This is a repeat of the guided tours of the official residence of The Speaker of the House of Commons that we ran last year. Tours are only available when Parliament is not sitting and we have been lucky enough to gain tickets for one group. Sixteen places are available.

The tour starts at 10:45pm and those with confirmed places should make sure that they arrive at least 20 minutes before that time to allow time to pass through security.

The cost is £23 per person.

Currently, booking is open to TASSWL Members only. Please contact Kate Kirkland if you would like to sign up for the visit.

After the tour, you will be able to look around Westminster Hall and St Stephen's Hall or visit the cafe and gift shop.

Image: The dining room at The Speakers House (courtesy of the Houses of Parliament website)

RESCHEDULED VISIT (details to be confirmed)

As per the original programme, the Awayday will combine a visit to the village of Cookham and the Stanley Spencer Gallery with a lecture by Amy Lim about the artist.  Amy is an Arts Society lecturer and Curator of the Stanley Spencer Gallery.

Few artists are as rooted in a place as Stanley Spencer and his beloved home village of Cookham. The Thames-side village was not only his birthplace and home for most of his life, but it dominated his imagination and was the inspiration and location for many of his paintings. 

The lecture will look at Cookham’s place in Spencer’s art, and how it was central to his unique vision of English domestic and spiritual life.

BOOKING WILL OPEN SOON (once those on the original visit have confirmed whether they would like to sign up again.)

Cost £63 per person.

Kate Kirkland (tasswl.treasurer@gmail.com) will be the point of contact.

Provisional Schedule for the Day (times are approximate - please note the later start) :

09:15: Coach departs from Dealtry Road (opposite Putney Leisure Centre) to the Clubhouse at Cookham Cricket Club  (Tea/coffee and biscuits to be providedon arrival)

10:45 - 11:45: Lecture by Amy Lim. “A Village in Heaven: Stanley Spencer’s Cookham”.

12:00: Lunch. Since there are no cafes nearby, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN.

13:00: Coach from the Library to the gallery where the group will be split into two.

            Group A - will tour the gallery (1hr) and Group B will tour the village (1hr)

            Group B - will tour the gallery (1hr) and Group A will tour the village (1hr)

16:00: Departure from Cookham

18:30: Arrive back at Dealtry Road, Putney

IMAGE:  View from Cookham Bridge by Stanley Spencer (courtesy of the lecturer).

Highlights of the V & A Museum

Karen Le Gros, a V&A Guide, and member of our own Arts Society, will give us a tour of some of her Highlights in the Museum.

Her tour will reflect the variety in the collection and, mindful of our November Study Day, the tour will end in the Europe Gallery. Here, Liz Hamilton, our Membership Secretary (also a V&A guide), will join Karen in presenting some exciting pieces closely associated with Napoleon and Josephine.

The tour will begin at 11:30 (and will last for about 1 hour).

Booking is not yet open.

Image: A stool (part of a set) designed in 1805 for Napoleon I for his reception  by the Corps legislatif after his coronation. (Courtesy of the V&A)