Wed 21 Jan
|East Horsley Village Hall
Great Railway Stations Evoking the Spirit of Romance and Adventure
If you think of St Pancras International or New York Grand Central Terminus you imagine long romantic journeys. You know they are special places promising excitement and adventure. However, there are dozens of others. Join us to find out more.
Time & location
21 Jan 2026, 10:30
East Horsley Village Hall, Kingston Ave, East Horsley, Leatherhead KT24 6QT
About the event
About the event
If you think of St Pancras International or New York Grand Central Terminus you imagine long romantic journeys. You know they are special places promising excitement and adventure. However, there are dozens of other glorious stations in the UK and overseas. This lecture takes a journey around some of the most evocative and splendid stations in the world. Not only will we look at the magnificence of the architecture and brilliant engineering but will also discover numerous artworks within the stations and examine many depictions of stations in art – like Claude Monet’s Gare St Lazare or William Powell Frith’s Paddington. It may sound a bit ‘anoraky’, but it’s definitely not. It’s lavish, colourful and fun.
About the lecturer
Ian Swankie is a Londoner with a contagious enthusiasm for art and architecture and is an official guide at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Guildhall Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral. Since 2012 he has led a popular weekly independent art lecture group in his home town of Richmond in West London. As he is also a freelance London tour guide, an Accredited Lecturer of The Arts Society and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars (one of the City livery companies) he is kept very busy.
This event is free to members.
Visitors are welcome to join us - £7 on the door.