33 intrepid members of the Paviors’ Luncheon Club and their guests visited Blenheim Palace near Woodstock in Oxfordshire. Blenheim Palace was gifted by Queen Anne to the 1st Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill) following his victory in 1704 at the Battle of Blenheim during the War of the Spanish Succession. Designed by Sir John Vanburgh and Nicholas Hawksmoor it was built between 1705 and 1722. The Palace is set in 2000 acres of grounds with landscapes designed by ‘Capability’ Brown and is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
Arriving at the Oxfordshire Pantry Café and fortified by tea, coffee and pastries, the group then made their way to a tour of the Palace. This was led by Katka a very knowledgeable helpful tour guide, She led the way around the various stately rooms including the Grand Salon, the Red Drawing Room and the Great Hall with its ceiling painting by Sir James Thornhill. The Long Library, the last room to be visited and a fitting end to the tour, is 183tf (56M) long and is the second longest example of its type. Among its 10,000 collections it holds originals of Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. This room holds very happy memories for Liveryman John Nutt and his wife Clare, whose daughter Tamzin was married at Blenheim with the evening dinner taking place in the Library.
Because there was scaffold erected both internally and externally for repairs to the roof (which did not in any way detract from the tour), we were granted special access to view the private apartments of the current Duke and his family, who is granted free grace and favour access.
Following the tour the entry tickets granted access to the Churchill Exhibition. Born here on 30 November 1874, Blenheim was an integral part of his life. The exhibition included photographs, letters and personal items such as his famous maroon siren suit and school reports! Excerpts from his many well-known speeches were broadcast.
The group then mustered in the Marlborough Room for a reception followed by a three-course lunch with wine in true Paviors tradition. The Chairman gave a brief speech and parish notices about forthcoming events. These included a lunch at Farmers & Fletchers Hall on 2 September, the Guildhall lunch on 4 November and the annual Christmas Dinner at the Savile Club on Monday 7 December.
As people slowly made their way around the grounds or headed for home, they could reflect on another successful annual Luncheon Club visit.