Syon House was built in the 16 century and stands amidst 200 acres of Capability Brown parkland.   It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland’s centuries old estate.   It has historical connections from the medieval and Tudor past to today.  Profoundly historic, the House holds a wealth of art within its grand classical interiors, while the Park and Gardens feel like deep countryside, although barely nine miles from Charing Cross. 

Very thoughtfully Maggie and Choo organised a visit in August.   This gave us a treat out of our normal schedule.   We duly arrived mid-morning to find that Syon House had reorganised our day giving us a garden tour in the morning and the house tour in the afternoon.   This proved to be a blessing in disguise as our visit was during yet another heatwave and we welcomed the cool of the house later.

In the extensive grounds was the most amazing glass house which predated that at Kew. Constructed almost entirely of a cast iron frame with bath stone facings and extensive glass that had stood the test of time.   The glass had been painstakingly removed during WW2 to preserve it and meticulously restored.

After lunch we entered the house. I recommend accessing its famous history on the website syonpark.co.uk. 

The interior of the house, still the London home of the current Duke of Northumberland and his family, was extraordinary and reflected the opulence of a noble family.   Each grand room and its furnishings and Art was distinctly different and, as with the the whole estate, designed to impress. 

Overall a very interesting visit despite the effect of the heatwave both on us and the plants and particularly the brown dry grass which did not serve its purpose of setting off the present Georgian-style mansion.

A selection of images can be found HERE

On Wednesday 20th May, a smallish group of TASEG members, plus some friends had a memorable visit to this imposing and largest castle in England.   We arrived around 10.30 and soon realised that a whole day at the very least, is needed to explore everything it has to offer.    

It was a somewhat blustery day but pleasant and just right for exploring the buildings and grounds.   Fortunately there was no queueing anywhere  as the overall visitor numbers were moderate.    

Centuries of history are well preserved by the English Heritage  - take your pick  - Roman, Saxon, Medieval, Tudor, Georgian, up to the 20th Century.

Free to make our own choices, most of the group  started at the Wartime Tunnels.   These were first dug out into Dover’s chalk cliffs during the Napoleonic Wars as protection from foreign invaders.    Fast forward to WW2 and the tunnels were used as a base for undercover planning.   Guides from the Trust plus an audio-visual display tell the story of Operation Dynamo and the retreat from Dunkirk coordinated from these tunnels.    

The smaller set of tunnels were used as a WW2 hospital annexe.   There is a dramatic recreation of the conditions experienced by wounded and medical staff.   Incredibly surgeons and medical staff had to operate and treat patients in a noisy, cramped environment, poorly lit with constant threat of power cuts. 

The castle itself was fun to explore, particularly the Great Tower, built by Henry II.   The tower houses larger halls with replicated objects and drapes.   Some of us ventured up the spiral staircases to the roof with panoramic views across all sides of Dover.  

At the bottom of the tower you can wander through the large kitchen laid out as it would have been in medieval times. 

There are not many sites in the UK where you can see a structure dating back two millennia.   This is the Roman lighthouse, Pharos.   The Romans guided their ships across the channel, by building fires within it - pretty amazing.

Next to it is the Saxon church of St Mary in Castro.  No longer  a garrison church, it still  has a military ethos.   The inner walls  are mosaic  designed by the architect/designer William Butterfield in the Victorian era.   It is still a  place of worship within the Canterbury Diocese.

The castle grounds are extensive and well maintained with a generous supply of picnic tables.   Some of us brought packed lunches, others bought lunch at the restaurant or cafe.

Before we knew it was after 4 and time to say goodbye to Dover Castle and walk down to meet our coach and Joe, our driver for the day.   

We  were a tired bunch but there was agreement all round that it had been an experience not to be missed.   Many thanks to our Outings Organiser, Marianne, for an excellent choice.

For a selection of photos of the visit, please click HERE

Coach trip to London’s Christmas Market and Christmas Lights with Glyndebourne’s rendition of Handel’s “Messiah” at The Royal Albert Hall

Friday 5th December 2025

This was a pre-Christmas treat well-organised by Marianne Greenwood.

The Christmas Market on the South Bank was festively adorned with Christmas lights reflected on a serene River Thames.   The weather was not suitably compliant with our pre-Christmas mood and we soon headed for the copious eating outlets that adorn the South Bank.   In our case a lovely, welcoming and warm Italian restaurant.   Suitably armed against the cold rain, we embarked on a tour of the Christmas lights.   In my view, Regent Street was the outright winner with Selfridges a close second.

We eventually arrived at The Royal Albert Hall.   This is such an amazing building both inside and outside. It’s website is worth a visit and I have extracted the following;

‘The Royal Albert Hall was built on what was once the Gore estate, at the centre of which stood Gore House.   The three acre estate was occupied by political reformer William Wilberforce between 1808-1828 and subsequently occupied between 1836-1849 by the Countess of Blessington and Count D’Orsay.’

Prince Albert became involved and many grand exhibitions were held in the buildings occupying the site. He eventually oversaw the development of ‘Albertopolis’ which included The Natural History Museum, V&A (formerly the South Kensington Museum), Science Museum and Imperial College.   The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gardens, built in 1861, stood to the south of the Hall until its closure in 1882.

HM Queen Victoria lay the Hall’s red Aberdeen granite foundation stone, which today can be found underneath K stalls, row 11, seat 87 in the main auditorium.   The Queen announced that “It is my wish that this Hall should bear his name to whom it will have owed its existence and be called The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences”.

Having fully admired this magnificent Victorian building from the outside, we then ventured into its beautiful and festively decorated auditorium for the performance.

Consider a combination of George Frederic Handel’s genius with the Glyndebourne Sinfonia and Orchestra. This should be perfection!

Then add the four soloists Soprano Soraya Mafi. Mezzo Soprano Claire Barnett-Jones,Tenor James Way  and Bass James Platt.   One shouldn’t have favourites but I was transfixed by Soraya’s soaring tones and James’s imposing stature.   In fact the latter reminded me of Pavarotti who I do realise was a tenor. I’m talking about his physique.

The timing throughout the performance was immaculate with completely coordinated rising and seating of both soloists and chorus.   My admiration of  Handel as a composer grew by the minute. His inclusion of human voices as musical instruments led to a blending of the performance which was perfection and congratulations are obviously due to Conductor Aidan Oliver by achieving this.   He was in charge but in a very low-key non-intrusive way.

There were some lovely touches.   The Sinfonia included a Harpsichord continuo and an organ continuo. Their Timpanist and two trumpeters popped on and off when required and the latter performed a duo from the RFH organ platform which was very atmospheric.

We, like the rest of the audience, stood and gave thunderous applause when the soloists, choir, conductor and sinfonia took their final bows.   We streamed out of the Royal Albert Hall knowing that we had jointly experienced something magical.

For photos of the conductor and soloists, please click HERE

Happy Christmas to you all

This was a well planned visit, incorporating a visit to the RAF Museum before lunch, followed by a tour round the premises of Angels Costumes.

We were fortunate with the weather and the museum offers easy walking  from  hangar to hangar exhibiting aircraft and displays which tell the story of British aviation and the RAF.    The collection is vast and even if you know nothing about planes, helicopters or engines, I would suggest you would be amazed by the myriad exhibits on display.    You really needed more time to digest everything this museum has to offer.    Apart from the breathtaking size and complexity of the aircraft, there is plenty of documentation and artefacts giving insight into the personal lives of those who served in the RAF from its origin to the present day.

After a very nice lunch in the museum’s restaurant we moved on to the next part of our day.    A five minute drive took us to Angels Costumes.      There we were met by our guide Jeremy who is part of the dynasty which created this wonderful example of British success.    Jeremy’s great, great, great, great, great  grandfather, Daniel,  was a tailor who arrived in England as a refugee in the mid 19th century.   He and later with his son,  were entrepreneurs.    In the Victorian  era  actors had to provide their own costumes to be able to audition for parts.    This was an ideal opportunity to source clothes which could be sold to or hired by struggling actors.    

Generations later, the same family run Angels Costumes, specialists in costumes for cinema, theatre and television.

Jeremy was both informative and amusing as we were taken through the complex building housing literally thousands  of costumes and accessories.     The attention to detail required for each costume is precise - particularly for military uniforms, right down to the stripes and buttons.       There are aisles and aisles of hats, shoes, tunics, jewelry ……the list could go on.     Everything was calm during our visit, but Jeremy assured us that it can be a frantic hive of activity as their staff rifle through the stock, looking for the right item  for a particular production.     In the clothes cutting room we noted that the staff were hand-sewing.   Apparently they don’t use sewing machines!

It was a real test of the memory, walking  along corridors displaying photos of actors and actresses who have been “dressed” by Angels.    “Oh I remember him”  - “Oh what was her name?” etc

Not surprisingly, Angels has received acclaim within the creative industry.   They have provided costumes for many films which have won Oscars or BAFTAs for Best Costume Design.     

The have also  received a BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema 

The tour lasted around 90 minutes, but there was so much to see and absorb that the minutes flew by.

Chatting to other members afterwards, it was agreed that this was a great day out, with something for everyone.     Thank you to our organisers Jennie and Mariannne.

The Purcell Club is named after the famous English composer Henry Purcell, who was organist of Westminster Abbey from 1679-1695.   Originally formed in the 1920s The Purcell Club is a male voice group consisting mainly of former Choristers of Westminster Abbey, who are raising significant sums for charity by giving these musical/historical tours of the Abbey.   Our guided tour includes detailed talks about the history and architecture of Westminster Abbey.

We will be guided from one location of interest to the next, with members of the Purcell Club singing anthems and other relevant pieces ranging from the 16th to 21st centuries.   For the final part of the tour, a short piece is played by one of the Abbey organists to demonstrate the Abbey’s magnificent organ.   The tour ends with the choir singing a piece of suitable solemnity.

We will travel by coach (W & H Coaches).   Before the start of the tour of the abbey, we will have a 2 course meal at the Tellurium Café situated in the medieval undercroft.

For more information and a booking form, please click HERE

Join us on a TASEG coach trip to Glyndebourne this Christmas Season for an afternoon performance of Choral Celebration.   It will be an opportunity to get into a festive Christmas spirit and hear Glyndebourne’s world-famous chorus together with the Glyndebourne Sinfonia orchestra perform baroque choral classics.   Enjoy festive baroque favourites - from Vivaldi’s radiant Gloria, set alongside others including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

You can download full details and a booking form by clicking HERE

Join us on a TASEG coach trip to London for a private guided tour “Behind the Scenes” of the Royal Opera House.   An expert guide will share the history of the beautiful Victorian theatre and tales of the many stars that have performed on this stage.   We will explore spaces that are off limits to the public and may witness first-hand the production-making process in one of the world’s most renowned theatres.   Depending on the production/performance on the day the tour route may include a peek into a ballet rehearsal studio, costume store, lighting store or props workshops.   Our 75-minute private group tour will be a truly memorable backstage experience. 

Tour attendees are entitled to a 10% discount in the ROH shop and Cafe on the day of the visit, and for just £1 (usually £9.99) you will be entitled to a one-month trial of the ‘Royal Opera House Stream’, an online streaming service where you can enjoy ballet and opera performances from the comfort of your own home.

For more details and a booking form, please click HERE

For once the rain kept off and we were able to leave our brollies behind as we enjoyed a guided tour of the Chelsea Physic Garden.   The garden was established in 1673 by the Apothecaries Guild and was used to teach students to recognise plants and their uses – very important to be able to tell the difference between curative plants and poisonous ones!   Also folk at the garden were collecting plants and propagating them long before Kew thought of the Millennium seed bank.

What a lovely time of the year to enjoy some glorious flowers, wonderful trees and stunning greenhouses in this peaceful and small (4 acres) garden tucked away beside the Thames in the heart of London.

Time for lunch before we met Simon Whitehouse (Wilde about Oscar – March lecture) for a short tour of Chelsea.   First to Paradise Walk, a dismal slum in the later part of the 19th century so far from Paradise.   From there to Tite Street which in the late 19th century became the favoured and fashionable location for people of an artistic and literary disposition.   Whistler led the way with the White House at no 35 which sadly was demolished in the 1960s.   However we were able to see where Oscar Wilde lived (no 34) John Singer Sergeant (no 31) and Augustus John (no 33) amongst others. 

It is interesting to note that this was attractive to artists as it was so much cheaper with more modest houses than the adjacent Belgravia.   However, one of those modest houses sold for £4.2 million pounds last year!!

A few photos are available in the gallery, HERE

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Elgar, Smetana and Dvořák in January

What could be better in classical music than to hear a professional, perfectly drilled and fully assembled Symphony Orchestra in an exciting exposition of the explosive works of Smetana and Dvořák?   Well, the answer between the orchestral thunder is the Elgar Cello Concerto, brilliantly addressed by our locally educated, but now global star, Laura van der Heijden.   Some of us were moved to tears, frankly an appropriate response.   A full house, an encore by the soloist and thunderous applause. 

Laura herself acknowledged her early development as a virtuoso in our local area. A PDF of her CV from the Concert Programme is available HERE. 

The conductor, Gabriella Teychenné, in her first outing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, presided with aplomb, rousing the orchestra to excitement for Smetana’s Bartered Bride Overture and Dvořák’s 7th Symphony.   A slim figure, which exaggerated her long arms, she was almost athletic in her movements.   Baton in her right hand, the outstretched left hand almost poetically raising and lowering the orchestra with every cadence of the music.   Thunderous applause.   A PDF of her CV from the Concert Programme is available HERE.

The venue, the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne, proved excellent for a concert, worth the short trip by coach for TASEG members and well supplied with bars, refreshments and lounges.   Thanks to Marianne for organising this wonderful trip.

An early Christmas treat: Handel’s Messiah!

The last gasp of the 2023 season was a Sunday afternoon coach trip to Glyndebourne to enjoy a brilliant performance of Handel’s Messiah.   Thankfully, there was no snow, but we noted that the bar prices had not reduced since last year.   However the venue was as accommodating as last year and as helpfully staffed as usual.   There was a full house.

The Messiah is a perennial manifestation of Christian belief, but surely of appeal to anyone who appreciates the summit of Baroque musical composition.

This was a fantastic performance by the Glyndebourne Sinfonia and the Glyndebourne Chorus.   The conductor Bertie Baigent was at one with the music and his flowing conducting style was fascinating to watch.   Soprano, Joanna Wallroth had a beautiful voice. Jess Dandy, mezzo soprano, had rich lower tones.   It was obvious that the quality of singing and their emotional involvement in the Oratorio was shared by Tenor, Benjamin Hulett and Bass, Ashley Riches.   The choir, which has a major role in Handel’s Messiah, demonstrated exactly what is said below, which is taken directly from the Glyndebourne website.

‘Handel’s Messiah is a celebration of what it means to be human.   Experience hope, loss, suffering and triumphant redemption in this musical masterpiece.   Messiah will send you home uplifted and inspired, with the thrilling Hallelujah Chorus still ringing in your ears.

This is choral music’s greatest hit: a blend of heart-soaring solos, electrifying choruses and orchestral power that together tell the story of Christ.   Messiah dives right into the emotional heart of the action, exposing the passion and the conviction that drive an extraordinary act of sacrifice.

From birth to death, hope to bleakest despair, grief to redemption and celebration, Handel’s Messiah is a journey through life and faith.’

Judging by the happy faces of a bus full of those TASEG members who were lucky to witness this performance, Glyndebourne came up trumps.

For those who asked why the audience stood for the Hallelujah Chorus, apparently King George II was so moved he started the tradition.   Of course, when the King stands up ………

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Down inside the Abbey and then up towards Heaven.

However many times one has visited Westminster Abbey before, there is still a sense of elation on entering what is the National Church, whatever religion you subscribe to, or none.   The soaring vaults and exquisite late medieval arches, unsurpassed in architecture before or since, and the mass of statuary documenting English heroes and notables, remembered and unremembered, inspires us all.

Our October outing to the Abbey, on a day hampered by train strikes, but blessed by good weather, nevertheless brought us into contact with a flood of fellow tourists, predominately well-to-do and polite Asian and American, whose cell phone images of the Abbey will live in digital archives for ever, and would astonish the 13th, 14th and 15th century artisans whose exquisite and painstaking skills are so such in evidence.

Our main objective was to see the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Gallery, making use of the upper storey of the cathedral walls, technically known as the trifolium, and offering space for an extensive exhibition of artifacts, mainly singular, but in the Abbey’s poccession, hitherto hidden from public view.   These included numerous stone pieces, beautifully illuminated manuscripts replica royal jewels and crowns, and, bizarrely, wooden effigies of the corpses of prominent nobles and queens.   Appropriately, the effigy of Mary Queen of Scots was minus its original head.   Of course, some might take issue with this.   The Gallery is accessible by staircase and lift.

Marianne Greenwood supervised the trip with her usual efficiency.   As always, new friendships were made between TASEG members.

For a selection of images, please click HERE

The last event of the 2023 season before our summer break was a coach outing to the British Museum, with the specific intent of seeing the Elgin Marbles in situ, (that is in their current location, not their original location in Greece, but that’s another story).   On a dull wet June day, the Museum was definitely the place to be, crowded as it was and full of overseas visitors, but clearly Britain still has a lot to offer.   In addition, we were invited to visit the galleries containing Minoan, Mycenaean and early Greek artefacts, rather less crowded but equally impressive.

Our party was hosted by archaeological and ancient history expert Steve Kershaw.   Steve had previously lectured TASEG on “The Parthenon” and inspired our recent holiday in Naples with his Special Interest Day on “The Cities of Vesuvius.”   Steve is an enthusiast for the ancient world and can make stones come alive!   In small groups we toured the three galleries which contain the sculpted panels and flanking statues from the temple of Athena.   Steve demonstrated and explained the subtleties of the stonework, for example how depictions of horses and their riders, and other images of the sacred procession which the Parthenon friezes illustrate, albeit in stone, differed and therefore were subtly shedding light on Athenian social structure and religious customs.   So much of interest in a load of rocks.   Who would have believed it?

For a selection of images from the visit, please click HERE

Our 2023 lecture programme restarts on 12 September.   The next holiday is later that month.   Details of this and our next year’s programme are available elsewhere on this website.

Please click HERE for a report on our recent visit to Holland Park and Leighton House

The February outing was a bold venture to see a modern play (*sort of), and give Members who haven’t previously seen this remarkable arena of the Chichester Festival Theatre a chance to admire it and enjoy an excellent lunch in the Brasserie or a pre-performance jaunt into the city centre.

The narrative centres around the well-known novel by Jane Austen (*sort of), which explores the early 19th century mores surrounding flirtation, marriage, inheritance and social snobbery, but in this farce with Northern and Cockney accents imposed.   Whatever next, one might ask?   Well, the next was a lot of rude words, attached to almost every scene, as the real feelings and perceptions of the five Bennet sisters, their mother and their various admirers and non-admirers were explored (*sort of) in this hilarious comedy.   Given that the audience for the matinee was largely made up of the older generation, their enthusiastic responses to profanities may herald a social change.   Let it not be said that the Arts Society lingers in the past, when modernity presents (*sort of).

Well, (*sort of) aside, the performance was a triumph of theatrical presentation, enjoyed by almost everyone on our coach party.  Five brilliant female actors covered every character portrayed, with lightning and repeated changes of actor entry and exit, stage properties and costumes, all with perfect timing.   Modern popular tunes were interpolated in many scenes, and the actors sang and played various instruments (incredibly well), which one supposes makes the play a musical, well sort of (Oh! Sorry).

A good day out, and thanks to Marianne Greenwood for arranging it.​

TASEG "Adventure" Christmas Concert at Glyndebourne, in the run up to Christmas 2022.

In a TASEG first, we arranged an outing to the annual Christmas Concert in December, which brought their 2022 Season to an end.   They now begin to prepare for a new year, with a new musical agenda, but went out with two bangs, one musical and the other climatic! The latter was unexpected.   Read on.

The concert had three elements: the Orchestra, the Chorus and (amazingly), the Youth Opera, 24 school aged children who sang brilliantly from the side boxes adjacent to the stage.   The programme blended well known orchestral pieces and equally familiar operatic extracts with old and new carols, the latter performed by English, Polish and South African soloists, modestly stepping out from the Chorus (and to thunderous applause).

Glyndebourne may seem to some an upper class preserve, which perhaps it is for the famous Glyndebourne Festival during the summer, with high prices and exclusive well-heeled patrons.   However, the Company, in various formats, performs in Glyndebourne and travels actively (broadly known as Glyndbourne Touring Company) throughout the rest of the year and can appeal to newcomers to the world of opera without large attendant costs.   TASEG would like to encourage this.

The day out ended with an interesting evening.   While we were enjoying the concert, a snowstorm descended on Sussex and Kent, seemingly centred on Glyndebourne.   Our journey there from East Grinstead took 45 minutes earlier in the day, but the return journey took almost 6 hours.   However, this gave the 32 members on the coach a chance to get to know each other better, and spirits remained high.   Thanks to our driver Tony from W&H Coaches who was determined to and eventually got us back home. Something to remember.

​A selection of images is available HERE

How fortunate we were to have one of those crisp, bright early Autumn days for our visit to the intriguing Eltham Palace in the southeast of London.    Everything worked smoothly from the coach journey there and back to the well organised guided tours around palace and gardens.

What a story this building could tell as it has survived centuries of glory and hardship.

It began life at the end of the 13th century as the manor home of the Bishop of Durham.   On his death the house was bequeathed to the crown.    It became a favourite royal residence of monarchs and was the childhood home of Henry VIII.    Sadly, after his reign the building fell into decline and decay.   

A new house, Eltham Lodge, was built in the late 17th century by Sir John Shaw.    The land was developed into a farm, with the Great Hall being used as a barn.

In the early 19th century the building was again threatened with demolition but was saved from this fate in 1859.   The house was rebuilt as the very grand Eltham Court and the hall became an indoor tennis court.  

In the 1930s the house was rescued again by the very wealthy couple, Stephen and Virginia Courtauld.   They employed two young architects, Seely and Pager to transform the building into a stylish home.  This was not without controversy and there were limitations imposed on the exterior of the building.    However, the interior became a luxury home, inspired by the cruise liners of the 1930s, incorporating the latest technology while retaining surviving parts of the medieval infrastructure.   The grounds were landscaped to include a rock garden, formal rose garden, tennis courts and swimming pools.    The couple lived here for 8 years with their nephews and family pets, including their lemur Mah-Jong who had his own luxury space within the home!

In 1944 the Courtaulds passed the lease of the palace to the Army Education Corps (AEC).   This became the Royal AEC in 1948.   The building and its grounds  served from then on as officer accommodation, training grounds, conferences and social events.

In 1992 the RAEC left the premises and passed the responsibility for the house and gardens to English Heritage who have worked to restore them for visitors to enjoy today.

Many thanks to our Outings Organiser Marianne, for organising this pleasurable day out.   For a selection of images, please click HERE

TASEG activity during the summer revived at the end of July with a day coach trip to Parham House and Chichester Cathedral, efficiently organised by Marianne Greenwood.  Both venues are in West Sussex, though some distance from East Grinstead.   31 members and their guests enjoyed a warm sunny day in this beautiful and historic part of our county.

Parham House now sits in a large park, which is carefully managed to retain its semi-natural state and attractiveness.   The House itself dates from 1577 and illustrates many retained characteristic features of that Age, such as architecture, room layout, provision for servants and comfortable accommodation for high-ranking residents and visitors.    Despite passing through various ownerships over the centuries, the House is still a repository of much original portrait art and furnishings of exotic and domestic provenance, a veritable treasure chest for historians and conservationists.   The adjacent church and House Garden are also worth a visit.   We owe all this to a major restoration conducted between the Wars by philanthropist Clive Pearson.

After an elegant lunch in the Great Kitchen, we moved on to Chichester Cathedral, founded and built largely in the Saxon and Norman Ages on the site of a Roman city, where we enjoyed an in-depth pre-booked tour of the Cathedral.   Most of us had visited before, but in the hands of excellent guides so much more is added in terms of history, the politics of the 16th century, the influence of the Puritan and Victorian periods, and finally the artistic thrusts throughout, not excluding the 20th and 21st centuries.

For a selection of images of Parham House and Chichester Cathedral, please click HERE

You can read more about Parham House by clicking HERE

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West Dean College of Art & Conservation is internationally recognized for its excellence in conservation, art and design education.   The Arts Society East Grinstead has for many years contributed donations towards grants and awards for special students.   The gardens at West Dean are a horticultural attraction with an Edwardian pergola, Victorian glasshouses and walled kitchen garden.

Our visit took place on a dry and partially sunny day.   In the morning we explored the extensive gardens at West Dean and walked in the grounds of the College before enjoying an al fresco lunch in weak sunshine at the restaurant next to the River Lavant, which was flowing freely despite the lack of Spring rain, complete with ducks and ducklings.   The gardens are extensive, including a large walled enclosure which accommodates traditional and novel cultivars of many decorative flowers and exotic fruits (some in specialised greenhouses) and also vegetables grown to help feed the students in the adjacent College. 

A report on West Dean College itself is available HERE.

After lunch we moved to Champs Hill to view the stunning gardens, now at their peak in May and attend a special lecture, liberally illustrated, by Bristol Academy Director Alison Bevan on the Newlyn School of painting, which developed in Cornwall in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.   The Newlyn artists contrasted with the (mainly French) Impressionists in depicting social realism focusing on the fishing communities which were the mainstay of the local economies, whereas they were observers, and in most ways relatively well-off, essentially affluent guests in situ.   The talk pivoted on an evaluation of the role of Harold Harvey, whose art helped to transition the Newlyn School to accommodate Impressionism and the 20th century without entirely yielding to it but featured numerous artists of similar conservative inclinations, far too many to mention here, but for example, Dod Procter, Stanhope Forbes and Laura Knight.

Free images of Laura Knight’s paintings are hard to find on the internet, so we haven’t drained TASEG funds to secure them, but she in many ways completes the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, notably in her depictions of war.

Examples of the work of these 3 artists are available HERE

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The first one-day TASEG outing of the year took place recently, following careful planning, to Canterbury, designed to restore the momentum and enthusiasm of our normal Society activities as the Covid crisis becomes more manageable.

Despite an initially wet and windy day, 30 members boarded the coach to Canterbury, which arrived mid-morning via clear motorways, delivering us to the hands of two very knowledgeable walking guides who steered us through the ancient streets with a stream of intelligent commentary on the history, geography, ethnicity, political affiliations and economics of the city throughout the ages, before manoeuvring us finally into the Butter Market at the entry to the Cathedral precincts.   Canterbury was by no means deserted despite the time of year: many visitors of all ethnicities, creeds and ages were evident.

After lunch in local hostelries we assembled in three groups for tours of the cathedral itself, still encased in scaffolding for repairs to the roofing, which we were told cost many thousands of Pounds each day.   But inside, the ethereal reigned, as we contemplated the heavenly vaulting, the numerous monuments, the abundance of provisions for private, selective and public devotion, and  all to the accompaniment of equally heavenly music as the organist rehearsed the choir, though at times it drowned out the guides, who had so much expert knowledge at their disposal, they had scarcely enough time to dispense it all. But overall, a feast of erudition and education.

Finally, following a tasty tea in the adjacent Lodge, we filed back in for Choral Evensong, a sublime ending to a marvellous day.   Expertly sung by a guest choir, The Gundulf Consort.

A selection of photos from the day can be viewed HERE

A very happy group of TASEG members and friends visited the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate 75 years of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the forefront of music-making in the UK with a star-studded concert. This very special occasion also welcomed Vasily Petrenko as the RPO’s new Music Director. 

The programme featured masterpieces written by three of the greatest English composers, Delius, Elgar and Walton, all of whom are synonymous with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and its founder Sir Thomas Beecham.

For a full report on this wonderful evening, please click HERE

Note, too, that the concert is available on BBC Sounds until 12 October and you can enjoy it by clicking HERE

For our first actual event in more than 14 months, a group of 28 members and friends visited Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens on 20 May 2021.  We were divided into 2 groups, each with a gardener as guide.  The gardeners gave us insights into the history of the gardens, the origins of rare plants, and the mammoth task of restoring these gardens in recent years.

In 2019, Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens opened its doors after a closure of 10 years.   This magnificent Grade I listed garden was nearly lost forever but has in recent years been the subject of the largest garden restoration in England and possibly Europe.   From majestic rhododendrons and azaleas to the towering magnolias, Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens offers an experience like no other. 

Apart from the wonderful lakes and gardens, which are home to an extraordinary range of wildlife and their famous Wallabies, first introduced by naturalist Sir Edmund Loder in 1889, there is also the Rock Garden, the Dolls’ House Museum, a Vineyard, Garden Centre and a Gift Shop to see.

Our friends in The Arts Society, Turners Hill invited us to join them for a leisurely walking tour around the historic heart of Rome.

Stuart Harvey was an excellent guide as we visited the highlights - the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps (in picture), the Pantheon, Piazza Navona - but also much much more.

Along the way we learned why Emperor Hadrian built a temple to his mother-in-law and found an unusual statue of an elephant.

A most enjoyable visit and, as with all on line events, the weather was perfect.

Virtual Tour of Bath - From Romans to Georgian

Dr Aaron Hunter took us on a virtual walking tour of the City of Bath on a sunny day.   We discovered the Roman remains that until the 19th century laid buried under the city, before heading out towards the wonderful Georgian architecture that made this the place to be in the 18th century.

For a full report of a very enjoyable tour, please click HERE