Our midsummer sketching outing is on Monday 27 June

Our next outing is to the New River Walk in Islington. Meet outside the Marquess Tavern, 32 Canonbury Street N1 2TB on Monday 27 June at 11am. There are tables outside. 

The Marquess is an ideal starting place for the New River as it is centrally placed. In the summer the New River Walk should be wonderfully bosky with some rather large ducklings. More information on the New River walk can be found on Section 6 of the Thames Water booklet. We are meeting in Section 6.

You can get to the New River (or rather our meeting place, the Marquess Tavern) from Highbury and Islington Station, from Essex Road or Upper Street buses, or Essex Road Station. The 271 bus is particularly helpful as it goes along Archway Road from Highgate with a stop in Canonbury Road, a very short walk away from the Marquess.

Bring sketching stools as seating is limited. The Marquess does serve food but can be expensive as it is a gastro pub, though it does do drinks, coffee and toilets and is still a 'local'. There are other options a short walk away, but bringing sandwiches could be useful. The Marquess opens at 12 noon. Arrive prepared.

An anecdote from Virginia Jackson

"The New River Walk is a most appropriate venue for a sketching outing for members of the Islington Art Society. On 1 June 2003 members attended the installation of the Bunting memorial birdbath placed by the river's edge beside a weeping willow. The memorial carved by John Nash was inscribed "In memory of George and Debbie Bunting, Islington Art Circle 1946-2000". Apparently when the weather changed members retired to The Marquis Tavern to reminisce. There is a black and white photograph taken by Graham Thomas of the memorial on the front of the IAS July 2003 newsletter edited by Lucy Rickards but the area was considerably more overgrown when I last saw it and that was well over a decade ago."