This visit is now full.

One of the last great houses in London, Syon House, Park and Gardens are steeped in history. Described as a “rare jewel” the house has a wealth of original art and furniture within its grand classical interiors. Highlights include the Great Hall with its decorative stucco work, State Dining Room where guests experienced the enjoyment of being entertained on a grand scale and The Long Gallery where ladies could promenade along its 136 ft length. The Park feels like being in the countryside, despite being close to central London. Among the many delights in the garden is The Great Conservatory which is filled with exotic plants from around the world. 

As part of our 40th Anniversary celebrations, members can choose to have lunch (not included in the visit cost) in the Courtyard Restaurant. This is described as a casual dining experience with the opportunity to eat “al fresco” should the weather allow.  The restaurant needs to know numbers in advance so please indicate on the booking form if you choose this option. Other eating possibilities are available, or members can take a picnic.

Cost: £37.00 Refreshments and lunch not included.

• 9.00am Coach leaves The Beacon Sports Centre, Holtspur.  Arrive Syon Park 10am. 
   
• 11am / 11.15am Divide into two groups for a 1hr 30min guided tour of the house.
   
• 12.45pm Free time for lunch and gardens
   
• 4.30pm Depart Syon House. Estimated arrival back in Beaconsfield 5.30pm.  

Places are available. If you would like to join, please complete this form.

In the morning, we will enjoy a guided one hour tour of this extravagant former seaside palace built for King George IV. The building is famous for its unique architecture with Indian domes and lavish, Chinese inspired interiors.

After the tour, members will be free to explore as they wish. Refreshments and light lunches will be available in the Royal Pavillion café, or in any of the many nearby restaurants. The seafront is very close by.

 A short walk through the Royal Pavillion gardens will bring members to the Brighton Museum and Art gallery. Entrance to this is included in the visit cost. Here you will find an eclectic mix of Fashion, Textiles and Fine Art along with local social stories and exhibits.

Cost: £64.00 Refreshments not included. 
Depart:  9.00am Windsor End. Arrival at Brighton 11.00am
Return:  Depart Brighton 4.30pm. Estimated arrival back in Beaconsfield 6.30pm

Booking does not open until 1st February when the booking form and further information will be available on the website.

This visit is now fully booked. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please contact Jill Adams.

Experience a world of winter magic in Kew Gardens as their acclaimed light trail, Christmas at Kew, returns this festive season. The new 2025 trail promises to be as magical as ever.  

Don’t miss spectacular new creations from world-wide artists presented uniquely for the first time in the UK. These larger-than-life illuminations are always unforgettable and to make it even more memorable, glimpse Father Christmas along the way.  

Enjoy delicious street food with festive delights ranging from hot dishes and sweet treats to spiced winter warmers and hot chocolate, both along the trail and in the food court by the Temperate House. The Pavilion Bar & Grill will also be open for walk-ins, offering a special festive menu. 

The trail is approximately 3Km long and can take over two hours to walk around depending on mobility.  The trail is mainly on paths and there is lighting BUT the terrain does vary in different parts of the gardens

Cost: £56.00 Refreshments not included.
Depart: 3.15pm Windsor End. Our entry time will be at 4.45pm.
Return: Depart Kew Gardens 8pm. Estimated arrival back in Beaconsfield 9pm.

This visit is now fully booked. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please contact Jill Adams.

The unique and fascinating story of an ancient religious military order, from its origins caring for sick pilgrims in eleventh century Jerusalem, through to its modern day role with St John Ambulance, the international first aid charity. We will have a guided tour of the galleries, church and crypt.

Followed in the afternoon by a guided tour around the palatial grandeur of Goldsmiths Hall. This is a rare opportunity to step inside one of the City of London’s hidden treasures that is not regularly open to the public.

Booking is now open.  To book complete this form.

A visit to two historic estates in Kent brought together by the Tudors. We will learn about the fascinating history of both and their royal connections.

We will have coffee/tea on arrival at Penshurst Place followed by a guided tour to discover its rich medieval and Tudor History. The coach will then take us the few miles to Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Hever has various options for lunch or you can bring a picnic. Members will be free to spend the afternoon as they wish, going round the intimate castle and/or the magnificent grounds.

Cost: £59.00 Refreshments not included apart from tea/coffee on arrival

Depart:  8.30am Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival 10.15am

Return:  Depart Hever Castle 4.30pm. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.15pm

This visit is now full. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please complete this form and either email to jilladams1952@gmail.com or send by post (see booking form for postal address).

Southwark can be summed up by the 4P’s, pubs, prisons, playhouses and prostitutes! With our guide, the entertaining and very knowledgeable Andrew Davies, we will explore this fascinating area on foot. Highlights include: inside the restored Victorian viaduct called Dirty Lane, Guy’s hospital with it’s Georgian chapel, the original site of the Globe Theater, the Victorian Hop and Malt Exchange plus galleried George Inn, bustling Borough Market and the beautifully refurbished London Bridge Station.

The walk takes up both the morning and afternoon so come prepared to be on your feet most of the day and wear comfortable shoes. We will stop for lunch and refreshments enroute but these are not included in the cost. Andrew will ensure that we stop in areas with various options for food and drink. Lunch will last one hour.

This should be a very interesting walk around an area of London which is full of history.

Cost: £42 No refreshments included
Depart:  9.00am  Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival Southwark Bridge 10.30am
Return:  Depart 4.00pm . Estimated arrival back in Beaconsfield 5.30pm

Booking is now open. To book click here.

This year Sarah and Jill  thought you might enjoy something different, a Christmas Concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the world famous Sir Antonio Pappano.

Classical meets Jazz with Christmas favourites, the concert will include Gershwin’s most swinging tunes and Bernstein at his best. Duke Ellington’s arrangement will bring the same jazz influence to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Sleigh Ride will provide a perfect finale to take us into the festive season.  Full details can be found here.

Leaving Beaconsfield after lunch, we will travel by coach to the Barbican Centre. You will be free to explore the area in the afternoon, including the Art Gallery at the Barbican. The gallery is free or you can pay an entrance fee to an exhibition on the theme of India’s changing cultural and political landscape.

The Barbican, and the area around, has many restaurants and cafes where you can have drinks and a meal before the concert at 7pm.

Cost: £69.00 (refreshments not included)
Depart:  1.00pm Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Concert is at 7pm.
Return:  Estimated arrival back in Beaconsfield 11.00pm

An Invitation to attend the Koestler Exhibition at The Festival Hall, Southbank Centre on Wednesday November 27th at 11.15am.

Plus

A guided tour with Tilly Buckroyd our Koestler Link. Please RSVP if you would like to join this tour to val@mcf107.com.

It will mean making your own way there and meeting at The Festival Hall in the foyer at 11am. 

Koestler Arts is the UK’s best known and oldest prison arts charity. They aim to inspire prisoners and people with experience of the criminal justice system to take part in the arts, through their annual Koestler Awards programme, which provides feedback on the work, exhibitions, sales, and mentoring.

The Arts Society Beaconsfield is currently linked with this programme at the Young Offenders Institute at Aylesbury, (HMYOI).  We have donated £500 which means that 10 young people will directly benefit from receiving prize money for their creative work (£25 per award), and countless others will also receive bespoke certificates, commendation awards and personalised feedback through the scheme.

The first Arts Society Beaconsfield ‘Named’ Award, has been granted to a young person at HMYOI Aylesbury.  Tilly Buckroyd wrote– we chose this photographic work to win the society’s Award because this is the first year the young person has created work for the Awards, and the first Award they have received from us, an incredible achievement. As it is a Silver Award-winning piece, the artist will not only be receiving a special certificate letting them know they’ve won the Arts Society Beaconsfield Award, but they’ll also receive a monetary prize to reflect the scale of their achievement.

Booking is now open.  To book click here.

This has been arranged in response to requests for visits more suitable for members with reduced mobility. The programme has hopefully been put together in a way which enables members to do as much or as little walking as they wish, without missing out on the galleries and exhibitions. The coach can park right in front of the entrance.

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Their world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time. In the morning, we will have an introductory talk on highlights from the collections while seated in the lecture theatre. Members will then be free to wander round the main galleries until our sandwich lunch. After lunch we will have a 20 minute introduction, with slides, to the main exhibition, Money Talks, Art Society and Power. Again this is seated in the lecture theatre. This major exhibition features works from artists such as Banksy, Grayson Perry, Rembrandt and Warhol. With over 100 objects, it explores the relationship between money and art and should be a fascinating exhibition.

Details of the Money Talks: Arts, Society and Power exhibition can be found here.  This major new exhibitioin will feature over 100 objects, including work from artists Andy Warhol and Grayson Perry, and from artists Banksy and Paula Stevens-Hoare who use money itself as a medium for political commentary and satire.

 Cost: £70 or for Art Fund members £62. Tea/coffee on arrival and a sandwich lunch included.
Depart:  9.00am Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival 10.00am
Return:  Depart Ashmolean 4.30pm. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 5.30pm

This event is now full.

Kelmscott Manor is the totally unspoilt and unaltered country retreat of the Father of the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris. Morris and his family lived here from 1871, the surroundings inspiring him to become a renowned writer, designer and activist. Recently refurbished, it contains an iconic collection of artworks, textiles and objects owned and designed by Morris and some of his contemporaries. We will have a guided tour in groups of no more than 12. The tour will take approximately 1hour 30mins. You will also be able to wander the gardens and meadow. Included is tea and coffee on arrival and a buffet lunch. There is a ten minute level walk from the coach park to the manor but a shuttle service is provided. Two manual wheelchairs are available but access will then be limited to the ground floor. 

Buscot Park is a late 18th century house set in enchanting grounds where landscape projects have recently been undertaken to refresh what is there and create new features. The house is the family home of Lord Faringdon and contains the family collection of pictures, furniture, ceramics and objets d’art. There is no guided tour so you will be free to do as much or as little as you wish of the grounds and or the house. There is a small tearoom where tea and cakes can be purchased.

Cost: £72.  £60 for National Trust members.  Tea/coffee on arrival and buffet lunch included

Depart:  8.30am Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival at Kelmscott 10.00am

Return:  Depart Buscot 4.30pm. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.00pm

We start with a visit to Polesden Lacey, an Edwardian House overflowing with rich social history. This will be followed in the afternoon by a tour, with wine tasting, at nearby Denbies Wine Estate. There is a walk of approx 300m from the bus to Polesden Lacey house. There is disabled access throughout both venues including suitable bathroom facilities in the visitor centres. A toilet will be available on the bus.

POLESDEN LACEY was the weekend retreat of Margaret Greville who rose from brewer’s daughter to friend of Kings and Queens. The house interiors are brimming with opulence and luxury. Margaret Greville was a wealthy and discerning collector of art and objects. In her lifetime she amassed a surprisingly varied collection including Dutch and British Masters, Italian and Sicilian Majolica and fine French furniture. The garden has glorious views of the surrounding countryside and daffodils fill the lawns in Spring. There will be an exhibition on the 1st floor based mainly around the works of local artist Luke Adam Hawker.

You can choose to join a tour of the house or wander round at leisure. For lunch, there is a café with hot and cold food options, a kiosk and a coffee shop, or members can bring a picnic. We shall leave early afternoon to travel to Denbies.

DENBIES WINE ESTATE The tour begins with a film. We will learn about the geology and history of the estate and experience the changes in the vineyard through the year to appreciate the wine making process from vine to bottle. We will then be taken to the atmospheric cellars where we will be guided through three of Denbies classic wines with one of their wine experts. Starting at 3pm, the length of the tour is approximately 55 minutes.

Cost: £54. £40 for National Trust members. No refreshments included
Depart: 9.15am Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival at Polesden Lacey 10.45am
Return: Depart Denbies 5.00pm. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.30pm

To book, please complete this form. Send your completed form, with a cheque if used, to
Jill Adams, 1 Maplewood Gardens, Beaconsfield HP9 1BU or by e-mail to jilladams1952@gmail.com
Tel: 07980991879 Please note, places are not available to non-members

Described as an incredible multi-sensory experience, visiting Blenheim palace at Christmas time is a delight. A magical after-dark trail with a multitude of twinkling lights and seasonal sounds which fill the air with festive fun. Along the way you will get a magical glimpse of Father Christmas.

 Discover heart-shaped arches glittering in the moonlight, glowing tunnels filled with stars and an 8 metre sphere filled with over 20,000 moving LEDs. You will also see dancing reflections in the colorful Cascades and magical Lakeside walk.

 Festive food will be available in the East Courtyard from street food vendors. Complete your walk under the stars with a spiced winter warmer, hot chocolate or toasted marshmallow.

The illumination trail should be mainly on tarmac or gravel paths. The trail will take approx 90 minutes and our start will be at 5pm.

This event is now full but names can be added to the waiting list

VISIT TO Spitalfields for Old Jewish London walking tour

Thursday 26th October 2023

An award-winning Old Jewish Quarter walking tour in London’s famous East End districts of Aldgate and Spitalfields, along with a visit to Spitalfields Market. If members wish they can also visit Whitechapel Gallery.

Old Jewish Quarter tour  provides interesting sights and incredible stories of people and places, including: the magnificent Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in England; the Jewish Soup Kitchen, lifesaver to thousands every day; the first Yiddish theatre in England. Hear heart-warming and heart-breaking stories, from the hilarious spiel of traders in famous Petticoat Lane Market to the impoverished immigrants escaping East European oppression only to face wretched living conditions and a life of toil in the notorious clothing sweatshops.The walking tour lasts around 2 hours 15 minutes. Our guide carries a portable amplifier and microphone. We will split into 2 groups for the tour, one group at 11am and the second at 2.15pm.The morning group can visit Spitalfields Market for a lunchbreak followed by a visit to Whitechapel Gallery.   The afternoon group can visit the gallery when first arriving in the area and then Spitalfields Market before the tour at 2.15pm.

The colorful indoor Spitalfields Market has a host of pleasant restaurants/cafes for refreshments and there are many attractive stalls to wander around, featuring arts, crafts, antiques, bric-a-brac and clothes. A visit could take up to two hours including a lunchbreak.

Whitechapel Gallery, founded in1901, was designed by architect Charles Harrison-Townsend in Art Nouveau style. It is a ten minute walk from Spitalfields Market. The gallery is dedicated to supporting rare talent and making their work globally accessible. They will be exhibiting work by Nicole Eisenman.

Cost: £26. No refreshments included

Depart:  9.15am Windsor End, Beaconsfield Old Town. Estimated arrival at Spitalfields 10.45am.

Return:  Depart Spitalfields 4.45pm. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.15pm

This event is now full and the waiting list closed

A fascinating house and grounds, Compton Verney has a huge amount to offer. This includes 120 acres of historic parkland designed by Capability Brown, unique outdoor art installations such as Living Symphonies which will portray the activity of the woodland ecosystem at Compton Verney, six permanent world class art exhibitions within the house and lots more.  We will split into groups for a guided tour of one of the house exhibitions. You will be able to explore the rest of the galleries as well as the  grounds at your leisure. We will have tea/coffee and shortbread on arrival, lunch options will be either take your own picnic ( a covered area for this is available) or make your own arrangements for lunch in the restaurant.  There is so much to see and do at Compton Verney we will not be back to Beaconsfield until approx  17.45.

To book please complete the booking form which can be found under Documents.

This is a full and interesting day.  We start by visiting this magnificent Cathedral which rises majestically above the River Severn.  This ancient building has been the seat of Bishops since the seventh century and was served by monks until the Reformation. 

It is famous for its Norman crypt, unique chapter house, fine woodwork and exquisite central tower.  We will have a 45 minute guided tour.

We move onto the Royal Worcester Museum for a buffet lunch.  Explore some of the earliest porcelain made in England through to iconic 20th century tableware designs like Evesham.  We will have a talk and demonstration from master potter Roger Green who will demonstrate the various processes involved in producing and decorating the pieces.  He also provides a fascinating snapshot of the lives of the porcelain workers.

You will have free time to explore the museum with an audio guide.  We will split into two consecutive groups for the talk and demonstration.

You also have an option to get creative with Paint Your Own Pottery in the ceramic studio.  This requires an extra charge of between £9-£20 depending on which piece of pottery you choose.

To book please click here to download a booking form.

Start your Christmas  with an afternoon visit to the Royal Albert Hall for the annual John Rutter          Christmas Celebration hosted by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In the morning, we will be dropped off at the V&A for an optional visit to the Beatrix Potter exhibition - Drawn to Nature (max 24 places), or you can make your own arrangements - book separately, join a free V&A tour, visit the Wildlife Photographer exhibition at the Science Museum . (Note this is a Tuesday event).

Bookings are now closed. A waiting list is operational in case of cancellations. If you are interested please contact Roselle Beard via the Contact Us tab.

Batsford Arboretum comprises a 55-acre arboretum and botanical garden, around 2,900 trees, with a large collection of Japanese maples, magnolias and pines.

Sezincote House, a 200-year-old Mogul Indian palace, is set in a romantic landscape of temples, grottoes, waterfalls and canals, in a traditional, family-run estate of rolling Cotswold countryside.

Booking Form in Documents section

Contact Jill Adams

We start with a guided tour of St Mary’s Church in Fairford to see its outstanding late 15th century stained glass, the only complete set of medieval narrative glass in England. It is the work of Henry VII’s Master Glass Painter who also glazed the windows of Westminster Abbey’s Lady Chapel. St Mary’s is deemed to be one of the best 'wool churches' in England and is testament to the wealth of the medieval wool trade in the Cotswolds region. Simon Jenkins gives this church 5 stars.

We then move further into Gloucestershire to visit Rodmarton Manor.  Rodmarton is the supreme example of a house built and all its furniture made according to Arts and Crafts ideals and was one of the last country houses to be built and furnished in the old traditional style, when everything was done by hand with local stone, local timber and local craftsmen.  Ernest Barnsley and the Cotswold Group of Craftsmen, who built and furnished the house for Claud and Margaret Biddulph, beginning in 1909, were responsible for the revival of many traditional crafts in the Cotswolds.   After a salad buffet lunch, we will split into groups to have a guided tour of the Manor. 

There will be free time to look round the celebrated Arts & Crafts garden, one of the finest Gloucestershire gardens on the edge of the Cotwolds. Tea, coffee and cake will be available before we set off for home.

Cost: £55

Catering: Tea/Coffee on arrival at St Mary’s Church Hall.  Salad buffet lunch at Rodmarton Manor.  Tea/Coffee/Cake before departure.

Depart:  9am   Beaconsfield Old Town

Return:  4.30pm from Rodmarton Manor.  Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.30pm.

Organiser, Roselle Beard

Following the fascinating lecture by Sarah Lenton about Christmas at Covent Garden we shall have a guided tour behind the scenes at the Opera House. Following that, Sarah Lenton will show us the highlights of a nearby church, St Mary le Strand, which is said to be the loveliest Baroque church in England and the only one in London. It was designed by James Gibbs and was consecrated in 1724.

 The Backstage Tours include an introduction to the colourful history of the theatre, an insight into the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House and a look at aspects of current productions. As the Royal Opera House is a fully working theatre, each tour is a unique experience, and may include opportunities to see The Royal Ballet in class, or the magnificent backstage technology in operation.

Cost: £35
Depart:  9.30am The Car Park, Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place, Windsor End.

11 am -12 am Free time to explore the Opera House or Covent Garden market and/or have coffee/lunch in many eateries nearby.

12 pm Gather for 2 backstage tours. The Royal Opera House is a large building and lengthy corridors and stairs may need to be used on the tour route. There is no possibility of seating during a tour which lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes

1.45 pm Gather to walk to St Mary the Virgin (approx. 5 mins walk)

2 pm - 3 pm St Mary le Strand

Return:  3.30pm from Bow Street the Royal Opera House.

Due to restricted numbers on the tours the day is limited to 36 Arts Society members

There is a waiting list for this trip, please contact the organiser Val McFarlane

AN UNMISSABLE CHRISTMAS DOUBLE BILL!

A PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF ‘BRITISH INTERIOR DESIGN STYLE’ AT THE V&A,
WITH JOHN RUTTER’S ‘CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION’ AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Wednesday 11th December 2019

We begin the afternoon at the Victoria & Albert Museum with a private guided tour of ‘British Interior Design Style’ from the 1600s to the present. Interiors can reveal an astonishing amount about the preoccupations of a given age, as can be seen in some of the Museum’s room reconstructions.

A joyous Yuletide evening awaits to fill us with Christmas sparkle and cheer, in the splendour of
The Royal Albert Hall. John Rutter’s ‘Christmas Celebration’ features The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Temple Church Choir. This ever-popular seasonal favourite is brim-full with festive favourites, sing-along carols, rousing fanfares and John Rutter’s Annual Quiz.

Cost: £53.50 (No food or drinks are included).
Depart:  1.00pm The Car Park, Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place, Windsor End.

Return:  10.30pm Depart from The Royal Albert Hall.

 Trip organised by Pedro and Frances Pra-Lopez

 Before returning your application, please note!

1.     A list of attendees will appear on The Arts Society Beaconsfield notice board at future monthly lectures, including those members on the waiting list.

2.     If you have any doubt shortly before the event as to whether you have a place, then please e-mail or phone the organisers using the contact details above.

3.     If, on the day of the event, you have a problem attending, please phone either 07753 660 212 or
07860 638 500 prior to the coach leaving.

4.     Cancellations less than three weeks before the event will only receive a refund, if the place can be filled from the waiting list.

VISIT TO COVENTRY – CATHEDRALS AND CITY

Wednesday 30th October 2019

Today we will visit Coventry.  Fortified with a coffee and cookie, at 11.30am we will have a blue badge guided walk of the ancient city of Coventry, tracing its 1,000 year history. Once the capital of England, it has seen all four of the English Civil Wars, home to 6 religious houses, three cathedrals, one city wall and a number of castles. Hear about the lady on a horse, why you are 'Sent to Coventry' and where it got its wealth from which amongst other things built the 14th century St Mary's Guildhall. This was once the prison for Mary Queen of Scots and was the setting for a scene in one of the books written by George Eliot, who lived in Coventry for many years.

Lunch, not included in the price, can be found at The Rising Café in the cathedral, or next door at Alfred’s Café in the Herbert Museum.  Alternatively there are numerous other cafes nearby.

For the afternoon at 2.30pm, we will divide into groups for a one hour tour to tell you about the building of the New Cathedral, the history of the ruins, and (hopefully) the Blitz Experience.  You can also climb the Tower, if open (entry fee £4.00 not included in the price).

At the end there will be free time to explore at your leisure.

Cost: £35 per person

Catering: Tea/Coffee/Cake on arrival at The Rising Cafe.  Own arrangements for lunch.

Depart:  9am   Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return:  4.30pm from Coventry. Estimated arrival in Beaconsfield 6.30pm.

 Trip organised by Roselle Beard

 Before returning your application, please note!

1.     A list of attendees will appear on The Arts Society Beaconsfield notice board at future monthly lectures, including those members on the waiting list.

2.     If you have any doubt shortly before the event as to whether you have a place, then please e-mail or phone the organiser using the contact details above.

3.     If, on the day of the event, you have a problem attending please phone 07831 393310 prior to the coach leaving or the event start time.

4.     Cancellations less than three weeks before the event will only receive a refund if the place can be filled from the waiting list.

We will spend the day visiting Claydon House and Gardens which is managed by the National Trust.  Claydon House was built by Ralph Verney in the 1750s. It has a splendid eighteenth-century English interior in an idyllic country setting.  We will have a 45 minute guided tour of the ground floor and afterwards you can visit the upper floor at your leisure.  The Gardens, where we will have a one hour tour, have a 2 acre walled kitchen garden, a pool garden as well as a formal box garden and Florence Nightingale centenary garden.  Free time to visit the small church, house grounds at your leisure.

On arrival we will split into two groups as follows with 25 in one group and 26 in the other:

• Group A – House Tour (ground floor only) 11.30am; Lunch 1:30pm;  Garden Tour 2.30pm
• Group B – Garden Tour 11.30am; Lunch 12:30pm; House Tour (ground floor only) 1.30pm

Cost:       £37 per person for NT members ** ; £43.60 for others.  (** Remember your NT card)

Catering: Tea/Coffee on arrival.  Soup and Sandwich lunch split into two sittings.

Depart:   9.45am   Beaconsfield Old Town

Return:   4.00pm from Claydon House

Stonor Park is one of the oldest family homes still lived in and has a thousand stories to tell. The Stonor family have lived here for over 850 years. It is architecturally fascinating and contains a fine collection of furniture, old master paintings, drawings, bronzes, wall papers and historic maps. The Catholic Chapel is closely associated with St Edmund Campion who hid at Stonor during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 and where he printed his famous Ten Reasons.

Please note the house is a collection of medieval buildings .The ground floor is not on one level. One must be able to walk up and down stairs .The only toilets are approx. a 100m walk from the main house.

On arrival we will have coffee/tea/biscuits after which there will be a guided tour of the house and chapel followed by a light lunch.

The afternoon will be spent at the Rowing and River Museum in Henley. Our guided tour will take us through the John Piper Gallery, International Rowing Gallery, History of Henley Gallery, River Gallery and Wind in the Willows Exhibition. There will be free time to explore this idyllic location.

Please mention on the return slip if you have a dietary requirement.

The cost of this visit is £38 per person which includes all refreshments as indicated above.

Depart:   The Car Park Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place, Windsor End, 9.30am prompt.

Return:   We expect to be back in Beaconsfield at approximately 4.40 pm

Trip organised by Mrs. Joy Legg, the form was in the winter mailing.

There are still spavces on this trip

.

The Musical Museum at Kew Bridge, and a Concert “Christmas in New York”
We start with a guided tour of the museum, home to a wonderful collection of self-automated musical instruments from tiny clockwork music boxes to the Mighty Wurlitzer. After lunch we will be transported across the Atlantic with music from shows and films featuring popular tunes from the Great American Song Book including White Christmas and Winter Wonderland. Chris Barber will play the mighty Wurlitzer to accompany a solo soprano.

The visit costs £39 which  includes coffee on arrival and a sandwich lunch with a glass of prosecco 

Depart: Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place at 9.45 a.m.prompt

Return: Approx 4.45 p.m.

We will spend the day at Tate Britain to see two exhibitions.  The Burne-Jones exhibition which is London’s first major retrospective of the artist's work for over 40 years, and showcases 150 works in different media, including painting, stained glass and tapestry, all of which foreground Burne-Jones's belief in the redemptive power of art.  We will also visit the Turner Prize which in 2018 returns to London for an exhibition of work by the four shortlisted artists.

On arrival we will split into two groups as follows with 25 in one group and 26 in the other:

• Group A – Visit the Turner Prize at 11.30am; Lunch; Then the Burne-Jones at 1.30pm
• Group B – Visit the Burne-Jones at 11.30am; Lunch; Then the Turner Prize at 2.30pm

Cost:       £42 per person.  No food or refreshments included.

Depart:   9.30am   Beaconsfield Old Town

Return:   4pm from Tate Britain

On the form you can state your preferred group and the name(s) of people you want to be with. However this preference is not guaranteed as the groups will need to balanced.

Broughton Castle is a moated and fortified manor house near Banbury in North Oxfordshire. Set in parkland and built of the rich local Hornton ironstone, it was selected by Simon Jenkins as one of only twenty to be awarded five stars in his book England’s Thousand Best Houses. The core of the house was built in 1306 and the gatehouse in the early fifteenth century, but most of what you see today dates from the 1550’s. It was a centre of opposition to Charles I and was besieged and damaged after the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.  Further details can be found on the Broughton Castle website at www.broughtoncastle.com.

On arrival we will have tea/coffee.  Followed at 11am by a guided tour of the house. A light lunch of soup, sandwiches and tea/coffee.  After lunch, there will be ample free time to wander and explore.

Cost:       £35 per person.  Includes all refreshments.

Depart:   9.00am   Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return:   Depart 3.30pm from Broughton Castle

Organiser: Roselle Beard

By popular request our entertaining guide Andrew Davies will be leading a walking tour of ‘Shakespeare’s Southwark’.  The coach will drop us off at Southwark Bridge and after refreshments we’ll explore the riverside, the Globe theatres past and present, Hays Wharf and Borough Market.  After a stop for lunch we’ll visit the famous old George Inn, the only remaining galleried inn in London, Guys hospital and some more nooks and crannies!

Cost:            £33 per person – coffee and lunch not included

Depart:        9.00 am from Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return:        Departing from Southwark Bridge at 4.15 pm

Organiser:    Susie Hale

For the first part of the afternoon we will visit the Victoria and Albert Museum where we will have time to wander round at our leisure and find a place to eat.  At the V&A, there are two exhibitions which you may want to consider visiting - Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion; Opera: Passion, Power and Politics. More details can be found on the V&A website.

The coach will pick us up at 18.30pm and take us to the Royal Albert Hall.  Here we have stall seats for undoubtedly a firm Yuletide favorite, simply not to be missed. John Rutter's Christmas Celebration.   Brimming full of Christmas sparkle featuring the much loved Philharmonic Orchestra, The King's Singers and special guest soloist plus sing-along carols and a delightful array of festive works and of course John Rutter's famous annual quiz.

Cost: £55 per person. No food or entry to the V&A exhibitions included.

Depart: 1.00pm Beaconsfield Old Town

Return:  Depart Royal Albert Hall at 10.30pm

Organiser: Roselle Beard

Contact: rosab2204@gmail.com

James Taylor, who most of you will remember from his British Picture Postcard lecture last November, will be our guide.

Following his introduction to the Museum, we will view parts of the Old Neptune Hall and also the architectural main feature - the largest free-standing glazed roof in Europe, along with a selection of navigational artefacts and instruments and the stern of a French ship that fought against Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.  We will also see J.M.W. Turner's vast oil painting of that Battle on display nearby. 

We will then split into two groups, Group 1 will be shown round the Queen's House followed by a break for lunch after which it will the turn of Group 2.  While not viewing the Queen's House the other group will have free time, giving ample opportunity to view the area and the other Galleris.  Finally we will all meet up again at 4.15pm in the Museum Shop before our journey home!

Cost: £25 per person - lunch not included

Depart: 8.45am from Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return: Depart from Greenwich at 16.45pm

Organiser: Susie Hale

Come and join us to celebrate the end of the 30th year since the formation of the  Beaconsfield Decorative and Fine Arts Society.

The Date: Tuesday 29th August 2017 (NB. Not Thursday!)
The Time: 2.45pm
The Place: The Fitzwilliams Centre, Old Beaconsfield.
The Price: £12.00

The Programme:
Starting with a welcome glass of wine there will be ample opportunity to meet with friends old and new and to reminisce about the changes within the Society over the past thirty years over tea and cakes.

We are particularly pleased that, after cutting the inevitable birthday cake, Florian Schweitzer, Chief Executive of our parent body the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies, will talk about the future of the organisation, which by next August will have undergone some dramatic changes in order to reinforce its position in the fine arts.

Finally we plan to end the party with some musical entertainment from one of the local schools before departing at around 5.00pm.

We do hope you will be able to join us!

This beautiful country house was built in the Neo-Renaissance style of a French chateau between 1874 and 1889 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild as a weekend residence for grand entertaining.  We will view his superb collection of 18th century art as well as see one of the finest Victorian gardens in Britain.

The trip includes a guided tour of the house, lunch and a highlight tour of Waddesdon Manor Garden led by a Waddesdon Garden Guide.

Cost per person:  £33 to include a 2 course lunch with tea or coffee – for National Trust Members

OR £51 for non National Trust Members

Depart:  9.30am from Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return:  Departing Waddesdon Manor at 16.45 – arriving back in Beaconsfield around 5.30pm

The Ashmolean Museum in Broadway opened in September 2013. It is Grade II listed Tudor House, displaying period furniture, ceramics and paintings. Originally built in the seventeenth century as a coaching inn, it has been extended and adapted over the centuries. In 1908 the then owner, Benjamin Chandler, refurbished it with the help of Arts and Crafts architect, C E Mallows. Most of the objects on display are on loan from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and include works by Gainsborough and Reynolds. There are also significant Local pieces such as the Sheldon Tapestries and Winchcombe Pottery.

Located in the original workshop the Gordon Russell Design Museum celebrates the life and work of Gordon Russell and his Company over a period of sixty years in Broadway. Its unique collection of furniture embraces a range of styles from Arts and Crafts to 30’s streamline Modernism; Utility Furniture to 1980 Luxury post modernism.

Cost: £33 per person, including refreshments BUT excluding lunch.
Depart: 8.45 from Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place
Details of visit will be given on the day
Return: Departing Broadway at 16.00 arriving back in Beaconsfield at approx. 17.45pm.

Organiser: Sheila McKenna

For the first part of the afternoon we will be visiting the ‘Beyond Caravaggio’ exhibition at the National Gallery.    The dramatic lighting and intense naturalism of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's paintings inspired a multitude of artists during his lifetime and in the decades immediately following his untimely death. ‘Beyond Caravaggio' is the first major UK exhibition to explore the impact of Caravaggio’s work both on the art of his contemporaries and followers. Artists as diverse as Gentileschi, Valentin, and Honthorst were drawn to his strikingly original paintings. Each absorbed a different aspect of his work, helping to propagate his style across Europe and giving rise to the international movement known as ‘Caravaggism’.

Timed tickets will be issued and you will be free to view the exhibition at leisure, without a guide.  After this there will be time for refreshments.

For the second part of the visit we will walk the short distance to St Martin in the Fields Church for ‘The Glory of Christmas’ concert which commences at 19.30.  There will be music by Bach, Vivaldi and Handel performed by the Thames Chamber Orchestra plus carols sung by the Choir of Christ’s College Cambridge. In addition there will be seasonal readings and poems including works by Shakespeare, Kipling and Dickens.

The concert finishes at 21.30 with the coach leaving at 22.00.

Cost per person: £48 excluding refreshments

Depart:  12.30 Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place.

Please contact Brian Letchford, if you have a query.

Emergency Mobile No: 07340 832917 (only in use on the day)

Set in sweeping grounds with one of London’s best views and designed by the Architect Robert Adam, Kenwood House along with Hampstead Heath is the venue for this walking tour with one of our favourite entertaining and charismatic guides Andrew Davies.

We will visit Kenwood House, including the art collection with works by Turner, Constable, Reynolds, Gainsborough, a Vermeer and arguably Rembrandt’s finest self-portrait.

We will have a break for tea and coffee, and lunch will be served at the Old Brewhouse, Kenwood.

This will be followed by an informative stroll through the delightful village of Hampstead with it’s fine houses, quaint nooks and crannies and the grave of John Constable.

Cost:  £33 per person, excluding refreshments and lunch.

Depart: 9.00am from Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return:  Departing Hampstead at 4.15pm – arriving back in Beaconsfield around 5.30pm

Organiser:  Susie Hale

Emergency Number on the day only: 07340 832917

Come and join us to celebrate 30 years of Beaconsfield DFAS at Stowe. The grand gardens of Stowe were developed by Lord Cobham, a highly influential eighteenth centry aristocrat and politician.  In its heyday, Stowe was considered the most magnificent landscape garden in Europe. With the help of some of the most talented architects and garden designers of their time they creatd a garden on the grandest scale. From the South Front Portico admire one of the best views in England and trail through the garden to the Lake Pavilions, the Rotunda, Temple of Ancient Virtue and British Worthies.

Highlight will be a tour of the House to marvel at the amazing domed ceiling and be enchanted by the scenes of nature in the State Music Room.  We will be able to see the results of one of the most pioneering restoration projects of the 21st century.

Cost:               £48.00 includes coffee, lunch in the Music Room (with wine) and afternoon tea. Tour of the House (included for all) and Gardens (NT Members free/non-members £9.50 extra charge on the day)

Depart.:            9.00 am.  Beaconsfield Old Town Market Car  Park

Depart Stowe:   4.30.pm to arrive back at approx 5.30pm

Organiser:         James Astbury

Emergency Mobile No: 07340 832917 (only in use on the day)

Whitchurch Silk Mill, is a watermill, on the banks of the River Test. The mill was constructed in 1815 on a plot of land called Frog Island. It was probably on a site of one of four mills recorded in the Domesday Book. Orginally it was used in part of the finishing process of cloth weaving.

During the 1830's it was bought by the Hide family, who altered the operation to weave silk. We will have an opportuniy to see the Victorian machinery, and learn of the weaving process.

The day includes coffee / tea and biscuits on arrival.  A talk and tour of the mill.

 A light lunch of soup and sandwiches.

There is also a shop, selling small silk items. The beautiful gardens on the banks of the river are also worth a stroll around.

At the Cathedral the group will be divided into three, for a one hour guided tour.

There will be some free time before leaving for Beaconsfield.

Cost:                              £36.00

Depart.:                         9.00 am.  Beaconsfield Old Town Market

Depart Silk Mills:         1.30 pm

Cathedral Tour:            2.30pm

Depart Winchester:      4.30.pm

Organiser:                       Patricia Whitehead

Emergency Mobile No: 07768 269312 (only in use on the day)

An afternoon visit to the Goya exhibition at the National Gallery to follow up our October lecture.  Followed by a festive evening Christmas Concert at the church of St Martin in the Fields.

For the first part of the afternoon we will be viewing the Goya exhibition at the National Gallery.  Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was one of the greatest portraitists of his time.  He produced some of the grandest formal portraits in Spanish art.  The exhibition will trace Goya’s career from his early beginnings at the court of Charles lll in Madrid to his appointment as First Court Painter to Charles lV, through the difficult period under Joseph Bonaparte and then Ferdinand Vll, and then his final years in France.

Timed tickets will be issued, and you are free to view the exhibition at leisure, without a guide.  After this members will be free to make their own arrangements for an early dinner.  There are restaurants in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields (self-service), or across the road at the Portrait Gallery (waitress service, booking recommended).

For the second part of the visit we’ll walk the short distance to St Martin in the Fields church for ‘The Glory of Christmas’ concert which commences at 7.30.  There will be Bach, Vivaldi and Handel music performed by the Thames Chamber Orchestra, plus carols from the choir of Christ’s College, Cambridge. There will also be audience and seasonal readings and poems, including works by Shakespeare, Kipling and Dickens.

The concert finishes at 9.30pm with the coach departing at 10pm.

Cost £45 per person. Excluding all refreshments and dinner.

Depart:  1.00pm Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place   

Return:  Departing London at 10.00pm

Organiser: Susie Hale

Emergency Mobile No: 07768 269312 (only in use on the day)

A Walking Tour in and around Kings Cross and St. Pancras with Andrew Davies.

On arrival, we will be met by Andrew Davies who will direct us to various venues in St. Pancras Station where we can have coffee or tea.

At 11a.m. we begin the walk, and break at 12.45p.m. for lunch at St Pancras.

At 2p.m. the walk recommences, finishing at 3.45p.m. giving time for refreshments before departing  from St Pancras at 4.15p.m.

Some of the highlights included are:

Exploring both stations - Victorian brickwork and ironwork.

2 new sculptures, a portrait of Sir John Betjeman, the new clock.

 A stroll along John Nash's Regent Canal.

New squares and gardens, churches, both ancient and modern, an atmospheric churchyard.

The new British Library, and more.

There are 48 places available on this visit.

Cost:    £ 32.00 per person. Excluding all refreshments and lunch.

Depart:   9am.  Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place.

Return:  4.15p.m .  From St. Pancras Station.

Organiser: Patricia Whitehead

On the day mobile - 07768 269312

The day will start with a self-guided tour of the WW2 home of the Government code and Cypher School using the new multimedia guide. Today the site hosts the National Codes Center and National Museum of Computing, with a collection that spans from wartime toys to original Enigma Machines.

We will also visit Bletchley Park's Art Fund Prize - nominated exhibition, The Life and Works of Alan Turing which presents recently discovered papers belonging to the genius cryptographer credited as one of Britain's foremost saviours during the Second World War.

We will be able to look inside the ornate Victorian Mansion that was headquarters to intelligence staff during the war, or simply wander by the lake, relax and observe the wildlife.

Arrangements

Cost:  £23 per person.  Coffee and lunch not included. Coffee shop and Cafe (good lunch selection) on site.  Also good picnic facilities.  Your entry ticket is valid for 12 months to allow you to visit the site multiple times.

Depart: 9am from the Car Park opposite The Greyhound/Enoteca, Windsor End, Old Beaconsfield

Return: Leave 4pm to arrive in Beaconsfield at approx 5pm

Organiser: James Astbury

On the day mobile - 07768 269312

Founded in 1932 The Barber Institute is housed in a listed Art Deco building. There are works by Monet and Magritte; Renoir, Rubens, Rossetti and Rodin; Degas, Delacroix and Van Dyck and many more great artists. The Barber is like a mini National Gallery with some 150 major paintings, stunning pastels and watercolours and sculpture. It also has one of the finest collections of Roman, Byzantine and medieval coins in the world.

Winterbourne House and Gardens has seven acres of stunning botanical garden and two floors of period rooms in the Edwardian Arts and Crafts Suburban Villa. Guided tours around both The Barber Institute and the Winterbourne gardens are arranged. Time will be given to explore the house at leisure.
Please note that there is a 7 minute walk between venues and the garden tour takes 1hr 15min approx.

Arrangements

Cost:  £38 per person which includes coffee/tea on arrival and a buffet lunch

Depart: 9am from the Car Park opposite The Greyhound/Enoteca, Windsor End, Old Beaconsfield

Return: 6pm back in Beaconsfield

Organiser: Joy Legg

On the day mobile phone - 07768 269312

In the morning we will look at the role of London’s Guardsmen during the Great War with visits to the Guards Chapel and Museum and the new Flanders Memorial Garden.

In the afternoon a short and fascinating coach tour traces the Zeppelin raids on London and life on the Home Front.  To round off a fascinating and thoughtful day we will visit the First World War Galleries at the Imperial War Museum.

The walking is gentle and all in all we will cover about 1200 yards spread out throughout the day.

For those interested in WW2 topics, on 23rd April a talk is being held by the Beaconsfield Society "The Story of Wilton Park during and after WW2" by Sarah Paterson. Sarah Paterson is from the Imperial War Museum and writing a book on the subject.

Arrangements

Cost: £35.00 per person.   Due to a change in venue for our morning coffee and lunch (due to refurbishment), the coffee included in the price will be served after lunch and not on arrival.

Depart: 9am. Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place

Return: Leaving at 4.45pm to arrive in Beaconsfield around 6pm.

Organiser: Susie Hale

On the day mobile phone  - 07768 269312

Arrangements

Cost: £35 per person. To include:

=> Timed ticket to Rembrandt - The Late Works

=> Guided tour of a few paintings by other artists in the National Gallery

Members are free to make their own coffee and lunch arrangements.

Depart: 9am Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place.

Return: 4.15pm. From the National Gallery.

Organiser. Patricia Whitehead

Arrangements Cost: £30 to include coffee/tea on arrival, and a homemade soup and sandwich lunch. Depart: 9:15am Car Park opposite the Greyhound, Windsor End, Beaconsfield Return: Back in Beaconsfield at 5:45pm approx Organiser: Joy Legg

Arrangements Cost: £ 38.00 per person. To include: a. Coffee, tea & biscuits on arrival, served in the Duchess tea room. b. Guided tours of the house, in small groups. c. A soup and assorted sandwich lunch, followed by coffee or tea. d. Time to enjoy the gardens, visit the pottery and shop. Depart: 9am. Beaconsfield Old Town Market Place. Return: 4pm. Leave Woburn to arrive in Beaconsfield by 5.30pm. Organiser: Patricia Whitehead The visit is full and has a waiting list. If you have applied, please check the confirmed/waiting list on the notice board at the April, May and June lectures.

Arrangements Cost: £32 includes coffee/biscuits on arrival at Vintners' Hall but not lunch. Depart: 8:30am Car Park opposite The Greyhound Old Beaconsfield Return: Leave from the vicinity of the Guildhall at 4.15pm

Arrangements Depart: 10.15am Car Park Opposite The Greyhound, Old Beaconsfield Return: Back in Beaconsfield at approximately 4.00pm Visitor Rules: Dress Code: Smart casual clothing; no shorts or skirts shorter than knee length; no sleeveless blouses. Trousers are preferable. Shoes: All visitors must remove shoes when they enter the Mandir. A shoe rack is provided. Video & Photography: Strictly prohibited inside the building. Photographs may only be taken from ground level outside the Mandir. Smoking is not allowed. Security: All bags and cameras should be left at the security office. Only a small wallet or purse may be taken in. Mobile phones: These must be switched off or on silent setting.