Welcome to Region 01 – London and the South East
Our area covers not just London but also all of the area to the South East of London down to the coast. This was originally two separate administration areas and so is now a mixture of both the tight community of London with the countryside, and many smaller towns and villages. Regardless of where you live, all advertised events are open to you all, along with your family and friends. However it is always advisable to contact the organiser in advance to ensure that someone will be watching out to welcome you.
Our Local Contact for London itself is Rosemary Hammick. Rosemary or the AOUG Office would welcome information about venues in your local neighbourhood which might interest members. Please do contact us at any time with your ideas. Could you organise any events in your area? Perhaps meeting up for coffee or a meal? Visiting a local historic building or attending a local theatre? If you would like to explore an idea before committing yourself, please do get in touch.
Executive Representative
Vacant
Local Contact
London
Rosemary Hammick 020 8688 6629 / 07908 371529
Previous Events
We met in the car park of Basildon House and gardens on a glorious spring day. We firstly visited the house itself which was donated by the family that owned it to the National Trust. The rooms were magnificent. There was a shell room that contained a varied collection of sea shells in ornamental cabinets. A room containing pictures of the twelve apostles by an old master painter. These were very lifelike and extremely valuable I believe. The dining room was set for a formal banquet with five different knives and forks and four small glasses. Even though the glasses were small an attentive waiter would continually fill them. After half an hour in the house we explored the gardens which contained woodland and Spring flowers. It was well worth the visit.
On a lovely bright morning we set off for central London and to Trafalgar square. When we got there, we had a ‘Full English’ breakfast ready for the main event. This was a visit to The National Portrait Gallery. As we crossed the square there was a magician who appeared to be suspended in the air very realistically. I knew from my magic days that he had a pole in his baggy trousers.
Then we entered the gallery itself. This has a remarkable selection of currently over 2,300 paintings which range from mid-13th Century to the early part of the 20th Century. It encompasses much Western European Art from the household names of Leonardo and Botticelli dating from the Renaissance to other famous later masters such as Turner, Monet and Van Gough. Highlights include the famous ‘Sunflowers’. This gallery was founded in 1824 and is now a world-renowned public art collection, freely accessible and room by room different periods. It is very comprehensive and well worth a visit!