From Wedgwood to Chippendale, from Robert Adam to the beauties of Bath, for many the Georgian period was an age of stability and refinement. And few pleasures were as refined as the famous 12-acre Vauxhall pleasure gardens sited on the River Thames which offered a splendid cornucopia of masques and music, fireworks, fountains and balloon ascents - plus the notorious 'Dark Walks'. We will wander around the gardens accompanied by Hogarth, Handel, Canaletto and Rowlandson. Sadly, we will also chart their decline and eventual closure in 1859.

Our lecturer Andrew Davies is an extra-mural Tutor for London, Essex and the Open Universities, the author of 9 books, including The East End Nobody Knows and a frequent contributor to radio and television. He organises walks to complement his lectures.

This talk is at 7:30pm on Monday 27th January at Barnabas Church Hall, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1QG.

Visitors are welcome to attend at £8 per lecture (£3 for students); payment can be made in cash or by card on the evening.