crown to revolutionary Paris in Les Miserables.

Take a journey through the lens of film, guided by our very own Isabel Trafford.

Booking form available here.

A walk of 2.7Km, ascent 21m (one staircase, upwards), in the area of Legal London but not about lawyers.  Instead, there is the Fleet, Henry VIII, George & The Dragon, newspapers, Sweeney Todd, Dr Johnson, Suffragettes, a (not very-) secret communications centre, St Giles rookery, Sally Salisbury and more.  The walk will end where good lunch opportunities may be found and also close to the Guildhall Art Gallery (free), which is open for individual visits and has a special Noel Coward Exhibition.

For booking form click here

When taking visitors to the Tower, have you ever looked across and wondered about this imposing building?  Dominating Trinity Square, it is the HQ of a historic charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers – most especially managing the country’s lighthouses.  Designed by Samuel Wyatt but badly damaged during WWII, it has been restored to its 18th century glory with beautifully appointed rooms.  A guided tour awaits.  Click here for Booking Form 

Updated: As the full unlocking from Covid Lockdown has been delayed, this tour has been postponed. A new date will be set.

This has been cancelled because of new Covid restrictions on activities. Arrangements will be made to refund fees paid.

The visit to Trinity House is part 2 of the linked visit to the Tower Hill area. The first was the walk around the area with a guide, Kate Boyle on 12th October. Trinity House is the head quarters of a historic charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers. This includes managing the country’s lighthouses. Designed by Samuel Wyatt, but badly damaged during WWII, it was reconstructed to its 18th century glory and has beautifully-appointed rooms, with many fine paintings.Under current rules, Trinity House, as a Museum, is allowed to welcome 12 individuals at a time so please do not travel as a group and make your own way to Trinity Square to enter and bring a face covering. Download the joint booking form here.

This is a visit in 2 parts.

The first part is a walk at 2pm  around the historically rich area around Tower Hill the Roman Wall, Seething Lane Gardens, St. Olave's (Pepys' Church), the Malta Memorial, the Lutyens Memorial and the Tower Hill sundial. Our guide, Kate Boyle will show us these and much more. Kate will point out, and introduce Trinity House on this walk in anticipation of the visit the following week. Meet at 11am at street level under the Tower Gateway DLR dome (from Lewisham change at Westferry). Please bring a face covering and be prepared to socially distance.Each group is limited 6.

A booking form for both the walk and to Trinity House may be downloaded here.

Inspired by our postponed lecture on the silk industry, and visit to Spitalfields, we learnt Spitalfields was not the only area of Huguenot activity. They settled in Greenwich too. Many lived in lived in Croom's Hill and worshipped at St Alfege Church. Their story can be revealed in a walk around the area, led by an official guide recommended by the Huguenot Society. She will use a voice enhancer to guarantee audibility.

We will observe social distancing and wear face coverings. Numbers will be necessarily limited. If you would like to join, please download the booking form, click here, fill it in and return to Janice Brooke, the Visits Secretary, email: janicembrooke@gmail.com

This is a repeat of the walk organised on 20th August as that was fully booked.

Inspired by our postponed lecture on the silk industry, and visit to Spitalfields, we learnt Spitalfields was not the only area of Huguenot activity. They settled in Greenwich too. Many lived in lived in Croom's Hill and worshipped at St Alfege Church. Their story can be revealed in a walk around the area, led by an official guide recommended by the Huguenot Society. She will use a voice enhancer to guarantee audibility.

We will observe social distancing and wear face coverings. Numbers will be necessarily limited. If you would like to join, please download the booking form, click here, fill it in and return to Janice Brooke, the Visits Secretary, email: janicembrooke@gmail.com

THIS WALK HAS BEEN POSTPONED. WATCH FOR NEW DATE.

In anticipation of our June lecture on Silks in 18th Century Spitalfields, we have arranged a walk around the area where the weavers lived anf worked.  This enclave of Georgian London still exists, surrounded and dwarfed by today's financial high-rise.  This walk will focus on other families such as the Ogiers, the Courtaulds and Le Keux that once dominated the textile industry - their lives in their elegant houses, and that of their workers who toiled to produce the fine silks for the gentry, examples of which we can now see in the V&A and in other museums around the world.

Further details can be found on the Booking Form, downloadable here 

THIS VISIT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.  IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED WHEN CONDITIONS PERMIT

The Royal Hospital Chelsea, founded in 1682 by Charles II, has been providing a home for army veterans ever since.  Our tour will reveal the history behind this unique national institution and will allow us to explore the famous Wren Chapel and Great Hall, gain an insight into 17th life and hear first-hand which life is like for today's residents.

To book your place, contact:  

janicembrooke@gmail.com.  Alternatively, you may download the Booking Form in PDF format  by clicking here.

This behind-the-scenes tour of the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre is exclusively for our members. This is a brand new facility in Kidbrooke which houses and cares for 2.5 million objects, paintings, maps and documents from the world famous collections of the Royal Museums of Greenwich. Of particular interest to our members will be a chance to explore these hidden treasures and meet conservation experts, learning first hand how they prepare and restore artefacts for display.

Tour starts at 13.30 - 15.30 on 5th March 2020

To book your place, contact:  

janicembrooke@gmail.com.  Alternatively, you may download the Booking Form in PDF format  by clicking here.

This is a great year to revisit KEW GARDENS.  As summer turns into autumn we can follow on from Twigs Way’s fascinating lecture on Marianne North by visiting the gallery dedicated to her botanical paintings.  It also an opportunity to view and appreciate the luminous work of the world's most celebrated environmental glass artist, the American Dale Chihuly, against this spectacular landscape.  To ease our way around this huge site, the Kew Explorer Train is included in the price.

Photo courtesy of Dale Chihuly

To book your place, contact:  janicembrooke@gmail.com.  Alternatively, you may download the Booking Form here.

Our Summer Outing this year is to Highclere Castle, and imposing country house in Jacobethan style, set in grounds designed by Capability Brown.  The architect was Charles Barry.  As the ancestral home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, it has acquired recent fame as the location for the ITV series Downton Abbey.  Visitor numbers have soared to the extent that group visits are only possible by booking one year ahead.

To book your place, contact:  

janicembrooke@gmail.com.  

Alternatively, you may download the Booking Form here.

The details for this visit are as detailed on the information for the confirmed visit on 7 June.

We are now taking bookings for this second visit, for which the date is still provisional pending confirmation from the FCO.

To book your place, contact:  janicembrooke@gmail.com.  Alternatively, you may download the Booking Form in PDF format directly from the Our Society page by scrolling down to Documents and clicking on the appropriate file

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Please note this tour is currently full.  A second tour is under consideration, for which the provisional date is Friday 12th July. 

To register your interest, please e mail   janicembrooke@gmail.com

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has the responsibility of promoting British interests abroad. The building was designed by George Gilbert Scott. He had an amicable partnership with Matthhew Digby Wyatt, the India Office’s Surveyor, who designed and built the interior of the India Office. 

 The FCO was designed as ‘a kind of national palace or drawing room for the nation’ with the use of rich decoration to impress foreign visitors.

We now have an opportunity to visit the building on a guided tour given by a former member of the FCO staff.

Photo:  CMglee

BLETCHLEY PARK

Without Bletchley Park, World War II would not have ended in August 1945. We toured the nerve centres where the enemy codes were finally broken and learned about the people involved and how they worked together.  It was a fascinating visit.

2 TEMPLE PLACE & RUSKIN EXHIBITION

This was an opportunity to follow up on our visit to CLIVEDEN with a private tour of the Astor's London office building, and to visit the new Ruskin Exhibition JOHN RUSKIN THE POWER OF SEEING which brought together over 190 paintings, drawings, daguerrotypes, metal work and plaster casts to illustrate how Ruskin's attitude to aesthetic beauty shaped his radical views on culture and society.

LEGAL LONDON WALK DEVISED BY RETIRED BARRISTER JONATHAN CAUSER.

Jonathan’s Description:  A 2 hour, guided walking tour around three Inns of Court, with rambling stories (some true) about Charles Dickens, Sweeney Todd, Dr Johnson,  egg-chucking, secrets underground (some alive, some dead), Shakespeare, Knights Templar (absolutely no reference to Dan Brown), Newgate knocker, Victorian pornography, Oranges & Lemons, wedding cakes, Burke & Hare and more; plus legal anecdotes (rather fewer true) tuned to your choice.

Two further dates were programmed to meet extra demand.

CLIVEDEN

Our 2018 summer outing was spent soaking up the ambience in the beautiful grounds of CLIVEDEN, former home of the Astor family, scene of the infamous Profumo affair, now given the royal touch by the new Duchess of Sussex.  This was where she spent her last night as a commoner with her mother

Our visit included a 30 minute guided tour of the ground floor of the mansion, and a very well-subscribed optional 1 hour boat trip along the River Thames. 

HOLLAND PARK WALK

Following on from her lecture on 28th June 2018, we asked Arts Society Lecturer JENNIFER TOYNBEE-HOLMES to lead us on a fascinating Guided Tour around the streets where the HOLLAND PARK CIRCLE ARTISTS lived and painted.

THE GOVERNMENT ART COLLECTION

Works of art from the Government Art Collection (GAC) are displayed in UK Government buildings in nearly every capital city, making it the most dispersed collection of British art in the world. The role of the Collection is to promote British art as part of our  cultural diplomacy. Dating from 1898, the Collection has expanded over the years and now contains over 13,500 works of art from the 16th century to the present.

We learned about how they go about selecting and placing works of art, developing the Collection, maintaining and caring for the works and encouraging public access (that means us!)

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE  - Hair, Wigs, Make-up, Scenery, Props

An exclusive, special tour for our Society visiting the main production areas, timed to see work in progress without getting in the way. In production at the time of the first visit was a revival of AMADEUS.  Other visits would coincide with the new production of ABSOLUTE HELL.

This tour was so popular that it ran on 3 separate dates.