Lovers of these design classics should head to Greenwich on Sunday 19 May when the Aston Martin Owners Club will stage its annual Concours d’ Etat at the celebrated Old Royal Naval College (ORNC). The cars will be divided into 14 different classes including pre-second world war models, the DB4 – DB9 ranges, post-war Lagondas and more recent designs. The free event starts at 10am and runs until 4pm.

“We are delighted that the Aston Martin Owners Club is to stage its annual Concours d’Etat at the ORNC this year,” says Karine Lepeuple, Commercial Director of The Greenwich Foundation, the charity formed in the 1990s to manage the ORNC. “Following the two Bar Italia SC Kick Start Ride Outs, which have seen hundreds of classic Vespas and Lambrettas showcased here, this is another opportunity to get close up to some seriously cool designs. Whether your preference is for classic or contemporary style, Aston Martin has a model just for you and you will certainly find it on display at the Concours.”

Aston Martin – 100 years of elegance and luxury
Founded in 1913 by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin as 'Bamford & Martin Ltd', Aston Martin has developed into an iconic brand synonymous with luxury and elegance. 1914 saw the birth of the name ‘Aston Martin’ following one of Lionel Martin's successful runs at the Aston hill climb in Buckinghamshire. Within a year the first Aston Martin had been built and registered with the name.

Aston Martin DB5 “the most beautiful car in the world”Frequently acclaimed as the most beautiful car in the world, the Aston Martin DB5 entered production in 1963. The following year saw the birth of a relationship that has left an indelible mark on popular culture, as the DB5 was chosen to be James Bond’s car of choice in the classic film Goldfinger.

The Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in Greenwich saw another increase in attendance in 2012 making it to most successful year to date for the leading UK heritage attraction. Attendance figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) saw the ORNC close to 1.8 million for the first time, and this does not include the thousands of people who enjoyed the Jubilee and summer events programme or who came to watch the London Olympics on a big screen in the ORNC grounds. The growth in attendance from just under 1.7 million in 2011 means that the ORNC retains its place in the top twenty UK visitor attractions.

Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, which is celebrated internationally for its beautiful Chapel, stunning Painted Hall and state of the art visitor centre, Discover Greenwich, also received further profile through its appearance in blockbuster movies such as the latest Bond film, Skyfall, and the multi-award winning Les Misérables, both of which were shot on location at the Greenwich attraction in 2012.

'We were delighted to welcome nearly 1.8million visitors to the Old Royal Naval College last year,' says Brendan McCarthy CEO of the Greenwich Foundation, the charity set up in 1997 to run the Old Royal Naval College.  'Among the many highlights of what was a very special year were the UNESCO Youth Summit, which saw young heritage ambassadors from across the UK gather in Greenwich, filming of blockbuster movies including Skyfall and Les Misérables and of course the unforgettable experience of the Jubilee and London Olympics, which saw thousands of people flock to the ORNC.'

The Old Royal Naval College is known internationally through the many movies, TV dramas and documentaries that have been filmed on the site including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Golden Compass, Young Victoria, The Duchess, Little Dorrit, Sherlock Holmes, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Skyfall and Les Misérables. From Spring 2013 visitors will be able to visit the various locations used by film companies in special Lights, Camera, Action tours. This is just one of a number of initiatives being introduced to deepen the experience of a visit to Sir Christopher Wren’s twin domed riverside masterpiece. The ORNC is also pioneering public access to conservation through specially arranged scaffolding tours as the first conservation work is undertaken on the Painted Hall in over 50 years.

'The Old Royal Naval College has a rich and diverse history,' adds McCarthy, 'in the coming months we will be introducing a number of new ways for the public to experience this amazing site. We hope that people from across the world who to date have only seen the ORNC through the London Olympics or in a movie will now come and experience all we have to offer in person.'

The ORNC is currently a free visitor attraction, something which the Greenwich Foundation is working hard to sustain, but the costs of maintaining a site of such historic and national importance are significant. The Foundation was one of a number of attractions to be awarded access to Catalyst funding in 2012 and is currently looking to raise £1m to match fund the catalyst money along with around £2.5m to complete the conservation of the Painted Hall.

'As a charity we are working hard to conserve the fabric of Sir Christopher Wren’s buildings and to ensure the public are able to enjoy a range of opportunities to visit and experience the site,' says McCarthy. 'Attractions need to be creative in their approach to raising the funds required to ensure that the nation continues to have access to its built heritage. We are exploring a number of ways to ensure that the ORNC continues to be available for the public to enjoy for generations to come.'

Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, commented: 'We are delighted with the visitor figures and although the Olympics deterred visitors from Central London the recovery was almost immediate after the Games left town.'

He continued: 'This year, 2013 looks like it is going to be a promising year for ALVA members - The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is hoping to see increase in visitors because of its role as a backdrop in the hugely popular and award- winning film Les Misérables.'

Seven primary schools in Greenwich will be showcasing the outcomes of a project undertaken with the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) in a special exhibition. Featuring paintings, written work, comic strips and even a boat, the exhibition will run in Discover Greenwich from 8 February – 1 April 2013.

Last autumn the pupils visited the ORNC to explore some of the stories of real people who travelled to and from the Royal Hospital for Seamen in Greenwich, as the buildings of the ORNC used to be known when it was a refuge for old and injured sailors. Among the people whose life stories they heard was John Deman who left his West Indies home to join Admiral Lord Nelson's fleet and later became a Greenwich Pensioner.

Pupils from Meridian Primary School learn about people who came from across the globe to Sir Christopher Wren’s Royal Hospital for Seamen including West Indian pensioner seaman, John Deman

Back in the classroom pupils drew inspiration from their visits to produce a range of creative responses to their visits and a selection of this work will be exhibited at the ORNC until the beginning of April.

'There are some amazing stories around the real people that lived in the Royal Hospital for Seamen,' says Nicki Higgins, ORNC Learning Officer. 'Through projects like Greenwich Journeys we help to bring the history of the Old Royal Naval College to life and to inspire young people with the rich and diverse cultures of the seamen for whom Sir Christopher Wren’s amazing buildings were created.'

The young people will join with ORNC staff at a launch event for the exhibition at lunchtime on 8 February and be involved in two public craft events on 9 and 10 February. For further details of events and exhibitions at the ORNC, including the opportunity to 'Meet John Deman' visit www.ornc.org/events.

Over three hundred years after his ancestor Willem III van Oranje (William III Great Britain and Ireland) and his wife Mary II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to design a home for naval veterans, Crown Prince Willlem-Alexander of Orange will ascend to the Dutch throne.

Today Wren’s buildings - the Old Royal Naval College - are amongst the UK’s most popular heritage attractions and were visited by the Crown Prince last year.  During the visit he had the opportunity to see the Painted Hall where his illustrious ancestors occupy pride of place in Sir James Thornhill’s paintings in the lower hall.  The subject of the main oval on the ceiling is the triumph of peace and liberty over the forces of tyranny. William and Mary personify peace and liberty and are at the very centre of the painting.

The Painted Hall is currently undergoing the first phase of a major conservation programme with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Don has been a Yeoman guide at the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) for the last 14 years and before that spent 30 years as a police constable in the Met, based at Greenwich, where he was recognised for his work with disabled people. Don said: ‘I was given the award for helping disabled people, mostly with the Winged Fellowship charitable foundation, where I took disabled people on holidays as far away as China, Africa, America and New Zealand.’

'Before that I ran Greenwich Mencap’s Gateway Club in Eltham for Mental health service users, and was chairman of the London Federation of Gateway Clubs for 15 years. I also gave 125 pints of blood for over 20 years, until I had to stop at the age of 60.’

Don has also worked as a care attendant, giving personal care to people with severe disabilities. Don is one of the ORNC's most experienced guides and an access champion.

‘I was very surprised when I heard about my BEM, I wasn’t expecting it. I was nominated by my friends and I was absolutely delighted.’

Les Misérables, which sees its UK release this weekend, has 9 nominations and Skyfall, the highest grossing film of all time in the UK, has 8 nominations. The nominations will see the films going head to head in the Outstanding UK film category and Anne Hathaway up against Dame Judi Dench for Best Supporting Actress.
     
Last spring Grand Square at the ORNC was turned into a battlefield as the Communards set up their barricades in the heart of the leading London heritage attraction. With a stellar cast including Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne and Helena Bonham Carter, the film would be the first musical to win Best Picture at the BAFTAs since Cabaret were it to be successful.

By contrast the 23rd instalment in the Bond franchise, Skyfall, was a much more sober event at the ORNC. A fleet of hearses bring the bodies of agents killed in the field back to the UK. A scene with Dame Judi Dench as M looking over a row of coffins draped in the Union flag is one of the most moving moments in the action packed movie.

Brendan McCarthy, CEO of the Greenwich Foundation, the charity set up in 1997 to run the ORNC, said: “We are delighted that two films shot on location in the historic setting of the Old Royal Naval College have been nominated in so many categories for this year’s BAFTAs. It is a huge pleasure to work with the production companies and we wish them every success in this year’s awards.”

The BAFTA nominations come one day before the announcement of the OSCAR nominations in Hollywood. The 2013 BAFTAs will be presented on 10 February at the Royal Opera House in an event hosted by Stephen Fry.

The latest instalment in the James Bond franchise which starred Daniel Craig as 007 and was directed by Sam Mendes smashed the previous record which had been held by James Cameron’s Avatar.

Managing director of Sony Pictures Releasing UK, Peter Taylor, said: "We are delighted that cinema-goers have so enthusiastically embraced Skyfall in such an incredible way. It seems particularly fitting in 2012 that the latest James Bond adventure should become the highest-grossing movie ever, marking the 50th anniversary of one of our truly iconic cultural characters in record-breaking style."

Scenes from the movie with Dame Judi Dench (pictured) were filmed at the ORNC in January 2012. A sombre atmosphere surrounded the filming, which featured a scene with Dench as “M” looking over a row of coffins all draped in the union jack flag. The scene was shot in the King William Undercroft beneath the Painted Hall.

Skyfall is one of several blockbuster movies shot at the ORNC in recent months another of which, Les Miserables starring Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, has its World Premiere this month before going on public release in the UK on 11 January.