EXPLORING LONDON 4
The next planning meeting on Wednesday 8th May 2024 from 11.00am at St. Clements Church Hall. Limited parking in front of the Church. Please DO NOT use parking places in front of the school as the teachers/office staff get VERY annoyed. If the Church side is full, please park in the adjacent Lea Valley Park or Hillview Gardens opposite.
Future trips:
Wednesday 15th May 2024 - Visit and Guided Tour of Hampton Court Palace.
After consideration it is decided that a visit by train is the best option. Hampton Court Station is a very short walk to the entrance and because it is in Zone 6 it is travelcard fare. To qualify for the group entrance rate I need at least 15 members paying to enter so please let me know if you wish to join this trip.
HRP members are obviously free entry. Group entrance will be £20 and the guided tour £10. This is a Spring visit as planned so the gardens should be at their best then.
June Trip to be finalised.
Wednesday 17th July 2024 – Introductory Talk and self-guided visit to the Museum of Brands.
--------------------------------------------
MARCH 2024
Group 4
Royal Hospital Chelsea
visit on 18-04-2024 - Photograph by Bernard Broomhead.
*
In March we visited the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and enjoyed a guided tour with our very own Chelsea Pensioner, Ted Fell. We learnt that King Charles II founded the Royal Hospital as a retreat for veterans in 1682. The provision of a hostel rather than the payment of pensions was inspired by the Hotel Des Invalides in Paris.
We started the tour in the museum where we watched an introductory video presented by Dan Snow. After this, Ted took us through the impressive Figure Court with the very large statue of Charles II cast in copper alloy by Grinling Gibbons, originally gilded but subsequently bronzed.
We continued our tour in the Great Hall, now used again as the pensioner’s dining hall. The chapel was an opportunity for a group photograph taken by our very own Photography group member, especially as it shows the fine painting of the Resurrection in the half dome of the apse.
--------------------------------------------
In February due to illness at short notice Fiona Lukas led our City Churches Guided Tour. We managed to visit St Mary Aldermary, Bow Lane, a Gothic-style church which is the only surviving one of its kind. Next we visited St. Stephen, Walbrook. This wonderful church has the architect’s rehearsal dome (the precursor to St Paul’s Cathedral). It’s accompanied by Sir Henry Moore’s sculptured stone altar in the centre. Finally, we visited St. Magnus the Martyr church which stands at the head of the old London Bridge. It was Wren’s most expensive parish church and the first to be visited by all those crossing the old bridge into the City.
--------------------------------------------
Wednesday 22nd November 2023 was our Guided Tour of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Wednesday 6th December2023 was our Guided Tour of the National Portrait Gallery with Blue Badge Guide Paula Cooze. We took in the London Christmas lights afterwards.
Friday 15th December 2023 was our Group Christmas Evening Dinner at the Bulls Head.
--------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September we travelled by coach to visit the art deco mansion known as Eltham Palace. Our English Heritage guide Paul Fretwell was excellent. Because a full coach load of members from both EL4 and EL2 visited Eltham Palace the party was divided into two smaller groups. Paul’s guided tour of the house started in the Great Hall, the only surviving part of the medieval palace which then became a Tudor royal residence.
In the 1930s Eltham Palace was transformed by eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld who saved the property from decline. We continued our tour in the dazzling circular entrance hall, a mix of Art Deco and cutting-edge Swedish design. It has been seen in a few Poirot and Marple episodes, together with various films set in the art deco era. After this we then wondered at the marvellous panelled dining room characterised by geometric and stylised shapes.
We visited more unusual rooms, including the map room where the Courtaulds planned their exotic world travels. Then upstairs the centrally heated sleeping quarters specially designed for their pet lemur! We were also shown inside a reconstruction of Virginia's walk-in wardrobe to see beautiful period dresses, hats and accessories. Then on to Virginia Courtauld's luxurious golden bathroom, which sits within a lavish gold mosaic niche containing a statue of the goddess Psyche.
Some members then visited the wartime basement bunker which would have provided the household with an extraordinary level of comfort during the Blitz.
When not enjoying Paul’s guided tour of the house, other members took the opportunity to explore the quirky mix of medieval and modern in the gardens. Here members were able to admire stunning herbaceous borders, walk through formal rose gardens and admire the Rock Garden, with its pools and cascades running down to the moat. The restaurant had some interesting options including King Henry VIII’s or the Six Wives brunch.
---------------------------------
AUGUST 2023
In August we joined the Thames Clipper (currently sponsored by Uber) at Westminster pier for a trip down the Thames. Despite the early rain the weather soon picked up. Members enjoyed taking in the famous London landmarks as the Clipper zipped back and forth between stops. Those choosing to sit at the back enjoyed experiencing the exhilaration as the Clipper speeded up shortly after passing under Tower Bridge.
The Clipper terminated at North Greenwich, and we headed into the O2 (Millenium Dome) for lunch. Afterwards we took the Cable Car with good views of the Thames, Lea, City Airport, Excel Exhibition Centre, and Docklands generally. We headed back to Cheshunt via the DLR, Jubilee and Stratford for a well-earned rest.
---------------------------------------------
JUNE 2023
In June we travelled to Greenwich, enjoying a visit and guided tour of the Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College grounds.
The Painted Hall is a true masterpiece, boasting one of the most spectacular Baroque interiors in Europe. The extraordinary ceiling and wall decorations were conceived and executed by British artist Sir James Thornhill.
The epic painting scheme, known as ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel ’, took nineteen years from the start of the commission to its completion in 1726. Thornhill’s scheme earned him a knighthood and payment of £6,685.
The grandeur of Thornhill's composition reflects the importance of the new Royal Hospital’s main Hall. Originally intended as a grand dining room for the naval pensioners, it soon became a ceremonial space open to paying visitors and reserved for special functions. Perhaps the most significant of which was the lying-in-state of Lord Nelson in January 1806, drawing large crowds to view the hero’s body. The exact spot where the coffin lay is marked by a plaque on the floor.
We had been expecting to visit Greenwich with a Blue Badge Guide. However unfortunately she had to cancel at short notice following a family emergency. The plan was to visit the Queen House in the afternoon, so after lunch we crossed the road into Greenwich Park. After enjoying a stroll around an interesting open-air temporary globe art exhibition, we headed for the Queens House.
The architect Inigo Jones was Commissioned to design the building in 1616 by King James I’s wife, Anne of Denmark – supposedly a gift from the king to apologise for swearing in front of her after she had accidentally killed one of his favourite dogs during a hunt. However, Anne of Denmark never lived to see the house completed, dying in 1619 with only the first floor completed. It was not until 1629, when James’s son Charles I gave Greenwich to his wife Henrietta Maria, that work on it resumed and it was completed in 1636.
The house is now primarily used to display the museum's substantial collection of marine paintings and portraits of the seventeenth to twentieth centuries, and for other public and private events. It’s connection with great artists goes back to 1673 when two Dutch maritime painters, the Van De Veldes were given studio space by Charles II. We were just in time to join a tour of a special exhibition about these painters.
The Queen’s House is famous today for its extraordinary art collection including works by
were given studio space by Charles II.
-------------------------------------------------
JUNE 2023
In May we met our guide Claire Ross outside Covent Garden Underground station for an interesting, guided walk around the area. As ever with these walks we were introduced to hidden areas and surprising stories around every familiar corner of London. First off we discovered the Bridge of Aspiration connecting the Royal Ballet School and the Royal Opera House. It was designed by Jim Eyre of Wilkinson Eyre and is meant to evoke the spirit of ballet dancers as one walks through it.
Our guide explained the history of Covent Garden itself from early Anglo-Saxon trading in the 7th Century, to the granting of the area to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford in 1552, leading to the operation as a small open-air fruit and vegetable market in the 17th Century. Gradually, both the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute, as taverns, theatres, coffee-houses, and brothels opened. By the 18th century it had become notorious for its abundance of brothels. An Act of Parliament was drawn up to control the area, and Charles Fowler's neo-classical building was erected in 1830 to cover and help organise the market. The market grew and further buildings were added: the Floral Hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market.
By the end of the 1960s traffic congestion was causing problems, and in 1974 the market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market about three miles (5 km) south-west at Nine Elms. The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980 and is now a tourist location containing cafes, pubs, small shops, and a craft market called the Apple Market, along with another market held in the Jubilee Hall.
We then visited St. Pauls Church As well as being the parish church of Covent Garden, the church has gained the nickname of "the actors' church" by a long association with the theatre community. Memorials in the church are dedicated to many famous entertainment personalities of the 20th century, including Sir Charlie Chaplin, Sir Noël Coward, Dame Gracie Fields, Stanley Holloway, Boris Karloff, Vivien Leigh, Ivor Novello, Richard Greene, Diana Rigg, and Richard Beckinsale.
The tour finished at St. Martin’s in the Fields. We were taken to a life-sized marble statue of Henry Croft, London's first pearly king, which was moved to the crypt in 2002 from its original site at St Pancras Cemetery. A handy café was then available in the crypt for a well-earned lunch.
-------------------------------
APRIL 2023
In April we visited Chelsea's National Army Museum. It’s remit for the overall history of British land forces contrasts with those of other military museums in the United Kingdom concentrating on the history of individual corps and regiments of the British Army.
After lunch in the museum we walked further down the street to the Chelsea Physic Garden. This very interesting botanical garden was established as the Apothecaries' Garden in London in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, to grow plants to be used as medicines. We were taken on a comprehensive tour of the garden by a very knowledgeable garden volunteer.
------------------------------------
MARCH 2023
In March we visited the London Canal Museum near Kings Cross and enjoyed a talk about the days when the museum was a 19th century ice warehouse. We learnt about the ice trade in Victorian times through the lives of Carlo Gatti and Mrs Agnes Marshall. Following this we were given a demonstration of ice cream-making using a replica Victorian ice cream churn. It was a very interactive demonstration with several members being asked to take part and we all enjoyed a small sample at the end. Afterwards we spent some time looking around the very interesting museum at our leisure.
-------------------------
MARCH 2023
Recently we visited the Museum of London Docklands Museum. Some of the group visited the Executions Exhibition which closes in the middle of April. It features a very detailed look at how public executions shaped Londoner’s lives and the city’s landscape over 700 years. It included interesting sections on Charles I execution orchestrated by Oliver Cromwell and his regicides and the fate that befell them later when Charles II was restored to the throne.
After lunch the whole group enjoyed a highlights tour with a very entertaining Museum Guide. It started in the introductory gallery of Warehouse No.1 and continued looking at the galleries such as ‘Trade Expansion’, London, Sugar & Slavery, Sailortown, The Docklands at War and finishing with the modern transformation of the London Docklands area and how this evolved.
-------------------------------
FEBRUARY 2023
More recently we enjoyed a guided tour down the Tubes with our excellent guide Fiona. With this year being the 160th anniversary of the London Underground, we first listened to Fiona explain it was decided solutions to London’s transport was needed following traffic chaos when the Great Exhibition took place in Hyde Park in 1851. However the first line from Paddington to Farringdon was built using the cut and cover method and because this involved digging along the existing streets it caused traffic chaos in itself.
We started the tour at Baker Street station, which encapsulates much of that early railway. From there we travelled to Kings Cross and transferred to the deep level tube; much of this was built some 40 years later when tunnelling techniques had moved on (although still essentially hand dug back then). We learnt about the improvements that came about following the Kings Cross fire in 1987 before heading down to Embankment to discover the flood gates installed when the V2 rockets started hitting London at the end of the Second World War. We finished the tour at Westminster Station, which had to be redesigned to accommodate the Jubilee line extension; numerous plans had to be submitted before one was finally accepted due to it’s proximity to the existing infrastructure and more sensitive areas of the Houses of Parliament.
----------------------
JANUARY 2023
In January we enjoyed a guided tour of the highlights of the Victoria & Albert Museum, in Kensington. With some 145 galleries, it was so helpful to have our guide, Barry, take us on a journey around a variety of the more significant items in the museum, including the Great Bed of Ware, the Raphael Cartoons and the Ardibil carpet. We visited the huge VandA’s cast of Michelangelo’s David at the famous cast courts. There we also discovered the cast of Trajan’s Column (the original is in Rome) in two parts because it is so tall. Everyone was taken by the fascinating new Jewellery Gallery containing the small but beautiful crown that was designed for Queen Victoria. After the tour we all took lunch in the splendour of the V and A’s café.
-------------------------------------
DECEMBER 2022
Then in December we enjoyed an evening visit by coach to the Christmas light trail at Windsor Great Park. Fortunately, although cold there had been no rain which helped as parts of the trail went through woodland. The projections of animals through the woodland were very effective, as were the sparkles of fireflies, luminous beacons, and dancing fairies. The huge lake was alive with flood-lit fountains and glimmering reflections and the talking tree at the end of the trail was very clever.
We followed this next week with a daytime Christmas food themed walk around London with our guide Ann. She beguiled us with stories about geese, turkeys, grand puddings, and mince pies. Finally, of course there was the infamous Brussel sprout which received mixed comments from her audience! We were each issued with our own sprout at the end of the walk; a small chocolate one however!
-----------------------------------------
NOVEMBER2022
At the end of November, we enjoyed a guided tour of the National Gallery with Simon Whitehouse, an award-winning blue badge guide - when he’s not acting. There are so many fine paintings to see in the National Gallery that the selection chosen on any visit is bound to be different. As in our previous visit we started with the earliest painting, the Wilton Diptych, painted for King Richard II of England at the end of the 14th Century. After this however we spent some quality time visiting entirely different paintings with our expert guide.
------------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2022
This month we went on a very long but very interesting tour with our July speaker Paul Barwick. Entitled ‘Eyes on the Spies’ we visited the locations associated with Nancy Wake, the ‘White Mouse’ and ex-Soviet spy Alexander Litvinenko, silenced permanently with the deadly nerve agent Polonium. We visited the MI6 building in Vauxhall and were treated to the sad story of ‘The body in the bag affair’ about the mysterious death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams.
--------------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 2022
In September we joined with Explore London 1 for a very enjoyable tour entitled ‘The Great Stink’ for a history of sewage ending with a visit to Crossness Pumping Station.
-------------------------------
AUGUST 2022
In August, despite many members showing interest originally, we ended up being a very small group on a very enjoyable day visit to Brighton. We took a Greater Anglia train to London as usual and then purchased our onward tickets on Thameslink for £13.45 using railcards and Groupsave. The weather stayed dry and we walked through the Lanes to the seafront. We took the Volks railway to the Marina and returned by bus. After a stroll along the pier it was back to Harry Ramsden’s for a Fish and Chip Supper.
--------------------------------------
JULY 2022
In July we travelled by coach to Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes home of the Codebreakers during the Second World War. After taking refreshment and visiting the introductory exhibition at the Visitor Centre in Block C we headed for the Chauffeurs Hut where we enjoyed an introductory talk from our very knowledgeable guide. Everyone agreed that the guided tour was excellent. We explored the Mansion, the Stable yard and the landscaped grounds with the associated huts and blocks used during the World War.
Before the Codebreakers from 1883 until 1937 Bletchley Park Mansion and grounds was owned by Sir Herbert Leon, a financier and Liberal Party politician, and his family. Herbert died in 1926 and when his widow Fanny died in 1937 the property was sold to a property developer and being near Bletchley railway station was about to be used for new housing. However, in 1938 Admiral Hugh Sinclair, Head of the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) saw the potential for Bletchley Park and so it was acquired for use by the SIS and the more secret codebreaking and intelligence efforts of the Government Code and Cypher School.
On 4th September 1939, the day after war was declared, around 180 people were working at Bletchley Park, including newly recruited mathematicians like Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman. At its peak in early 1945, around 9,000 people worked at Bletchley Park and its associated Outstations.
--------------------------------
JUNE 2022
In June we enjoyed an amazing tour of the recently renovated Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The paintings and statues commissioned for the upgrade are very impressive and considerable effort has been made to make the guided tour a theatrical performance itself. Our two actor guides were excellent, to the extent that everyone was soon trying to anticipate the next surprise they had in store for us.
We learnt that the theatre is reputed to be one of the most haunted, and we were treated to a ‘ghostly apparition’ when we visited the auditorium. Andrew Lloyd Webber purchased the theatre in the year 2000 and has funded the recent restoration of public areas to a regency style, the upgrade to seating and facilities and modernisation of the theatre’s equipment. Recent shows at the Theatre Royal include Oliver, Shrek the Musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 42nd Street and currently Disney’s Frozen.
------------------------------------------
MAY 2022
In May we travelled by train to Stratford and transferred to Stratford International station by DLR (Docklands Light Railway). We caught the Southeastern High Speed train and thirty minutes later we arrived in Rochester. A guided tour was provided by Steve and combined texts from both a historical transcript and a Dickens literary guide downloaded from the internet. We toured the lovely High Street, which once formed the main A2 road from the Kent coast to London and was part of Watling Street in Roman times. Now fortunately the High Street is much quieter because the traffic uses an alternative road outside the main thoroughfare.
From the High Street we walked along the esplanade alongside the Medway River and around first the castle, then the Cathedral. We then walked across the green area known as the Vines because the monks used this area as their vineyard when a monastery existed prior to dissolution. From here we found Restoration House where Charles II stayed on his return to England before being crowned in 1660. It was used by Dickens and called Satis House in Great Expectations. We ended at Dickens’ Chalet, which once stood in the grounds of his house in nearby Higham.
--------------------------------------------------
APRIL 2022
In April we enjoyed a guided walk starting at Bermondsey Underground Station called ‘Undiscovered London’. Interestingly
Bermondsey was as I expected one of a few Jubilee line stations that scored no points in a recent final of the Pointless TV show – somewhat confirming its undiscovered notoriety. On leaving the station we started the walk in a typical East London Road with
unsightly blocks of flats. Our guide then took us across the road and towards the river Thames where much more appealing housing and streets were the order of the day. We continued along the riverside
with lovely views of Tower Bridge in the distance, ending up in the lovely, preserved area known as Shad Thames and Butlers Wharf, with memories of use as docks when river traffic came up the Thames. Despite the strong winds on the day all the group enjoyed this walk.
The following day we visited Canada Water for the Titanic Exhibition. This was a very interesting and emotive presentation particularly since it did not only delve into the tragic events leading up to the disaster, but it revealed the stories and memories of those caught up in the Titanic’s one and only journey.
----------------------------------------------
MARCH 2022
In March we enjoyed a guided walk called ‘Past the Palace’. It was a gloriously sunny day as we walked from Embankment through many little alleyways and hidden passages, the down the Mall, past St. James Palace and finally into Green Park. We enjoyed lots of funny, fascinating, and often naughty stories about royalty.
---------------
JANUARY 2022
On Tuesday 4th January 43 U3A members enjoyed a visit to the Kew at Christmas light spectacular. Although we went by coach again there was a slight complication because Richmond Council no longer permit coaches to drop off and pick up from outside the Victoria Gate entrance because Kew Road now has cycle lanes installed along it. This was not advised at the time of booking; however contrary to instruction from Kew the coach driver kindly dropped off and picked up from further up Kew Road by a bus stop.
Despite this small issue the light trail was again very impressive incorporating some old favourites with several new installations and an excellent twist to the grand finale in front of the Palm House. Once again, the coach driver obliged by taking us back via the West End Christmas lights. Although Regents Street lights had been switched off prematurely, we enjoyed Martyn’s entertaining commentary to compensate.
----------------
DECEMBER 2021
We enjoyed another Christmas Dinner in the evening of 16th December at the Bulls Head in Turnford with 27 members attending. There were nine lucky winners in the free raffle. Thanks are due once again to Anne for organising the prizes and numbered place settings.
----------------------------------
DECEMBER 2021
We recently enjoyed two very colourful guided walks with Blue Badge guide Simon Law. Firstly, as dusk fell Simon took us through the streets of the Whitechapel District to discover the gory details of the unsolved murders attributed to the notorious ‘Jack the Ripper’. It was not for the faint hearted as Simon spared us none of the detail.
Following this we met Simon again on 1 st December at Tower Hill Tube and progressed in the opposite direction on a seasonal walk following in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and his Christmas Carol. Simon also explained the origin of many other seasonal traditions along the way.
-----------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2021
We recently enjoyed a tour of St. Pauls Cathedral with Blue Badge Guide Alice Trickey. The present St. Pauls ,is the fifth cathedral to have stood on the site since 604, and was built between 1675 and 1711, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Temporary repairs had been made to the old St. Paul’s, but the structure was fundamentally unsound. Finally, in 1668, Sir Christopher Wren was asked to produce a design for a new building. Demolition of the old cathedral began the same year.
St. Paul’s is London’s cathedral and embodies the spiritual life and heritage of the British people. It has also held events marking important royal occasions such as Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee and more recently Queen Elizabeth II has celebrated her jubilees at St. Paul’s. It has also been the site of royal weddings and state funerals. Famously the wedding of HRH The Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer and the funerals of Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.
We were impressed with the mosaics that now decorate the ceiling and the walls of the quire. We learnt that these were installed after Queen Victoria famously complained that St. Paul’s was ‘dull, dingy and undevotional’.
-----------------------------
SEPTEMBER 2021
Our guided walk in September surpassed all expectations. It was a very pleasant and informative stroll from St.Pauls with our blue badge guide Fiona taking in the area badly damaged during the Blitz of 1940. We learnt how the Barbican filled the area devasted during the war and walked through the peaceful Postman’s Park with it’s memorials to unsung heroes.
-------------------------
AUGUST 2021
We embarked on a successful visit into London on 18th August enjoying a Uber Thames Clipper trip down the Thames from Tower Pier to Greenwich
-----------------------------------
MARCH 2020
We did manage to visit Southwark Cathedral earlier in March and it was a very informative and enjoyable day taking in both the Cathedral and the local Bankside area.
Monies paid for trips cancelled will of course be refunded or carried forward to re-arranged trips or new excursions when we are able to meet again hopefully in the not too distant future. I hope this is acceptable in view of the circumstances.
----------------------------------------
JANUARY 2020
On 2nd January we filled a coach for an enjoyable visit to Kew Gardens for the Christmas lights. A change in the route of the trail this year taking in the refurbished Temperate House and a spectacular cascade beneath the tree-top trail. The old favourites were still there with new twists (fire garden, cathedral of lights and the Palm House finale). Add to this the excellent use of seasonal music, new and old. Our coach returned through central London .
-----------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2019
In November the group enjoyed a visit to Kensington Palace where we were able to walk in the footsteps of royalty in two interesting exhibitions about Queen Victoria:
Victoria: A Royal Childhood included remarkable objects relating to Victoria’s early years including a poignant scrapbook of mementos created by her German governess, Baroness Lehzen and Victoria’s doll house.
Victoria: Woman and Crown which looked at the real woman behind the public monarch.
At the end of November, the group enjoyed an atmospheric visit to the house created by Dennis Severs who hailed from California in USA. He made his home in a dilapidated property near Spitalfields Market. Woven through the house is the story of the fictional Jervis family, originally Huguenot silk weavers. The rooms are arranged as if they are in use and the occupants have only just left.
--------------
OCTOBER 2019
In October we broke free of London for a visit to Oxford. After meeting our three ‘Green Badge’ guides 54 members enjoyed a morning guided tour of Oxford starting at Christ Church Meadow. We ended at the Bodleian Library Divinity School in time for lunch. In the afternoon our guides took us on a tour of an Oxford College and we followed in the footsteps of Inspector Morse, Lewis and young Morse. Afterwards most members decided they either needed to explore the Morse books and TV series for the first time or to catch up on them all over again.
Future trips:
-------------------------------------
AUGUST 2019
In August we took the Thameslink train to Brighton. We strolled down past the Dome and the Pavillion, then travelled on the Volks railway to the harbour, back for fish & chips and out on the pier for ice-cream.
----------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 2019
In September we enjoyed a tour of Spitalfields with John Halligan. This was a very interesting tour about the French Huguenots that lived in the area.
The following week we visited Buckingham Palace State rooms. The centrepiece of this year’s Queen Victoria exhibition was the Ballroom where the grand Victorian Ball of 1856 was brought to life using digital projections and a Victorian illusion technique called Pepper’s Ghost. Our garden tour was in bright sunshine with a very amusing Yorkshire lad taking us round the Palace gardens.
----------------------------------
JUNE 2019
In June, 22 members were guided around old Kensington by Adam Scott and Corin Mellinger. An enjoyable guided tour courtesy of London Walks. The walk took in Kensington Square thankfully saved from development planned by Barkers Department Store years ago. Then onward to the street named after William Thackeray of Vanity Fayre fame and a lovely old mews. Crossing the busy Kensington High Street there was more peaceful surroundings behind St.Mary’s Church Kensington and the charming state primary St.Mary Abbots Charity School that was attended by David & Samantha Cameron’s daughter Nancy. Over the doors marked ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ are two Bluecoat statues. Nearby was a fine mural and a street of charming old cottages (now apparently very expensive) and interesting little shops. We finished the walk in Kensington Gardens at the entrance to the Palace. Hence the visit inside planned for November.
--------------------------------
APRIL
At the end of April, we took a river trip from Westminster pier to Greenwich and enjoyed a very informative commentary on the one-hour cruise down the Thames. After a bite to eat at the Greenwich Wetherspoons we spent the afternoon on the Cutty Sark. We self-toured the lower decks before joining the free 2.30. talk on the Main Deck. By the end of the talk the whole of the Explore London group had joined, and the few remaining members of the public had drifted away. We all ended up sitting in the Captain’s quarters; the group was so enthusiastic that every time the costumed guide tried to wind up someone asked another question. I think the guide was pleased to have such an attentive and interested group to talk to. It just goes to show what a spirited U3A we have in Cheshunt!
------------------------------------------
MARCH 2019
On a windy March day, we visited the Tower Bridge exhibition. Our very knowledgeable guides brought the experience to life with entertaining stories of those who designed, constructed and maintained the bridge. We learnt about the way the traffic was stopped prior to a bridge lift in early days of the bridge.
Our guides told us a very entertaining story about the December day back in 1952 when driver Albert Gunter found his Number 78 double decker bus caught in a surprise bridge lift. There was a fault with the warning lights and without any notice, the bus became trapped on the North arm of the Bridge as it started to lift. Gunter had two options; slow down and face falling into the Thames, or speed up and attempt the jump. Luckily the South arm wasn’t as high, so the bus was able to make the jump, falling onto the lower side and staying upright!
We enjoyed spectacular views from the high-level walkway with many of us able to look down through the glass floor onto the traffic and the tidal waters of the Thames below; there was a sticker for those brave enough to stand on the glass! The tour finished in the Victorian engine rooms with lots more anecdotes from our guides.
----------------------------------------
FEBRUARY 2019
In February we visited the Science Museum in South Kensington. In the morning we entered the free exhibition entitled: ‘The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution. This was very interesting. It explored the huge influence of medicine on the imperial family at the beginning of the 20th century; from the young Tsarevich Alexei’s haemophilia B—a rare blood condition passed down from Queen Victoria—to the Tsarina’s mental health, and the influence of doctors as well as spiritual advisers including the infamous mystic Rasputin.
The exhibition enabled us to discover the private lives of the Tsar and Tsarina and their children through unique artefacts, documents and photographs never before on public display in the UK. The royal family mysteriously disappeared in 1918 and finally there was an examination of the crime scene and more about the advances in medical and forensic science which transformed the investigation into their brutal deaths.
After lunch we met our Blue Badge guide who took us on an interesting tour of some of the museum highlights; through the Energy Hall with James Watt's preserved workshop, ‘the making of the modern world', the history of flight and the excellent new mathematics gallery. Everyone agreed that our guide made the afternoon very enjoyable.
--------------------------------------
JANUARY 2019
In January we visited the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. We travelled to Liverpool Street station and from across the road we used the very convenient 344 bus direct to the museum. As with all museums the tendency is for them to be busy and noisy with school parties in the morning. We had a blue badge guide arranged therefore for the afternoon, so everyone made their own choices in the morning. Many in the group visited the sobering adult only Holocaust gallery which tells the story of the dreadful Nazi persecution of the Jews and other groups before and during the Second World War.
Those who also visited the First World War gallery or took the curator led guided tour equipped with headsets were able to discover the story of that war through the eyes of the British people and the Empire, both on the home front and the fighting fronts. What impresses is that the exhibit reveals stories not only of destruction, suffering and loss, but also of endurance and innovation, duty and devotion, comradeship and love.
Our afternoon guided tour started with a brief history of the Imperial War Museum and the building’s origin as Bethlem Hospital. We went on to discover the exhibits from the First and Second World Wars and in contemporary conflicts. Our guide told us some of the everyday and exceptional stories of people whose lives have been impacted by war. We finished our tour at the top of the museum in the Lord Ashcroft gallery; this display houses a large collection of Victoria and George crosses. It tells stories of men, women and children who performed extraordinary acts of bravery to help other people in desperate need and who acted with courage and bravery.
-------------------------------------------
DECEMBER 2018
In December we visited the Postal Museum at Mount Pleasant. Arriving late morning we first spent time in the exhibition and enjoying refreshment in the café. The Postal exhibition tells the history of the mail from its early days. There is currently a temporary exhibit called ‘Voices from the Deep’; in this is displayed a selection of over 700 personal letters that have been trapped at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a sunken ship for nearly three quarters of a century. A merchant steam boat the SS Gairsoppa was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland by a German U-Boat in 1941. From soldiers writing to loved ones, to businessmen and missionaries, the letters offer a unique insight into the lives of ordinary people, living in extraordinary circumstances in the Second World War.
Before we headed across the road to the Mail Train the museum staff encouraged the group to join the afternoon talk about the mail coach that is on display in the museum. We were glad that we did because the talk was very interesting. Then it was on to the Mail Train; it was a tight squeeze into the little carriages as the original trains were designed to carry mail bags. Because it was December the interactive displays were given a seasonal makeover which was a bonus.
------------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2018
In November we visited the British Museum. In the morning everybody explored the galleries on their own. Some of us joined the volunteer tours that were available taking in the Roman Britain, Greek and Age of Enlightenment galleries. After some lunch we met our guide Jan Poole for a very entertaining tour of the many highlights in the British Museum. Jan first explained how the collection came together; she then went on to show us the Great Court which was transformed from an open courtyard into the spectacular glass roofed central feature of the museum in 2001. Then it was on to the Rosetta stone, key to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The group were especially taken with the huge human headed winged lions taken from the Nimrud gates, complete with the scratched game of Ur at their base played by bored guards that would have been on duty at the gates. Then there were the lion hunt stories behind the Assyrian Palace reliefs, the controversies and background to the Parthenon marbles taken from the Acropolis of Athens, the Egyptian galleries and the fantastic Anglo Saxon discoveries at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk.
This week we enjoyed a very seasonal stroll through the city from Tower Hill to St.Pauls exploring delights such as Leadenhall Market and the narrow passageways frequented by Charles Dickens and fictional characters from his ‘Christmas Carol’ Along the way we discovered St.Olave’s dedicated to the patron saint of Norway in recognition of the Norwegian king who fought against the Danes alongside the Anglo-Saxon king Ethered the Unready. The Norwegian connection was reinforced when King Hakkon worshiped here while in exile during World War 2. Using the Norway link our guide explained that it was Britain’s support in the war that led to the annual Trafalgar Square tree donation. It was also interesting to learn that the famous diarist Samuel Pepys was buried here as was ‘Mother Goose’ (the noticeboard states this) - now famous as a pantomime character.
--------------------------------------
OCTOBER 2018
At the end of October 49 group members took a Golden Boy coach to Windsor. After negotiating security, we were led round to the Winchester Tower where we enjoyed a talk entitled ‘Restoring Windsor – the castle after the fire’. With extensive use of slides, we learnt how it is believed that a spotlight being used in restoration work to a private chapel ignited a nearby curtain and then spread too much of the Upper Ward of the State Apartments.
The fire lasted 15 hours and 1.5 million gallons of water were used to put out the fire. In fact, the amount of water used complicated the restoration work more than the fire damage itself. Luckily many of the rooms near to the fire had been emptied to carry out the original renovation so that much of the collection was not damaged. However, there was significant damage to the rooms themselves and most of the roofs were destroyed. It cost £37 million pounds to carry out the restoration work and much of this was paid for by opening Buckingham Palace to visitors every summer. The rooms were generally restored back to their pre-fire architecture but with some modern modifications. This was demonstrated in the slides we were shown.
After our talk we were given audio guides and armed with these together with the knowledge we had gained from the talk we explored the state apartments up until lunchtime. In the afternoon we were met by our Blue Badge guides Amanda and Laura. They took us into St. Georges Chapel and explained the architecture and history. Notable for many royal weddings including the two recent ones this year. It is also notable for many royal burials and interments and we spent some time looking at the memorials to the likes of Edward III, Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville, Henry Vi, Henry VIII and Jane Seymour together with more recent royals like George V, George VI, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Mother) and Princess Margaret.
We finished off our guided tour with a walk around the precincts of the castle out into the historic streets of Windsor and round to the Great Park and the Long Walk. We returned to our coach as it was starting to get dark well exhausted but having had a very interesting day out.
-----------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 2018
In September we travelled to Euston and negotiated our way past the HS2 works and down a side road. We were treated to a voyage of discovery in a very inconspicuous building in Stevenson Way. On selected Monday mornings, they produce ‘History and Mystery at The Magic Circle’; this is an introduction to their work, a tour of the HQ and their small museum, some excellent close-up magic and a short show in the small theatre. All the group 4 members attending had a great time.
-------------------------------------
AUGUST 2018
In August we travelled by coach to Cambridge on one of last very hot days of this Summer. Our tour guides for the day, Steve and Cathy, met us at Queens’ Green. They both did their best to keep each group out of the sun for most of the day. Fortunately, there was plenty of shade inside Queens College which we visited first. Following this we explored the very different grounds of Kings College and inside the spectacular Chapel, together with the view that inspired lyrics from Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon.’ Our guides told us about the relationship between the University and its colleges and student life in general.
Finally, we spent some time exploring the city of Cambridge passing by several other colleges and leaning about their colourful history as well as seeing the Corpus Clock, the Eagle and the Senate House. Afterwards, there was free time, but most people ended up having a cool drink back at the Eagle tavern.
--------------------------------
JULY 2018
In July we took a guided tour of Hampstead Village. Despite the previous day, Thursday being forecast with record temperatures the media had promoted Friday as the day to avoid and therefore we had a rush of cancellations. It was warm however and there was a rush for a cool beer at the Flask Inn at the end of the walk. Because of the weather we started the day in the air-conditioned British Library before moving on to Hampstead for an afternoon walk. With our numbers depleted we benefited from smaller groups with our two guides Jan Poole and Laurence Summers. The latter seemed familiar; he reminded us that he had been our speaker at the May meeting on the Victorian Age. Hampstead was delightful; lots of famous residents’ past & present, a Mary Poppins inspiration and great views. We returned home as it started to rain followed by the long anticipated thunderstorm.
-----------------------------------------
JUNE 2018
In June we visited Strawberry Hill House. We had a slightly later departure from Cheshunt than usual and then we travelled by the fast train from London Waterloo to Twickenham station. Lunch was at the William Webb Ellis (alleged inventor of rugby) Wetherspoon pub. Then a short 5 minute bus trip to Strawberry Vale.
The house and garden at Strawberry Hill benefited from a substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and support from a number of other organisations, Trusts and Foundations. It won awards for the restoration work carried out ahead of public opening in 2010 after being vacated by the adjoining St. Mary’s University College (although the university still owns the site).
First, we enjoyed a guided tour of the gardens including the Shell seat, the Lime Grove and the lovely Chapel in the Wood. We were then treated to an afternoon tea with plenty of tea, cakes, scones and cream! Ready then for a guided tour of the house built in the gothic style for Horace Walpole, politician son of the first British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. He was also the author of the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. We were shown around the house by the Trust’s Director; his enthusiasm and knowledge were impressive, and the house surpassed everyone’s expectations.
------------------------------------------
MAY 2018
At the end of May we travelled by tube and bus to Kenwood House where members enjoyed touring the house and taking lunch in the nearby café on a very warm day. The weather forecasters had threatened thunderstorms and flash floods and several times the sky turned very dark; luckily it by-passed North London. This was very fortunate because in the afternoon we met our guide for a tour of Highgate.
Highgate is a very desirable part of London where many poets, pop stars and other notables have either lived or are still living there now. Indeed, Ray Davis was spotted out for a stroll and one of our group went over for a chat about the school that they both attended. We finished by passing the famous cemetery, a tour of which will have to be included in a future trip. Next door is Waterlow Park, a little gem that is not very well known; the tea room in Lauderdale House offered most of the group well-earned refreshment before we headed back to Cheshunt.
-------------------------------------
APRIL 2018
We had two trips in April. By popular demand 15 of us visited the special exhibition of works collected by King Charles I that ran until April at the Royal Academy of Arts. Everyone agreed that this was an excellent exhibition. A couple of days later a group of 24 visited the Charterhouse in Clerkenwell. Our tour was conducted by London Town Tours guide Julie Chandler and it included much on the work carried out in the area to construct Crossrail. The gardens outside the Charterhouse had only recently been restored following major excavations. We learnt about the tunnelling, station design, the trains, the archaeology, and how Crossrail impacted life at Charterhouse. We learnt that the land was originally used as a burial ground for victims of the Black Death, with the Charterhouse – a Carthusian monastery, being built in 1371. Remains of this plague pit were unearthed by the Crossrail works. With the dissolution of the monasteries, the Charterhouse became a mansion for wealthy noblemen and a refuge for royalty. In 1611 Thomas Sutton bought the Charterhouse and it was then used as a home for needy ‘brothers’ (they were no longer monastic). It has also been used as a school until that moved to Godalming in Surrey. There was graffiti on the pews in the Chapel from those days. The Charterhouse still houses ‘brothers’ and we decided that we would return in the future for a tour with one of the ‘brothers’.
-------------------------------------
MARCH 2018
In March we enjoyed a visit to Westminster Abbey. Everyone agreed that our guide Jan Poole was excellent. The Abbey was very busy, and it restricts groups to 30 people, so we have another tour planned for May. We learnt that construction of the present church began during Henry III’s reign but that its history goes back to Edward the Confessor and much has been added over time. Jan started in the precincts of the Abbey and explained the significance of Westminster School and Westminster Choir School before moving into the Abbey itself and taking us through the various Coronations and Royal weddings that have taken place there including the most recent of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. Until the death of George II most kings and queens were buried in the Abbey and we visited their tombs.
-----------------------------------
FEBRUARY 2018
In February we visited the Houses of Parliament during the Half-term recess. As 48 members had signed up for this trip a coach was arranged. Fortunately, with it being the school holiday our journey into London was not as long as it usually is by road and we enjoyed time for a stroll across Westminster Bridge and refreshments before going through the security process.
We were separated into two groups for our tour around the Houses of Parliament. Our guides were very lively and full of enthusiasm such that the tours over ran the expected time. As well as exploring the Lords and Commons chambers we admired the elaborately decorated rooms which the Queen passes through at the State Opening of Parliament. We were able to appreciate the history of the building; it’s role as a Palace and the seat of Parliament.
-------------------------------------
JANUARY 2018
In January we visited the National Gallery with our blue badge guide Jan. She took us on a highlights tour starting with the oldest exhibit the ‘Wilton Diptych’ which we discovered was painted as a portable altarpiece for the private devotion of King Richard II who ruled England from 1377 to 1399. A diptych is a painting, carving or piece of metalwork on two panels, usually hinged like a book.
We then explored the most notable paintings in the collection in the order that they were painted. Most notable amongst these were those by Titian, Bellini, Claude, Rubens, Gainsborough, Monet, Seurat and Cezanne. Particularly interesting is the painting by Hans Holbein the Younger during Henry VIII’s reign of the Ambassadors. Jan explained the symbolism in the picture reference to the religious turmoil at the time. The distorted skull in the foreground is notable as a symbol of mortality. When viewed from a point to the right of the picture the distortion is corrected.
Of course, there are the notables like the ‘Fighting Temeraire’ by Turner, the ‘Haywain’ by Constable and one of many paintings of Sunflowers that Van Gogh did. We finished our tour with a demonstration of pointillism; a technique developed by Seurat, where tiny dots of pure colour placed in close proximity to each other. When viewed from a distance the human eye fuses these into solid colour.
------------------------------------
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2017
In November we enjoyed a close-up visit to the Albert Memorial. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and opened in 1872 by Queen Victoria. After some lunch in the Albert Hall café across the road we were split into two groups for an extended tour of the concert hall. We learnt about the history of the Hall, some of the legendary performances, royal visits, backstage stories and gossip. The Youth Orchestra were performing that evening and we had the opportunity to sit in the auditorium and listen to them rehearsing.
In December we met our guide Richard at Goodge Street station and followed the criss-crossing paths of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson as they solved their only original Christmas-time case. We learnt about Arthur Conan Doyle as he reached a crisis in his professional life and where the famous detective acquired his famous Stradivarius violin. We finished the walk at Covent Garden where the story concludes. Then there was time for refreshment and enjoyment of the Christmas lights and smells at the old market before we boarded a bus to Trafalgar Square, Regent Street and Oxford Street to see the Christmas lights there.
December was in fact a busy month for the group; before Christmas we enjoyed a lovely Christmas Dinner at the Bulls Head in Turnford and after Christmas we visited Kew Gardens. After a very fresh afternoon stroll around the gardens in daylight we returned after dark for the Kew at Christmas presentation. The spectacular trail started with a sea of glowing globes changing colour to ‘The Carol of the Bells’, a huge Christmas Tree constructed from wooden sledges, the singing trees, a tunnel of bubbles, a flickering fire garden, a tunnel of lights and a grand finale on the lake in front of the Palm House of music, lasers and projections!
----------------------------------------
OCTOBER 2017
At the end of October we enjoyed a guided tour of the Duke of Wellington’s Apsley House, popularly known as Number 1 London because of its prominent position in the heart of the capital at Hyde Park Corner. It is London’s only surviving aristocratic town house still in use today. Apsley House was originally designed by Robert Adam for Baron Apsley from whom it takes its name. After our visit to Apsley we had a lovely stroll through the Rose Gardens in nearby Hyde Park. We had lunch in a very busy café by the Serpentine. In the afternoon we returned to Hyde Park Corner and crossed the busy roundabout over to Wellington Arch. Our lively host Clive began by commenting that when he was first asked to take responsibility for tours of the Arch (previously working at Kenwood House) he thought what on earth can I tell people about an arch for 45 minutes. Like our guide at Apsley we found Clive had really come to love the Arch and he gave us an absorbing tour lasting well over an hour. We then made our way up by stairs or lift to the third and fourth floor exhibition ‘Waterloo 1815: The Battle for Peace, which included a pair of Wellington’s boots and the sword he carried on the day of the Battle. At the very top we entered the balconies just below the sculpture where there are glorious panoramas over the Royal Parks and central London. It is also possible to see into the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
--------------------------------
SEPTEMBER
We visited Clarence House; now the London home of Prince Charles, Camilla and Prince Harry. It was previously the Queen Mother’s home but since her death Charles has made several alterations in both the house and the gardens.
Before visiting Clarence House we spent the morning on a walk around the surrounding area (‘the Old Palace Quarter’). Our Irish actor/ director guide Liam Clark was very friendly, informative and highly amusing. We were taken down secret passageways revealed naughty stories from the 16th century and later. We discovered courtyards that you wouldn’t have known existed. We learnt about the gentlemen’s clubs and why the tiniest of windows needed a bar to stop the little urchins of old from crawling through.
In September, we visited Hampton Court. We enjoyed a 3-hour tour of the Palace and gardens and then only really touched the surface. A couple of the group even upgraded their entrance ticket to a Historic Royal Palaces annual membership. Despite the long tour, after a well-deserved cup of tea half the group were still up to getting lost in the maze. We never found our way to the middle of the maze the hard way but we had lots of laughs trying. The staff took pity on us and let us use the gate giving us a short cut to the centre in the end!
-----------------------------------------------
AUGUST
'Recently we visited Buckingham Palace and after negotiating past the crowds for the Changing of the Guard we took a self guided tour around the Palace using the headsets provided. The special theme this year was based around gifts provided to the Queen over the years from all corners of the globe including a section on those from visits in the UK (there was part of the ribbon cut to open the Channel Tunnel). The contrast between the lavish expensive gifts from Arab countries and China compared with simpler yet often touching gifts from less wealthy places.
After lunch on the terrace we were taken on a garden tour. By this time it was raining heavily so our guide took us from tree to tree for some shelter especially as a number of people had not come prepared with suitable coats and brollies. We also sheltered in the summer house briefly. Half way round we were asked to move off the path and to our amazement two cars passed; the first carrying Prince Philip on his way to his last public engagement with the Marines and the second with Prince William!
------------------------------------------
JULY 2017
In July we visited Greenwich. We took the train and tube to Westminster where we boarded the Thames Clipper service down to Greenwich. Initially we could see the sights of central London. Once past Tower Bridge the Clipper went into high speed mode. The power of these vessels is amazing and the efficiency and speed with which they negotiate each stop is impressive.
After lunch at the Greenwich Wetherspoons we were met by our two guides who took us on a very interesting and informative tour of the Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Naval College, the Queen’s House and the Meridian line. We learnt about the history of the College site; the Greenwich Palace in Tudor times, the hospital and it’s use as a university. We were unable to visit the Painted Hall because it is going through a renovation. However our guide used photos to show us how it looks. We did however get into the Chapel and we witnessed filming for a WW2 movie.
After our tour we took the bus to North Greenwich and crossed back to the North side of the Thames by way of the Cable Car. Some excellent views of the Thames, Lea, Excel Centre and City Airport.
---------------------------------
JUNE 2017
In June we joined our two guides Andy and Richard at Warwick Avenue tube for our interesting walk ending at Little Venice. This was certainly an area of contrasts. It is mostly a very affluent area with some of the finest early Victorian domestic architecture. Many famous names have been residents here in the past – Freud, Browning, Edward Fox, Ruth Rendell, Marc Bolan etc. Alan Turing spent his childhood here; his house is now a hotel. Our guide saw Earl Spencer getting into his car – he apparently bought his town house from Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame. Despite this it was interesting that the Paddington Green area had smart housing on one side of the road and council flats just across the road.
We continued to the lively part of the Regents Canal around Paddington known as Little Venice full of house boats, wildlife and restaurants. After a spot of lunch we embarked on a pleasant canal trip past Regents Park and ending at Camden Lock. Then it was a stroll along the canal to Camden Road Overground station for our return journey.
-------------------
MAY 2017
In May we had a tour of the area behind Kings Cross Station taking in the nicely refurbished Granary Building now used by the University of the Arts (Central St. Martins), the Skip Garden and viewing platform and Gasholder Park. We finished with a walk back along Regents Canal passing Camley Street Nature Reserve. We were impressed with how this area has been transformed over recent years. There is still more to be done but it is now nearing completion.
After lunch, we were taken on a tour of the British Library. We were shown how books are stored, accessed and delivered. Then we went to the viewing gallery to look down on the immense reading rooms. We were shown the second largest atlas.
--------------------------------------
APRIL 2017
In April we travelled to Westminster pier for a 2 hour journey up the River Thames on the ‘Cockney Sparrow’. Our guide on the boat was a real cockney geezer; he pointed out all the sights along the way. Among the landmarks we passed were the Houses of Parliament, Lambeth Palace, the MI6 building, Battersea Power Station, Battersea Park, Chelsea Hospital , Hammersmith Bridge, Fulham Football Stadium and Kew Gardens.
We reached Richmond in time for a quick stroll across to the Poppy Factory. There we enjoyed a two course lunch followed by a talk about the Factory’s origins and then a tour of the factory. We were given the chance to make our own ‘No.1’ poppies and buy poppy mementoes of our visit. Then it was the quick way back on South West Trains from Richmond Station.
-----------------------------------
MARCH 2017
In March we joined our guide Margaret at South Kensington tube station on a very sunny Thursday. She walked us to the Victoria & Albert Museum entrance in Cromwell Gardens and we admired the imposing façade in the sunshine. Margaret then took us inside the museum and we enjoyed a couple of hours touring some of the more notable exhibits such as the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries, the Raphael Cartoon designs for the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the Cast Courts and the Great Bed of Ware. Margaret’s interesting commentary brought these and other exhibits like the stained glass and jewellery that we visited to life. She also explained how the Museum evolved and was added to pointing out the interesting architecture. After our guided tour we made our way through the gardens to the refreshment facilities before spending some time wandering the galleries that took our fancy in the afternoon.
------------------------------------------------
February 2017 part 2
In February we joined our guide Richard at the Monument for a Darkest Victorian London tour across London Bridge, around Borough market, the paupers graveyard ‘Crossbones’, and Octavia Hill’s cottage, We finished at ‘Little Dorrit’s Marshelsea Debtor’s prison and the last remaining galleried London George inn. After lunch we visited the oldest surviving operating theatre in the UK, used in the days before anaesthetics and antiseptic surgery. We were given an hour’s talk explaining how the building evolved from a church and how the operations were performed. Despite its issues this really made us appreciate the NHS of today.
-----------------------------------
FEBRUARY 2017
This month we met our guide Tim Wood outside the Royal Courts of Justice and after passing through the airport style security, we walked through the immense Main Hall, through the costume display and down the corridors passing the courts where civil cases are heard. Tim explained that barristers here can earn substantial amounts; up to £2,000 an hour. He showed us the Bear Garden, so called because this is where solicitors, b