With thanks to the Blue Orchid Wellington Hotel, to all the guests and to the South Westminster Community Choir for a fun evening of carols, rousing brass accompaniment, good conversation and delicious food and drink. 

Inspired by Lucy Peck’s Newsletter articles on the history of schools in the area, Westminster Guide and TTIS member, Michael Marriott gave a super, informative and well received virtual walk through the back streets of Thorney Island, describing the social situation of the past and the establishment of the charity schools, hospitals, almshouses, social housing and children’s homes.

Susan Robin, Librarian at the Lindley Library in Vincent Square, gave a super talk and showed some of the Library's vast collection of botanical art gems. 

Specialising in garden history and botanical art, she explored how the RHS aimed to support and enrich the commercial growth of food in the UK through defining fruit varieties, funding plant collecting expeditions, collecting horticultural knowledge from both the past and the present, and sharing that knowledge with the nation. Items explored will include the fruit portraits of William Hooker (1815) and the seminal Dig for Victory publication The Vegetable Garden Display’d (1941).  This replaces an in-person visit postponed from last year. A recording of this talk is not available due to copyright issues of some of the images shown. 

The Lindley Library is hoping to reopen in September 2021 and their website can be found here: 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/libraries-at-rhs