A social gathering at 21–22 Maiden Lane, with a laying of flowers at the Turner Society/Westminster City Council plaque marking the site of Turner’s birth and the Eamonn Hughes Turner-inspired sculpture nearby. Members will be invited to celebrate with an informal drinks/lunch party at the Porterhouse bar which now occupies the site.
While the traditional date of Turner’s birth, 23 April, is generally accepted, it is unsupported by firm evidence. However, 14 May – the date of the Society’s commemoration – is documented as the date of his baptism in the church of St Paul’s, Covent Garden, just yards from the house where he was born.
