Coach to London, Guided Tours of Aspley House – Wellington Museum and the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Wednesday 8th August 2001
53 members including partners and friends boarded the coach in Ewell at 9.30am on Wednesday 8th August.
Being the school holiday's the coach made good time and we arrived at ASPLEY HOUSE in time to have a short walk in HYDE PARK. The House opened at 11.00 am and the party split into two. The guides conducted us round the House and fortunately a limited number of portable seats were provided so we were all able to enjoy the very interesting commentary and anecdotes of the guides.
ASPLEY
HOUSE,
completed in
1778, became
the home on the
Duke of
Wellington in
1815. He
enlarged the
house and
enriched it
with a
magnificent Art
collection
including
paintings,
sculpture,
silver,
porcelain and
much
memorabilia
donated as
gifts or won on
the
battlefields of
Europe and
India. The
House has
remained the
London home of
the Dukes of
Wellington
since the first
Duke and has
recently been
restored to the
magnificent of
his day.
We left ASPLEY HOUSE at 12.45pm and stopped at THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL for lunch. Members were free to make their own arrangements and we left there at 2.00pm for the short journey to THE ROYAL HOSPITAL at CHELSEA.
Here we remained in one party and the guide; himself a Chelsea Pensioner gave us a very interesting tour of much of the Hospital including the CHAPEL, DINING ROOM and MUSEUM.
The HOSPITAL had been founded in 1682 by Charles II with the building having been designed by Christopher Wren. Originally intended for veterans with 20 years service or disabled with a wound it now accommodates up to 400 in pensioners drawn from the Army pensioners of good character and normally not less than 65 years of age.
The members of our party were impressed with the Dining Hall and the quality of the menu. Some tried to get an application form.
We left THE ROYAL HOSPITAL at 4.30pm. Unfortunately we did not have time for tea and returned to EWELL by 5.30pm.
We all agreed it had been an enjoyable day and rather nice to visit LONDON without the bother of trains or car.