Arts Society lecturer, Alan Read, will lead this tour of The Wallace Collection which is justly renowned for its paintings, some of them among the most famous in the country. Kenneth Clark once described the Great Room as ‘the greatest picture gallery in Europe’. From Italian Renaissance to Dutch Golden Age and French Rococo, this tour will strike a balance between well-known masterpieces and what might prove to be new discoveries and pose the question, what exactly is it that constitutes fame and value?

We will have two groups of 12. Each visit will last 90 minutes.

Date of Visit - Thursday 17th September 2026

Meeting Times - The morning group will meet at 10.15 for a 10.30 start and the afternoon group will meet at 13.45 for a 14.00 start.

Meeting Place - We will meet inside the main entrance of the Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN. It's a 10 minute walk from Bond Street Station.

Ticket Price - The cost is £28 per person including Vox equipment.

Tickets are available at https://www.ticketsource.com/theartssocietyrichmond/e-djxeqa

If you have any questions please contact Betty Makin at betty.makin@gmail.com Tel: 020 3561 2283 and 07932 790479.

Portsmouth is a port city and naval base on England’s south coast, mostly spread across Portsea Island. It’s known for its maritime heritage and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The dockyard is home to the interactive National Museum of the Royal Navy, the wooden warship HMS Victory, where Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar, and HMS Warrior 1860. The Tudor ship Mary Rose is also conserved in a dockyard museum.

Our ticket includes a Tour (in 3 groups at 11am for about an hour) of the Mary Rose. Built in 1510, this was Henry VIII's favourite warship, tragically sunk in front of the King in 1545. After a miraculous recovery in 1982, its hull is on display inside the Museum, which also houses the largest collection of Tudor artefacts in the world.

Also to be seen in the Dockyard are the Royal Navy Museum, HMS Warrior (powered by steam and the pride of Queen Victoria's fleet) and HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar).

Meeting Place - The coach leaves from the Old Deer Park Car Park, Richmond TW9 2RL. It's the large car park on the Richmond entrance town centre side of the A316. (It is not the Pools on the Park Car Park, which is on the other side of the road.)

Meeting Time - 8am for an 8.15am coach departure

Departure time - 4.30 pm

We will be back in Richmond by about 6pm.

Ticket Price: £72 BUT £34 for Art Fund and Museum Association Members

The link to buy tickets is https://Portsmouth20Aug2026.eventbrite.co.uk

If you have any questions please contact ​Alex Simms at ​alex.branson@btinternet.com​, Tel: 020 8891 4166 and 07880 626342.

Unfortunately this visit has been cancelled. Hatfield House got a big three-day booking and couldn't afford not to accept it, so they cancelled our booking without any notice.

Bedford Park near Turnham Green was described by John Betjeman In 1960 as “the most significant in the Western world”. It is the world’s first garden suburb and the prototype for later garden cities and garden suburbs (including Hampstead Garden Suburb) which owes its origin to the Aesthetic Movement of the 1870’s. It followed the ideas of Ruskin and Morris who encouraged the appreciation of beauty in everyday life while providing a rich cultural experience at affordable prices for all classes and abilities.

From 1875, visionary developer Jonathan Carr started building Bedford Park. The Queen Anne style houses were mainly designed by R. Norman Shaw and in 1963 John Betjeman was enlisted to help save the suburb from developers. It is now a conservation area. There are 356 houses listed Grade 2 to protect their historic features both externally and internally.  Painter Camille Pissarro, on his 3rd visit to England, produced some oils of Bedford Park in 1892.

We will meander around the suburb looking at the different architectural styles, blue plaques and gardens, finishing at the magnificent church St. Michael and All Angels. Refreshments can be taken at the Tabard Inn or at the several cafés in the area around Turnham Green Station.

Trish de Villiers will lead this walk for us. She is one of our members and has an extensive knowledge of the area and has led tours with the Ramblers Association for many years.

There will be two groups of 15.

Meeting place: Turnham Green Station.

Meeting times: The morning group will meet  at 10.45am for a 11am start, finishing at 12.30pm.
The afternoon group will meet at 1.45pm for a 2pm start, finishing at 3.30pm.

The cost is £15. We will only be 15 in each group so do book your ticket a.s.a.p.!
 

If you have any questions please contact Betty Makin on 07932 790479 or email betty.makin@gmail.com

Link to buy tickets: https://www.ticketsource.com/theartssocietyrichmond/t-qmmelgy

We were going to go there by coach but it proved too expensive so we have changed tack. We will now be going by public transport because it's a really easy journey. We will be giving a full refund to the few members who paid for a ticket when we were planning to go by coach.

We will meet at 09.45 in the entrance foyer of Richmond Station and take the 10.00 Overground train (probably from Platform 5) arriving at Stratford Station at 11.03. From there you can either walk the 8 minutes to the V&A Storehouse or follow the sign that says Buses and take the 388 bus from bus stop X outside the station to the bus stop that is called "Here East" or take the shuttle bus that leaves from the same place outside Stratford Station every 10 minutes.

The main entrance of the V&A East Storehouse is on Parkes Street, London E20 3AX inside what’s called the "Here East" building. You can see its location is on the map here.

The V&A East Museum is at 107 Carpenters Road, London, E20 2AR. It’s a 13 minutes walk from the Storehouse or you can take the 388 bus getting off at the Endeavour Square stop from where it’s a 4 minute walk or you can take the shuttle bus. The location of the Museum on a map here.

You will manage your own timings during the day which will be free flow/self directed. There are of course nearby cafés etc. You will have the opportunity to explore the area etc at your own pace and as you choose and you can return to Richmond at any time that suits you.

The Storehouse building is designed to get you closer to objects held in the V&A collections and to the work of the museum. Spread across three floors it reaches a height of over 20 metres. In the centre of the Collections Hall there is a section of glass flooring with a view down to the Agra Colonnade and the working store below. There are lifts in the Storehouse. Each level has public walkways with a metal grid floor and glass balustrades, allowing you to see all the way down to the ground floor below. The David Bowie centre with memorabilia is part of the V&A East Storehouse permanent exhibition.

The V&A East Museum has galleries, exhibitions and events spotlighting the people, ideas and creativity that are shaping global culture right now. The V&A East Museum's "The Music is Black" exhibition opens on 18th April 2026 when the Museum itself opens to the public. The exhibition highlights 125 years of Black British Music and illustrates how this has shaped British culture. Spanning 4 continents and 12 decades this is a story of excellence, struggle and joy.

Entry to the Storehouse and the Museum is free for everybody but there is a charge for the "Music is Black" exhibition if you not a V&A member. Art Fund members will pay £10 and non-members will pay £22.50.

Meeting Place - The foyer of Richmond Station

Meeting Time - 09.45 for the 10.00 Overground train to Stratford.

Arrival time - The train will arrive at Stratford Station at 11.03.

Return time - You can return to Richmond whenever you want.

It's well worth looking at the V&A East website at https://www.vam.ac.uk/east. For example you will learn that you can order an item from the Collection to be brought to you for your own personal perusal. See https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/order-an-object for further details.

Eventbrite link for tickets: https://vandaEast.eventbrite.co.uk

If you have any questions please contact ​Mary Martin at maryyoughal@gmail.com or on
07734 054990

The Arts Society Richmond

The castle's story begins in 1067. Many of the original features such as the Norman Keep, medieval Gatehouse and Barbican survive. Between the 1870s and 1890s the house was almost completely rebuilt and the magnificent architecture in Gothic style is considered to be one of the great works of Victorian England.

We will learn from the friendly guides about the finely preserved interior with its fascinating furniture, tapestries and rare collection of paintings by renowned artists including Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Canaletto. Stroll through the tranquil grounds where you will discover inspiring gardens.

Our tickets will allow entry to the Castle and Gardens. We will be split into manageable tour size groups for the castle tour which will last about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Once you have enjoyed the Castle tour and the grounds you are free to spend the rest of the available time in Arundel.

The castle’s cafe offers a selection of light meals and the coffee shop in the Victorian Pantry offers a selection of sandwiches, cakes and drinks.

Arundel Town is only 500 yards from the Castle's gates and is well worth a visit, especially the city’s “Shared Building”. The western end of the building is the Anglican parish church of St Nicholas whilst the eastern end is the Private Roman Catholic Chapel that belongs to Arundel Castle and the Duke of Norfolk. It is one of the few places in England where two different Christian denominations worship under the same roof, separated only by a screen.

Meeting Place - We will join the coach in the Old Deer Park car park, Richmond TW9 2RA. It's the large car park on the Richmond town centre side of the A316. It is not the Pools on the Park car park which is on the other side of the road.

Meeting Time - 8.45am for a 9am coach departure.

Arrival - We will arrive at about 10 45am. It's an 8-minute walk from the coach drop-off point to the castle.

Departure time - We will leave from the coach drop-off point at 3.30pm so we'll be back at the Old Deer Park car park at about 5.15pm.

If you have any questions please contact ​Mary Martin at maryyoughal@gmail.com or on 07734 054990

Eventbrite link for tickets: https://Arundel15April.eventbrite.co.uk

The world famous Petrie Museum opened in 1915 and is named after its founder, the pioneering archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie. He was born in 1843 and died in 1942 aged 89. The museum illustrates life in the Nile Valley from pre-history through the time of the pharaohs and onwards to the Ptolemaic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic periods.

There will be 2 one-hour guided tours at 1pm and 2.30 pm with 15 members in each group.

The guided tour will move back and forth between recent history and the ancient past, between objects and people, to illustrate the living, breathing nature of the museum and discoveries that are made about its collections up to this day. Investigating the museum's most important and eye catching pieces, our guide will bring to light the discovery, history and care of these objects. The rich and varied history of the Petrie Museum is revealed by the secrets that sit on its shelves.

The museum opens at 1pm and closes at 5pm. You can stay there all that time if you want to browse the collection before and after your guided tour.

Meeting Place - The Petrie Museum is at University College London, Malet Place WC1E 6BT on the corner of Malet Street and Torrington Place which itself is off Gower Street. Go through huge iron gate and the museum is half way down on the left. The nearest underground stations are Euston and Goodge Street which are both a 350 yard walk away. There is no cafe in the museum, but there are cafes in the area.

Museum Opening Time - The museum opens at 1pm

Tour Starting Times - The tours start at 1pm and 2.30pm

Museum Closing Time - The museum closes at 5pm

Ticket Prices: £11 per person

Eventbrite link for tickets: https://PetrieMuseum18thMarch.eventbrite.co.uk

If you have any questions please contact ​Alex Simms at ​alex.branson@btinternet.com​, Tel: 020 8891 4166 and 07880 626342.

This is a repeat of the first visit to Stationers' Hall.

In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed Stationers' Hall along with the major part of the City of London. George Tokefield, the Clerk, managed to remove most of the Company's records to his house in Clerkenwell, for which thoughtful act the Company is indebted for the survival of its unique archive.

Work on the new Hall began in 1670 and in 1673 the new Hall was used for dinner on Lord Mayor's day. The total cost of construction was £3,000. In the 10 years following the Fire about £5,000 was spent on the Hall, warehouse, Court Room, Stock Room and tenements. Much of the money came from the profits of the Stock, as had the original purchase money for the property.

At the end of the 18th century, Robert Mylne, Surveyor to the Company since 1776, was asked to give a more dignified appearance to the frontage. The work was finished in the autumn of 1800. His son and successor, William, in 1825, improved the amenities of the Court Room. The third Mylne, Robert William (son of William), re-shaped and partially re-built the east wing of the Hall. In 1885, when the Stock Room was given its present shape, but with the old panelling restored.

The Hall Today

The Hall today is one of the most beautiful in London in spite of serious damage caused by enemy action in 1940. The Court Room was partially destroyed but was restored by 1957, and the ceiling of the Livery Hall had to be re-erected to a design of 1800.

In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed Stationers' Hall along with the major part of the City of London. George Tokefield, the Clerk, managed to remove most of the Company's records to his house in Clerkenwell, for which thoughtful act the Company is indebted for the survival of its unique archive.

Work on the new Hall began in 1670 and in 1673 the new Hall was used for dinner on Lord Mayor's day. The total cost of construction was £3,000. In the 10 years following the Fire about £5,000 was spent on the Hall, warehouse, Court Room, Stock Room and tenements. Much of the money came from the profits of the Stock, as had the original purchase money for the property.

At the end of the 18th century, Robert Mylne, Surveyor to the Company since 1776, was asked to give a more dignified appearance to the frontage. The work was finished in the autumn of 1800. His son and successor, William, in 1825, improved the amenities of the Court Room. The third Mylne, Robert William (son of William), re-shaped and partially re-built the east wing of the Hall. In 1885, when the Stock Room was given its present shape, but with the old panelling restored.

The Hall Today

The Hall today is one of the most beautiful in London in spite of serious damage caused by enemy action in 1940. The Court Room was partially destroyed but was restored by 1957, and the ceiling of the Livery Hall had to be re-erected to a design of 1800.

If you have any questions please contact Betty Makin at betty.makin@gmail.com Tel: 020 3561 2283 and 07932 790479.

This visit will be different and varied. We are planning a visit to Handel Hendrix House at 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB. These two houses were used by the Baroque composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) in the 18th century and by Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) in the 20th century. They are completely different but are joined up internally.
The visit will be self-guided so we will make our way through the historic rooms at our own pace and the team of very knowledgeable guides will be on hand throughout the house to answer any questions.

After this visit we have time for lunch wherever is convenient before making our own way to the Society of Antiquaries at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE where we have a booked tour at 2.30pm which will include a visit to the library and a complimentary drink at the end at around 4pm. We must gather outside at 2.15pm .

There are a lot of stairs and no lift in the Society of Antiquaries and a possible lift at the Handel Hendrix House but it can be out of order.

Please click on https://Visit-21JANUARY.eventbrite.co.uk to book your ticket. You don't need to bring your ticket with you as we will have a list of names.

Date of Visit - Wednesday 21st January 2026

Meeting Time - We will meet at 10.45 am for an 11am start. The length of the visit at Handel Hendrix House is up to you but most people stay about 1½ hours.

Meeting Place - Inside Handel Hendrix House, 25 Brook Street, London W1K 4HB. It's a 5 minute walk from Bond Street Station and a 10 minute walk from Oxford Circus Station.

Finish Time - We will finish at about 4pm.

Ticket Price - The cost is £25 and we have a limit of 15 members in the group.

If you book for more than one person, the tickets will be in your name only and joining instructions will only be emailed to you.

Our allocation of tickets have all be sold but you can buy tickets direct from Cadogan Hall at https://bit.ly/cadoganhall1712

If you have any questions about this visit please contact Pauline Tuft at paulinetuft123@gmail.com or on 07798 601335.

Our December visit is to Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square to hear a Christmas concert put on by the famous and ever popular choir called The Sixteen on Wednesday 17th December at 7.30pm.

We will listen to fine choir music ranging from medieval melodies to modern compositions, a musical journey that will celebrate the heart of Christmas. It will be an atmospheric, unforgettable evening of beauty and joy. You can see the programme at https://cadoganhall.com/whats-on/choral-at-cadogan-2025-christmas-with-the-sixteen.

Date of the Visit – Wednesday 17th December 2025.

Meeting Time - The concert begins at 7.30pm. Please allow plenty of time to collect your ticket from Pauline Tuft at the Box office door from 6.30pm.

Meeting Place - Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ which is a two minute walk from Sloane Square tube station. Turn right out of the station and follow your nose.

Accessibility - There are 27 steps up to the Gallery and no lift.

The cost is £33.50.

The Hall has 2 bars which offer a large selection of drinks and a small selection of sandwiches and snacks.

If you have any questions please contact Betty Makin at betty.makin@gmail.com Tel: 020 3561 2283 and 07932 790479.

Blue Badge Guide, Sarah Ciacci, will give us a much requested 75 minute tour of the V&A. On the tour we will tick off some of the highlights of the museum - the world's greatest collection of decorative arts and a collection of real curiosities. We will see some of the treasures of the British Galleries, sculptures by Rodin and Canova, one of the oldest and largest carpets in the world, some highlights from the Medieval and Renaissance galleries, with some unusual and surprising objects revealed on the day!

Please click on the Tickets link to book your ticket. You don't need to bring your ticket with you as we will have a list of names. The visit is limited to 30 members and we will split into two groups.  If you book for more than one person, the tickets will be in your name only and joining instructions will only be emailed to you. If all tickets have been sold when you go to book a ticket, you should add your name to the waiting list because people always drop out.

Date of Visit - Wednesday 12 November 2025

Meeting Times - The morning group will meet at 10.30 for a 10.45 start and the afternoon group will meet at 12.00 for a 12.15 start. You can choose whether to go in the morning or afternoon when you book your ticket. Each visit will last an hour and a quarter.

Meeting Place - Inside the Cromwell Road entrance of the V&A by the information desk.

Ticket Price - The cost is £24. The two groups are limited to 15 members each. We will use Vox equipment for this visit.

If you book for more than one person, the tickets will be in your name only and joining instructions will only be emailed to you.

Our 1st October visit is to Syon House, the spectacular London residence of the Duke of Northumberland on the bank of the River Thames.

If you have any questions about this visit, please contact Mary Martin at maryyoughal@gmail.com or on 07734 054990.

Syon House's exterior was erected in 1547 while under the ownership of the 1st Duke of Somerset. Syon's current interior was designed by Robert Adam in 1762 under the commission of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. Syon is filled with multiple styles and inspirations including a huge influence of Roman antiquity, highly visible Romantic, Baroque and Mannerist styles and a little Gothic. The Great Hall, a grand staircase and a Long Gallery stretching 136 feet long are impressive features. Adam's most famous addition is the suite of state rooms and as such they remain exactly as they were built.

We will have a one hour tour of the Great Hall and Principal Floor, and then the bedroom floor will be open for those interested and happy with the stairs leading there. There will also be time to view the great Conservatory and the gardens.

We will meet at 1.45 pm outside the Hillier's Garden Centre Entrance next door to Syon House. There is free parking available in the adjacent Hilliers Garden centre car park. It's about a 10 minute walk from the Syon Park entrance gates to Hilliers Garden Centre, our meeting place.

Public transport does not go close to the house. However from the 267 Brent Lea bus stop one can walk through Syon Park past the Syon Park Hilton hotel to Hillier's Garden Centre. Again this is approximately a ten minute walk.

Unfortunately, due to the historic nature of the building, neither wheelchair access nor motorised scooter access is possible. There are 6 steps to the front entrance and a further 6 when in the Great Hall.

There is a cafe in the Garden Centre.

Date of the Visit - Wednesday 1st October 2025

Meeting Time - 1.45 pm

Meeting Place - Outside the Hillier's Garden Centre Entrance next door to Syon House.

Ticket Price - The cost is £15.50 for seniors and £18.50 for others.

Our April visit is to Mercers' Hall on Monday 14th April 2025. If you have any queries please contact Pauline Tuft at paulinetuft123@gmail.com. Tel: 020 8581 3014 and 07798 601335.

Led by the Blue badge guide, Guy Fairbank, our 90 minute tour will take us through various rooms of the Mercers' Company Hall. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the City's premier livery company. Its first charter was granted in 1394 though its history goes back much further. Famous Mercers include Dick Whittington, Robert Baden-Powell and Sir Thomas Gresham. Since the sixteen century they have made their home just off Cheapside. Their post-war hall boasts a fine collection of sixteen century portraits, a rare pre-Reformation monastic sculpture and the only chapel in any livery hall.

Please click on the Tickets link to book your ticket.  You don't need to bring your ticket with you as we will have a list of names. 

Please click here to buy your tickets  

Date of the Visit - Monday 14th April 2025

Meeting Time - 10.45am for coffee before the tour begins.

Meeting Place - 6 Frederick's Place, London EC2R 8AB off Old Jewry which is off Cheapside. The nearest tube is Bank. Take the Waterloo and City Line and, at the top of the travelator, turn left and take the exit which will take you up to the road which is called Poultry. Mercers' Hall is 200 yards along the road on the right.

The cost is £20.

We are repeating a magical evening visit to Westminster Abbey that we last enjoyed in 2022 with enormous success. In addition to having an afterhours guided tour of the Abbey we will enjoy listening to singers from The Purcell Club which is named after Henry Purcell who was organist of the Abbey from 1679 to 1695. 

We will be welcomed in the Cloisters before moving to sit in the Nave for the first piece of sacred music. The speaker will then describe the history and architecture of the Abbey, moving from one location of interest to the next. At various points there is a pause for members of the Purcell Club to sing suitable musical items ranging from the 16th to 21st centuries.

Stratfield Saye House has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since it was presented to the Great Duke in 1817 after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 when he defeated Napoleon. A grateful nation voted the Duke a substantial sum of money, initially £600,000 and then an additional £100,000, to enable him to buy a house and estate worthy of a great national hero.

After coffee on arrival (pre-booked) our guides will take us in groups of 10 starting at 11am (it's a 3 minute walk from the reception building to the house) for a one hour tour of the house to see the unique collection of paintings, prints, furniture and personal belongings of this most famous soldier and statesman.

There will be tours at 11am, 11.30 am,12 noon and 1pm. The first tour will be taken by a guide to the house from the Visitor Centre. For later tours the groups will make their own way to the house and will be met at the front door by a guide.

For those on later house tours, we will be given a talk on the Great Duke's funeral and see his magnificent Funeral Carriage, housed in the Wellington Exhibition, which also charts his military and political life. The stables exhibition, Copenhagen's Grave (the stallion that carried Wellington through the Battle of Waterloo) and the grounds can be fitted in around our tour times.

A light lunch (not included in the price) can be taken at any time. We will write to you later about menu choices. The small café requests that we order our food 3 weeks ahead of time (don’t ask why!). Those on the 1pm tour will have theirs before the tour.

At 2 pm there is a Funeral Car Talk for those on earlier house tours (i.e. the 11am and 11.30am tours). 
Tickets
 

A visit to Boughton House. The visit has been organised by Betty Makin.

Our July visit is to the spectacular Boughton House near Kettering in Northants on Thursday 17th July. We will go on a house tour for about 1½ hours. Lunch will be at about 1pm and there will be time to enjoy gardens and gift shop. The visit is limited to 40 members and we will split into two groups for the house tour. 

Boughton House is one of the great houses of Europe having been originally a monastic building from the early 15th century. Its special attraction lies in the harmonious blending of the superb collections of paintings, furniture, tapestries, needlework, carpets, porcelain, arms and silver. You can read all about it at https://www.boughtonhouse.co.uk

A visit to the Longfrod Castle, concentrating on its magnificent collection of furniture. The visit has been organised by Betty Makin.

This is going to be another spectacular visit. We are very excited to be able to offer you, for the second year running, a visit to Longford Castle which is a Grade 1 listed country house on the banks of the River Avon south of Salisbury. It is the seat of the Earl of Radnor and is a fine example of the Elizabethan prodigy house built 1576-1591 and 1802-1817. It has a marvellous collection of paintings in the setting created for them but this time we will be having a specialist tour of the furniture since we saw the paintings in 2024.

Tickets to visit the castle are normally only available to the public via the National Gallery website. Last year we sold out of tickets for our first visit to Longford Castle within three hours which was unbelievable.

A visit to the Russell-Cotes Museum and Gallery. The visit has been organised by Pauline Tuft.

In 1901 Merton Russell-Cotes gave his wife Annie a dream house on a cliff-top, overlooking the sea at Bournemouth.

It was an extraordinary, extravagant birthday present – lavish, splendid, and with a touch of fantasy. They filled this exotic seaside villa with beautiful objects from their travels across the world, and lined the walls with a remarkable collection of British art, creating a unique atmosphere in a most dramatic setting.

A home, an art gallery, and a museum. Then they sealed it in time, and gave it to the future.

With four purpose-built galleries, there’s so much stunning artwork to see in the Russell-Cotes.

From 1916 to 1919, Annie paid for the building of three additional art galleries to East Cliff Hall. Galleries I, II and III, which are accessed through the Main Hall, enabled many of the largest works of the founding fine art collection to be displayed.

A visit to Mercers' Hall. The visit has been organised by Pauline Tuft. All ticket for this visit have been sold so a second visit has been arranged for 22nd September 2025.

Led by the Blue badge guide, Guy Fairbank, our 90 minute tour will take us through various rooms of Mercers' Hall. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the City's premier livery company. Its first charter was granted in 1394 though its history goes back much further. Famous Mercers include Dick Whittington, Robert Baden-Powell and Sir Thomas Gresham. Since the sixteen century they have made their home just off Cheapside. Their post-war hall boasts a fine collection of sixteen century portraits, a rare pre-Reformation monastic sculpture and the only chapel in any livery hall.

A visit to the Compton Verney. The visit has been organised by Alex Simms.

The Compton Verney estate is 10 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon and remained in the Verney family until 1921 when financial pressures forced the 19th Baron to sell it. It then passed through several owners before being purchased in 1993 by the Peter Moores Foundation.

The Foundation oversaw a £45 million restoration project to transform Compton Verney into an art gallery and visitor destination, which opened to the public in 2004. The estate’s historic buildings and Capability Brown-designed landscape have continued to be restored and maintained by the Compton Verney House Charity. It's a Grade 1 listed house built in 1714 by Richard Verney, 11th Baron Willoughby de Broke. It was first extensively extended by the 12th baron in the early 18th century and then remodelled and the interiors redesigned by Robert Adam for the 14th baron in the 1760s. It is set in more than 120 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown in 1769.

The collections include Neopolitan art from 1600 to 1800; Northern European medieval art from 1450 to 1650; British portraits including paintings of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Edward VI and works by Joshua Reynolds; Chinese bronzes including objects from the Neolithic and Shang periods; British folk art; and the Enid Marx / Margaret Lambert Collection of folk art from around the world which inspired the textile designs of 20th century artist Enid Marx.

There is a cafe which serves light refreshments.

A visit to the Science Museum with Blue Badge Guide Tim Barron. The visit has been organised by Pauline Tuft.

There will be morning and afternoon tours each lasting approximately 90 minutes led by Blue Badge Guide, Tim Barron. South Kensington's science museum is one of the finest in the world. The collection of over 300,000 objects dates from the Great Exhibition of 1815 and is continually being added to.

Tim will take us for an informal stroll through a selection of exhibits. For many years Tim worked in the museum and he will explain how science has evolved through the years and how these great and small objects and the men and women behind them have shaped our ever changing world.

A visit to the V&A to learn about the Raphael Cartoons with Blue Badge Guide Sara Ciacci. The visit has been organised by Betty Makin.

Our December visit is to St Paul’s Church Covent Garden to hear a Christmas concert put on by the famous and ever popular Vasari Singers on Friday 13th December at 7.30pm.  We will listen to some beautiful carols ranging from Giovanni Gabrieli in the second half of the 16th century to carols from our own era.  A highlight will be the Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.  We look forward to seeing you and sharing the festive music with you; also to giving you the opportunity to sing along heartily to the audience carols. It is always such a joyous evening, so please join us to kick start your Christmas in the best possible way.  You can invite your family and friends too.

Our November visit is to the National Gallery to see their Heroes and Villains. There will be morning and afternoon tours each lasting approximately 90 minutes led by Blue Badge Guide, Muriel Carré. We will visit the great Italian Baroque gallery along with smaller galleries to explore great deeds, good, bad, or downright evil depicted on the walls. Knights in shining armour killing dragons, heroes keeping their enemies at bay, virgin saints standing their ground, leaders parading in triumph or sparing their enemies....and quite a few heads on silver platters too.

The visit will be led by Muriel Carré and is being organised by Pauline Tuft.

Explore 19 acres of award-winning gardens and step inside the striking art deco mansion.

Once a favoured medieval palace and then a Tudor royal residence, in the 1930s Eltham Palace was transformed by eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. Get a taste of the Courtaulds’ extravagant lifestyle as you explore their unusual home, try on a range of period costumes, follow the family trail and admire the magnificent medieval great hall.

There’s a quirky mix of medieval and modern in the gardens too. Admire stunning herbaceous borders, walk through formal rose gardens and relax in the Rock Garden, with its pools and cascades running down to the moat. Cross London's oldest working bridge and go on an adventure in the playground inspired by the Courtaulds’ love of travel.

With so much to see and do, Eltham Palace is a great value day out for the whole family.

Don’t miss:

• See the purpose-built heated home of Mah-Jong, the Courtaulds’ beloved pet lemur.
• Head underground to explore the basement – used as a games room and a bomb shelter during the Blitz.
• Take the multimedia tour with options for adults and families.
• Relax in the beautiful glasshouse café overlooking the playground.

The visit is being organised by Mary Martin and Pauline Tuft. 

Titsey Place in Oxted, Surrey is an impressive manor house with beautiful gardens set in the stunning countryside of the North Downs.

The House and Gardens are held in Charitable Trust.

• We will have a guided tours of the house which dates back to the 16th century.
• There are stunning gardens including the walled kitchen gardens, landscaped lakes, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Rose Garden.
• Picturesque parkland, bordered by broadleaf woodland and grazed by the ‘Titsey Herd’ of pedigree Sussex cattle.
• Woodland walks in the Titsey Plantation and High Chart with views across the Downs.
• Refreshments available from the Tea Rooms.

The visit is being organised by Alex Simms.

There is a waiting list for this visit.  It's a repeat visit as Visit # 1 was sold out within 12 hours.  

Longford Castle is a Grade 1 listed country house on the banks of the River Avon south of Salisbury. It is the seat of the Earl of Radnor and is a fine example of the Elizabethan prodigy house built 1576-1591 and 1802-1817. It has a marvellous collection of paintings in the setting created for them. Tickets to visit the castle are normally only available to the public via the National Gallery website but all tickets for 2024 have been sold so we are very privileged to be able to offer this visit for a limited number of members.

You can read about the spectacular art collection housed in the Longford Castle at https://bit.ly/longfordcastle. The two-hour tour of the castle will finish at about 12.45pm after which our coach will take us to Salisbury where we will have free time to have lunch (not included in price) and browse around the city on our own without a guide until our 4pm departure for Richmond. Salisbury Cathedral and Close and St Thomas's Church are both worth a visit and there's a useful city map at https://bit.ly/salisburymap2 which you might like to print out.

Ticket price - £50 which includes coach, tip to driver and entrance to Longford Castle which is £16.

Meeting time and place - 8am prompt departure from the Old Deer Park Car Park, Park Lane, Richmond TW9 2RA. Please be there at 7.45am.

Arrival time - We are aiming to arrive at Longford Castle at 10.15am in time for entrance at 10.30am. The castle website is https://www.longfordestates.co.uk.

Return time - We will leave Salisbury at 4pm and will be back in Richmond by about 6pm.

This visit is sold out.  Longford Castle which is a Grade 1 listed country house on the banks of the River Avon south of Salisbury. It is the seat of the Earl of Radnor and is a fine example of the Elizabethan prodigy house built 1576-1591 and 1802-1817. It has a marvellous collection of paintings in the setting created for them. Tickets to visit the castle are normally only available to the public via the National Gallery website but all tickets for 2024 have been sold so we are very privileged to be able to offer this visit for a limited number of members.

You can read about the spectacular art collection housed in the Longford Castle at https://bit.ly/longfordcastle. The two-hour tour of the castle will finish at about 12.45pm after which our coach will take us to Salisbury where we will have free time to have lunch (not included in price) and browse around the city on our own without a guide until our 4pm departure for Richmond. Salisbury Cathedral and Close and St Thomas's Church are both worth a visit and there's a useful city map at https://bit.ly/salisburymap2 which you might like to print out.

Ticket price - £50 which includes coach, tip to driver and entrance to Longford Castle which is £16.

Meeting time and place - 8am prompt departure from the Old Deer Park Car Park, Park Lane, Richmond TW9 2RA. Please be there at 7.45am.

Arrival time - We are aiming to arrive at Longford Castle at 10.15am in time for entrance at 10.30am. The castle website is https://www.longfordestates.co.uk.

Return time - We will leave Salisbury at 4pm and will be back in Richmond by about 6pm.

Waddesdon Manor used the be the home of the Rothschild family. It was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of French decorative arts and to entertain the fashionable world. Opened to the public in 1959, Waddesdon Manor is now managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust which took over ownership in 1957.

Overlooking the Aylesbury Vale, Waddesdon Manor is an enchanting French chateau, a fitting setting for a superb collection of decorative arts and furniture. Names include Reisner, Boulle, Gobelins, Dutch old master paintings and English portraits. The house, an architectural gem, currently hosts an exhibition of the Italian painter ​Giovani Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino (1591-1666). This historic exhibition, Guercino at Waddesdon, shows five works brought together for the first time on public display, including his recently discovered Moses which Jacob Rothschild bought in 2022.

The Manor sits in one of the finest Victorian gardens in Britain, famous for its beautiful parterre, rose garden, water garden and ornate working aviary, all of which you can visit during the day.

Meeting Place - The Old Deer Park Car Park, Richmond TW9 2RL, the large car park on the Richmond Town Centre south side of the A316

Meeting Time - 8.30am for an 8.45am departure

Guided tour - We will have a guided tour at 11am of approximately 1 hour (included in the ticket price.)

Return times - Depart Waddesdon at 4pm for arrival at the Old Deer Park Car Park at about 5.45pm

Ticket prices:
£42 if you are a member of the National Trust, the Art Fund or the Historic Houses Association, or

£51 if you are only a member of the RHS, or

£60 if you are not a member of any of these organisations.

Please bring your membership card for the relevant organisation.

Waddesdon says that you can print the map of the estate and bring it with you. The map is at https://bit.ly/WaddesdonMap but they will give us each one on arrival.

The coach will drop us off at the North Fountain from where we will depart at the end of the day.

It's a short walk from the North Fountain to the Manor Entrance where we will meet for the Guided Tour of the house. The toilets in the house are on the floor below the restaurant and shop.

After our Tour we will be "free flow". We recommend that you download the free online guide on the Bloomberg Connects App before the day of the visit. We will be given Shuttle Bus tickets which we can use to go to The Stables Café which is down a steep but walkable slope. The Shuttle Bus operates continuously on a one-way loop stopping at the North Fountain, the Stables and the Visitors' Car Park.

If you have any questions please contact Mary Martin at maryyoughal@gmail.com, Tel: 020 8892 4681 and 07734 054990.

​There will be morning and afternoon tours each lasting approximately 90 minutes led by Blue Badge Guide, David Thompson. We will visit Southwark Station and the two Canary Wharf stations​ to look at their fantastic architecture, and we will travel between the two on the Jubilee Line.

The Jubilee Line extension opened in the 1990s and provided a direct connection between the West End and Docklands which was essential to Canary Wharf’s success. Each new station was designed by signature architectural practices who were allowed to impose their own individual styles.

Our tour will begin with the ocean liner themed Southwark Station and conclude with the polished concrete of Foster & Partners' cathedral-like hub serving Canary Wharf itself.

Canary Wharf epitomised the money-making culture of the 1980s & 90s, and big money demanded big buildings to house vast numbers of staff employed by the major financial institutions. Today with changing technologies and reductions in staffing levels, Canary Wharf is changing by introducing new initiatives such as business start-ups, health & life science businesses and residential units.

We will start our tour by looking at Southwark Station before taking a Jubilee Line train to Canary Wharf. We will also visit the Elizabeth Line Station at Canary Wharf to see the roof garden (we will not go down to the platforms).

Meeting Times - ​The morning group will meet at 10.45am for an 11am start while the afternoon group will meet at 2.15 pm for a 2.30pm start. You can choose whether to go in the morning or afternoon when you book your ticket.

Meeting Place - We will meet at pavement level outside Southwark Tube Station, 68-70 Blackfriars Road SE1 8JZ. Take the main exit from the ticket hall up to Blackfriars Road, not the smaller exit that goes to Waterloo East Station.

Our guide Stephen Burstin, born in the Jewish East End, will take us on a two hour walking tour of the Jewish Quarter of Aldgate and Spitalfields. There will be plenty of stops and sit downs along the way. The tour provides interesting sights and incredible stories of people and places including the magnificent Bevis Marks synagogue, the Jewish soup kitchen, stories from Petticoat Lane market and the first Yiddish theatre in England.

During the tour the colourful indoor Spitalfields Market will be pointed out which is near our finishing point. It is worth exploring the restaurants and cafés and the market with attractive, award-winning stalls featuring arts, crafts, antiques and

Meeting time - 10.45am for an 11am start

Meeting place - Outside the exit of Aldgate tube station. There is only one exit. Richmond to Aldgate takes about 55 minutes via Victoria.

Our guide Stephen Burstin, born in the Jewish East End, will take us on a two hour walking tour of the Jewish Quarter of Aldgate and Spitalfields. There will be plenty of stops and sit downs along the way. The tour provides interesting sights and incredible stories of people and places including the magnificent Bevis Marks synagogue, the Jewish soup kitchen, stories from Petticoat Lane market and the first Yiddish theatre in England.

During the tour the colourful indoor Spitalfields Market will be pointed out which is near our finishing point. It is worth exploring the restaurants and cafés and the market with attractive, award-winning stalls featuring arts, crafts, antiques and

Meeting time - 10.45am for an 11am start

Meeting place - Outside the exit of Aldgate tube station. There is only one exit. Richmond to Aldgate takes about 55 minutes via Victoria.

There will be two groups for this behind the scenes tour of the National Theatre

Led by expert guides, our 75-minute tour takes us on a journey behind the scenes of the National Theatre to see what is being made in the on-site carpentry, props and scene painting workshops, and we will discover how world-class productions are created.  We will also explore the design and unique features of this remarkable building including the auditoriums.  The last behind the scenes tour that we did was to the Royal Albert Hall which was brilliant.  This tour will be equally fantastic and equally popular.

Meeting time - Both groups will meet at 10.45am

Meeting place - We will meet on the seating across from the box office in the Main Entrance.  The National Theatre is a 10-minute walk from Waterloo Station.

Following up on her brilliant study morning Anne Haworth will take us around the V&A to see the scent bottles and magnificent Jewellery Gallery.

This is our second visit to the Neasden Temple as the first visit was vastly oversubscribed.  We will email the members who are on the waiting list and we will arrange a third visit if there is sufficient demand.

We will have a guided tour of the Temple to include the exhibition "Understanding Hinduism" which explores the beliefs, values and wisdom of the world's oldest living faith and we will attend a short prayer session in the Inner Sanctum and see the ornate shrines that house sacred images of the Deities. 

We will have scrumptious lunch in the excellent on-site restaurant which will consist of a simple vegetarian buffet. For those interested in Indian food and spices, there is a fascinating shop ​​next to the restaurant.

There will be morning and afternoon guided walks each lasting around 90 minutes led by Arts Society lecturer and Blue Badge Guide Alan Read.

The new displays at Tate Britain afford us the opportunity of new perspectives on the collection. This tour will look at the sculptures currently on show, beginning in the late 19th century through to the present day. Though Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth dominated sculpture in the 20th century we will look at pioneers like Gaudier-Brzeska and Epstein through to contemporary artists such as Mona Hatoum, Rachel Whiteread and Mike Nelson.

​Meeting time - ​The morning group will meet at 10.45am for an 11.00am start while the afternoon group will meet at 1.45pm for a 2.00pm start. You can choose whether to go in the morning or afternoon when you book your ticket. 

Meeting place - We will meet at Tate Britain, Manton Foyer, Lower Floor, entrance from Atterbury Street off Millbank, SW1P 4RG.

There will be morning and afternoon tours, each lasting 90mins, guided by Art Historian and Blue Badge Guide Sarah Ciacci. We will explore the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery which has had an extensive rehang and reconstructure. The NPG is our national collection of portraits of people who have contributed to British history and culture. We will say hello to some of our old friends, familiar portraits such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, but we will also meet new faces, people who help tell a much richer, perhaps forgotten and perhaps sometimes challenging story of Britain.

​Many of you will remember the sold-out visit "Breakfast at Sotheby's" in 2014 hosted by Adrian Biddell which was just fantastic.  On 8th December 2023 Adrian will host a talk for us at Olympia Auctions in Hammersmith about his ​auction of Fine Paintings, Works on Paper and Sculptures which takes place the following week. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served.

Meeting Place - We will meet outside the Beaconsfield pub on the corner of 24 Blythe Road, Hammersmith W14 0HA.

Meeting Time - 10.45am

Ticket price - £10

Directions - 3 stops on bus numbers 9 or 27 from Hammersmith Bus Station to North End Road, Stop J

We will have a guided tour of the Temple to include the exhibition "Understanding Hinduism" which explores the beliefs, values and wisdom of the world's oldest living faith and we will attend a short prayer session in the Inner Sanctum and see the ornate shrines that house sacred images of the Deities. 

We will have lunch in the on-site restaurant which will consist of a simple vegetarian buffet. For those interested in Indian food and spices, there is a fascinating shop ​​next to the restaurant.

A second visit to the Temple is being arranged for 31 January 2024 as this visit will vastly oversubscribed.

Our 12th October visit is to the spectacular Ranger's House and the Fan Museum in Greenwich.

A bit off the beaten track, at Ranger's House we will have the opportunity to see one of the greatest surviving private collections in Europe.  Our guide will tell us the story of Sir Julius Werner (1850-1912) and his artworks, ranging from ornate medieval jewellery, Italian ceramics and bronze sculptures to Renaissance paintings, 18th century furniture and British portraits.  Following this, our coach will take us to Greenwich Village where we will visit The Fan Museum, the UK's only museum devoted to the history, culture and artistry of fans. It is home to a diverse collection from around the world, dating from the 12th century to the present day.

There will be two one-hour tours led by Oliver Cooke, Curator of Horology, and we will use Vox machines.  We last visited the Clocks Department in 2015 and this will be a wonderful opportunity to see more of their fantastic collection.

Meeting time - The morning group will meet at 10.45am for an 11am start while the afternoon group will meet at 1.45pm for a 2pm start. You can choose whether to go in the morning or afternoon when you book your ticket. 

Meeting place - We will meet at the information desk in the main hall on the ground floor of the British Museum

Tickets - You don't need to bring your ticket with you as we will have a list of names.

The cost is £23. Please click on the Tickets link to book your ticket. 

If you have any questions please contact Betty Makin at betty.makin@gmail.com, Tel: 020 3561 2283 and 07932 790479.

A morning visit to Sandham Memorial Chapel in Burghclere near Newbury followed by lunch and an afternoon visit to the Stanley Spencer Gallery and a walk in Cookham. The chapel is a National Trust property and was built to accommodate a series of paintings by Stanley Spencer, commemorating the life of Lieutenant Henry Willoughby Sandham who died of illness contracted in Macedonia after the First World War. We will then move on to Cookham to see the Stanley Spencer Art Gallery and enjoy a short walk around the village before returning home.

Blue Badge Guide Katherine Alcock will show us around the King’s Cross/St Pancras development.

The walk will be led by Anna Warrilow who has led many of our previous walks very successfully. The visit is being organised by Betty Makin.

From Tower Bridge to Greenwich by boat for a walking tour of Greenwich, visiting Nicholas Hawksmoor’s magnificent St Alfege Church in the middle of town, the Cutty Sark, Wren’s baroque buildings of the Royal Naval College, the Queen’s House and after a lunch break the Painted Hall.

Enjoy an all day visit to Blenheim Palace and see the magnificent gardens.

A second visit to the ING Barings Art Collection for those who were on the waiting list for the first visit – see above.

A second visit to the Royal School of Needwork and the Chapel Royal for those who were on the waiting list for the first visit – see above.

Our ‘Talk and Tour’ visit of the Royal School will last for about 1½ hours and begins with an illustrated talk delivered by a member of staff or Royal School of Needlework tutor. Your guided tour of the exhibition, “A Girl’s Education in Stitch”, will follow the talk. Afterwards, Jenny Lebus will give us a guided tour of the wonderful Chapel at Hampton Court Palace.

Our January visit is to the fantastic art collection owned by ING Barings Bank in the City.

After a drink on arrival, Art and Archive Curator Clara Harrow will take us around the magnificent collection which includes portraits, 18th and 19th century watercolours, modern British art and contemporary pieces.

Barings played a leading role in the development of the British and international financial world from the 1760s until the late 20th century and the works reflect the character and history of Barings bank, including stately 18th and 19th century portraits of the Baring family who sought out the leading artists of the day such as Sir Thomas Lawrence, Benjamin West and John Linnell, and also 20th century works by artists such as Stanley Spencer, John and Paul Nash, L.S. Lowry, John Minton and Keith Vaughan, together with fine watercolours by Samuel Palmer, Edward Lear, Francis Towne, and Peter de Wint.

We will have morning and afternoon guided tours each lasting between 1½ and 2 hours, focusing on the Nativity of Christ and led by London Blue Badge Guide Maurizio Patti who last gave us a wonderful tour of Tate Modern. The Nativity of Christ is a subject that has inspired many great masters in the history of art. In this tour at the National Gallery we will see works by Italian, Spanish, German, Flemish and Dutch artists and how they have dealt with this fascinating theme in a personal, different but also similar way.

There will be morning and afternoon guided tours of the Wallace Collection each lasting two hours, focusing on French decorative and fine arts and led by London Blue Badge Guide Muriel Carré. We will discover the opulence of the stately Boulle furniture, the delicacy of the Sèvres soft-paste porcelain, the theatricality and sensuality of the representations of ladies at their toilette, the intricacy of the precious wood marquetry, the rococo volutes of the ormulu mounts and the sheer luxury of the dozens of gold snuff-boxes, all this in one of the world’s most beautiful museums [Ed – my favourite museum].

We will enjoy an afternoon visit to Westminster Cathedral for a one-hour tour with accredited Cathedral guides. The Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the UK. It is the mother church of Roman Catholics in England and Wales and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site was purchased by the Diocese of Westminster in 1885 and construction was completed in 1903. It was designed by John Francis Bentley in neo-Byzantine style and is made almost entirely of brick without steel reinforcements. The Cathedral is a 4 minute walk from Victoria Station down Victoria Street on the way to Parliament Square.

We are repeating a magical evening visit to Westminster Abbey that we last enjoyed in 2017 with enormous success. In addition to having an afterhours guided tour of the Abbey we will enjoy listening to singers from The Purcell Club which is named after Henry Purcell who was organist of the Abbey from 1679 to 1695. We will be welcomed in the Cloisters before moving to sit in the Nave for the first piece of sacred music. The speaker will then describe the history and architecture of the Abbey, moving from one location of interest to the next. At various points there is a pause for members of the Purcell Club to sing suitable musical items ranging from the 16th to 21st centuries.

Romsey Abbey is one of the most imposing churches in Southern England. It includes many treasures, including two Saxon roods (crucifixes), a 16th century reredos (ornamental screen behind altar) and the tomb of Lord Mountbatten.  Mottisfont Abbey was originally founded as an Augustinian priory in 1201 and was converted into a house at the Dissolution and further altered in the 18th century. In 1939 Rex Whistler completed the trompe l’oeil in the drawing room. There are extensive gardens.

Kenwood House is on the edge of Hampstead Heath, In the 18th century Robert Adam transformed it into a neoclassical villa for William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, and the interiors include some of Adam’s finest surviving work.  Kenwood is now owned by English Heritage and is home to the 1st Earl of Iveagh’s magnificent collection of British and Old Master paintings including works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Van Dyck and Vermeer.

Our Blue Badge Guide, Anne Pollak, will give us a 45 minute tour of the restored Temple of Mithras, a Roman Mithraeum. After a coffee break (not included in the price) Anne will take us through the City of London and bring Roman London to life by showing us some of the key sites of Londinium, the settlement founded by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, including the location of the original London Bridge.

Vintners’ Hall has been the home of the Worshipful Company of Vintners since the 15th century and is the spiritual home of the international wine trade.  The hall boasts a fine 17th century staircase and a magnificent dining hall.  The Court Room is probably the oldest in the City of London. Liveryman and Blue Badge Guide Guy Fairbank will guide us explaining the history and work of this ancient livery company, including their rôle in the ceremony of Swan Upping.

The Henry Moore Studios & Gardens in rural Hertfordshire is the best place in the world to appreciate the work of the sculptor Henry Moore.  His former estate is much as it was during his lifetime and provides the perfect backdrop for his work, which he always intended to be experienced in the landscape. We will visit his family home Hoglands, explore his studios, see his tapestries in the Aisled Barn and admire the gardens created by his wife Irina.

Two tours lasting 2 hours with Blue Badge Guide and Arts Society Lecturer Pepe Martinez. Pepe will take us on a leisurely walking tour explaining the who, when and why of how a rubbish dump was turned into the scene of one of our biggest sporting successes, and how it has benefitted residents of a deprived area of London.  We will visit the Velodrome & Aquatic Centre and have a coffee stop.

We will have an extensive walking tour of Oxford.  For centuries the city has been home to radicals,  intellectuals and innovators, and on our day-trip we will hear the stories of these fascinating people and explore their hallowed streets and halls.  From Town to Gown we will examine the central rôle that Oxford has played in the intellectual life of this country for many centuries. The morning will involve a two-hour walking tour of the city incorporating many of its most famous colleges and buildings, with the afternoon spent enjoying free time or a visit to one of Oxford’s wonderful museums.

Opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria, the Royal Albert Hall is a familiar London landmark. This is an opportunity to have an insight into how the show, hospitality and technical teams come together to stage over 390 events in the main auditorium every year.  Our guide will take us around many nooks and crannies, including going under the stage, into dressing rooms and underground into the loading bay. Visit the royal areas of the Hall and learn how they solved one of the UK’s most enduring engineering challenges – the Royal Albert Hall echo.

Tate Modern is the most visited museum of modern and contemporary art in the world.  The novelty of the display criteria, together with the wide selection and deep variety of artworks, has created a thought provoking challenge for visitors since the gallery opened in May 2000.  Join us for this tour exploring great masterpieces of the 20th century by Picasso, Dali, Mondrian, Duchamps, Boccioni and Matisse, and cutting-edge works of the 21st century by Meireles, Salcedo, Guerilla Girls and Vicuna.  Learn how not to be afraid of Modern Art!

The gallery of so-called ‘Windsor Beauties’ is the name given to the collection of portraits painted by Sir Peter Lely (1618-80) of celebrated courtesans and women of the nobility in Restoration England, which can be seen in the Communication Gallery at Hampton Court Palace. Ten portraits in The Royal Collection can be identified as having belonged to the original group of Lely’s eleven paintings.

Leo Heaton puts together the pieces that make up London’s archaeological jigsaw puzzle. From everyday items like Victorian chamber pots and Roman coins to rare treasures such as medieval water pumps and a piece of 55 MILLION year old amber. Come and explore the sites and some of the objects that this remarkable project has uncovered.

Blue Badge guide Emma Matthews will take us on a virtual walking tour around the The Royal Courts of Justice, the Inns of Court and other legal landmarks of London.

There are 35 bridges between Hampton Court Bridge to Tower Bridge. Can you name them all. If not, here’s a map!

The Galleria Borghese houses a substantial collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (1605–1621). Scipione Borghese was an early patron of Bernini and an avid collector of works by Caravaggio who is well represented in the collection. Additional paintings of note include Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael’s Entombment of Christ and works by Peter Paul Rubens and Federico Barocci.

Alnick Castle is the seat of the Dukes of Northumberland. We will enjoy an insider’s view of the castle and its treasures.

Accredited Arts Society lecturer, Siân Walters, will talk about female artists and explain why so few have come to prominence. Looking at the wide variety of works of art produced during the Renaissance we can arrive at one clear conclusion: nearly all of them were commissioned and created by men. As long as power was in their control, so was the world of artistic patronage and production. Or so it was thought. Recently, historians have discovered more and more evidence of women acting independently and uncovered a number of clues which tell quite a different story. We look at a number of influential figures during the period, including the accomplished and enthusiastic patroness, Isabella d’Este.

This talk focuses on a small but varied selection of paintings in the Wallace Collection in London and will increase our familiarity with the Collection as well as offering a “toolkit for looking”, which you can apply to other paintings. We will learn how to appreciate the subtleties of paintings, which are only apparent when we allow ourselves the time to look closely.

Laurence Shafe will talk about paintings at Tate Britain from Henry VIII and the Reformation to Charles I and his Art Collecting.

Kyoto is arguably the cultural capital of Japan having been the imperial capital for around a thousand years. It is home to over two thousand temples and shrines, 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, palaces, incredible gardens and the iconic Geisha. Richard Farmer of InsideJapan Tours will take us on a stroll of the traditional Gion and Higashiyama districts of the City with their tea houses, traditional Machiya townhouses, shrines and gardens. Hopefully we will see some of Japan’s famous cherry blossom.

Hear about the Huguenots, who they were, why they came to England and where they settled – from Wandsworth to Soho, from Greenwich to Spitalfields. Their skills were outstanding and they influenced bookbinding, banking and finance, the military, clockmaking and so much more. You’ll also hear about the journey from worm to wardrobe, a look at how the 18th century lady acquired her silk dress.  The talk will be given by Tim Kidd, Huguenot Lecturer and Blue Badge Guide, and Charlie de Wet, Chair of Huguenots of Spitalfields.

Cross Tower Bridge and you’re in Bermondsey. It’s a busy area of converted warehouses and stylish riverside flats. A hip crowd mingles in cosy pubs, eateries, and indie shops lining villagelike Bermondsey Street. Bermondsey Square hosts an antiques market. Gourmet food stalls and bars sit beneath Maltby Street Market’s railway arches. The Fashion and Textile Museum and the White Cube contemporary art gallery attract a cultured crowd, including you.

This is a live virtual walk around the Ginza district of Tokyo with specialist tour operator InsideJapan Tours who are based in Bristol and who have an army of English speaking guides throughout Japan. Chantel Furbert will take us on a walk through the Ginza district which is famed as being Tokyo’s upmarket shopping area but is in reality an area with many personalities. Not far from the designer shops and the modern architecture along the Chuo-dori’ main road, you will find the famous Kabuki-za theatre and the countless back streets are home to boutique galleries, ‘Yokocho’ districts with their narrow alleys, eateries and traditional izakaya bars and the odd shrine or two. There is plenty here to entertain any virtual traveller and Chantel will get us beneath the surface in this multifaceted Tokyo district.

Blue Badge Guide Sarah Ciacci will explain how the Stuarts in the 1600s and early 1700s used the Baroque style to underline their power, assert their power and give the illusion of power. We will look at works by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Sir Peter Lely.