Date: Wednesday 21 May 2025, 2.00pm

575 Wandsworth Road is an early 19th century terraced house acquired by the National Trust in 2010 because of the striking interiors created by Khadambi Asalache, a Kenyan-born poet, novelist, philosopher and British civil servant. He bought the house in 1981 while working at the Treasury and over a period of years he turned his home into a work of art.

Prompted by the need to disguise persistent damp in the basement, he initially fixed pine floorboards to the dining room wall. He went on to embellish almost every wall, ceiling and door in the house with exquisite fretwork patterns and motifs, which he hand-carved from reclaimed pine doors and floorboards found in skips. The house stands as he left it with his painted decoration on walls, doors and floors. Rooms are furnished with his handmade fretwork furniture and carefully arranged collections of beautiful objects, including pressed-glass inkwells, pink and copper lustreware, postcards and his typewriter.

Because the property is small and the interior fragile, the house can only take six people at a time. Hence we have arranged two visits: 1pm and 3pm. Chose on booking form. For how to get to the property, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/575-wandsworth-road.

Download details and booking form

Date: Friday 28 March 2025, 11.00am

Last May's lecturer Nirvana Romell (Art Detectives: How to Look at and Decipher Paintings) will apply her 'who-what-why-when-how-where' technique as she leads this guided visit to the National Gallery on the theme of 16th-17th century transitions in Italian art. Click link or copy it into your browser to watch Nirvana's short introductory video: vimeo.com/1051279216/8caff8500. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these beautiful works, many of which have not been exhibited in such a complete collection before. Last year's visit took in the Quattrocento period and began where the current Siena exhibition finishes. Our visit is part of understanding the development of high art in Italy at the peak of its cultural achievements.

Use the Getty entrance to the National Gallery to the right of the main portico and go to the Annenberg Court and café on floor 0. Meet at the café in good time for a 11.00 start.

Download details and booking form