The London Appreciation Society [Founded in 1932 by Dr H.L. Bryant Peers]

BM London Appreciation Society, London WC1N 3XX Website: www.las.org.uk

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The Society is a secular, non-political and non profit-making organization for adults interested in the past, present and future of London

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President: The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Norwich, CVO

Vice Presidents Colonel George Cauchi CBE Roger Cline Valerie Colin-Russ The Ven. Peter Delaney Gerald R. Charles Dickens

Committee Chairman: Christopher Claxton Stevens Deputy Chairman: John Mann Secretary: John Mann Registrar: Clive Page Treasurer: John Tritton Assistant Treasurer: Mary Moore Shelagh Blackham MBE Don Buchanan Marion Carr Arthur Fordham Patricia Howard Anne Oxenham MBE

Officers Membership Secretary: Christine Bevan Committee Secretary: Roger Cline

Honorary Life Members John Barrett Roger Cline Valerie Colin-Russ Daphne Hart

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Programme Organisers Shelagh Blackham Marion Carr Arthur Fordham Julia Foyle [IT support] James Nadarajah Anne Oxenham

Tour Leaders John Ackroyd Julie Crouch Rhoda Lewis Jacqueline Anda John Dodwell John Mann Rosemary Bolingbroke Geoff Donald Mary Moore Ronald Chave Paul Dye Pamela Mundy Christopher Claxton Stevens Keith and Mary Evans Chris Redfern Roger Cline Pat Howard [Co-ordinator] Hilary Taylor Valerie Colin Russ Mike Lever John Tritton

Contacts If you have a query, please contact the relevant Officer by email or letter (enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope if you need a reply).

Printing services or non-receipt of Blue Book Colin Watson, 22 Leonard Avenue, Morden, SM4 6DW Email: [email protected]

Non-receipt of booking confirmation Clive Page, 1 Durler Gardens, Luton LU1 3TA Email: [email protected]

To cancel an asterisked event Les Spicer, 18 Grosvenor Gardens, Upminster, RM14 1DJ Telephone: 01708 229 029 *Brief messages only between 9 am and 6 pm on weekdays.*

To join the Phoneswap scheme for non-asterisked events Brian Woollatt, 1 Aberdare Close, West Wickham, BR4 9LP Email: [email protected]

General Enquiries and Information Don Buchanan John Tritton Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Membership enquiries or change of postal or email address Christine Bevan, 52 Greenwich Park Street, Greenwich, London SE10 9LT Email: [email protected]

Suggestions for future events: also AGM matters The Secretary at BM London Appreciation Society, London, WC1N 3XX Email: [email protected]

Matters for Committee Agenda The Committee Secretary at BM London Appreciation Society, London, WC1N 3XX Email: [email protected]

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Essential Information about LAS Membership Subscriptions: The annual subscription of £10 must be paid by the preceding 31 December at the same time as you book for events in January, February and March. Please do not try to renew your membership at any other time.

Email addresses: Please notify changes of email addresses to the Membership Secretary.

Annual Programme: Cancelled Events Full details of the Society’s Programme are published twice a year in the Blue Book. LAS will do all it can to adhere to the advertised programme but neither the Society nor its officers can be held responsible for alterations or cancellations. Events will not be cancelled because of transport strikes. If for this or any other reason the hosts cancel an event the Society will try to re-arrange it later. If an event is cancelled members will be automatically credited with the full amount against the cost of their next bookings.

Booking Arrangements. The regular way of requesting bookings for events is now to do so on-line: simply start at our web-site, www.las.org.uk , and follow the obvious links. If you book on-line you must also agree to pay by direct-debit. If you have set one up already this will still be active; those new to on-line booking will be prompted to set up a direct-debit in favour of the LAS when they book events. Nearly three-quarters of those booking in the last two sessions did so using the on-line booking form and there were very few problems.

Those unable to book on-line will be able to get paper booking forms as before. Put your own name and address on the slip enclosed with the Blue Book and send it to Deirdre Craen of 24 Dora Road, London SW19 7HH . She will post you two booking forms and the subscription renewal form. There will be a £2 handling charge added to the cost of events booked on postal forms.

Both on-line and printed forms will note that the annual subscription of £10 per member is due by the end of December and should be paid by those booking events as part of the booking procedure.

Booking requests may be made individually or by any two members whether they have the same address or not. If they both request the same event either both will be successful or neither, and they may pay separately or together. If members who book jointly online both have valid direct debits registered the bill will be divided between them appropriately.

You may request places for guests when the Blue Book says the capacity allows for guests, but applications for guests will not be successful if an event is fully booked by members . Shortly after the booking deadline the Registrar will merge booking requests made on- line with those made on paper and run the usual booking allocation program. The intention is that booking confirmations for on-line requests will be returned by email within a few days; those which have to be posted may take a day or two longer.

Whenever tickets are need for an event such as a concert the Tour Leader will hand them out on the day at the designated meeting place.

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Asterisked Events Some events are asterisked, either because the venue requires full payment in advance or because numbers are limited. If you have booked one of these events and then find you cannot attend you must telephone Les Spicer [see page 2] as soon as you realize you will not be able to attend. He will then try to find a replacement from the waiting list. The replacement member should: [1] send Les Spicer a cheque payable to LAS for the full cost of the event, and [2] on arrival at the event tell the Tour Leader the name of the absent member whom he/she is replacing

Refunds when you cancel an asterisked event The Registrar may authorize a refund if you withdraw from an asterisked event at least two weeks before the event, or if a replacement is found. If you wish to claim a refund please give full details on your next booking form.

Phoneswap If you are unable to attend a non-asterisked event for which you have booked, you may be able to find someone to take your place if you have joined our Phoneswap scheme. To join this scheme you must send your name, telephone number and email address to Brian Woollatt [see page 2] together with a sae if you are not on email. He will then send you a list of other Phoneswap members’ telephones and/or emails. LAS will not refund your fee, but the member who replaces you may do so.

Dietary Requirements When you book an event which includes a meal for which we have to pre-book we will send you details of any choices available.

Insurance against Injury or Loss LAS tries to ensure that all the venues we visit and the guides we use are fully insured, and LAS also has its own Public Liability Insurance. But the Society and its officers cannot be held responsible for death or injury to members or loss or damage to property at any time or however caused.

Data Protection Act The membership list is held on computer for use within the Society only. If you join a subgroup such as a committee or the Phoneswap scheme your details may be circulated to other members of that group unless you have notified the Membership Secretary in advance that you are not willing for this to happen.

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Attending Events • The Blue Book is prepared some months before events take place so it is in your interest to check the details, of travel arrangements especially, before you set out. For National Rail: telephone 03457 484950, email www.nationalrail.co.uk ; for Transport for London: telephone 03432 221234, email www.tfl.gov.uk. • Unless the Blue Book mentions car parking explicitly, assume there is none. • Please give your name to the Tour Leader when you arrive at the meeting place. • Always meet, please, at the designated meeting place and not at the venue if this is different. If some members go directly to the venue this may cause problems for the Tour Leader who is expecting to assemble the complete group at the meeting place before proceeding to the venue. • Please have your Booking Confirmation Form with you. It may be needed. • Please try not to arrive more than 30 minutes before the advertised time. • Some of the places we visit still have a formal dress code. Others have high expectations of their members and staff. Please dress appropriately for each occasion.

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Diary Dates – Reminder

Book on-line (or use the white form) for events in January to March 2018 Events covered 1 to 46

To be included in the initial allocation of event the Registrar must receive your booking and subscription renewal applications by midnight on Saturday 2nd December 2017

The last date for renewing your subscription if you have not applied for 2018 events is Sunday 31 st December 2017

Book on-line (or use the green form) for events in April to July 2018 Events covered 49 to 113

To be included in the initial allocation of events the Registrar must receive your application by midnight on Saturday 17 th February 2018

Registrar: Clive Page, 1 Durler Gardens, Luton LU1 3TA Email: [email protected] Website: www.las.org.uk

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Events for the first seven months of 2018

Monday 8 January 1. London Before London Highlights Tour This is the first in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall, 150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN (Local Underground stations: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes), Moorgate

(10 minutes)) Time: 10.50am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

Tuesday 9 January 2. Pub Lunch at the Victoria The first of this year’s Pub Lunches is at the Victoria in Bayswater. This event is not bookable via the website or on the postal forms. Further details from Arthur Fordham – see page 50.

Time: 12.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours) (20 places) Pay individually at the bar.

Wednesday 17 January 3. London’s Great Estates Grosvenor, de Walden, Portman, Bedford - the Great Estates of London - are key to the capital’s special and distinctive character. Today modern estates such as Kings Cross, Broadgate and Village East London are also providing some of the benefits of their ancient peers: long-term thinking and investment, high quality placemaking, on-going maintenance and careful stewardship. Join Peter Murray, Chairman of New London Architecture and of the London Society, as he discusses London’s Great Estates.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT. (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby.) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served after the talk.

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Thursday 18 January 4. Freemasons' Hall Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies - a society concerned with moral and spiritual values. In 1768 it became apparent that it would be of great benefit to the members to have a hall of their own, and in 1773 a 'Hall Committee' was appointed to consider and purchase premises. The architect and mason, Thomas Standby, designed the first Hall. By the middle of the 19th century the construction was deemed unsatisfactory, and the new Freemasons' Hall then adjoined the Freemasons' Tavern. The whole building was demolished in the early 20th century in order to build what became the third and present Freemasons' Hall.

Meet: Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Covent Garden) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (40 places) Fee: £10 The Hall is on the corner with Wild Street Friday 19 January 5. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - popularly known as the Neasden Temple - is a masterpiece of traditional Hindu design and exquisite Indian workmanship. Using 5,000 tonnes of Italian and Indian marble and the finest Bulgarian limestone, it was hand-carved in India before being assembled in London in just 2 years. It opened in 1995. We will have a short introductory address, a video presentation and a guided tour of the Mandir. At 11.45 am the sacred images of the Deities and gurus can be seen in the Mandir. After the tour, members can visit the exhibition "Understanding Hinduism" at a small extra charge.

Meet: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 105 Brentfield Road, London NW10 8LD (Nearest Underground station: Wembley Par k. Cross the road & take bus 206 from

stop O, towards Kilburn Park. Alight at stop J on Brentfield Road.) Time: 10.45am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (25 places) Fee: £5 Large bags should be left in the baggage cabin. Only purses and wallets are allowed inside. Smart casual clothing with leg wear below the knee. Shoes are left outside whilst we go in. Saturday 20 January 6. Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology The Petrie Museum has one of the largest and most inspiring collections of Egyptian archaeology anywhere in the world. The displays illustrate life in the Nile Valley from pre-history through Pharaonic to Roman and Islamic times. The collection includes the world's earliest surviving dress - around 2800BC.

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The tour begins with a general introduction to the collection by Tracey Golding, the Visitor Services Officer, and includes a brief history. We will then be guided around the Museum with selected objects used as a focal point. We can then look around the Museum independently.

Meet: Petrie Mu seum of Archaeology, University College London, Malet Place, WC1E 6BT (through the gates opposite the Waterstone’s which used to be Dillon’s) (Nearest Underground stations: Goodge Street, Euston Square, Warren Street) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £3 Photography is permitted without the flash.

Tuesday 23 January 7. The Cartoon Museum This shows the best of British cartoon and comic art, has over 200 original cartoons, caricatures and comics, and Anita O'Brien, Director Curator, will talk about the history of British cartooning. We will then be free to look round the galleries.

Meet: The Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, WC1A 2HH (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Tottenham Court Road) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £11 Refreshments will be offered on arrival.

Tuesday 23 January 8. Underground Cathedrals: The Architecture of the Jubilee Line Extension The Jubilee Line extension launched a new era in London’s traffic infrastructure, six entirely new stations and five remodelled, each with its own architect. John Morgan will lead this exploratory tour from Westminster to North Greenwich. You will need a Freedom Pass, Oyster Card, Travelcard or Contactless payment card for this journey.

Meet: Westminster Underground station, outside W. H. Smith’s in main concourse. Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 There are pay toilets at the station, or free toilets and a cafe at Westminster Central Hall, two or three hundred yards from the station.

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Thursday 25 January: event 12 deadline imminent 9. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL ((Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time: 11.15am (Likely duration Flexible )

Saturday 27 January 10. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

Monday 29 January 11. Understanding Islam Writer and broadcaster Jonathan Fryer explores the beliefs and practices of the major strands of Islam, including contemporary political Islam and extremism. As well as lecturing at the School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS] Jonathan is a regular commentator on Arab and Persian TV channels and was part of the BBCs rolling news coverage of the First Gulf War. He has written 15 books and travels to the Middle East and North Africa several times each year. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available from 5.30pm.

Meet: LUMEN, 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS (Nearest stations: King’s Cross, Russell Square. LUMEN is a post-war brick church 80 yards east of traffic-light-controlled junction of J udd Street and Tavistock Place, before you get to the trees of Regent Square.) Time: 6.00pm (Likely duration 1½ to 2 hours ) (60 places) Fee: £12 Bookings can be made for members’ guests Saturday 3 February 12. Committee Meeting Members are invited to send the Committee Secretary (see page 2) a note of any matters they wish the Committee to discuss. Such notes must reach the Committee Secretary by 26 January.

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Tuesday 6 February; time to apply for April events 13. Fitzrovia Blue Badge Guide Tim Kidd will lead a two-hour stroll through Fitzrovia, which will allow us to compare and contrast All Souls’ mixture of gothic and classical, the BBCs art deco, the Victorian exuberance of All Saints (and a public toilet), and, to calm us down, Robert Adams’ Fitzroy Square, with swinging sixties Telecom Tower looming over it. We will finish in Tottenham Court Road at Goodge Street Underground station.

Meet: Outside the London Palladium, Argyll Street, W1. (Nearest Underground station: Oxford Circus, then a 5 minute walk, eastwards from

the station. Argyll Street is then first on right.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Sunday 11 February – Asterisked Event 14*. Sunday Lunch at the Friend At Hand Join us for a traditional Sunday Lunch in this quirky pub. Established in 1797 it was formerly known as The Handsome Carriage. One of the most notable historical figures to have frequented the pub is Thomas Stearns Eliot. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Order of Merit, Eliot was a distinguished poet, playwright and publisher (at Messrs Faber nearby) who wrote about the Friend at Hand pub in his book ‘Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats’, a collection of poems about the psychology of cats which later inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical 'Cats'.

Meet: The Friend at Hand, 2-4 Herbrand Street, London, WC1N 1HX (Nearest Underground station: Russell Square. Turn left from the station; Herbra nd

Street is the next left. A 2-minute walk.) Time: 12.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £16 (drinks excluded)

Monday 12 February 15. Roman London Highlights Tour This is the second in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall, 150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN (Nearest Underground stations: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes), Moorgate

(10 minutes)) Time: 10.50am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

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Friday 16 February: new bookings deadline 17 Feb 16. Tour of London Coliseum Designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1904, the London Coliseum is the largest theatre in London. It has the widest proscenium arch in London at 55 wide and 34 feet high, and the stage is 80 feet wide, with a throw of over 115 feet from the stage to the back of the balcony. Today the home of the English National Opera, our tour with Shuna Snow will show much of its interesting and quirky history, both front of the house and backstage.

Meet: London Coliseum Foyer, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES (Nearest Underground stations: Leicester Square, Charing Cross.) Time: 10.20am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £8 Please note, this tour involves climbing a number of stairs.

Friday 16 February – Asterisked Event 17*. Dorich House Dorich House is one of London's hidden cultural gems and has recently reopened after a major face-lift. The striking 1930s house on the edge of Richmond Park is the former studio home of acclaimed Russian sculptor Dora Gordine, which she designed for herself and her husband, scholar Richard Hare, in 1936. The museum houses an extensive collection of Gordine's original sculptures, paintings and drawings, which have been newly displayed throughout the impressive three-storey building. Visitors to the house can explore Gordine's ground floor plaster studio, the first floor gallery space she created to exhibit her work and are even able to access the private top floor apartment she shared with her husband - now presented as living quarters to recreate a sense of how the space would have been in their time.

Meet: Dorich House, 67 Kingston Vale, Kingston, SW15 3RN (Nearest rail station: Kingston or Putney, then 85 bus towards the other station. A light

at Woodview Close.) Time: 11.20am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £3 The Museum is located over four floors with no lift. There are 78 steps to the top floor, which is accessed via a narrow staircase.

Saturday 17 February 18. The House of St. Barnabas This Grade I listed Georgian building is notable for its rococo plasterwork interiors and for other architectural features. In 1862 the House was set up as a

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charity to help those who have experienced homelessness. The name of the organisation was changed from the 'House of Charity' to the 'House of St. Barnabas' in 1951. The building functioned as a hostel for women until 2006, and a not-for-profit members’ club opened in 2013. The Chapel is still in being. During our tour with the Rev d Adam Scott, the great, great grandson of the founder, we will learn more about its history and charitable work. Meet: The House of St. Barnabas, 1 Greek Street, Soho Square, W1D 4NQ (Local Underground stations: Tottenham Court Road (5 minutes) and Leicester

Square (8 minutes) Time: 10.50am for 11am tour (Likely duration 1 hour) (25 places) Fee: £5

Sunday 18 February 19. Refugees, Railways, a River and a Ram - Historic Wandsworth Wandsworth’s history has been shaped by its position on the River Thames and the less well-known River Wandle. The Wandle’s mills were used for flour milling, copper working, gunpowder making and oil pressing. Its clean water was used for calico printing and for brewing. The famous Ram brewery produced beer at the centre of Wandsworth from 1576 until 2006. We will see what is left of Young’s brewery buildings and learn of plans for their future. Hear too about the first railway in the world, the riotous Mayor of Garratt election and the Huguenot refugees who contributed to the area’s industrial success. Diane Burstein will lead us along the Wandle to the Thames where we will see the contrast between old industrial Wandsworth and the area’s new luxury riverside apartments.

Meet: Outside Wandsworth Town station (About six trains an hour from Waterloo, taking 16-17 minutes) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½ - 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 This walk ends at Putney Bridge. A short walk across the bridge brings you to Putney Bridge station on the District Line.

Tuesday 20 February 20. Surrey Docks A walk with veteran guide Andrew Davies to discover the history and what remains of the famous Surrey Docks, plus fabulous river views.

Meet: Outside Canada Water Underground station Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

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Thursday 22 February 21. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL (Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time: 11.15am (Likely duration Flexible )

Friday 23 February 22. The Worshipful Company of Cutlers A cutler was the maker and seller of all implements and weapons having a cutting edge. In medieval times he was not an artisan but a designer and assembler of parts, who sold the finished articles. It was as a merchant rather than as a manufacturer that he became prosperous. The Gild of Cutlers (as it was then known) existed in the 13th century and in 1416 Henry V granted to the Company its first Royal Charter. During our tour of the fifth and present Hall with the Beadle, David Hasler, we will hear more about its history.

Meet: Cutlers’ Hall, 4 Warwick Lane, London, EC4M 7BR (Nearest Underground station: St Paul's) Time: 10.45am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (30 places) Fee: £15 Refreshments have been promised, including a glass of Port or Madeira.

Friday 23 February 23. The London Quiz Night This promises to be an interesting and sociable evening. You can certainly arrange with other members of the group to make up a table of four, but there is no need. You can just book for yourself and our hosts will fit you into one of the six tables with a glass of wine and some nibbles. Meet some new members, or reacquaint yourself with some you have already met and pool your knowledge about Dear Old London Town. The prize might be worth winning but in any case the journey to it will be full of fun.

Meet: Lambeth North Underground station entrance hall, then a 3-minute walk. Time: 5.30pm (Likely duration 2½ hours ) (24 places) Fee: £8 Refreshments have been promised. Bookings can be made for members’ guests.

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Saturday 24 February 24. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

Tuesday 27 February 25. The Charterhouse Founded as a Carthusian Monastery in 1348 but adapted to become a Tudor mansion it is still an alms-house. During our unique guided tour by one of the resident Brothers, we will visit the chapel, the Great Hall where the Brothers sat to eat their meals, the Great Chamber where Queen Elizabeth I held court during the first days of her reign, Wash-house Court associated with the medieval monks of the Charterhouse, and some of the beautiful courtyards on this large site. The Charterhouse school, founded here in 1611, moved out to Godalming in 1872, but the presence of the pupils can still be felt!

Meet: The Charterhouse, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6AN (Nearest Underground station: Barbican) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £15 See also event number 45. Afternoon Tea is available at ‘Malmaison London’ next door. Booking is advised.

Wednesday 28 February 26. Lieutenant Lionel Gray: the Forgotten Story, Anthea Gray's Father and Lawrence of Arabia Philip Walker will tell the forgotten story of Anthea’s father who was one of T. E. Lawrence’s comrades during the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. Lieutenant Gray is one of the main characters in our speaker’s new book 'Behind the Lawrence Legend, the Forgotten Few who Shaped the Arab Revolt' . A cipher officer in intelligence, Gray knew many of the key players in Arabia. He had intriguing conversations with Lawrence. He took hundreds of photographs never seen before and hundreds of letters and intelligence documents also survive. This stunning and unique collection holds a mirror to the progress of the revolt. It also highlights the human side, as Gray did his best to cope with ill-health and the anxieties of his fiancée, Mabel, whom he did not see for five years and who had to endure Zeppelin and aircraft attacks close to her north London home, as well as the death of her only brother in France. [Meeting details overleaf]

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Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT. (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby.) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Copies of the Speaker’s book may be on sale. Tea and coffee will be served after the talk.

Thursday 1 March 27. In Search of Belgravia We will stroll with City of Westminster Guide Alan MacDougall through the beauty of Belgravia and hear about the Grosvenor family. We will see the differing squares and housing designed and developed for different groups of society in the nineteenth century: see some of the hidden pubs which supplied the needs of the servants and workers and hear about some of the famous people who lived in the area.

Meet: Grosvenor Hotel, 101 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0SJ , on the steps, or in the foyer if the weather is inclement. (Nearest Underground station: Victoria) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Friday 2 March 28. Meet the Scientist The Francis Crick Institute brings together the world’s best biomedical researchers and will accelerate the delivery of cutting edge medicine in London. The Institute moved to its splendid purpose-built premises in 2016. It is named after Sir Francis Crick, who co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. The Institute brings together some 1200 scientists who are working on cancer, heart disease and stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases (dementia). We will have a tour of the exhibition space and a talk by one of the scientists about their research.

Meet: The Francis Crick Institute 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT (Nearest Underground station: King's Cross, St. Pancras, northern ticket office exit) Time: 12.20pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Main entrance reception is across Midland Road from the west end of the northern entrance to St Pancras Main Line station, serving the non-Eurostar platforms. The Crick Grayson cafe is open to the public.

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Saturday 3 March 29. Fromage Foray Join Henry Eliot for a delicious tour of the more unusual cheeses of London. We will eat lots of different cheeses at London’s cheesiest locations, taking in cheese art, cheese architecture, cheese comedy and cheese tragedy, as well as a potted history of British cheese. Henry is the co-author of ‘Curiocity: In Search of London’ , which Philip Pullman described as ‘the most ingenious, insightful, inspiring, intoxicating, and interesting guide to the great city that I have seen’.

Meet: Neal’s Yard Dairy, Borough Market, SE1 9AB (Nearest Underground station: London Bridge) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Thursday 8 March – Asterisked Event 30*. The Caledonian Club The Club's charity, the Common Good Fund, was formed in 2001 ‘to preserve and enhance for the benefit of the public The Caledonian building at 9 Halkin Street and to encourage reasonable public access to view its historic and architectural features, art collection, furniture and artefacts’. During our tour we will hear more about the history of the Club and its collection of art and artefacts.

Meet: The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, SW1X 7DR (Nearest Underground station: Hyde Park Corner) Time: 10.30am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £9 Mobile phones and cameras are not allowed. Refreshments have been promised.

Saturday 10 March 31A. Tower Bridge Exhibition Started in 1886, Tower Bridge took eight years to build and was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 30th June 1894. It was essential that the new Bridge allow for road traffic to pass over therefore relieving congestion on London Bridge, whilst at the same time allowing tall ships to pass under to gain access to the Pool of London. Britain's finest engineering talents were invited to submit their designs, and most ingenious they were! Designs included a rolling bridge, a duplex bridge and even a spiral roadway to ease approaches. It was Horace Jones' Bascule Bridge with high level walkways and opening roadway sections that was to provide the ultimate answer. When it was built, Tower Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever completed. Currently it is raised just over 900 times a year. [Meeting details overleaf]

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Meet: Tower Bridge Exhibition Tower Bridge, London SE1 2UP (Nearest stations: London Bridge, Fenchurch Street, Tower Gateway DLR. Buses 15,

42, 78, 100 & RV1 go to Tower Bridge.)

Time: 10.45am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (16 places per tour) Fee: £11 Fully accessible, but our hosts need to know of any individuals with special needs in advance.

Saturday 10 March 31B. Tower Bridge Exhibition Details as for event 31A except the time.

Time: 11.00am Please state if you can go to either and then kindly stick to the time allocated.

Saturday 10 March 32. The Borough Until the 18th century London Bridge was the only connection between the south bank of the Thames and the City of London. It follows that Borough High Street, which leads directly to the Bridge, has a history as old and as fascinating as the Bridge itself. On this walk with Gillian Blachford we will crisscross the street to find evidence of its rich history, some in plain sight and some hidden away in the lanes and alleyways which lie behind the noise and bustle of the main highway.

Meet: Borough Underground station Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Monday 12 March 33. Medieval London Highlights Tour This is the third in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN (Nearest Underground stati ons: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes), Moorgate

(10 minutes)) Time: 10.50am for 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

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Tuesday 13 March 34. The Windrush Legacy (Brixton) In the early 19th century Brixton was still a small village but by 1900 it had become a prosperous middle-class suburb and remained so until the late 1940s. After WWII Jamaican immigrants arrived and settled there. Ian Bevan will guide us round what is now a vibrant, cosmopolitan district.

Meet: Outside Brixton Underground station. Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Tuesday 13 March – Asterisked Event 35*. The Royal Courts of Justice The Courts, designed by George Street, were opened by Queen Victoria in 1882 and became the permanent home of the Supreme Court. This consisted of two courts: the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal. During our tour we will hear about the art, architecture, history and the working of the Courts.

Meet: The Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, WC2 (inside the main hall reception area) (Nearest Underground station: Temple. Buses 4, 11, 15, 23, 26, 76, 341 stop outside.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (30 places) Fee: £10 There are several staircases to be negotiated. Wheelchair users can be accommodated.

Tuesday 13 March 36. Pub Lunch at the Rose & Crown The second of this year’s Pub Lunches is at the Rose & Crown in Stoke Newington. This event is not bookable via the website or on the postal forms. Further details from Arthur Fordham – see page 50.

Time: 12.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours) (20 places) Pay individually at the bar.

Wednesday 14 March 37. St. Martin-in-the-Fields There is no official reference to a church on the site of St. Martin’s until Norman times when, in 1222, a dispute was recorded between William, Abbot of Westminster, and Eustace, Bishop of London. In around 1542 Henry VIII built a new church and this was enlarged in 1607, to be replaced by the current building designed by James Gibbs and competed in 1726. Throughout the 20th century it has played an active role in wider social, humanitarian and international issues. Architecturally, spiritually, culturally and socially it has

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helped to form the world around it. During our tour we will hear more about the history and work, including that of Dick Sheppard, Vicar of St. Martin's during World War I.

Meet: St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 6 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4JJ (Nearest Underground station: Charing Cross) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (30 places) Fee: £7 There is a cafe in the Crypt.

Friday 16 March 38. The Royal Philatelic Society London Formed in 1869, it is the world's oldest philatelic society and was granted the title ‘Royal’ in 1906. With over 1,500 members, the Society brings together enthusiastic philatelists from over sixty countries. It published its first book in 1873. During our tour with Juliet Turk, Curator of the Museum and Archives, we will see its philatelic museum, extensive archives and selected artefacts relating to the design, printing and use of postage stamps.

Meet: The Royal Philatelic Society London, 41 Devonshire Place, W1G 6JY (Nearest Underground stations: Regent's Park, Great Portland Street) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £7 There is no ramp or lift access.

Saturday 17 March 39. Chiswick House and Gardens Trust It is one of the earliest examples of neo-Palladian design in England, and the gardens are the birthplace of the English Landscape movement. Richard Boyle, third Earl of Burlington, designed and built Chiswick House from 1725-1729. The villa was inspired by the architecture and gardens of ancient Rome. The sumptuous interiors and key items of furniture were designed by William Kent and there is also a rich collection of Old Master Paintings. The magnificent 19th century Conservatory in the 65 acres of Grade 1 listed gardens, houses the world-famous heritage camellia collection which blooms in early spring. During our tour of the House only, we will hear more about its history.

Meet: Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, W4 2QN (Nearest rail station: Chiswick, then a 15 minute walk.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (25 places) Fee: £9 There is a cafe nearby. The first floor of the House is currently not wheelchair accessible and there is no lift to the first floor.

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Tuesday 20 March 40. East End Walk The East End is not familiar to everyone, but is rich in its diversity. With Chris Rhodes as our guide we will touch on the many faces of East London life: the seedy, with Jack the Ripper and the Krays, the philanthropic with the birth charities like the Salvation Army, the heart-rending with the Elephant Man. It’s an area which has hosted and continues to host many immigrant communities: Huguenots, Irish, Jews, Germans and Bangladeshi. The walk ends in Spitalfields Market, just a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station.

Meet: Outside Whitechapel Art Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX (Nearest Underground station: Aldgate East. Leave the station by the most easterly of

three exits (near the front of eastbound trains) and the Gallery is virtually next door.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Tuesday 20 March 41. London Transport Museum Depot The Museum Depot is a working museum store housing over 370,000 objects. Sights include rare road and rail vehicles spanning over one hundred years, bus and rail sheds, signs, ceramic tiles, ephemera and ticket machines. Our Depot Discovery tour will include historic rail and road vehicles, signalling and tunnelling equipment, a plethora of signs and the quirkier corners of their smaller object collection.

Meet: London Transport Museum Depot, 2 Museum Way, 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, Acton Town, W3 9BQ (Nearest Underground station: Acton Town. The Depot is opposite the station.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (30 places) Fee: £10 This Depot is a working site, so for safety reasons members must stay with their tour guide. Maintenance work may be taking place on site during the visit, so please respect any cordoned off areas and be aware of slip/trip hazards. Photography for private purposes is allowed in the main shed only. No tripods are permitted. There is a cloakroom available for coats and bags.

Wednesday 21 March 42. Mary Shelley and Frankenstein One of the most enduring horror stories ever written, Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, was first published in 1818, and to mark the 200th anniversary of this significant event, Brenda Cole, City of London Guide

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Lecturer, will tell the story of the most dramatic time in the life of its author. Born in Somers Town (less than a mile from our venue in Queen Square) of parents with radical ideas, Mary, at the age of 16, eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. This was just the beginning of a period worthy of a soap opera, full of unconventional characters and featuring suicides, untimely deaths and numerous extra-marital affairs and illegitimate children, as well as the events producing the idea for Frankenstein. Come and hear all about it.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT. (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby.) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Tea and coffee will be served after the talk.

Friday 23 March – Asterisked Event 43*. The Worshipful Company of Pewterers The Company is one of the older Livery Companies and its records date from 1451. Edward IV granted the first Charter of the Company in 1474, and they are all displayed in the Pewterers' Hall. On arrival we will be offered refreshments, followed by a presentation in the Court on Pewter. We will then be taken on a tour of Pewterers' Hall by the Beadle, Nick Gilbert, who will tell us about the history of the Company.

Meet: Pewterers' Hall, Oat Lane, London EC2V 7DE (Nearest Underground stations: St Paul's, Barbican) Time: 11.30am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (25 places) Fee: £9 Monday 26 March 44. Public Art in the West End From statues of famous people to 21st century abstracts there is a wealth of public art in London’s streets and squares. With Anne-Marie Craven as your Blue Badge guide, the West End may surprise you with its homage to heroes, and to those not so heroic, as well as works celebrating art and form more than people or activities. The walk will end near Green Park Underground station.

Meet: Outside the Criterion Theatre on south side of Piccadilly Circus (Nearest Underground station: Piccadilly Circus) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Tuesday 27 March 45. The Charterhouse Founded as a Carthusian Monastery in 1348 but adapted to become a Tudor mansion it is still an alms-house. During our unique guided tour by one of the

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resident Brothers, we will visit the chapel, the Great Hall where the Brothers sat to eat their meals, the Great Chamber where Queen Elizabeth I held court during the first days of her reign, Wash-house Court associated with the medieval monks of the Charterhouse and some of the beautiful courtyards on this large site. The Charterhouse school, founded here in 1611, moved out to Godalming in 1872, but the presence of the pupils can still be felt! Meet: The Charterhouse, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6AN (Nearest Underground station: Barbican) Time: 2.15pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £15 See also event number 25. Afternoon Tea is available at ‘Malmaison London’ next door. Booking is advised.

Thursday 29 March – Asterisked Event 46*. The Kennel Club Art Gallery This gallery houses the largest canine art collection of its kind in Europe. During our tour we will see the exhibition 'Significant Women' which focuses on a number of women throughout history who have made a difference within the dog world. We will also be able to look at the famous painting by Edward Landseer 'A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society', unseen in the UK for sixty years. Refreshments will be served before a presentation by Luisa Foster, Art Collection Curator, giving an overview of the Kennel Club, and our tour will provide us with the opportunity to experience how the Club is an unparalleled source of information, experience and advice on dog welfare, health training and breeding.

Meet: The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB (Nearest Underground station: Green Park) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £5

Thursday 29 March 47. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL ((Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time: 11.15am (Likely duration Flexible )

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Saturday 31 March 48. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

Wednesday 4 April 49. Chiswick House Gardens Tour Chiswick's 65 acres of gardens combine grand vistas, architectural delights, water features and wilderness areas. Extensive restoration has returned them to their mid-18th century glory. This 75 minute, guided, walking tour covers the highlights of the gardens including their history and their renovation. It is not a horticultural tour, although you will see many beautiful trees and plants during your walk. Afterwards, you may wish to revisit some parts of the garden or go into Chiswick House itself (free for English Heritage or Art Fund card holders).

Meet: Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick W4 2QN (Nearest rail station: Chiswick (trains from Waterloo), then a 15 minute walk – It is a

longer walk from Turnham Green Underground station) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1¼ hour ) (25 places) Fee: £5

Sunday 8 April 50. Canonbury Canonbury boasts famous residents, the New River, and lovely side streets and houses, one of London’s most under-rated areas. Join Clerkenwell and Islington Guide Chris Ruff to discover a most desirable part of Islington.

Meet: Outside Highbury and Islington station Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Wednesday 11 April 51. A Night of London Film A fascinating and fun evening spent in a tiny cinema with our host Richard Dacre. He has a passion for film having managed cinemas and distributed films over many years. He has interviewed many of the greats of British cinema including Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger, Peggy Cummins and Jean Kent. His highly acclaimed book about Norman Wisdom resulted in a string of documentaries including a ground breaking South Bank Show, He is one of 24

London’s most knowledgeable tour guides, and combines it with writing and presenting talks on classic films shot in London. He is particularly interested in how their original landscapes have changed over the years. Richard will be exploring the difference in the appearance of the locations of The Pool of London then (1951) and now. A wealth of stories and film, accompanied by a glass of wine and some nibbles.

Meet: Entrance of Lambeth North Underground station Time: 5.30pm (Likely duration 2½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £19 See also event number 56.

Thursday 12 April 52. Perfect Pinner Seemingly untouched by time, Pinner remains quintessentially Metroland, a 1915 marketing brand for the expanding Metropolitan line. Join Rachel Kolsky to d iscover its background together with an annual fair in the High Street, a village church, the home of Ambrose Heal, Horatia Nelson and Ronnie Barker and hear about the recently opened gallery celebrating the work of past resident William Heath Robinson.

Meet: Outside Pinner Underground station (Pinner is on the Metropolitan Line ; do not board a train with ‘Fast’ included on the

destination panel) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½ - 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Sunday 15 April 53. Bible Tour in the British Museum How much evidence is there for the Old Testament in the British Museum? Dr. Barry Walsh will take us on a tour of the great sculptures in the Egyptian and Assyrian collections. The story of the discovery by George Smith of the famous ‘flood tablet` is remarkable. We will also explore the refurbished Mesopotamian gallery and find links to Abraham of the Chaldees. Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar feature and so will Cyrus the Great in the Persian gallery.

Meet: British Museum, Great Russell Street, W C1B 3DG in the Great Court by the Information Desk (Nearest Underground station: Tottenham Court Road) Time: 10.30am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 Refreshments have been offered.

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Monday 16 April – deadline for event 58 imminent 54. John Betjeman's London Actor Lance Pierson leads a guided walk around Highgate to see the places where John Betjeman was born, brought up and went to school. At each stop Lance will read the poems connected to the place including Archibald, NW5 and N6, and extracts from Summoned by Bells . The walk also boasts a wonderful view of London from Parliament Hill Fields. West Hill is a steep climb and some may prefer to catch the bus for a couple of stops. The walk ends in Highgate village, close to bus stops for Hampstead or Archway underground stations.

Meet: Gospel Oak Overground station. Time: 1.30pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 Kentish Town station is about 15 minutes’ walk away from Gospel Oak Tuesday 17 April 55. Sculpture in the City Since 2010 the City of London in partnership with local businesses has sponsored an annual urban sculpture park and an associated education programme. Works by more than fifty artists, many of them well known internationally, have been displayed. Our guide, Stella Loannou, is Director of Lacuna, the creative projects consultancy commissioned to manage and deliver the project. She will talk about the project and lead us to some of this year’s exhibits.

Meet: St Botolph’s Church, Bishop sgate, EC2M 3TL by Gavin Turk’s ‘AJAR’ sculpture (Nearest Underground station: Liverpool Street. Turn right on leaving the station and

the church is on the right, 200-300 yards down the road.) Time: 5.00pm (Likely duration 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Wednesday 18 April 56. A Night of London Film A fascinating and fun evening spent in a tiny cinema with our host Richard Dacre. He has a passion for film having managed cinemas and distributed films over many years. He has interviewed many of the greats of British cinema including Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger, Peggy Cummins and Jean Kent. His highly acclaimed book about Norman Wisdom resulted in a string of documentaries including a ground breaking South Bank Show, He is one of London’s most knowledgeable tour guides, and combines it with writing and

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presenting talks on classic films shot in London. He is particularly interested in how their original landscapes have changed over the years. Richard will be exploring the difference in the appearance of the locations of The Pool of London then (1951) and now. A wealth of stories and film, accompanied by a glass of wine and some nibbles.

Meet: Entrance of Lambeth North Underground station Time: 5.30pm (Likely duration 2½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £19 See also event number 51.

Friday 20 April – Asterisked Event 57*. The Postal Museum and Train Ride The museum collection spans five centuries of history, covering everything from ground breaking design and quirky technology to the intimacy of personal letters. There are also films of the trains which lay disused and derelict for almost 20 years. For the ride itself, which lasts 20 minutes, all bags are held in lockers. The museum points out that the trains are very small and those who suffer from claustrophobia should be aware of this. The ride also contains pitch darkness, loud noises and flashing lights for brief periods.

Meet: The Postal Museum, 15 - 20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA (Nearest Underground stations: Farringdon, Chancery Lane, King’s Cross. Phoenix Place runs between Mount Pleasant and Calthorpe Street. Many buses along Gray’s Inn Road, King’s Cross Road and Theobald’s Road.) Time: 12.00pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £16 The Mail Rail ride contains conditions which may be unsuitable for those with physical or mobility issues, claustrophobia, or a pre-existing condition that could be made worse by loud noises, flashing lights or confined spaces.

Tuesday 24 April 58. Committee Meeting Members are invited to send the Committee Secretary (see page 2) a note of any matters they wish the Committee to discuss. Such notes must reach the Committee Secretary by 17 April.

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Wednesday 25 April 59. Constable, the Father of Modern Painting John Constable is well represented in London’s galleries, and this is an opportunity to meet an expert and enhance your appreciation of his paintings. Sarah Cove is a conservator and restorer of paintings. She restored the Larkin portraits in the Suffolk Collection at Kenwood, founded the Constable Research Project, and is among the leading authorities on his painting. She was one of two experts who took part in a recent Fake or Fortune TV programme to assess whether a painting was or was not by John Constable. . Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT. (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby.) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Tea and coffee will be served after the talk.

Thursday 26 April 60. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL ((Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time: 11.15am (Likely duration Flexible )

Saturday 28 April 61. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

Sunday 29 April 62. Diarists, Poets and Literary Bankers Guided by Helen Coleman, you will see the site of Samuel Pepys’s Alma Mater, pause to remember the great literary figures associated with St Paul’s Cathedral,

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find out where John Betjeman was churchwarden, linger outside the Guildhall, site of the annual Man Booker Prize and learn the identity of writers who worked at the Bank of England and Lloyds Bank.

Meet: Outside St Paul’s Underground station, exit right from ticket hall. Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Thursday 3 May 63. London Canal Museum This building was erected around 1863 as a warehouse for Carlo Gatti who became famous as a restaurateur and ice cream maker for which he imported ice and stored it in basement ice wells. One of these ice wells has been opened up and we will be able to look into this unique Victorian deep freeze. The Museum graphically tells the story of London's canals: why they were built, the cargos and the lives of the people who worked on them and the working horse in Victorian times. We will experience the inside of a working boat cabin where a whole family lived in cramped conditions and see examples of their unique form of "roses and castles" decoration. A guide will give us an introductory talk and answer questions after which we can look around the Museum on our own.

Meet: The London Canal Museum, 12/13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, N1 9RT (Nearest Underground station: King’s Cross. Exit station into York Way (on the east side of the station). Walk up to Wharf dale Road, turn right, walk along New Wharf

Road, turn left and the London Canal Museum is just along on the left hand side. About a 10 minute walk.) Time: 11.30am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £6 Refreshments have been promised.

Friday 4 May – Asterisked Event 64A*. Emery Walker House From 1903-1933, 7 Hammersmith Terrace was the home of Sir Emery Walker, typographer and antiquary, who inspired his great friend William Morris to set up the Kelmscott Press. Sir Emery furnished his house with carpets, wallpapers and furniture from Morris & Co. Thanks to his daughter it now survives much as it was in his lifetime, the only interior of its kind in Britain. We will be given a tour of the house by Gina Murphy, Assistant Curator, and be told more of its history. Refreshments are available at the nearby Black Lion pub, also the use of their toilets. There are no facilities in the house. [Meeting details overleaf]

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Meet: Emery Walker House 7 Hammersmith Terrace, London, W6 9TS (Nearest Underground station: Stamford Brook. Exit right from the station down to St Peter's Square, through the Black Lion Lane underpass and on until you meet the

Terrace; the house is between the Terrace and the River . By bus: 27, 190, 267, 391, H91 to King Street. Alight at Goldhawk Road and find St Peter’s Square as above.)

Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1-1¼ hours ) (10 places) Fee: £10

Friday 4 May – Asterisked Event 64B*. Emery Walker House Details as for event 64A* except for the time.

Time: 12.15pm Please state if you can go to either and then kindly stick to the time allocated.

Saturday 5 May 65. The Duke of Northumberland's River Walk The Duke of Northumberland’s River was dug in the 16th century to power water mills at Isleworth. The western section brings water from the River Colne at Longford to supplement the River Crane. Chris Sumner’s walk follows the eastern section which diverts from the River Crane at Kneller Gardens, Twickenham, and takes a zigzag course past the Stoup Rugby Stadium through green inter-war suburbs, past Mill Platt with its small public garden, ice house remains and 17th century alms houses, to the deep tidal basin at Isleworth. Most of the walk is firm and level but there are narrow and/or muddy stretches as well as steps and ramps. It is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or with impaired mobility. The walk ends near Isleworth and Syon Lane stations.

Meet: Whitton Rail Station (trains from Waterloo to Windsor or on the Hounslow loop take 30 to 45 minutes)

Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 2+ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 There is a coffee bar at the station and a pub and cafés in the High Street.

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Tuesday 8 May – Asterisked Event 66*. The Garrick Club This famous club was founded in 1831 and named after the great 18th century actor, David Garrick. It possesses a remarkable collection of theatrical paintings and memorabilia. Frances Hughes, an expert in art and theatre history, will show us round and point out the highlights in all the main rooms. Coffee will be served in the Morning Room and the tour ends in the Library which houses a rich historical collection.

Meet: The Garrick Club, 15 Garrick Street, London WC2E 9AY (Nearest Underground stations: Covent Garden or Leicester Square) Time: 9.50am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (25 places) Fee: £15 There are several internal staircases. Please wear flat shoes. No cameras are permitted.

Tuesday 8 May 67. Making Books in Bloomsbury Anthony Davis will lead a walk featuring some of the lesser-known writers, bibliophiles, scholars and even printers in the area round Russell Square. Hear about a book collector who cast out a demon, another who believed that Shakespeare’s plays were written by Francis Bacon, a Lord Chancellor who was said to fall asleep in trials and a man who refused a knighthood twice. You will also see some delightful architecture including the first pedestrian shopping centre in London and the site of a famous printing press 100 years old this year.

Meet: In the British Library courtyard by the statue of Sir Isaac Newton (Nearest Underground station: King's Cross, St. Pancras) Time: 5.00pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 Please wear comfortable shoes.

Wednesday 9 May 68. Pub Lunch at the Royal George The third of this year’s Pub Lunches is at the Royal George opposite the east side of Euston station. This event is not bookable via the website or on the postal forms. Further details from Arthur Fordham – see page 50.

Time: 12.30pm (Likely duration 1½ hours) (20 places) Pay individually at the bar.

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Thursday 10 May – Asterisked Event 69*. Salters' Hall The City of London Livery Companies originated in the trades or "mysteries" of Medieval London, and the Salters' Company, like most of the other companies, had its beginning as a religious fraternity. In 1394 a licence was obtained from King Richard II to found a Fraternity and Gild of Corpus Christi in the Church of All Hallows, Bread Street. Members of the Company formerly not only dealt in salt but were also ‘Drysalters’ and dealt in flax, hemp, logwood, cochineal, potashes and chemical preparations. Nowadays, they are closely allied with the chemical industry. The Company is also much involved with the teaching of chemistry in schools and universities. It also supports several Company Alms- houses. We will be given a tour of the sixth and most elegant Hall, designed by Sir Basil Spence. It has been the home of the Company since 1976.

Meet: Salters' Hall 4 Fore Street, London, EC2Y 5DY (Nearest Underground station: Moorgate. Exit via west side, bear right and walk towards London Wall. Turn right at the traffic lights, past the Globe pub and Moor

House. Turn right (into a street with no name), then first left i nto Fore Street. The hall, a large white building, is 100 yards along the left hand side. A 10 minute walk.) Time: 3.00pm (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (26 places) Fee: £5 Refreshments have been promised.

Friday 11 May – Asterisked Event 70*. Patey Hats The firm can trace its roots back to 1695 when the French Huguenot Corne family arrived in London. They brought with them the skills of Parisian hat making and quickly established themselves a superb hat makers. Ray & Derek Corne's apprenticeship began as children working for their father, making hats for film and theatre. In the mid-fifties Ray & Derek, along with Sid Patey, set up Patey Hats on the Old Kent Road and quickly established themselves as London's premier hat makers. Today they make superb riding hats, uniform hats for the Army and tricorne hats for the Chelsea Pensioners. They hold a Royal Warrant from H.M. the Queen. This firm shows British craftsmanship at its very best.

Meet: Patey Hats, Unit 11 Canterbury Estate, Ilderton Road, London SE15 1NP (Nearest rail station: South Bermondsey, then a 15 minute walk, or P12 bus alighting

at Manor Grove stop.) Time: 1.30pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (14 places) Fee: £25 See also event 75.

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Monday 14 May 71. War, Plague and Fire Highlights Tour This is the fourth in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall, 150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN (Nearest Underground stations: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes)) Time: 10.50am for 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

Tuesday 15 May – Asterisked Event 72*. The Mansion House Art Tour Lord Samuel, a past Lord Mayor of London, bought his first painting in 1951, from Edward Speelman, an eminent dealer and expert in Old Master paintings. He went on to build one of the most important collections of 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings to be made in the UK in the 20th century. Buying for personal pleasure and to hang in his home, Wych Cross Place, Samuel, a modest and private individual, rarely opened his collection to experts and museum professionals. After his death in 1987, the Corporation of London learnt that he had bequeathed his pictures for permanent display in the Mansion House. The Harold Samuel Collection now on view in the House comprises 84 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings, offering a vivid glimpse of life and art in Holland's Golden Age. We will be given a tour of this superb collection by a City Guide from the Guildhall Art Gallery.

Meet: Mansion House, Entrance A (on Walbrook), London EC4N 8BH (Nearest Underground station: Bank (Exit 8) This emerges opposite the entrance to

the Mansion House. The adjacent door is wheelchair accessible.) Time: 10.50am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £7 Please note: In the rare event that an important booking is made for the Mansion House on the day of our visit, our tour could be cancelled (so if you have a new email address do tell Christine Bevan (page 2) so you can be easily notified). No cameras allowed.

Wednesday 16 May 73. St. Bride's Church For 2000 years the site of St. Bride's has been a place of worship. After the Great Fire of London in 1666 St. Bride's was rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren, one of his most expensive and elaborate churches. Since the 16th century the area was particularly associated with printing and latterly newspaper-making, so that St. Bride's became known as the journalists' church. Sadly, in these days, newspapers are no longer printed in Fleet Street. Most of

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the industry has moved to Docklands. During the Blitz the church was fire- bombed and the nave interior was completely destroyed. When the church was restored after the war the eminent sculptor, David McFall, was commissioned to provide the sculpture of St. Bride which currently stands next to that of St. Paul at the west end. We will be given a personal insight into the church and its history as one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in London. This includes a visit to the extensive exhibition in the crypt, which was discovered after the church was bombed.

Meet: St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8AU (Nearest Underground stations: Blackfriars, St Paul's) Time: 11.30am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £7 There are steep stairs to the crypt. Please wear flat shoes.

Wednesday 16 May 74. Rainham Hall Rainham Hall was built in 1729 for an enterprising merchant and has since been home to many including a scientist-vicar, a Vogue photographer, and local children who attended a wartime nursery. It is a rare survivor and a remarkably fine example of the Queen Anne style of architecture. The Hall underwent major conservation work in 2015. There will be an introductory talk and then we will be free to explore the house and its three acres of gardens.

Meet: Rainham Hall, The Broadway, Rainham, RM13 9YN (Nearest rail station: Rainham. Half hourly c2c service from Fen church Street station also calling at West Ham & Barking. Turn left from Rainham station, then k eep left

for a short distance along the main road – the house is on the right . Also, Pay & Display parking near Tesco, 5 minutes away.) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration: as long as you need. ) (15 places) Fee: £6 There is a friendly café in the adjoining stables, serving drinks and light meals. Friday 18 May – Asterisked Event 75*. Patey Hats The firm can trace its roots back to 1695 when the French Huguenot Corne family arrived in London. They brought with them the skills of Parisian hat making and quickly established themselves a superb hat makers. Ray & Derek Corne's apprenticeship began as children working for their father, making hats for film and theatre. In the mid-fifties Ray & Derek, along with Sid Patey, set up Patey Hats on the Old Kent Road and quickly established themselves as London's premier hat makers. Today they make superb riding hats, uniform hats for the Army and tricorne hats for the Chelsea Pensioners. They hold a Royal Warrant from HM The Queen. This firm shows British craftsmanship at its best.

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Meet: Patey Hats, Unit 11 Canterbury Estate, Ilderton Road, London SE15 1NP (Nearest rail station: South Bermondsey then a 15 minute walk, or P12 bus alighting

at Manor Grove stop.) Time: 1.30pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (14 places) Fee: £25 See also event 70. Saturday 19 May 76. King's Cross, St. Pancras and the Railway Lands On this walk Gillian Blachford will lead us from the two great railway stations of St Pancras and Kings Cross into the Railway Lands behind them. This huge area was once covered in thriving goods yards and warehouses, before becoming an industrial wasteland in recent years. It is now being transformed, with the old historic buildings alongside new commercial and residential accommodation, on a 67-acre site of which over 40% is public open space. During this walk we will see the impact of the old and the new on this recently neglected part of London.

Meet: King's Cross concourse outside the Little Waitrose (under the left-hand departure indicator and to the right of Platform 9¾). (Nearest Underground station: King's Cross, St. Pancras) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Tuesday 22 May 77. The City Bridge Trust Peter de Colechurch began building the first stone bridge across the Thames in 1176. It lasted for some 600 years. The Bridge Masters soon had a considerable income from rents, tolls taxes and fines, and accumulated extensive estates. For many years the Trust was allowed to spend money only on repairing London, Blackfriars, Southwark, and Tower Bridges, and from 2002 the Millennium Bridge. Maintaining these bridges is still the Trust’s main duty, but since 1995 it has been able to spend surplus funds on charitable purposes benefitting Greater London. It has already awarded over 7000 grants amounting to about £340 million. Our guide to the Bridge Trust’s fascinating history is its Director, David Farnsworth.

Meet: LUMEN, 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS (Nearest stations: King’s Cross or Russell Square. LUMEN is a post-war brick church 80 yards east of traffic-light-controlled junction of Judd Street and Tavistock Place, before you get to the trees of Regent Square. ) Time: 6.00pm (Likely duration 1½ to 2 hours ) (60 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests Tea and coffee will be available from 5.30pm. 35

Wednesday 23 May 78. Introducing Crossrail After three decades with wide experience as training manager and project manager for Barclays Bank, Blue Badge Guide Julie Chandler was able to indulge her passions for history, walking and London. Crossrail is Europe’s largest infrastructure project. Julie has worked closely with Crossrail on a series of bespoke walks to discover its secrets. Tea and biscuits will be available after the talk.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT (Nearest underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ - 2 hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests.

Thursday 24 May 79. City Riverside This walk, led by City of London Guide Brenda Cole, will begin with a brief look at the Monument to the Great Fir, and consider the importance of Fish Street Hill from Roman times until the 1830s. We will then go down to the riverside and stroll along the north bank of the Thames from the site of Old London Bridge westwards to the Millennium Bridge from the City’s oldest bridge to its newest. On the way we will hear about the river itself, riverside buildings (past and present), the City’s bridges and some of the riverfront archaeology which has contributed so much to our understanding of the City’s history.

Meet: Monument Underground station (Fish Street Hill exit) Time: 11.30am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Friday 25 May 80. Eastbury Manor House Eastbury Manor House was commissioned in 1557 by Clement Sisley, a rich merchant from East Ham, and completed in 1573. It was originally in an isolated position on rising ground with views over the Thames! The house fell into decay and was purchased by the National Trust in 1918. It is now run by Barking and Dagenham Council. We will see early 17 th century wall paintings, exposed timbers in the attic, a fine original oak staircase in the turret, soaring chimneys, and a peaceful walled garden with bee boles. The house is Grade 1 listed.

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Meet: Eastbury Manor House, Eastbury Square, Barking, Essex, IG11 9SN (District line to Upney. From station, turn right into Upney Lane. Cross Ripple Ro ad at the pedestrian crossing and enter Blake Avenue. Take the first right into Sisley Road. Cross first part of Eastbury Square. Take a small gate into the Manor on the left, or continue and turn left into Eastbury Square, second part. The main entrance i s then on the left.) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £5 The group will be divided into two due to narrow stairs.

Saturday 26 May 81. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

Wednesday 30 May 82. Belsize Park: A Nest of Gentle Artists Creativity abounds in this fascinating new tour with Rachel Kolsky. The 1930s saw a number of influential artists make NW3 their home including Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Piet Mondrian. Nearby are the iconic Isokon flats, home to Agatha Christie during WWII, a home of Karl Marx and historic alms-houses. The tour ends at one of London’s foremost contemporary art galleries housed in an old Methodist chapel.

Meet: Outside Belsize Park Underground station. (Northern line, Edgware branch) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Wednesday 30 May 83. The Apiary in Twickenham How much do you know about honey bees? How many kinds of bee can you identify? We will be given a short introductory talk and then taken into a nylon mesh hide. Volunteers from the Twickenham and Thames Valley Beekeepers Association will open up a hive and show us frames on which we can see brood in different stages; worker bees, a queen (if she isn't hiding), drones, nectar, pollen and capped honey. Dare you have a drone walking over your hand? This is an educational apiary which hosts many visits from school children. [Meeting details overleaf]

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Meet: Ticket Office, Twickenham rail station (Trains from Waterloo towards Reading or Windsor, e.g. 13.50 to Reading arrives

14.10. Loos but no lifts at Twickenham station.)

2.20pm (Likely duration 1½ hour ) (15 places) Fee: £6 Time:

Thursday 31 May 84. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL ((Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time: 11.15am (Likely duration Flexible )

Friday 1 June 85. Annual General Meeting Agenda: to receive apologies for absence, to receive and approve the minutes of the AGM held on 2 June 2017, to receive the Chairman’s, Treasurer’s and Registrar’s Reports, to receive and approve the Accounts for 2017, to elect the Officers and Committee, to appoint an Auditor or an Independent Examiner, and consider any other business. Any motion or item to be added to the Agenda must be submitted to the Secretary (see page 2) in writing not later than Monday 7 May. Nominations for election must reach the Secretary by Monday 21 May.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT (Nearest underground stations: Holborn. Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby) Time: 2.15pm for 2.30pm start. No fee but please book if you intend to come.

Tea and biscuits will be served.

Saturday 2 June 86. Chislehurst Caves They should really be called Chislehurst Mines for they are not natural caverns created by running water, but passages carved out of the hillside by men in

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search of chalk and flint. There are over twenty miles of mysterious caverns and passages, with a constant yearly temperature of 10 oC, which have been hewn out of the chalk over a period of 8000 years. During our lamp-lit tour we will hear more about the caves' history, including various legends and ghost stories.

Meet: Chislehurst Caves, Old Hill, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5NB (Nearest rail station: Chislehurst, then a short walk. The entrance is of f Caveside

Close near the Bickley Pub.) Time: 1.50pm. (Likely duration 1 hour ) (30 places) Fee: £6 The site offers a free car park. You might want a jacket for the temperature of the caves.

Monday 4 June 87. Women's Library Collection It is the oldest and largest collection about women's history in Britain. It began as the Library of the London Society for Women's Service in 1926. It had two aims: to preserve the history of the women's movement and to provide a resource for newly enfranchised women to enter public life. It was renamed the Fawcett Library in 1957 and the Women's Library in 2002. The collection has had many homes and it moved to the LSE in 2013 when that establishment became the custodian of the collection. It is a cross-domain collection containing printed material, archives and 3D objects. The majority of the material dates from the late 19 th century to present day. The focus is mainly UK, but there is some international material.

Meet: LSE Library Services, 10 Portugal Street, London, WC2A 2HD (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Temple or Charing Cross) Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £7

Wednesday 6 June 88. Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery has some of the finest funerary architecture in the country. It is a place of peace and contemplation where a romantic profusion of trees, memorials and wildlife flourish. An experienced volunteer guide will lead us round the western part of the cemetery, not generally open to the public.

Me et: Highgate West Cemetery, Swain’s Lane, London N6 6PJ (Nearest station; Archway. Exit to Highgate Hill and take 143 or 271 bus heading up the hill to Waterlow Park and a 5 minute walk through the Park. There is on-street parking in the evenings.) Time: 6.30pm (Likely duration 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £12 The paths are steep and there are two flights of steps. There is an accessible toilet. Refreshments have been offered.

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Saturday 9 June 89. The London Sketch Club The Club was founded in 1898 as a social club for artists working in the field of commercial graphic art, mainly for newspapers. During our tour with the Honorary Secretary of the Club, Mark Prizeman, we will learn more about its history.

Meet: The London Sketch Club, 7 Dilke Street, London, SW3 9JE (Nearest Underground station: Sloane Square) Time: 3.00pm (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £6 Refreshments have been offered.

Sunday 10 June 90. Aristocrats and Artists: Historic Holland Park Diane Burstein will lead us to Holland Park’s beautiful gardens and the remains of a Jacobean mansion. Learn of the aristocrats and politicians who attended the grand parties at the house. Then to the Melbury Road Artists’ Quarter to admire the magnificent houses of Luke Fildes, William Holman Hunt, Marcus Stone and other artists in the Holland Park Circle. Discover a new home for art and design in an iconic 1960s building and finish with the home of a renowned cartoonist near Kensington High Street.

Meet: Outside Holland Park Underground station Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Monday 11 June 91. The Expanding City Highlights Tour This is the fifth in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN – the Hall is at the raised walkway level (Nearest Under ground stations: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes), Moorgate

(10 minutes) Time: 10.50am for 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

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Monday 11 June 92. Clowns' Gallery-Museum Our visit will begin with an introductory talk, followed by a short documentary film about the history of clowning. Two clowns will then talk about their work and answer any questions. Afterwards we will be able to look round the Museum, tracing the path of clowning through a maze of pictures, costumes, props and artefacts. The on-going egg register, showing the make-up of clowns past and present, is the largest in the world.

Meet: Clown's Gallery-Museum, Cumberland Close, London E8 3DY (Nearest Overground Station: Dalston Junction) Time: 2.15pm (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £6 Refreshments have been promised. There is no number for the Museum in Cumberland Close. It is at the back of Holy Trinity Church.

Thursday 14 June 93. The Steam Tug Portwey Launched at Harland & Wolff's yard at Govan, Glasgow in 1927, she is the last working example of a coal-burning, steam-powered, twin-screw tug in the UK and possibly the world. By 1967 coal-fired steam vessels were being replaced by diesel-engine working ships and Portwey was laid up to be scrapped. She was bought by the assistant harbour master at Dartmouth and he and a group of friends returned Portwey to steaming condition. In 1982 she joined the Maritime Trust's Historic Ship Collection at St. Katherine's Dock near Tower Bridge and in 1988 won the marine category of the British Coal Steam Heritage award. 'The Steam Tug Portwey is a remarkable survivor'.

Meet: South Quay DLR station, then a 15 minute walk to the vessel. Time: 11.15am (Likely duration 2 hours ) (24 places) Fee: £9 Refreshments have been promised. There is a ladder to climb to the Wheelhouse and 3 steep companionways into the two cabins and the engine and boiler room. Best clothes are to be avoided because of coal dust . Saturday 16 June 94. Boston Manor House This is a fine Jacobean manor house built in 1623 for Lady Mary Reade and was extended in 1670, having been bought by James Clitherow, a City merchant. It remained the home of seven generations of the Clitherow family for the next two and a half centuries. We will visit the magnificent 17 th century State Rooms, the Dining Room and Library. Following its restoration, the Dining Room is once again "Naples Yellow" in colour as it was in the early 19 th century. [Meeting details overleaf] 41

Meet: Boston Manor Underground station (Piccadilly line). Parking is available in Boston Manor Road and adjoining streets. Time: 2.10pm (Likely duration 1 hour ) (25 places) Fee: £7 There is the Pavilion Cafe in the adjoining park.

Tuesday 19 June 95. Royal Military School of Music Our tour will include the Museum, Chapel and the grounds. We will hear a talk about the history of the School and, weather permitting, listen to the Band rehearsing outside.

Meet: Whitton Station. Trains from Waterloo, then a 15-minute walk. Time: 10.45am (Likely duration 2-2½ hours ) (25 places) Fee: £5

Wednesday 20 June 96. Theatrical London The Theatre Royal was the first of the modern theatres to be licensed after the Restoration, but the main growth of London theatres took place in the Victorian period and the early 20 th century. Ian Bevan will lead us through parts of theatre-land the haunts of Henry Irving, Nellie Melba, Gilbert and Sullivan, Marie Lloyd and so many more.

Meet: Charing Cross Station, under the clock. Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Thursday 21 June – Asterisked Event 97*. Linklaters’ Art Collection Linklaters is a multinational law firm headquarters in London. It was founded in 1838 and currently employs around 2,600 lawyers across twenty countries. The art collection, made up of over 1,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings, is hung throughout the Silk Street office. It aims to provide a culturally stimulating and creative environment for those working in, and visiting, the offices, and features works by world-renowned artists.

Meet: Linklaters’ Art Gallery, 1 Silk Street, London EC2Y 8HQ (oppos ite the entrance to the Barbican) (Nearest Underground station: Moorgate, then a 5 minute walk.) Time: 6.30pm (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £4 There is a cafe and shop on site.

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Friday 22 June 98. The British Library Centre for Conservation Have you ever marvelled at the brightness of the illuminations of Renaissance manuscripts on display in the British Library galleries, or wondered how the Library keeps its printed books in good condition when readers and staff frequently handle them? Our ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the studios in the Centre for Conservation will give us an insight into the techniques used to care for items in the collections of the British Library.

Meet: The British Library foyer, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB (Nearest station: Kings Cross, St. Pancras then a 5 minute walk.) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1 hour ) (24 places) Fee: £4 All handbags, coats, umbrellas and other personal effects must be deposited in the cloakroom. No pens are allowed in the studios, but pencils and notepads are allowed. There is likely to be a lot of standing during the tour.

Saturday 23 June 99. The Parkland Walk - London’s Longest Nature Reserve The Parkland Walk follows the course of an old railway line which ran between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace, a distance of around two and a half miles. The railway closed in 1954 and, after several vicissitudes, the land was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1990. With David Bevan, retired conservation officer for Haringey, we will explore the southern section of the Walk between Highgate and Finsbury Park. David has recently carried out an ecological survey of the Walk. He will outline the results of the survey and discuss the value that this unique open space brings to north London.

Meet: Highgate underground station at the car park exit.

Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Sunday 24 June 100A. Turner's House Sandycombe Lodge was designed c. 1813 by the great landscape painter JMW Turner for his own use as a small country retreat. It has many echoes of the work of his friend, the architect John Soane. It has now been fully restored, and we will hear more about its history. [Meeting details overleaf]

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Meet: Sandycombe Lodge, 40 Sandycombe Road, Twickenham, TW1 2LR (Nearest rail station: St Margaret's, then a 10 minute walk. Alternatively, by rail or Underground to Richmond, then a 15-20 minute walk, or take the H37 bus, alighting at Sandycombe Road.) Time: 1.00pm (Likely duration 1 hour ) (12 places) Fee: £6

Sunday 24 June 100B. Turner's House Details as for event 100A except time.

Time: 2.00pm Please state if you can go to either and then kindly stick to the time allocated.

Tuesday 26 June 101A. Carlyle's House Thomas Carlyle lived for forty-seven years from 1834 in this Queen Anne House, built in 1708. We will hear an introductory talk about the lives of Thomas and Jane Carlyle and we will be given a guided tour of the house and walled garden. The Carlyle's literary life was shared with many visitors, including Chopin who played the piano in Jane's parlour, Dickens, Tennyson and George Eliot.

Meet: Carlyle's House, 24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea, SW3 5HL (Nearest Underground station: Sloane Square)

Time: 1.00pm (Likely duration 1-1½ hours ) (20 places for each visit) Fee: £6 The garden has a gravel path.

Tuesday 26 June 101B. Carlyle's House Details as for event 101A except time.

Time: 2.00pm

Please state if you can go to either and then kindly stick to the time allocated.

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Wednesday 27 June 102. Great Barn at Harmondsworth Rescued by English Heritage after years of neglect, this Grade I listed barn ranks alongside the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey for its exceptional architectural and historic interest. It was dubbed the 'Cathedral of Middlesex' by Sir John Betjeman. Built in 1426 by Winchester College as part of its manor farm at Harmondsworth, the oak-framed barn is an outstanding example of medieval carpentry and contains one of the most intact interiors of its era. At nearly 60 metres long, 12 metres wide and 11 metres tall, with thirteen massive oak trusses holding up the roof, both its size and aisles evoke the space and shape of a cathedral. During our tour we will hear more about its history, and the restoration work carried out about three years ago.

Meet: The Great Barn Manor Court, High Street, Harmondsworth UB7 0AQ (Nearest rail station: West Drayton (trains from Paddington) Buses 350 & U3 (every 12 minutes). Get off at Harmondsworth Lane/Hatch Lane, continue along the Lane

and across the roundabout into the High Street. Turn right by the Five Bells towards the Barn. Alternatively, car parking is available on site) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1 hour ) (25 places) Fee: £5 It takes 10-15 minutes walking over the grass to get to the Barn. Floors inside are slightly uneven. It is wheelchair accessible. There are no toilets on the site, but facilities are available in two nearby pubs.

Wednesday 27 June 103. Lest We Forget: the moving story of Britain’s War Memorials Britain has over 60,000 war memorials, each with its own story and representing our largest collection of public art. With Andrew Davies as our guide we will explore their history, including Lutyens’ masterpieces, the Cenotaph and Thiepval Gate, the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, the Scottish War Memorial in Edinburgh and also the marvellous work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn or Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ to 2 hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Tea and biscuits will be available after the talk.

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Thursday 28 June 104. Meet & Chat: The Ledger Building This event is not bookable, just turn up at The Ledger Building (a Wetherspoon's Pub) a few doors away from the Docklands Museum for a coffee or drink. Those who wish can have lunch. Prices are reasonable and everyone orders and pays for their own refreshments.

Meet: The Ledger Building (a few doors from the Docklands Museum) 4 Hertsmere Rd, Poplar, E14 4AL ((Nearest DLR/Underground stations: West India Quay, Canary Wharf) Time : 11.15am (Likely duration: flexible )

Thursday 28 June 105. HSBC Art Collection HSBC traces its roots back to 1923 and reflects the changes made throughout the company's history, from its establishment in the Far East through to its acquisition of Midland Bank in 1992. The collection features works by leading artists such as Lowry, Nevinson, Chinnery, Seago, Bomberg, Sickert, Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, as well as contemporary artists such as Phoebe Unwin, Simon Ling, Varda Caivano, Elizabeth Magill, Paul Winstanley and George Shaw. Daniel Lancaster, the Curator, will talk about the collection, and this will be followed by an opportunity to explore the works housed on the sixth floor. The reception, offering wine, beer and soft drinks, will be held in the floor's exhibition space which shows works throughout the year by artists from prestigious institutions such as Slade and the Royal Academy Schools.

Meet: HSBC building - Level 41, 8 Canada Square, Canary Wharf E14 5HQ (Nearest Underground station: Canary Wharf) Time: 5.30pm (Likely duration 2 hours ) (50 places) Fee; £6 The collection is accessible by lift, but there is little seating available.

Saturday 30 June 106. LAS Walkers: Exploring the Lea Valley This event is non-bookable. Please turn to page 50 for further information.

Time: 10.30am

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Tuesday 3 July 107. The Society of Genealogists The Society has a huge and unique collection of records .and books. Depending on the size of our group we will have either a talk about the Society and its resources or a guided tour.

Meet: 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, EC1M 7BA (Nearest Underground station: Barbican. Charterhouse Buildings is a cul-de-sac at the junction of Goswell and Clerkenwell Roads. About a 10 minute wal k from Barbican Station and then very sharp left at junction. ) Time: 11.15am (15 places) Fee: £10 There is an opportunity for research after the visit but fees have to be paid and names given in advance. The day search fees are £5 for 2 hours, £10 for 4 hours or £18 for a full day. There are discounts of 20% for groups. If you wish to avail yourself of this opportunity please email [email protected] or write to the LAS Secretary.

Tuesday 3 July 108. The Genius of Wren From Royal Exchange City Guide Tony Tucker will lead us inside a number of Wren’s best-known churches including St Stephen Walbrook and St Mary le Bow. We will see the steeples of many others, visit some small churchyard gardens, and hear stories of Roman emperors, medieval kings and queens, and other great historical figures. We visit sites with links to Milton, Keats, Wordsworth and the earliest governors of states in America and Australia. The tour ends with a superb view of the London skyline from a City roof top.

Meet: By the war memorial in front of the Royal Exchange. (Nearest Underground station: Bank (exit 3) Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10

Monday 9 July 109. Victorian Walk Highlights Tour This is the sixth in a series of eight private guided tours of the Museum of London’s main galleries, an unrivalled opportunity to get an overview of London’s history. Please book any of the tours you want individually.

Meet: Museum of London Entrance Hall, 150 London Wall London EC2Y 5HN (Nearest Underground stations: Barbican (5 minutes), St Paul's (5 minutes). Time: 10.50am for 11.00am (Likely duration 1 hour ) (20 places) Fee: £10 The Museum has two cafés and a restaurant. The entrance hall is at the upper walkway level

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Wednesday 11 July 110. The Football Battalion and its contribution to WWI Football battalions were set up to attract volunteer soldiers for the war from among footballers who would in turn attract supporters to fight by their side. The 17th Battalion Middlesex regiment was organised from Fulham Town Hall. Alan MacDougal’s walk will illustrate the creation of the Battalion and its subsequent role and sacrifice in WWI. The walk will include visits to the kind of accommodation in Fulham and Chelsea where the footballers and the supporters lived, the housing and workshops for disabled ex-soldiers, the local hospital for the wounded and the surrounds of Chelsea FC.

Meet: Parsons Green Underground station ticket barrier. Time: 2.00pm (Likely duration 1½-2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 Alan has actively supported Chelsea FC for 55 years and has family who live in the area, but he promises that this walk is about WWI, not much about football or Chelsea FC.

Wednesday 18 July 111. Humphrey Repton in London Humphrey Repton was the leading landscape gardener of late Georgian England. To mark the 200 th anniversary of his death in 1818 the London Parks and Gardens Trust has been researching some of the 50 or more gardens and landscapes in London where Repton is thought to have been involved. In this talk Susan Darling will explore his career and modus operandi and present exciting new research into some of his commissions in London, the centre of Repton’s professional life.

Meet: The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT. (Nearest Underground stations: Holborn, Russell Square. Many buses stop nearby) Time: 2.30pm (Likely duration 1½ to 2 hours ) (80 places) Fee: £12 Bookings may be made for members' guests. Tea and coffee will be available after the talk.

Thursday 19 July 112. Richmond Town Trail Guided by Helen Coleman, on this absorbing town trail you will never be far from the River Thames, an atmospheric pub, or Royal connections. The theatre, film and pop worlds are also well represented and you will feast your eyes on some fine 16 th and 18 th century buildings.

Meet: Richmond Station ticket hall (District, Overground, trains ex-Waterloo). Time: 11.00am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £10 Richmond has plenty of places for a coffee or a meal before or after this walk.

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Saturday 28 July 113. Rickmansworth. Croxley Great Barn and High Street Tour You can book for the full day tour or select one of the following two events. Priority will be given to members who book the full day tour. Itinerary, meeting places and timings as for Events 113A and 113B, below. Fee: £10 Sturdy shoes are recommended.

Saturday 28 July 113A. Rickmansworth. Croxley Great Barn Croxley Great Barn is a hidden, medieval, monastic gem. Grade II listed, it is a timber framed, aisled barn with a crown post roof. The oak timbers have been dated to 1397. Measuring 101 ft. by 40 ft. it is one of the largest barns in Hertfordshire. The barn is located at the edge of playing fields belonging to St. Joan of Arc School and is not often accessible.

Meet: Rickmansworth station or 15 minutes later at Caravan La ne car park, off High St., near the railway bridge & adjacent the school. (Metropolitan line to Amersham or Chesham every 15 minutes. Surface train from Marylebone every 30 minutes. Freedom passes are valid. Then a 15 minute escorted walk to Caravan Lane and a further 15 minute walk to the Barn.) Time: 10.15 am (Likely duration 1½ hours ) (20 places) Fee: £6 Sturdy shoes are recommended. Saturday 28 July 113B. Rickmansworth: High Street tour Ann Vernau, the Secretary to the Three Rivers Museum, will give us a short introduction to the museum and the town. We will have chance to browse around the museum before going on a guided walk along the High Street. Basing House, the home of today's museum, was the home of William Penn. John Dickinson (paper), John Caius (founded Gonville and Caius College), and Feargus O'Connor (noted Chartist) are all connected with the town. The tour will finish back at the station.

Meet: The Three Rivers Museum, 46 High Street, Rickmansworth (From Rickmansworth st ation, turn right, right again under the railway bridge, then left into the High St. After 600 yards, just past the library, turn left and the museum is facing you.) Time: 2.00 pm (Likely duration 2 hours ) (20 places) Fee: £6 Sturdy shoes are recommended.

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LAS WALKERS 2018

Exploring the Lea valley is our fascinating project. Without a doubt, after the Thames the Lea is London’s most important river. Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans left their mark here. The Lea’s barges brought food, the New River brought water, its yards built the world’s largest ironclad ships, and it was the home of Britain’s second industrial revolution. Today much of the valley is part of London’s largest park, funded by all the boroughs. LAS Walkers are exploring the Lea valley and its watercourse in a series of fairly gentle walks on the last Saturday of each month. So please reserve 27 January, 24 February, 31 March, 28 April, 26 May and 30 June.

Each walk is self-contained and new members are always welcome. Do join us when you can. You will get clear notes about the arrangements for each walk; we’re a friendly group and you will be amazed how lovely and how interesting the valley is.

For further details about each walk please contact:

John and Margaret Mann 109 Chatsworth Road London NW2 4BH 0208 459 5419 [email protected]

PUB LUNCHES

We are proposing to lunch at a pub on the following dates: The Victoria in Bayswater (9 th January), The Rose & Crown in Stoke Newington (13 th March) and The Royal George in Euston (9 th May).

Payment is made individually at the bar.

For further details about each lunch and to book a place please contact:

Arthur Fordham 01708 749594 [email protected]

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SOME LONDON EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS YOU MAY LIKE TO ATTEND

Whenever possible these notes include contact telephone numbers or email addresses for more up-to-date information. Go in good time and carry your Blue Book. You may meet kindred spirits.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Until 2 January 2018 The City is Ours: Museum of London Free: shows how 25 strategies for improving life in cities could affect your area

Until 2 January 2018 Handel’s Water Music: Foundling Museum Oldest surviving score of the Water Music, composed for George I. in 1717, is on display

Until 5 January 2018 The Discovery of Roman London: Guildhall Library

Until 7 January 2018 Franklin: Death in the Ice: National Maritime Museum

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

Inside the Arsenal Greenwich Heritage Centre; Artillery Square, Woolwich

Interactive Model of Central London Building Centre 66 Store Street WC1E 7BT And other fascinating temporary exhibitions too

The world’s largest city museum Museum of London

The City of London’s own museum Guildhall

EVENTS

New Year’s Eve Fireworks from Victoria Embankment From 8 pm. Tickets £10 each from www.london.gov.uk/nye

1 January New Year’s Day Parade: Green Park Station to Parliament Square 12 noon: 10,000 performers go from Piccadilly via Regent Street and Whitehall to finish in Parliament Square at 3.30 pm. Details from 020 3275 6190, or [email protected]

7 January Twelfth Night Celebrations: Bankside Join the Holly Man as he celebrates New Year mixing ancient Midwinter customs with contemporary festivities. Free and accessible to all. www.the lionspart.co.uk/twelfthnight

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Mid-January London International Ice Festival: Jubilee Gardens Canary Wharf Watch sculptors from all over the world. Details from www.londonicesculptingfestival.co.uk

10 January-3 February London Mime Festival Look out for events at venues across London

28 January Charles I Commemoration 500 members of the King’s Army from the English Civil War Society meet at Marlborough Gate in the Mall, then process soon after 11am along the Mall and across Horse Guards to Banqueting House in Whitehall. After a short service the troops march back with flags unfurled and muskets raised. Details from: www.english-civil-war-society.org.uk

30 January Trial of the Pyx at Goldsmiths’ Hall Each year the Royal Mint submits 50.000 coins for testing and approval by the Goldsmiths’ Company. The Queen’s Remembrancer, a senior judge, presides over a formal ceremony. Visitors hear what is going on and may inspect the samples. Admission by ticket from The Clerk, Goldsmith’s Hall, Foster Lane London EC2V6BN. Phone 020 7606 7010 or email: [email protected]

4 February Joseph Grimaldi Memorial Service Clowns International annual service at 3pm at Holy Trinity Church, Beechwood Road, Dalston E8 3DY. Clowns wear full motley and slap. Members of the public are welcome, with free performances after the service. Phone 020 7254 5062 to confirm date and time

7 February Commemoration of Sir John Cass: Red Feather Day A thanksgiving service is held at 11.30 am at St Botolph without Aldgate. The pupils of Sir John Cass School go wearing a red feather and everyone who attends is given a red feather in honour of Sir John Cass who founded the school. Phone the Sir John Cass Foundation 020 7480 5584 or email [email protected] to confirm date and time

7 February Gun Salutes on Accession Day The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery make a mounted charge through Hyde Park and fire a 41 gun salute at 12 noon, and the Honourable Artillery Company fire a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London at 1 pm, to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s Accession. There are well marked viewing areas in Hyde Park and by the Thames in front of the Tower. There are also gun salutes on the Queen’s birthday [21 April], Coronation Day [2 June], Duke of Edinburgh’s birthday [10 June], the Queen’s official birthday [18 June], Remembrance Sunday [11 November] and the Prince of Wales’ birthday [14 November].

16 February Chinese New Year: The Year of the Dog Parades, performances and stalls in Trafalgar Square and Chinatown (Gerrard Street)

23 February Shrove Tuesday The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race takes place in Dray Walk. Teams of four compete from 12.30 pm, the prize a beautifully engraved frying pan. Phone 020 7375 0441 or email [email protected] for more details. Full details of pancakes at various venues across London from www.timeout.com/londonthings-to-do

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11 March Head of the River Race Hundreds of eight-man boats race in procession from Putney to Mortlake. In 2018 the race starts at 10.15 am. Watch from Chiswick, Barnes or Hammersmith bridges, or through a cosy pub window. Nearest stations: Chiswick and Mortlake. More from [email protected]

15 March Oranges and Lemons, St Clement Danes Church, Strand A service at 11 am is open to the public, The Chaplain in Chief to the RAF and the Resident Chaplain hand oranges and lemons to the pupils of St Clement Danes Primary School. More details from the Head Verger 020 7242 8282

16-18 March St Patrick’s Festival: in Trafalgar Square Look out for events throughout the week

24 March Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race All over in 20 minutes but you can join the watching crowds at Putney Bridge, Bishop’s Park, Craven Cottage, Hammersmith, Barnes, Duke’s Meadows or Chiswick Bridge.

30 March Good Friday: Distribution of the Butterworth Charity After a short service at 11 am at St Bartholomew the Great, hot cross buns are distributed in memory of Sir Joseph Butterworth who left money for the widows of the parish.

30 March-2 April International Canoe Race Devizes to Westminster, watch the final stages from the riverside

30 March-2 April Easter Egg Hunts Take your grandchildren, and your wallets, to egg hunts at and places like the Design Centre, Kensington Roof Gardens, Kensington Palace Gardens, Kew and National Trust properties.

5-15 April London Games Festival

22 April London Marathon More details from: www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com

23 April St George’s Day, celebrate in Trafalgar Square

Late April Annual Inspection of the King’s Troop RHA Since the Troop was re-housed at Woolwich the spectacular annual inspection has taken place in Charlton Park instead of Regent’s Park.

Late April Annual Inspection of the Household Cavalry, Hyde Park See the Life Guards and the Blues and the Royals with their mounted bands parade in full dress for their annual inspection. The inspection and gallop last about half an hour. More details about the date and time from the Adjutant, Household Cavalry 020 7414 2501

10 May Ascension Day: Beating of the Bounds Many City Churches mark Ascension Day by beating the parish bounds. More details from the City Information Office 020 7606 3030 or email: [email protected]

13 May Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Parade, Broad Walk, Hyde Park After a parade in Broad Walk there is a service at 11am at the Cavalry Memorial

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16-19 May Museums at Night Details of special events at 30 London venues from www.musemsatnight.org.uk

23-27 May Chelsea Flower Show: RHS Royal Hospital Road Chelsea SW3 4SR Tickets and more details from 020 7881 5204 or [email protected]

9 June Trooping the Colour, Royal Horse Guards Parade This marks the Queen’s Official Birthday. Apply for tickets in January or February. More information from royal.gov.uk. Rehearsals on the previous two Saturdays 28 May and 4 June

9-10 June Open Garden Squares Weekend 200 gardens will be open. Details from www.opensquares.org

1-15 June Spitalfields Music Festival Details early 2018 from 020 7377 0287 or google “Spitalfields Music Festival”

22 2une-7 July Greenwich and Docklands International Festival Free open air spectacles at various venues. Details from [email protected]

7 July World Chocolate Day

11 July Cart Marking Ceremony Guildhall A cavalcade of about 60 vehicles assembles in the streets round Guildhall before moving into Guildhall Yard at 11am. The Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen then marks each vehicle ceremonially in the presence of the Lord Mayor and other dignitaries. Details nearer the date on 020 6489 8289 or email [email protected]

20-22 July London’s First Ice Cream Festival

FOR UP TO DATE NEWS ON EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES www.londontown.com/LondonEvents : up to date information on a wide range of events www.visitLondon.com : the official guide to what’s on www.cityevents.co.uk : details of recitals and concerts in City of London churches www.london-footprints.co.uk : details of over 60 walks in and around London www.ianvisits.co.uk : a free weekly list of things to do in London www.timeout.com/london : constantly updated guide to what’s going on in London https://lookup.london: register to receive each week intriguing views of London

Register with any of these sites to receive regular newsletters

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