Thursday 29th October 2026, 10.00am to 3.15pm
At Beech Village Hall, 1 Wellhouse Road, Alton GU34 4AQ
Special Interest Day
Covent Garden - A Story in Three Acts!
Exposed by Simon Whitehouse
The Booking & Payment form is at the end of this page
Covent Garden Market from the Hummums
Anyone who has ever been on one of Simon’s walk-abouts around London during which he uncovers its treasures and divulges tales & titbits about its past will know this Study Day should not be missed.
You may think you know all about Covent Garden: home to the Royal Opera & Ballet, former fruit & veg market, the Actor’s Church, home to the Garrick Club…But what about its origin as a Saxon port, the infamous ‘Square of Venus’ and Harris’s list of ‘Covent Garden Ladies’? Be prepared to be enlightened, amused & perhaps a little shocked by this witty exposé of scandal and personalities that graced the area. Along with artists of the day, like Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson, Simon will put on his sleuthing cap for us to explore the art, entertainment and history of Covent Garden over the past 1500 years.
“Mr Grimaldi” as clown
In Act One, Simon raises the curtain by tracing the story of Covent Garden’s development from a thriving Saxon port to architect Inigo Jones’s revolutionary plan for a ‘piazza’. He also investigates the near demolition of the legendary produce market in the 1970s
The Boxes by T. Rowlandson 12.12.1809
Act Two dives into the demi monde world of the Georgian vice industry which is vividly depicted by various illustrators and artists of the day. We meet several extraordinary and often enterprising characters en route – scandal & intrigue prevail!
In the final Act Three, the scene is set with Covent Garden as a place of entertainment for centuries of street performers, playhouses and the birth of two royal theatres. We remember and reminisce about the famous, and now forgotten, stars of the stage.
PROFILE – Simon Whitehouse
As undoubtedly London’s most popular Blue Badge Guide and a freelance actor, Simon captivates us with his story-telling & humour. He draws on his passions of art, architecture, history, the theatre, fashion and writing to bring alive his series of Special Interest Days. And as a passionate Londoner himself, his audiences benefit from his evolving knowledge.
Besides being a thespian, Simon is an accredited Arts Society lecturer, presenter and award-winning London Blue Badge Guide. He has & continues to conduct groups around Shakespeare’s Globe, the BBC, The Royal Opera House and the National Gallery.
He is on the faculty of Ithaca College and lectures on the performing arts and English literature. Whatever the topic, Simon is adept at weaving a witty tale!
Venue: Beech Village Hall, GU34 4AQ
Date: Thursday 29 March 2026
Time: 10.00 am – 3.15 pm approx.
Cost: £45.00/person to include welcome refreshments, a two-course lunch with wine
Bookings: Please click on the BOOKING & PAYMENT FORM below to make your booking and advise of any dietary requirements. You will be asked to pay by credit or debit card, so please have your card ready. If you have any problems, please contact Chris Walker (admin.tasalton@gmail.com) or Nicola de Selincourt on 07767 238874
N.B. Bookings for this event are on a first come first served basis and can only be accepted upon full payment; regretfully we are unable to make refunds upon non-attendance.
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