Travel and Outing Section Newsletter May 2010

TRAVEL AND OUTING SECTION NEWSLETTER – APRIL 2015

Sadly we have to report that Jean Fleming, another one of our members has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time.

As you should be aware, the BA Clubs site at Cranford was sold to Imperial College London last September. As such, the club is no longer called the Concorde Club, it is now known as Imperial College London Heston Venue, which is a bit of a mouthful. In future we will refer to the club as ICLHV(Concorde Club), which is also a mouthful, but at least you should know where we are talking about.

Our Social Evening on 28 February was another excellent evening with good entertainment and food. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to send a cheque for £200 to the Thames Valley Hospice, being the profit from the raffle. Thank you so much to everyone who purchased tickets on the night.

Our visit to the ‘Classical Spectacular’ at the Royal Albert Hall on 22 March was excellent. As usual the flags were waving to Pomp and Circumstance and everyone jumped when the cannons went off.

We have a few places left for our trip to Buckler’s Hard and Beaulieu on Saturday 18 April. Buckler’s Hard, on the edge of the New Forest, has a Maritime Museum, historic 18th century cottages and our day will include a cruise on the Beaulieu River. HMS Agamemnon, described by Nelson as his favourite warship, was built there. Learn about the wartime role of the Beaulieu River and, in a special exhibition, it is revealed the surprising link between the 1915 sinking of the P&O liner SS Persia, the Montagu family and motoring history. You can step through the doors of a worker's cottage back in time to the 18th Century. Find out about the home life of the villagers and their families. The river cruise is 30 minutes and is accompanied by a commentary, which reveals the history and wildlife that inhabits in banks. There are tea-rooms, but if you prefer you can take a picnic to eat by the river. We will leave Buckler’s Hard at about 1330 to go to Beaulieu. Beaulieu has been the home of the Montagu family since 1538. Palace House was built around the Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey. Explore this fantastic gothic styled Victorian country home as costumed guides give you a flavour of life "below stairs" and share with you the fascinating history of the house and the generations who have lived there. The Abbey was founded on land gifted by King John to Cistercian Monks in 1204 but was largely destroyed during the Reformation. Also at Beaulieu is the National Motor Museum with over 250 vehicles from the earliest motor carriages to classic family saloons. We will depart from the ICLHV(Concorde Club) at 0830 and leave Beaulieu after our visit at about 1700. If you would like to go, the cost will be £29.00 for members and £31.00 for non-members. Dave will be taking your bookings. Mobile for the day will be 07818 625086.

We also have places left for our visit to Apsley House and Wellington Arch, followed by afternoon tea at the Bloomsbury Hotel on 25 April. Probably not many of you realise you can go up into Wellington Arch which is at Hyde Park Corner. The Arch was originally intended as a grand entrance to Buckingham Palace and a proclamation of Wellington's victories. As this year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, a temporary exhibition will run during 2015 telling the story of the battle and its legacy and exhibits include an original pair of Wellington boots. We will also visit Apsley House, Wellington's London home, which is just across the street in Park Lane. The Waterloo Gallery will be redisplayed for 2015. One of Wellington's numerous honorary appointments was as Constable of the Tower of London, which saw him institute several changes. There are low lighting levels throughout the house to help conserve the fabric, objects and paintings, steps, stairs and floors may be uneven. There is no seating available on the ground floor and limited seating on the 1st floor. There are no toilets at Wellington Arch, but they are available at Apsley House. There are no café facilities at either property. Wheelchair access to Apsley House is limited and there are seven steps up to the front door. In order to gain access to the lift in the house, which goes up to the first floor, a further nine steps must be descended. Photography is NOT permitted at Apsley House. We will have to split in to two groups, one group visiting Wellington Arch and one group visiting Apsley House then changing over. You will be notified in which group you will be. You will probably have spare time after your visit depending on how long you wish to spend in the two venues, as we will be leaving for afternoon tea at 1530 at the Bloomsbury Hotel where we have been before. You can go into Hyde Park, which is within easy walking distance. Also at Hyde Park Corner is the Anzac War memorial, which the Queen and Prime Ministers of the UK and Australia dedicated in 2003. It takes the form of a curved wall in grey green granite quarried in Western Australia. On it are carved 24,000 place names and commemorates the Australians and New Zealanders who fought alongside us in two World Wars. 102,000 Anzacs gave their lives in these two conflicts. Those of you who have been to tea at the Bloomsbury Hotel in the past with us will know it consists of a generous selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes and is laid out buffet style so you can help yourself. If you would like to go, the cost to include coach to and from ICLHV(Concorde Club), entry to Wellington Arch, guided tour of Apsley House and afternoon tea will be £40.00 for members and £42.00 for non-members. Please note if you are English Heritage members, entry to Wellington Arch and Apsley House is free, so you can deduct £12.00 from the price. Departure from the ICLHV(Concorde Club) will be at 0930 and Norma will be taking your bookings. Mobile for the day will be 07946 353309.

We are now taking bookings for our visit to Winchester and Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery at Laverstoke Mill near Whitchurch on Saturday 9 May. We will leave ICLHV(Concorde Club) at 0900 to take you to Winchester where you will be free to do as you please. You will have enough time to look around the Cathedral, browse the shops and get some lunch (not included). We will leave Winchester at about 1330 to make our way to the distillery at Laverstoke Mill where we have booked, from 1430, ‘the Self-Discovery Experience’, where you make you own way around the distillery. Depending on numbers, you may be split into two groups. There has been a Mill at Laverstoke for over 1000 years and the Mill has been sympathetically renovated into a state-of-the-art distillery. As Laverstoke Mill is a working distillery, you are asking to wear sensible footwear – no open-toed shoes or high heels (that applies to the ladies as well)! Based on other distillery/brewery tours we have done, there will be quite a lot of walking including up and down stairs, so this may not be suitable if you are less mobile. The cost of the day will be £25.00 for members and £27.00 for non-members, which includes the coach, tour of the distillery and a drink at the end of your tour. We will leave Laverstoke at about 1700 to make our way back to ICLHV(Concorde Club). Dave is taking bookings.

Our weekend break in Ireland - 19/23 June. The balances due should have now been paid. We haven’t yet advised Aer Lingus of the names of our party in case of any cancellations. If we have to make any changes after names have been sent, you will be charged at £80.00 for each one.

Finally, a reminder that last month we sent you the form for renewal of membership. A lot of you will already have completed and returned this, but for those of you who have not, this will be the last time you will receive our newsletter unless you rejoin. Our membership fee is £8.00 for the year and that include your spouse or partner. You have to be a member of BA Clubs to be a member of the Travel and Outing Section. Please ensure that you enclose a stamped addressed envelope for return of your membership card so as not to upset June! We would prefer to send the newsletter out by e- mail, so please remember to show your e-mail address on the application form if you can receive and print your newsletter this way.

Dates for your diary.

6 June – Boulogne day trip. 25 June – Our AGM in the Olympus Hall, ICLHV(Concorde Club). 11 July – Wells, the Mendips & Cheddar Gorge Tour. 25 July – Bournemouth day trip. 8 August – Lichfield day trip. 18/22 September – South Wales, staying at the Aberavon Beach Hotel, Port Talbot, Swansea. 12 December – Christmas Party in the Olympus Hall, ICLHV(Concorde Club). 1/5 February 2016 – Warner break at Cricket St Thomas, nr Chard, Somerset, with free bar 1800 – midnight, Monday to Thursday. TRAVEL & OUTING SECTION – BUCKLER’S HARD/BEAULIEU – 18 APRIL

NAME ______HOME or MOBILE No ______

STAFF No ______CB No ______T&O MEMBERSHIP No ______

ADDRESS ______

Please reserve me ______@ £29.00 member ______@ £31.00 non-member.

I enclose my cheque made out to BA Travel and Outing and understand that in the event of my cancelling and a replacement is not available, I will lose this money.

Send to: Dave Walker, 8 Eskdale Way, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 1RW

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for your receipt ------

TRAVEL & OUTING SECTION – WELLINGTON ARCH/APSLEY HOUSE/ BLOOMSBURY HOTEL - 25 APRIL

ADDRESS ______

Send to: Norma Rhys, The Willows, 1 Farm Road, Taplow, Bucks, SL6 0PS

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for your receipt

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TRAVEL & OUTING SECTION – WINCHESTER/LAVERSTOKE MILL – 9 MAY

ADDRESS ______

Send to: Dave Walker, 8 Eskdale Way, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 1RW

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for your receipt