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Monthly Archives: November 2019



Nov 27

11-15th May 2020 Historic Houses and Gardens in the Peak District

Day 1: Travelling by executive coach from our designated pick-up points, our first stop is the National Trust’s Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, home of the Ferrers family for 500 years. Much of the house was built in the late

1500s by Henry Ferrers, a lawyer, diarist and antiquarian. It was a sanctuary for the Ferrers family and for persecuted Catholics who were concealed from priest hunters in its secret hiding places. We’ll continue to the 4-star Copthorne Hotel in Sheffield for our four-night stay.

Day 2: Our guide accompanies us throughout the day as we visit Bakewell in the morning before continuing to Chatsworth (home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire). One of Britain’s most famous houses and estates, it featured in the film Pride and Prejudice. With its works of art and beautiful gardens, Chatsworth is set in the magnificent landscape of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park.

The gardens at Chatsworth Photograph courtesy of A J Hall

Day 3: We visit Renishaw Hall and Gardens, home to the Sitwell family for almost 400 years, before continuing to Hardwick Hall and Gardens, another National Trust property. It was built by the famous Elizabethan Bess of Hardwick and is testament to her wealth and status. Hardwick Hall is almost unchanged since she lived there in the formality of Elizabethan courtly life.

Day 4: In the morning we spend some time in Buxton before driving to Haddon Hall, a fortified manor house dating back to the 12th century, and surrounded by terraced Elizabethan gardens.

Day 5: On our way home from Sheffield we visit the Crich Tramway Village in the heart of Derbyshire overlooking the Derwent Valley. This restored period village is home to the National Tramway Museum and its archives.

Hotel: 4 nights in 4-star Copthorne Hotel, Sheffield www.millenniumhotels.co.uk

Cost: £469 (including executive coach, hotel for four nights sharing a twin/double room on half-board basis, Blue Badge guide for days 2,3 and 4. Single room supplement: £99)

If you would like to join this holiday, please complete the enclosed application form and send it with an sae (not too small, please) to:

Gisela Zürcher-Feiß, 37 The Byeways, Surbiton, KT5 8HT Tel: 020 8399 4990

Nov 26

U3A Network of SW London Interested in Theatre History?

A project is starting early next year at Kingston University archives to be based on the Cary Ellison Theatre Programme Collection.

Cary Ellison was a talent spotter who worked for the casting directory Spotlight and as part of his work he went on twice yearly tours of repertory performances around the country in order to find up and coming actors, directors and plays. The programmes of these productions, heavily annotated by Ellison, are now at Kingston University. They cover theatre performances from around the UK and also the London West End from the Fifities to Eighties when Ellison was touring the country.

Actors he spotted early on their careers include Derek Jacobi, Richard Briars and Judi Dench. He also made notes on established actors as Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Vivien Leigh at the peak of their fame.

His engrossing and entertaining programmes with their detailed notes are being conserved at Kingston University archives. U3A has been asked to work on a project to research aspects of the history of the programmes and the British theatre during the Fifties to early Eighties relating to Cary Ellison’s work.

This project will interest anyone with a love of the theatre in this country. A small number of members have already registered that they would like to be involved and we would like to extend involvement to other members of the U3A. If you wish to know more about these programmes and the archives at Kingston University contact Dayna Miller, the archivist at D.Miller@kingston.ac.uk

If you would like to register an interest in working on this project please email Sue Leigh (Wandsworth U3A) at smleigh@hotmail.co.uk and further details on the arrangements for the project and an application form will be sent to you.

 

Nov 24

6th & 7th Dec Brandenburg Traditional Christmas Concerts

Accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies, these concerts are guarantee to get you into the Christmas spirit with a wide range of festive music, seasonal readings and opportunities to join in with a few traditional and well-known carols. The Brandenburg Singers, directed by Bob Porter, will be performing.

There’ll be an interval presentation on the history and architecture of the two churches where the concerts will be held.

Friday, 6 December 2pm   St Bartholomew the Great, 6 Kinghorn Street, London, EC1A 7HW

Saturday, 7 December 2pm  St Stephen Walbrook, 39 Walbrook, London EC4N 8BN

Tickets: £19.50 See the TicketSource website [https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on?q=Brandenburg%20traditional%20christmas%20concert]

For group bookings, please email bob@brandenburg.org.uk.

Nov 15

Fri 21st Feb 2020 Astronomy- Moons of the Solar System Surrey Network

Astronomy – Moons of Solar System & Debunking Moon Landings Controversy
Presented by David Fishwick & Graham Bryant
Places available
Surrey Network study days are open to members of all U3As in Surrey and the surrounding area. They are held in the Menuhin Hall, Stoke d’Abernon and normally start at 9.30 a.m. with registration, and finish at 4 p.m. The fee, including coffee / tea and biscuits, is £10, though a visitor who is not a member of a U3A will be charged £12.00

Prior booking is essential and forms are available at the Monthly Meetings or from the Surrey Network internet site, www.u3asites.org.uk/surreyu3anetwork

Attendees should bring a packed lunch as there is nowhere very close by to provide food on the day.

Nov 15

Fri 20th March 2020 Results of Research on Food and Nutrition – Surrey Network Study Day

Results of Research on Food & Nutrition
Presented by Professor Susan Lanham-New, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Surrey
Booking opens shortly in early November

Surrey Network study days are open to members of all U3As in Surrey and the surrounding area. They are held in the Menuhin Hall, Stoke d’Abernon and normally start at 9.30 a.m. with registration, and finish at 4 p.m. The fee, including coffee / tea and biscuits, is £10, though a visitor who is not a member of a U3A will be charged £12.00

Prior booking is essential and forms are available at the Monthly Meetings or from the Surrey Network internet site, www.u3asites.org.uk/surreyu3anetwork

Attendees should bring a packed lunch as there is nowhere very close by to provide food on the day.