The 1818 Society British Chapter

Seventy two members and guests attended the twenty second annual reunion and meeting of the British Chapter, held in Bath from May 7-9, 2010. Participants arrived on Friday afternoon, meeting up in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel to a buzz of hugs and greetings, with everyone speaking at once. It was a good feeling and any present and prospective members of the 1818 Society are urged to come and join these gatherings. Members of the British Chapter were delighted to welcome the Society’s President, Jayasankar Shivakumar and his wife Charu, together with members of the Dutch and German-speaking Chapters.

Later in the afternoon members congregated in front of the imposing Bath Abbey and were met by three of the Mayor’s Guides, a group of volunteer guides. Members divided into three groups for a walking tour of central Georgian Bath. The enthusiastic and very knowledgeable guides showed us the elegant streets and squares and the famous Royal Crescent, all built in the soft beige local limestone. In addition to pointing out architectural highlights, the guides provided a fund of anecdotes about royal behaviour and society life in Beau Nash's time.

The evening provided a lively reception and dinner, several moving on to the bar for a late night debate! 
 
On Saturday morning, some took a tour of the Abbey guided by one of the Abbey staff, known as a docent.

The west façade of Bath Abbey

Others visited the Roman Baths where excellent audio guides provided detailed commentary.

The Roman Baths

More independently minded souls went shopping or took coffee in the elegant Pump Rooms, living a Saturday morning in the City as it has been lived over the centuries.

In the afternoon a short coach ride brought members to the medieval village of Lacock. Here the National Trust manages an Abbey founded 800 years ago. In spite of the attentions of Henry VIII’s dissolution of religious orders, the Abbey survived.

Members in the Lacock Abbey cloisters. Spot the angel

The Abbey was subsequently converted into a rather grand, though cold, house

Part of the house and grounds

The house and Abbey eventually passed to the Talbot family. Fox Talbot was the inventor of photographic negatives and there is an interesting photographic museum in the grounds of the Abbey, all managed by the National Trust. Some members braved the chilly May weather to walk around the simple grounds of the Abbey, an exquisite study of white and shades of green with wild garlic and cow parsley beneath  majestic beeches and horse chestnuts. Back to Bath via a route displaying the city from above; the driver confirming our thoughts on a chaotic traffic pattern.

After the Saturday evening reception and dinner, Shirley Story, an art historian and long term resident of Bath gave an entertaining talk entitled "Doctors, Decorum and Debauchery"

A large group gathered in the bar for more late night conversation.

The Sunday morning A.G.M. at 11.00 am included a discussion on how to attract younger or newly retired staff to join the 1818 Society, a briefing by Peter Watson on a suggested programme for the meeting in Edinburgh in 2011, information from Robert-Jan van der Lugt and Dieter von Sampson on forthcoming Dutch and German-speaking chapter events and notes from “Shiva” on happenings in Washington. Sunday lunch followed

Sunday lunch - the first course

and members dispersed in the early afternoon.