Past Member Events
16 January 2011
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2011
26 February 2011
Visit to Orleans House Gallery
Summer Outing to Chiswick House
18 September 2011
Open House Weekend and Book Sale
26 September 2011
The Society's Annual General Meeting
26 September 2011
Talk by Lucy Worsley on Courtiers
20 November 2011
Talk by Tracy Borman on Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror
22 January 2012
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2012
On Saturday 26 February 2011, members of the Society visited Orleans House Gallery to see the Borough's art collection.
This collection came into the public domain in 1962 with the bequest to the people of Twickenham by the Hon. Mrs Nellie Ionides of over 460 works of art. With the later Burton and Paton Bequests, Gill Collection and further individual acquisitions the Borough now owns over 2,100 works originating from the early 18th century up to this day.
Doug Reynolds, a former mayor and long time member of the Friends of Richmond Park gave a talk on the park. He structured his talk around slides taken on a full circuit of the park. Doug was able to produce new tales and nuggets of information which made it an interesting "virtual tour" for everyone - few will forget the Shrew Oak and its magical powers! The talk was one of the Society's experimental Sunday morning meetings, with coffee and biscuits and a very convivial atmosphere.
Back
We were honoured by the presence of our new Mayor, Clare Head, as our principal guest at the Summer party on Sunday 12th June 2011. Thanks to Denise Carr and to other members of the committee, who put in sterling work, the Summer party can be regarded as a great success, in spite of all the difficulties with which we had been faced because of the new catering rules.
The evening began with wine or non-alcoholic drinks. There was then a concert with a flautist, Rosanna Ateberg and a cellist, Sophie Jagodzinska, (both from the Trinity College of Music). The programme consisted of pieces by J. S Bach, CPE Bach and Handel and a duet for flute and cello by Villa Lobos called the Jet Whistle, written in 1950. There was an excellent finger buffet. It was sad that there were fewer members attending the event than usual. However, those who did attend will no doubt confirm that it was an excellent evening.
Back
The Marble Hill Society's Chairman John Moses took a small group of members around Chiswick House on 15th July 2011.
Chiswick House was completed in 1729 and is one of the most important examples of the English Palladian style and is one of the most unusual houses in Greater London. A contemporary Lord Hervey said “the House was too small to inhabit and too large to hang on one’s watch.” It also has one of the most elegant interiors. The architect was the owner, Richard Boyle, Third Earl of Burlington (1694-1753). At Chiswick, Burlington had designed a sequence of rooms using a variety of room shapes, which were entirely new to England. His protégé, William Kent (1685-1748) assisted him in designing the interior and was also responsible for introducing new original ideas for design of the gardens at Chiswick.
Back
Timed to coincide with Open House Weekend, the Society had a very successful book sale on Sunday, 18th September at their gazebo just outside the main entrance to the House. Books were donated by members of the Society and their friends to help with fundraising for the upgrade of Marble Hill and its contents. Throughout the day there was a steady flow of buyers with the result that £280 was raised. Liz Velluet and all those members who helped her are to be congratulated. The Society's guides also gave tours of the House throughout the day.
Back
First, it is with great sadness that one of our original members Sir Peter Wakefield is no longer with us today. As most of you know he died on 1st December 2010, a few months after the last AGM. He had been closely involved with the setting up of the Marble Hill Society in 1987and took a close interest thereafter. He was our President from 1994 to 2007. He was also instrumental in obtaining the Lazenby Bequest for Marble Hill House. He will be sadly missed. He attended the last AGM and made a very positive contribution.
We have had an active year since last AGM with three talks, first by Dr. Celia Fisher on Tulipmania at the last AGM, and second by Dr. Kate Williams on Emma Hamilton on 28th November and by Douglas Reynolds on Richmond Park on 20th March this year. We have had visits to Orleans Park Gallery to see the Borough collection and to Chiswick House. Both the Winter and Summer parties were great successes. On both occasions we had outstanding performances by musicians from the Trinity College of Music.
On 8th September we had an Open Evening to recruit new members and about 70 people attended this and we have now recruited several new members. I would like to thank Liz Velluet for all the hard word she did in organising the Book Fair
Once again I would like to thank Keith Hathaway for organising the guides’ rota as efficiently as he has done for a number of years. I would again like to thank Keith Hathaway and also Mervyn Bryn-Jones for all the very hard they have done running the website. I would also like to thank the various volunteers who have helped the society as guides, with the catering and on the book stall. I would like to thank my committee for their support. Last, but certainly not least I would like to thank English Heritage for allowing us to use this beautiful house for meetings and entertainments and I would also like to thank the English Heritage staff for coming out, particularly in the evenings, when we have the various events.
Now I move on a in my role as Acting Treasurer. Since our treasurer Mr. Keville resigned at the end of March and I took over as acting treasurer at the end of this last financial year which ran to 31st March 2011. Looking at the accounts, you will note that the profits were up as were the reserves. The committee remain committed in making appropriate donations to English Heritage for the benefit of Marble Hill House as they have done in the past.
Finally I would like to thank Stuart Davies for agreeing to be the Independent Examiner and for his help in finalising the accounts. Unfortunately he cannot be here tonight.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
Dr. Lucy Worsley has become a household name, particularly through her TV presentations. She has also written a number of important books including The Secret History of Kensington of Kensington Palace and If Walls could talk. Lucy read Ancient and Modern History at New College Oxford where she got a first. Her Ph.D. at Sussex University was on the Architectural Patronage of William Cavendish, First Duke of Newcastle. She is now the Chief Curator of Royal which includes Hampton Court, The Tower of London, Kensington Palace State Apartments, the Banqueting Hall and Kew Palace. She is also a visiting professor at Kingston University.
Lucy gave a witty and fascinating illustrated talk on the early Hanoverian Court. In particular she explained how George I (Elector of Hanover) became King even though he was not the closest in line to the throne, because the other claimants were Catholics. She spoke in particular about George II’s Queen, Queen Caroline, drawing on a wide range of material from her recently published book "Courtiers". She told us what a cultivated and interesting person Caroline was and in a sense an early representative of the age of enlightenment. Lucy also told us about Peter the Wild Boy who was taken under Caroline’s wing.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
Talk by Tracy Borman on Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror
This meeting was well attended in spite of the weather and those of us who came had a real treat in store. Tracy gave a witty, lively and enlightening talk on her latest book, Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror. She showed that Matilda, unusually for her time, was allowed to exercise real power by her husband, William, Duke of Normandy (and later William I), but how her misuse of power led to her political downfall.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2011
26 February 2011
Visit to Orleans House Gallery
20 March 2011
Talk by Doug Reynolds on Richmond Park
12 June 2011
The Marble Hill Society Summer Party 2011
Summer Outing to Chiswick House
18 September 2011
Open House Weekend and Book Sale
26 September 2011
The Society's Annual General Meeting
26 September 2011
Talk by Lucy Worsley on Courtiers
20 November 2011
Talk by Tracy Borman on Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror
22 January 2012
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2012
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2011
This was a great success. Before the finger buffet lunch, two instrumentalists from the Trinity College of Music, Emily Askey and Emma Williams, gave a concert of Renaissance music with particular emphasis on English music of this period. The players gave a useful and interesting introduction to the music and the instruments they were playing, before playing each piece.
Emily is a post-graduate student at Trinity College of Music having done her first degree at the Guildhall School of Music where she obtained a first honour degree in M.Mus. Emma is in her fourth and final year at Trinity College of Music.
The buffet lunch was organised by Jane Edwards and her team and it was generally agreed that the food was of a very high standard. We are very grateful to the catering sub-committee for all the hard work they did in preparing the buffet lunch.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
Visit to Orleans House Gallery
On Saturday 26 February 2011, members of the Society visited Orleans House Gallery to see the Borough's art collection.
This collection came into the public domain in 1962 with the bequest to the people of Twickenham by the Hon. Mrs Nellie Ionides of over 460 works of art. With the later Burton and Paton Bequests, Gill Collection and further individual acquisitions the Borough now owns over 2,100 works originating from the early 18th century up to this day.
Talk by Doug Reynolds on Richmond Park
Doug Reynolds, a former mayor and long time member of the Friends of Richmond Park gave a talk on the park. He structured his talk around slides taken on a full circuit of the park. Doug was able to produce new tales and nuggets of information which made it an interesting "virtual tour" for everyone - few will forget the Shrew Oak and its magical powers! The talk was one of the Society's experimental Sunday morning meetings, with coffee and biscuits and a very convivial atmosphere.
Back
The Marble Hill Society Summer Party 2011
We were honoured by the presence of our new Mayor, Clare Head, as our principal guest at the Summer party on Sunday 12th June 2011. Thanks to Denise Carr and to other members of the committee, who put in sterling work, the Summer party can be regarded as a great success, in spite of all the difficulties with which we had been faced because of the new catering rules.
The evening began with wine or non-alcoholic drinks. There was then a concert with a flautist, Rosanna Ateberg and a cellist, Sophie Jagodzinska, (both from the Trinity College of Music). The programme consisted of pieces by J. S Bach, CPE Bach and Handel and a duet for flute and cello by Villa Lobos called the Jet Whistle, written in 1950. There was an excellent finger buffet. It was sad that there were fewer members attending the event than usual. However, those who did attend will no doubt confirm that it was an excellent evening.
Back
Summer Outing to Chiswick House
The Marble Hill Society's Chairman John Moses took a small group of members around Chiswick House on 15th July 2011.
Chiswick House was completed in 1729 and is one of the most important examples of the English Palladian style and is one of the most unusual houses in Greater London. A contemporary Lord Hervey said “the House was too small to inhabit and too large to hang on one’s watch.” It also has one of the most elegant interiors. The architect was the owner, Richard Boyle, Third Earl of Burlington (1694-1753). At Chiswick, Burlington had designed a sequence of rooms using a variety of room shapes, which were entirely new to England. His protégé, William Kent (1685-1748) assisted him in designing the interior and was also responsible for introducing new original ideas for design of the gardens at Chiswick.
Back
Open House Weekend and Book Sale
Timed to coincide with Open House Weekend, the Society had a very successful book sale on Sunday, 18th September at their gazebo just outside the main entrance to the House. Books were donated by members of the Society and their friends to help with fundraising for the upgrade of Marble Hill and its contents. Throughout the day there was a steady flow of buyers with the result that £280 was raised. Liz Velluet and all those members who helped her are to be congratulated. The Society's guides also gave tours of the House throughout the day.
Back
The Society's Annual General Meeting
First, it is with great sadness that one of our original members Sir Peter Wakefield is no longer with us today. As most of you know he died on 1st December 2010, a few months after the last AGM. He had been closely involved with the setting up of the Marble Hill Society in 1987and took a close interest thereafter. He was our President from 1994 to 2007. He was also instrumental in obtaining the Lazenby Bequest for Marble Hill House. He will be sadly missed. He attended the last AGM and made a very positive contribution.
We have had an active year since last AGM with three talks, first by Dr. Celia Fisher on Tulipmania at the last AGM, and second by Dr. Kate Williams on Emma Hamilton on 28th November and by Douglas Reynolds on Richmond Park on 20th March this year. We have had visits to Orleans Park Gallery to see the Borough collection and to Chiswick House. Both the Winter and Summer parties were great successes. On both occasions we had outstanding performances by musicians from the Trinity College of Music.
On 8th September we had an Open Evening to recruit new members and about 70 people attended this and we have now recruited several new members. I would like to thank Liz Velluet for all the hard word she did in organising the Book Fair
Once again I would like to thank Keith Hathaway for organising the guides’ rota as efficiently as he has done for a number of years. I would again like to thank Keith Hathaway and also Mervyn Bryn-Jones for all the very hard they have done running the website. I would also like to thank the various volunteers who have helped the society as guides, with the catering and on the book stall. I would like to thank my committee for their support. Last, but certainly not least I would like to thank English Heritage for allowing us to use this beautiful house for meetings and entertainments and I would also like to thank the English Heritage staff for coming out, particularly in the evenings, when we have the various events.
Now I move on a in my role as Acting Treasurer. Since our treasurer Mr. Keville resigned at the end of March and I took over as acting treasurer at the end of this last financial year which ran to 31st March 2011. Looking at the accounts, you will note that the profits were up as were the reserves. The committee remain committed in making appropriate donations to English Heritage for the benefit of Marble Hill House as they have done in the past.
Finally I would like to thank Stuart Davies for agreeing to be the Independent Examiner and for his help in finalising the accounts. Unfortunately he cannot be here tonight.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
Talk by Lucy Worsley on Courtiers
Dr. Lucy Worsley has become a household name, particularly through her TV presentations. She has also written a number of important books including The Secret History of Kensington of Kensington Palace and If Walls could talk. Lucy read Ancient and Modern History at New College Oxford where she got a first. Her Ph.D. at Sussex University was on the Architectural Patronage of William Cavendish, First Duke of Newcastle. She is now the Chief Curator of Royal which includes Hampton Court, The Tower of London, Kensington Palace State Apartments, the Banqueting Hall and Kew Palace. She is also a visiting professor at Kingston University.
Lucy gave a witty and fascinating illustrated talk on the early Hanoverian Court. In particular she explained how George I (Elector of Hanover) became King even though he was not the closest in line to the throne, because the other claimants were Catholics. She spoke in particular about George II’s Queen, Queen Caroline, drawing on a wide range of material from her recently published book "Courtiers". She told us what a cultivated and interesting person Caroline was and in a sense an early representative of the age of enlightenment. Lucy also told us about Peter the Wild Boy who was taken under Caroline’s wing.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
Talk by Tracy Borman on Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror
This meeting was well attended in spite of the weather and those of us who came had a real treat in store. Tracy gave a witty, lively and enlightening talk on her latest book, Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror. She showed that Matilda, unusually for her time, was allowed to exercise real power by her husband, William, Duke of Normandy (and later William I), but how her misuse of power led to her political downfall.
John Moses
Chairman
Back
The Marble Hill Society Winter Party 2012
Members who attended the Society's Winter Party on Sunday January 22nd 2012 enjoyed an outstanding musical entertainment provided by Emily Armour, a soprano from the Trinity College of Music with her accompanist, Elizabeth Legroux. A buffet lunch followed with delicious finger food - thanks to Denise Carr for organising this and to John and Kate Anderson for running the bar.
Liz Velluet
Back
