Bamber Gascoigne Triumph for Society, Museum and Theatre

A full house of 500 gathered at Leatherhead Theatre on 17 November to hear Bamber Gascoigne, onetime presenter of TV's University Challenge, speaking about his inherited mansion, West Horsley Place, and how it became the new home of Grange Park Opera this summer. He told the extraordinary story of his late great aunt Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, and how the house came into the family possession. Following the talk came a performance by opera singer Kate Aitchison, accompanied by pianist Marion Lee, while the theatre foyer contained a special exhibition on the town’s historic operatic society, arranged by Leatherhead Museum.

The whole event marks a new era of cooperation between the Leatherhead & District Local History Society, which runs the Museum, and Leatherhead Theatre. Bamber Gascoigne, who spent part of his childhood in Ashtead, was also involved in the foundation of what was formerly called the Thorndike Theatre in the 1960s. He was introduced on stage by Museum curator Lorraine Spindler and after the evening's performances, was presented with a historic photograph of himself with Hazel Vincent Wallace whose fund-raising made the theatre a reality in 1969.

A brand new local repertory company will be launched at Leatherhead Theatre at 7pm on Monday, 11 December with free drinks, live jazz and information about its first season of three plays starting next spring. To learn more, go to www.leatherheadrep.com