|
Sunday 22 October 2023 |
Teas on the Green |
If you live locally, come and meet some of our Members on Sunday 22nd October from 2.30 pm who will be serving “Teas on the Green” at Brockham! |
|
Wednesday 20 September 2023 |
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester. Gwen John Exhibition. |
Gwen John’s work is both instantly recognisable and era-defining. She is known for the quiet strength of the solitary women in her portraits and the reflective stillness of her interiors. But for decades she was overshadowed by her famous brother Augustus and often portrayed as a recluse. This exhibition expels this myth and re-examines the significance of John’s work alongside her fellow international modernists. Gwen John defied convention to forge her own, independent existence. She trained at the progressive Slade School of Fine Art, then one of the few art schools that were accepting women on the same terms as men. She chose to make her life and work within the heady art worlds of London and Paris amid a rich cultural circle that included James McNeill Whistler and her lover, Auguste Rodin. This is the story of a progressive trailblazer and of an artist, devoted to her craft and at the forefront of modern art in the early 20th century. |
|
Wednesday 21 June 2023 |
Weald and Downland Living Museum |
|
|
Wednesday 10 May 2023 |
Arundel Castle and Tulip Festival |
|
|
Wednesday 9 November 2022 |
British Film Institute-The Arts of John and Ann Bloomfield |
A coach party from Brockham to the BFI, southbank SE1 8XT An exhibition looking at the works of one of Britain’s most successful design partnerships: Ann and John Bloomfield. With careers spanning over 40 years their groundbreaking work on TV and film such as The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Conan the Barbarian, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Mummy, their story is revealed through collaged drawings housed in the BFI as well as costumes and accessories from their personal collection. The coach will leave from the Rugby Club car park Kiln Lane Brockham RH3 7LZ at 9.30am and we should be back by 5.30pm. If you would like to book, please email John Bloomfield at kjbloomfield@btinternet.com |
|
Thursday 13 October 2022 |
Glyndebourne: The Marriage of Figaro |
John Bloomfield has obtained tickets for "The Marriage of Figaro" at Glyndebourne on Thursday October 13th. The cost is £70 per person. If you would like tickets, then please get in touch with John, kjbloomfield@btinternet.com The story tells how the servants Figaro and Susanna succeed in getting married, foiling the efforts of their philandering employer Count Almaviva to seduce Susanna and teaching him a lesson in fidelity. |
|
Thursday 23 June 2022 |
Osterley Park & House |
We have another exciting visit in store for you! John Bloomfield has planned a visit to Osterley Park & House on Thursday 23rd June. Tickets will be £21 for National Trust members and £34 for non-members. Osterley Park & House is one of the last surviving country estates in London. This spectacular neoclassical mansion is surrounded by beautiful gardens, lake, park and farmland. The original Tudor manor house was completed in 1570, then In the late 18th century it was remodelled by architect Robert Adam. To book tickets please contact John Bloomfield kjbloomfield@btinternet.com or 01737 842980. John will also be selling tickets at the April and May lectures in Betchworth Hall. Any queries do get in touch with John. |
|
Wednesday 18 May 2022 |
The walk - to Limehouse and the Isle of dogs - is led by Andrew Davies. |
Scheduled highlights include: the magical roof garden on top of a new station a visit to the excellent Museum of Docklands remains of West India Dock inside Canary Wharf tower the best riverside view in London? narrow Street where the celebrities live skyscrapers galore: Manhattan on the River Thames
The cost of the visit is £40, which includes the coach trip and guide. If you'd like to attend then please contact John Bloomfield kjbloomfield@btinternet.com |
|
Thursday 24 June 2021 |
A virtual tour of the British Museum |
Without the crowds, enjoy a guided tour of this vast treasure house with Dr Aaron Hunter who will be showing us some of the oldest objects and perhaps the most valuable. Starting with a brief history of the British Museum and its connection to the Natural History Museum, he will then guide us through the human story from Ancient Egypt to classical Greece and Rome. Finally, we will explore the story of ancient Britain and the significance of the Sutton Hoo Treasure Hoard, which featured in the recent Netflix film “The Dig”. With his wealth of historical knowledge, Dr Hunter is one of the few Blue Badge guides who are allowed to guide before the museum opens or after it closes. He is also an Arts Society accredited lecturer.
To come to this virtual walk please email John Bloomfield kjbloomfield@btinternet.com The cost is £5 Please note change of time; the walk now begins at 6pm |
|
Wednesday 12 May 2021 |
A virtual walk of the Alfama district of Lisbon by Inês Valencia. |
Inês Valencia is a licensed, registered and insured Tour Guide since 2008. Before and after getting her degree, she invested in travelling in order to improve her language skills and her knowledge of other countries and cultures. She lived in France where she worked for 3 months at the Wine Museum of Bordeaux and she has travelled to the United States, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, South Africa, Iran, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil and several European countries.
We will start our virtual guided walk at Graça viewpoint with an introduction to the city’s landscape and its history, geography and urban development. This viewpoint is located in the Graça district, a 19th century extension of the city during the industrial revolution, as housing ground for the workers of the factories, where once was part of the city’s suburbs. We will then walk down to the Alfama district. On our way we will see an urban artwork depicting Amália, the Portuguese “queen” of fado, and we will understand the importance of this song in Portuguese culture. From the Portas do Sol Viewpoint we will be able to see the Moorish walls of the city and perceive where this viewpoint got its name from. Let’s walk down the narrow streets or Alfama, learn how it kept its urban structure throughout time, and why the Tagus river is so important for the city’s development. The tourism boom and its repercussions on a formerly lower-class district will be addressed, as will St. Anthony’s festivities in June. We will be ending the walk near the Fado Museum. The "Walk" will start at 5 pm. If you would like to take part in the event then please email John Bloomfield asking to attend (kjbloomfield@btinternet.com). John will let you know payment details etc. |
|
Wednesday 24 March 2021 |
A Virtual Walk through Elegant Mayfair led by Barbara Askew |
Barbara Askew grew up in Eton with Windsor Castle as part of her daily view. She graduated with an honours degree in History and taught History for 15 years before qualifying as a Blue Badge Guide.
Mayfair has been at the heart of London society for three centuries and conjures up images of Regency bucks, debutantes and calling cards. We start in Shepherd’s Market where you will hear about the old May Fair, then make our way past the fashionable houses of famous past residents. Then through Mount Street Gardens, Bond Street, the Clermont Club, the Nightingale in Berkeley Square, the Burlington Arcade and much more. The "Walk" will start at 5 pm. If you would like to take part in the event then please email John Bloomfield asking to attend (kjbloomfield@btinternet.com). John will let you know payment details etc. |
|
Wednesday 16 September 2020 |
Art in the City. Walk with Alexandra Epps. |
Cancelled
Discover the wealth of modern and contemporary public art in the unique square mile of the City of London - creations ranging from the hand crafted to the high tech. The artists; their techniques, lives and influences plus the history of the fascinating streets where their work can be found. |
|
Wednesday 17 June 2020 |
Borde Hill Gardens. |
Cancelled
Borde Hill Garden is set in over 200 acres (80 ha) of garden, park and woodlands which has views across the Sussex High Weald. Borde Hill Garden is planted in “living garden rooms”, each offering a different character and style It is home to many rare shrubs: from rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias to roses, as well as numerous trees including one of the largest collections of champion trees in a private property in Britain (82 specimens as of 2013). The first record of the estate dates back to 1534. The Tudor Borde Hill house was originally constructed in 1598 by Stephen Borde. After a variety of ownerships, Borde Hill was acquired by Colonel Robert Stephenson Clarke in 1893, who was the first owner to plant the gardens and woodlands. A number of extensions were made to the garden and house, however it was not until 1965 that Borde Hill Garden became a registered charity and opened to the public, by Stephenson's son Sir Ralph Clarke. The garden has won a variety of public awards and distinctions, and is listed on the register of parks and gardens as Grade II* importance by English Heritage. |
|
Wednesday 13 May 2020 |
Pallant House and Chichester Cathedral. |
Cancelled
Pallant House Gallery is an art gallery in Chichester, West Sussex, England. It houses one of the best collections of 20th century British art in the world. Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of the bishop was moved from Selsey. Chichester Cathedral has fine architecture in both the Norman and the Gothic styles, and has been described by the architectural critic Ian Nairn as "the most typical English Cathedral". Despite this, Chichester has two architectural features that are unique among England's medieval cathedrals—a free-standing medieval bell tower (or campanile) and double aisles. The cathedral contains two rare medieval sculptures, and many modern art works including tapestries, stained glass and sculpture, many of these commissioned by Walter Hussey (Dean, 1955–77). The city of Chichester, though it retains two main cross streets laid out by the Romans, has always been small enough for the city's entire population to fit inside the cathedral at once, causing Daniel Defoe to comment: "I cannot say much of Chichester, in which, if six or seven good families were removed, there would not be much conversation, except what is to be found among the canons, and the dignitaries of the cathedral." The spire of Chichester Cathedral, rising above its green copper roof, can be seen for many miles across the flat meadows of West Sussex and is a landmark for sailors, Chichester being the only medieval English cathedral which is visible from the sea.[ |
|
Wednesday 22 April 2020 |
Limehouse Walk with Andrew Davies |
Booking February.
Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, such as the The Grapes and Limehouse Stairs. It is located between Stepney to the west and north, Mile End and Bow to the northwest, Poplar to the east, and Canary Wharf and Millwall to the south, and stretches from the end of Cable Street and Butcher Row in the west to Stainsby Road near Bartlett Park in the east, and from West India Dock (South Dock) and the River Thames in the south to Salmon Lane and Rhodeswell Road in the north. The area gives its name to Limehouse Reach, a section of the Thames which runs south to Millwall after making a right-angled bend at Cuckold's Point, Rotherhithe. The west-to-east section upstream of Cuckold's Point is properly called the Lower Pool. |
|
Thursday 17 October 2019 |
Glyndebourne: Rigoletto. |
Booking June and July
The Duke has it all: money, power, looks, and any woman he wants – any woman, that is, except Gilda, the innocent young daughter of hunchbacked jester Rigoletto. But when Gilda is kidnapped and seduced by his master, Rigoletto plots revenge – with tragic results. Verdi’s own favourite opera, Rigoletto is a tragedy of Shakespearean scope, a disturbing psychological portrait of a man caught in a corrupt world, an outsider in a system built on power and privilege. A dramatic score, heavy with menace, includes many of Verdi’s greatest tunes, including “La donna e mobile”. Rising star Christiane Lutz directs Glyndebourne’s first ever production, reimagining Verdi’s classic drama for our own age. After his “marvellous” Pinkerton in 2016’s Madama Butterfly, Matteo Lippi returns to the Glyndebourne Tour as the seductive, power-hungry Duke. Georgian baritone Nikoloz Lagvilava makes his Glyndebourne debut as Rigoletto, with prize-winning South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu as his daughter Gilda, and Oleg Budaratskiy as assassin Sparafucile. |
|
Thursday 19 September 2019 |
Syon House |
Booking June and July
Syon House and its 200-acre (80 hectare) park, Syon Park, is in west London, historically within the parish of Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex. It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is now his family's London residence. The family's traditional central London residence had been Northumberland House, now demolished. The eclectic interior of Syon House was designed by the architect Robert Adams in the 1760s. |
|
Wednesday 19 June 2019 |
Folkington Manor and Michelham Priory. |
Booking April
Folkington Manor was built in 1843 by the architect W.J Donthorne, near the site of a manor that was recorded in the Domesday Book. The previous manor was home to Viscount Monckton in the 14th century, advisor to King Edward III. The Place, as it was formerly called, is a site of some antiquity, having been the seat of the Culpepers in James I's reign and later of the Dobell family, from whom it was bought in about 1650 by Sir William Thomas, of West Dean with the adjoining manor of Wootton. The old house was largely demolished circa 1820. In 1838, Folkington together with the manor at nearby Wootton were bought by Thomas Sheppard, M.P for Frome, who thereupon built the present manor at a new site slightly to the north. Folkington Place, situated on the original manorial site, retains some architectural elements of the pre-1820 manor. Folkington has had a close connection with art for some time – a tradition which continues to this day with the Manor containing a number of galleries suitable for displaying large amounts of fine art. Indeed the well known Long Man of Wilmington stands in the distance on Windover Hill. The Stacy-Marks family bought the property in the late 1960s and the Flint Rooms were the core of the well-respected art business that has flourished for many years. In Autumn 2010 the Manor was purchased by Dr. Henry (Harry) Otto Brünjes and Mrs Jacqueline Brünjes and has recently undergone a complete restoration. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper lived in the village in the 17th century. Michelham Priory is the site of a former Augustine Priory in Upper Dicker, East Sussex. The surviving buildings are owned and administered by the Sussex Archaeological Society and are Grade I and Grade II listed. A T-shaped stone-built structure, the east and north wings date from the 13th century and the west wing from the 16th century. The north wing, originally the Priors Lodging, comprises three storeys with an attic and the other two wings two storeys. The roof is tiled. The whole is surrounded by a moat, enclosing an area of almost 8 acres (3.2 ha). A watermill in the grounds of the priory has been restored to working order and is open to the public. |
|
Wednesday 15 May 2019 |
Lancing College & Parham House |
Booking March
Lancing College is an independent boarding and day school in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. Lancing was founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard and educates c. 550 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18; the co-educational ratio is c. 60:40 boys to girls. The college is situated on a hill which is part of the South Downs, and the campus dominates the local landscape. The college overlooks the River Adur, and the Ladywell Stream, a holy well or sacred stream within the College grounds, has pre-Christian significance. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Parham Park is an Elizabethan house and estate in the civil parish of Parham. The estate was originally owned by the Monastery of Westminster and granted to Robert Palmer by King Henry VIII in 1540.The foundation stone was laid in 1577 by the 2-year-old Thomas Palmer, and Parham has been a family home ever since. Thomas Bishopp (later Sir Thomas Bishopp, 1st Baronet) bought Parham House in 1601. For over 300 years his descendants continued to live at Parham House Estate until January 1922. Then in 1922 the Hon. Clive Pearson, younger son of Viscount Cowdray, bought Parham from Mary,17th Baroness Zouche in her own right,[1] and he and his wife Alicia opened the house to visitors in 1948, after the Second World War when it had also been home to evacuee children and Canadian soldiers. |
|
Wednesday 17 April 2019 |
The Queen's House & Maritime Museum, Greenwich. |
Booking February
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings form part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, which also incorporates the Royal Observatory and 17th-century Queen's House. In 2012, Her Majesty the Queen formally approved Royal Museums Greenwich as the new overall title for the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the Cutty Sark Queen's House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635 in Greenwich, a few miles down-river from the then City of London and now a London Borough. Its architect was Inigo Jones, for whom it was a crucial early commission, for Anne of Denmark, the queen of King James I. Queen's House is one of the most important buildings in British architectural history, being the first consciously classical building to have been constructed in the country. It was Jones's first major commission after returning from his 1613–1615 grand tour of Roman, Renaissance, and Palladian architecture in Italy. |
|
Tuesday 19 March 2019 |
Armourer's Hall & the Guildhall |
Booking January.
The main purpose of the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers is to promote Materials Science in the United Kingdom. It does this through its charitable giving and networking activities. The Company exists also to maintain its historic home, Armourers’ Hall, a scheduled ancient monument and Grade II* listed building, on a site which it has occupied uninterruptedly since 1346. Guildhall is a Grade I-listed building in the City of London. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation. It should not be confused with London's City Hall, the administrative centre for Greater London. The term "Guildhall" refers both to the whole building and to its main room, which is a medieval great hall. The building is traditionally referred to as Guildhall, never "the" Guildhall. |
|
Thursday 25 October 2018 |
Glyndebourne: Cendrillon |
Booking June and July
Cendrillon (Cinderella) is an opera—described as a "fairy tale"—in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Caïn based on Perrault's 1698 version of the Cinderella fairy tale. It was given its premiere performance on 24 May 1899 in Paris. |
|
Tuesday 18 September 2018 |
Spitalfields Walk with Andrew Davies. |
Booking June
Andrew Davies is an inspirational leader of walking trips around well-known and unusual areas of London. His deep knowledge and infectious enthusiasm have delighted our groups on walks around Spitalfields. As you weave through the streets and alleys of Spitalfields, in the heart of the old East End, you’re following in the footsteps of many immigrants that have settled here – French Hugenots, Eastern European Jews and most recently the Bengali community. The streets bustle with a rich cultural mix, past and present. |
|
Wednesday 20 June 2018 |
Audley End, Essex |
Booking March
Audley End was the site of Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that was granted to the Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley in 1538 by Henry VIII. The abbey was converted to a domestic house for him and was known as Audley Inn. It was demolished by his grandson, Thomas Howard (first Earl of Suffolk, fourth creation, and Lord Treasurer), and a much grander mansion was built, primarily for entertaining the king, James I. |
|
Tuesday 22 May 2018 |
Knole Sevenoaks, Kent |
Booking March
Knole House NT is an English country house in the civil parish of Sevenoaks in west Kent. Sevenoaks consists of the town itself and Knole Park, a 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) park, within which the house is situated. Knole is one of England's largest houses. The National Trust attributes a possibility of its having at some point been a calendar house, which had 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and seven courtyards. It was constructed beginning in the late 15th century, with major additions in the 16th century. Its grade I listing reflects its mix of Elizabethan to late Stuart structures, particularly in the case of the central façade and state rooms. The surrounding deer park has also survived with few manmade changes in the 400 years since 1600. But, its formerly dense woodland has not fully recovered from the loss of more than 70% of its trees in the Great Storm of 1987. |
|
Tuesday 17 April 2018 |
Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey |
Booking February
Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts. Watts moved to "Limnerslease" in Compton in 1891, and with his artist wife, Mary Fraser-Tytler, planned a museum devoted to his work, which opened in April 1904, just before his death. The architect of the Gallery was Christopher Hatton Turnor, an admirer of Edwin Lutyens and C. F. A. Voysey. Inspired by the the Arts and Crafts Movement, the building contains top-lit galleries that allow Watts's work to be displayed under natural light. It is one of only a few galleries in the UK devoted to a single artist, and is often hailed as a national gallery in the heart of a village. The present director is Perdita Hunt and the curator is Dr Nicolas Tromans. |
|
Tuesday 20 March 2018 |
British Museum Exhibition (to be confirmed) |
Booking January
|
|
Tuesday 7 November 2017 |
Tate Britain - Impressionists in Britain Exhibition |
Booking September
This exhibition presents captivating works by Monet, Tissot, Pissarro and their compatriots. In the 1870s, France was devastated by the Franco-Prussian war and insurrection in Paris, driving artists to seek refuge across the Channel. Their experiences in London and the friendships that developed not only influenced their own work but also contributed to the British art scene. Impressionists in London, French artists in exile (1870–1904) is the first exhibition to map the connections between French and British artists, patrons and art dealers during a traumatic period in French history. Highlighting their engagement with British culture, traditions and social life, their art is a fascinating insight into how London was perceived by the visiting French artists and the remarkable works that came from their time here are not to be missed. Also features works fromDalou, Sisley, Derain and Legros. |
|
Wednesday 11 October 2017 |
Glyndebourne: The Barber of Seville. |
Booking July
Clever Figaro, the famous Barber of Seville, has much to gain if he can win Count Almaviva his chosen bride. But the crafty would-be bride, Rosina, is already several steps ahead of him, plotting to escape her guardian Dr Bartolo, who has kept her captive for long enough as he wishes to marry her himself. Rossini’s most popular comedy comes roaring back in a production whose wit and playful energy spring directly from Rossini’s buoyant music. Director Annabel Arden creates a sultry, surreal and subtly Spanish world lightly touched by magic, in which ‘she pulls off trick after trick with such speed and deftness that the eye is constantly delighted and dazzled’ (The Independent). |
|
Monday 4 September 2017 |
Skinners Hall and Globe Theatre Tour |
Booking June
Skinners Hall is a Grade 1 listed building nestled in the heart of the city, dating from 1670 is steeped in rich history and tradition, it is beautifully furbished and elegantly styled. Enter through the ceremonial gates and charming courtyard to the warmth and atmosphere of a fine Country house complete with outstanding paintings, coats of arms and period furniture. There are several different rooms with many wonderful features which include the stunning round gallery and open fire in the Outer Hall, the magnificent polished East India Table in the Old Court Room and the beautiful Italianate roof garden featuring a central fountain. The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and closed by anOrdinace issued on 6 September 1642. A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named "Shakespeare's Globe", opened in 1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre. |
|
Tuesday 27 June 2017 |
Mapledurham House and Mill |
Booking April
Mapledurham House is the historic home of the Blount family and a superb Elizabethan mansion built in 1588 and idyllically situated on the banks of the river Thames. The house contains a fine collection of paintings and portraits, original ceilings and great oak staircases. The beautiful private family chapel, an addition in the 1790s, is decorated in Strawberry Hill Gothick and is a delight. The traditional corn and grist watermill is the last remaining working mill on the river Thames and still produces flour today, which can be purchased in our well-stocked gift shop. |
|
Tuesday 30 May 2017 |
Provender House and Ightam Moat |
Booking March
Provender was built in 1342 as a medieval hall house for Lucas de Vienne, the Chief Archer to the Black Prince. Only a few of the 14th century rooms remain including the solar or Crown Post Room, with its fine crown posts. A second hall house was connected to it in the 15th century, followed by wings and additions from the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Provender is a fascinating record of English building traditions over seven centuries. Originally dating to around 1320, Ightam Moat is important because it has most of its original features; successive owners effected relatively few changes to the main structure, after the completion of the quadrangle with a new chapel in the 16th century. Nikolaus Pevsner described it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the country", and it remains an example that shows how such houses would have looked in the Middle Ages. Unlike most courtyard houses of its type, which have had a range demolished so that the house looks outward, Nicholas Cooper observes that Ightham wholly surrounds its courtyard and looks inward, into it, offering little information externally. |
|
Wednesday 19 April 2017 |
St Pancras Walk with Andrew Davies |
Booking February
Widely known for its Victorian architecture, the station stands between the British Library, King's Cross Station and the Regents Canal. It was opened in 1868 by the Midland Railway as the southern terminus o fits main line which connected London with the East Midlands and Yorkshire. When it opened, the arched Barlow train shed was the largest single-span roof in the world. After escaping planned demolition in the 1960s, the complex was renovated and expanded from 2001 to 2007 at a cost of £800 million with a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II and extensive publicity introducing it as a public space. A security-sealed terminal area was constructed for Eurostar services to continental Europe via High Speed 1 and the Channel Tunnel, with platforms for domestic trains to the north and south-east of England. The restored station has 15 platforms, a shopping centre and a coach facility, and is served by London Underground's King's Cross St Pancras station. St Pancras is owned by HS1 and is managed by Network Rail (High Speed), a subsidiary of Netwoek Rail. |
|
Tuesday 21 March 2017 |
Middle Temple and The Royal Courts of Justice |
Booking January
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn. It is located in the wider Temple area of London, near the Royal Courts of Justice, and within the City of London. |
|
Tuesday 8 November 2016 |
Tate Britain - Paul Nash Exhibition |
Booking September
Paul Nash (11 May 1889 – 11 July 1946) was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a photographer, writer and designer of applied art. Nash was among the most important landscape artists of the first half of the twentieth century. He played a key role in the development of Modernism in English art. |
|
Thursday 20 October 2016 |
Glyndebourne: Madame Butterfly |
Booking July
The title character of Madama Butterfly—a young Japanese geisha who clings to the belief that her arrangement with a visiting American naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage—is one of the defining roles in opera. The story triggers ideas about cultural and sexual imperialism for people far removed from the opera house, and film, Broadway, and popular culture in general have riffed endlessly on it. The lyric beauty of Puccini’s score, especially the music for the thoroughly believable lead role, has made Butterfly timeless. |
|
Tuesday 20 September 2016 |
Salisbury Cathedral |
Booking June
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, and one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body of the cathedral was completed in only 38 years, from 1220 to 1258. The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the "Tower Tour" where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close in Britain (80 acres (320,000 m2)). It contains the world's oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has the best surviving of the four original copies of Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England). In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and seat of the Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nick Holtam. |
|
Wednesday 22 June 2016 |
Chagall Windows at Tudeley Church & Pashley Manor Gardens |
Booking April
Tudeley is a village in western Kent, England. The village is home to All Saints' Church, the only church in the world that has all its windows in stained glass designed by Marc Chagall. The East window was commissioned by Sir Henry and Lady D'Avigdor-Goldsmid in memory of their daughter Sarah, who died aged 21 in a boating accident in 1963. The other windows were added later, the final ones being installed in 1985, the year of Chagall's death. Today the church also hosts the Tudeley Festival, an Early Music event which has been running since 1985. |
|
Tuesday 10 May 2016 |
Kenwood House |
Booking March
Kenwood House (also known as the Iveagh Bequest) is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage, and normally open to the public. The house was closed for major renovations from 2012 until late 2013. The house is best known for the artwork it houses. |
|
Thursday 17 March 2016 |
Windsor Castle |
Date to be confirmed. Booking January
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish, early 19th-century State Apartments are architecturally significant, described by art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste". The castle includes the 15th-century St George's Chapel, considered by historian John Martin Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design. More than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle. |
|
Tuesday 10 November 2015 |
National Portrait Gallery |
Booking September
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856. The gallery moved in 1896 to its current site at St Martin's Place, off Trafalgar Square, and adjoining the National Gallery. It has been expanded twice since then. The National Portrait Gallery also has three regional outposts at Beningbrough Hall, Bodelwyddan Castle and Montacute House. |
|
Tuesday 13 October 2015 |
Glyndebourne: Don Pasquale |
Booking July
Don Pasquale is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's opera Ser Marcantonio written in 1810.
The opera was first performed on 3 January 1843 by the Théâtre-Italien at the Salle Ventadour in Paris with great success and it is generally regarded as being the high point of the 19th century opera buffa tradition and, in fact, marking its ending. |
|
Wednesday 23 September 2015 |
City Nooks, Crannies and Samuel Pepys - a London Walk with Andrew Davies |
Booking June.
A fascinating walk in the company of Andrew Davies.
Andrew leads us through the old streets and alleys of the City of London, entertaining us with their history and little known and amusing anecdotes, as seen through the eyes and ears of Samuel Pepys. |
|
Wednesday 24 June 2015 |
Strawberry Hill |
Booking April.
Strawberry Hill is the fanciful Gothic Revival villa designed by author Horace Walpole between 1749 and 1776. It began as a small 17th century house "little more than a cottage", with only 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land and ended up as a "little Gothic castle" in 46 acres (190,000 m2). The original owner had named the house "Chopped Straw Hall", but Walpole wanted it to be called something more distinctive and after finding an old lease that described his land as "Strawberry Hill Shot", he adopted this name.[1][2]
After a £9 million, two-year long restoration, Strawberry Hill House re-opened to the public in October 2010.[3] |
|
Thursday 21 May 2015 |
Mary Rose and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Details to be confirmed. |
Booking March.
The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 19 July 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, she sank in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight. The wreck of the Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and salvaged in 1982 by the Mary Rose Trust in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology. The surviving section of the ship and thousands of recovered artefacts are of immeasurable value as a Tudor-era time capsule.
Her Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy, (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is located on the eastern shore of Portsmouth Harbour, north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight. |
|
Wednesday 22 April 2015 |
Apsley House and Wellington Arch |
Booking February
Apsley House, also known as Number One, London, is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park, facing south towards the busy traffic roundabout in the centre of which stands the Wellington Arch. It is a Grade I listed building. |
|
Wednesday 25 March 2015 |
Theatre Backstage and Matinee Performance. Details to be confirmed |
Booking January
|
|
Wednesday 12 November 2014 |
Rembrandt Exhibition, National Gallery. |
Booking September
Having already suffered the early loss of his wife and three of their children, Rembrandt’s later years were burdened with bankruptcy, acrimonious legal proceedings with a former lover, and the loss of his common-law wife and only remaining son. However, far from diminishing as he aged, Rembrandt’s creativity gathered new energy.Through famous masterpieces and rare drawings and prints, ‘The Late Works’ examines the themes that preoccupied Rembrandt as he grew older: self-scrutiny, experimentation, light, observation of everyday life and even other artists’ works; as well as expressions of intimacy, contemplation, conflict and reconciliation. |
|
Thursday 9 October 2014 |
Glyndebourne: Mozart's 'La Finta Giardiniera' |
Booking July
La finta giardiniera ("The Pretend Garden-Girl"), K. 196, is an Italian opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in Munich in January 1775 when he was 18 years old and it received its first performance on January 13 at the Salvatortheater in Munich. There is debate over the authorship of the libretto; the current belief is that it was written by Giuseppe Petrosellini.The story follows Count Belfiore and the Marchioness Violante Onesti, who were lovers before Belfiore stabbed Violante in a fit of rage. The story begins with the revived Violante and her servant Roberto disguised as "Sandrina" and "Nardo," and quietly working in the mansion of the town Podestà. Violante discovers that Belfiore has become engaged to Arminda, the niece of the Podestà, and when Belfiore confesses his lingering love for Violante, Arminda jealously conspires to abduct the other woman. When Violante is found, she and Belfiore lose their minds and believe themselves to be Greek gods. When they regain their senses Violante forgives the Count and they fly to each other's arms. Arminda returns to Cavalier Ramiro, her spurned suitor, and Roberto finds love with Serpetta, another servant of the Podestà. |
|
Thursday 18 September 2014 |
Walmer Castle and Gardens, and Deal |
Booking July
Built during the reign of King Henry VIII, Walmer Castle is one of the most fascinating visitor attractions in the South East. Originally designed as part of a chain of coastal artillery defences it evolved into the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Duke of Wellington held the post for 23 years and enjoyed his time spent at the castle and in recent years Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother made regular visits to the castle.
The armchair in which Wellington died and an original pair of 'Wellington boots' along with some of the rooms used by the Queen Mother are among the highlights. And with the magnificent gardens, a woodland walk and some excellent bird spotting there's something for everyone to enjoy. There is also a pleasant cycle path along the beach front to nearby Deal Castle. |
|
Wednesday 18 June 2014 |
Beaulieu: Abbey, House and Motor Museum |
Booking April
Learn about the lifestyle of the Cistercian monks who founded Beaulieu Abbey in 1204 on land given to them by King John. Wander through the serene Cloisters and Herb garden in which the monks grew a number of aromatic plants for both cooking and medicinal purposes including penny royal and lavender. Although much of the Abbey was destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII, visitors can still learn about the magnificent buildings of the Abbey, originally called Bellus Locus Regis - the beautiful place of the King. |
|
Thursday 22 May 2014 |
Four More Romney Marsh Churches |
Booking March
Romney Marsh is renowned for its rural historic churches.
There are fourteen scattered across the Marsh, with St Thomas à Becket at Fairfield the most iconic. Marooned amid the landscape without a graveyard or fence to keep the sheep from grazing up to its door, it is all that's left of a medieaval village.
|
|
Wednesday 9 April 2014 |
Cambridge: am Walk, pm The Fitzwilliam Museum |
Booking February.
The Fitzwilliam Museum was described by the Standing Commission on Museums & Galleries in 1968 as "one of the greatest art collections of the nation and a monument of the first importance". It owes its foundation to Richard, VII Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion who, in 1816, bequeathed to the University of Cambridge his works of art and library, together with funds to house them, to further "the Increase of Learning and other great Objects of that Noble Foundation". |
|
Thursday 6 March 2014 |
Paul Klee exhibition at Tate Modern |
Booking January
Paul Klee is a giant of twentieth-century art and one of the great creative innovators of the time.
Witty, inventive, magical, his exquisite paintings resist easy classification. He is mentioned in the same breath as Matisse, Picasso and his Bauhaus contemporary Kandinsky. He cuts a radical figure in European modernism. His influence on abstraction can be seen in the works of Rothko, Miró and beyond. And yet, for an artist of such stature, there is still so much to discover about him.
At Tate Modern this autumn, you can rediscover Klee’s extraordinary body of work and see it in a new light. Paintings, drawings and watercolours from collections around the world will be reunited and displayed alongside each other as the artist originally intended, often for the first time since Klee exhibited them himself. |
|
Wednesday 6 November 2013 |
Turner in Brighton exhibition at the Royal Pavilion |
Booking September
Brighton Royal Pavilion. Welcome to an extraordinary seaside pleasure palace. Built for George, Prince Regent, at the turn of the 19th century, the Royal Pavilion is remarkable for its exotic oriental appearance both inside and out.
Please note the Prince Regent gallery is on the first floor of the Royal Pavilion and is currently accessed via a staircase.
This exhibition centres on the recent acquisition of J M W Turner’s watercolour Brighthelmston, Sussex (1824).
Capturing Brighton’s history as a seaside resort, this painting had previously been out of sight in private ownership for over 100 years. In January 2012 the work was put up for auction, and the Royal Pavilion & Museums successfully acquired it, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation.
The exhibition celebrates the acquisition of Brighthelmston, Sussex by showing how Turner and his contemporaries perceived the town at the height of its development in the 1820s, during the reign of George IV.
Loans from national galleries such as Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum and private collectors will provide the context for Brighthelmston, Sussex |
|
Wednesday 16 October 2013 |
Glyndebourne: L'Elisir d'Amore by Donizetti |
Booking July
A revival of the 2007 Tour production
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Nemorino loves Adina; Adina ignores him and falls for the swaggering soldier Belcore instead; Nemorino resorts to desperate measures and tries a fake love potion sold to him by the charlatan magician Dr Dulcamara; the effects are surprising; Nemorino decides that he must forget Adina and join the army; on the brink of losing him, Adina realises that she loves Nemorino after all.
The twists and turns of this plot are dazzlingly delineated by Donizetti in music of delightful invention and at times, true poignancy. The tune that remained on everyone’s lips when the opera was first performed was the yearningly romantic ‘Una furtiva lagrima’, when Nemorino is finally convinced that Adina loves him because he spots the glimmer of a tear in her eye. It has been a favourite with tenors and audiences ever since.
Director Annabel Arden places the action within a rural Italian community and depicts in vivid detail the close-knit gossipy intimacy of village life – a life which is threatened by the testosterone-fuelled chaos which Belcore and his soldiers bring with them. This heady mix has moments of high humour but there is an underlying seriousness that makes the predicament of both Nemorino and Adina painfully real.
|
|
Wednesday 18 September 2013 |
Dulwich Picture Gallery and Eltham Palace. |
Booking July
Dulwich Picture Gallery holds one of the world’s most important collections of European old master paintings. These are housed in the first purpose built art gallery in England, designed by Sir John Soane in 1811. We have booked a tour guide to show us the permanent collection. Although the Gallery does have a cafe it is quite small and unable to take us all. We are advised that there are many restaurant and cafes nearby for us to get our lunch.
Eltham Palace was, in medieval times, an important royal palace. In the 1930s the site with the ruined remains of the palace was bought by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. They restored the great hall and incorporated it into an ultra modern, Art Deco style house. Around the house, the Courtaulds also constructed new 30s-style gardens with a series of garden rooms. These incorporated parts of the original moat and the ruins of the palace. |
|
Tuesday 21 May 2013 |
Belmont House and Doddington Place Gardens, Faversham |
The focus of Belmont is the elegant 18th century house (designed by Samuel Wyatt) commanding stunning views over the surrounding Estate and the rolling Kentish North Downs. Steeped in history, this unique house contains mementos of the family's history and travels.
The house was built in 1769 by Edward Wilks, store-keeper at the nearby Faversham Powder Mill. Extensive views and its elevated position gave Belmont its name.
In 1780 Wilks sold the house to Colonel John Montresor, who was largely responsible for Belmont as it exists today. He enlarged the park to the North and West and bought several adjoining properties. From 1789 to 1793 he also built the main block of the present house to a design by Samuel Wyatt. Wyatt used the newly fashionable idea of an Orangery to connect the old with the new. Montresor didn't enjoy the house for long. Mistakenly accused of embezzling Army funds in 1799 he died before his innocence could be proved.
In 1801 the house was bought at public auction by General George Harris (later Lord Harris) who had defeated the Sultan of Mysore in 1799 at the battle of Seringapatam. The acquisition was made with prize money from his successful military career
|
|
Thursday 18 April 2013 |
Oxford for Ashmolean Museum and Stained Glass Walk |
ON SALE ON MONDAY
Tickets at £25 for a visit to
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
with a guided highlights tour
The Ashmolean Museum (in full the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology) on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum. Its first building was built in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities of Elias Ashmole gave Oxford University in 1677. The museum reopened in 2009 after a major redevelopment. In November 2011 new galleries focusing on Egypt and Nubia were also unveiled.
and a
Guided Themed Stained Glass Walking Tour
The city of Oxford has some of the finest stained glass in the UK. Almost every style and period of English glass-painting is represented, from medieval to modern including particularly beautiful 17th century windows and a wealth of 19th century glass by William Morris and Co. Enjoy the opportunity of seeing some fascinating craftsmanship. Bring your binoculars!
on Thursday 18th April
The cost includes the coach, the driver’s gratuity and the two Guided Tours.
………………………...
There is information on the stained glass tour on this website, plus a good photo of some stained glass. Click on "Useful Links" and page down to the "Stained Glass" link.
|
|
Wednesday 13 March 2013 |
Southwark Cathedral & the Mansion House |
Visit to Southwark Cathedral with a guided tour and the Mansion House with a guided art tour.
* Southwark Cathedral
It is believed that there has been a church on this site since AD 606. There may well have been a church here even earlier. Southwark Cathedral is the oldest cathedral church building in London, and archaeological evidence shows there was Roman pagan worship here well before that.
Significantly, Southwark stands at the oldest crossing point of the tidal Thames at what was the only entrance to the City of London across the river for many centuries. It is not only a place of worship but also of hospitality to every kind of person: princes and paupers, prelates and prostitutes, poets, playwrights, prisoners and patients have all found refuge here.
* The Mansion House
Built in the age of Hogarth, the Mansion House is a rare surviving Georgian town palace in central London. It was originally built to enable the Lord Mayor to represent the City in appropriate style; it also acts as a symbol of the City of London as the world’s leading international financial and trading centre.
Although the Mansion House has undergone several redevelopments since it was built in 1758, it retains much of its original character. |
|
Thursday 15 November 2012 |
Museum of London |
Step inside the Museum of London for an unforgettable journey through the capital’s turbulent past. Discover prehistoric London, see how the city changed under Romans and Saxons, wonder at medieval London and examine the tumultuous years when London was ravaged by civil wars, plague and fire.
Then venture into the Galleries of Modern London where you can walk the streets of Victorian London, take a stroll in recreated pleasure gardens and marvel at the magnificent Lord Mayor’s Coach.
|
|
Friday 12 October 2012 |
Glyndebourne: The Marriage of Figaro |
Visit |
|
Thursday 20 September 2012 |
River and Rowing Museum, Henley - on - Thames and Greys Court (NT)
|
Visit |
|