Leadenhall Market Tuesday 20th May

Meet at the Bishopsgate entrance to Leadenhall Market at 11 am on Tuesday 20th May.

Leadenhall Market is a covered market dating back to Roman times when the Forum was on this site. It was redesigned by architect Horace Jones in the nineteenth century as the market had become too unruly and because it is very near the City, London's financial capital, it had become bad for business. The arches are spectacular and echo those of Smithfield Market, designed by the same architect.

Leadenhall Market was used to film Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films as it has an other worldly magical atmosphere.

Today it is bustling with cafes and shops and at lunchtime City workers.

The address is Gracechurch St, London EC3V 1LT and the nearest tube is Bank. We last went there some years ago.

Meanwhile as most of you know, after some ten years, Janet is stepping down from her role as joint organiser in September. If you would like to become a joint organiser or even take over some of the duties, please contact Janet or Sue for more information. You do not have to be a member of Islington Art Society to be a joint organiser, in fact one of the many perks is free membership of IAS.

Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum's Cast Courts: Tuesday 8 April 2025

16 sketchers laden with dry materials (including ipads, pre-prepared paper, etc.,)  in accordance with the regulations, went to the V and A's Cast Courts.  It was an astonishing experience for those of us who had somehow not previously visited the Cast Courts to sit in peace and quiet amongst clusters of  beautiful Roman, medieval and renaissance sculptures and architecture, exact copies of the originals.   Most of the casts were made in the late nineteenth century, when the complicated casting methods had been developed and museums across Europe were keen to inform their citizens of high, mainly European, culture.  Due to changing fashions in museum display, the V and A is almost the only museum to have kept its replica exhibition, which is a sadness.  For our sketching purposes, the casts are fantastic and are indistinguishable from the originals (which in some cases have been destroyed or damaged or are a long journey away and likely to be surrounded by crowds or railings. 

We were also able to get two tables for lunch in the V and A's principal decorated cafe, a delight, and such a refreshing change from the international airport lounge style of interior decor.

Please enjoy our images.   Some colour was added at home.

 

Image above by Do Burgess

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

 

Two images above by Gafung Wong

 

Image above by Sue Loder

 

Two images above by Diane Umemoto

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

 

Image above by Avis Dennis

 

 

Image above by Tricia Sharpe

 

 

Two images above by Janet Payne

Image above by Gill Steiner

 

Image above by Peter Colley

 

Image above by Steve Betts

 

Image above by Janet Perkins

 

Image above by Ann Funston

 

                                                     Two images above by Sue Lees