For many years we enjoyed going to concerts at Finchcocks, an eighteenth century mansion designed by Thomas Archer and set in lovely Wealden countryside. Richard and Katrina Burnett had bought and restored the mansion to house their growing collection of early keyboard instruments. The concerts there were always full of delights and the catering, too, was second to none.

Finchcocks was not only a centre for the restoration and building of such instruments as harpsichord and fortepianos; it also issued fine recordings of music played on period instruments on the amon ra label. There was, furthermore, an interesting exhibition showing London’s former pleasure gardens, such as Vauxhall which once resounded to the music of the likes of Handel.

Alas, Finchcocks as we knew it is no more. The last concert was given in 2016 and the majority of the unique collection of old intruments auctioned off. We have to reach life changing decisions at some point. We don’t get any younger!

It is such a pity. Could not have some foundation taken over Finchcocks? Let us at least delight in the fact that we were able to enjoy this very special place and conserve the happiest memories.

In warm sunshine yesterday we visited an elegant seventeenth century house in London which still keeps its collection of old keyboard instruments intact. It’s Fenton House, a National Trust property in Hampstead London which houses many beautiful things including porcelain, paintings, textiles, furniture and, above all, old keyboard instruments collected by Major George Benton Fletcher (1866-1944), a remarkable gentleman who was also a social worker in the London slums, served in two wars, was an archaeologist, a radio and tv personality in the late 1930’s and a gifted artist.

The collection includes spinets and a fabulous 1805 Broadwood fortepiano, Beethoven’s favourite instrument because it has a full and strong sound which the increasingly deaf composer was still able to hear.

This and several other keyboards added later, including a stunning 1612 Ruckers harpsichord lent by the Queen, were demonstrated to us by John Henry who gave us considerable insight into their unique sound quality. The fine sense of John Henry’s communicative skills, I should add, extends to his work of encouraging Braille music because of his own visual impairment.

What finer afternoon could we have spent in London. Blue skies abounded. Fenton House is another of the capital’s little treasures. Surrounded by fine music, an exquisite collection of fine arts, a garden still beautiful in the year’s declining days we felt we’d touched intimately what is so special about London.

For more information consult the site at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fenton-house-and-garden.

Here are some pictures of that memorable afternoon at Fenton House.