York Association Newsletter

An Association of National Trust Members and Supporters

March 2015 Number 172 Contents Page Chairman’s Letter 3 Annual General Meeting 4 Talks and talks reviews 5 Day Trips 7 Notice of AGM, Accounts and Annual Report blue pages Social Events 11 Country Walks 12 Review: Christmas visit and lunch 15 Holidays 16 Membership 17 Review: London short break 17 Review: Rutland Open Air Theatre 19 Dates for your Diary Back cover With this Newsletter are enclosed the Minutes of the 2014 AGM and booking forms for the following: • AGM lunch • day trips • wine and cheese evening • full-day walks

Please contact the Newsletter editor if any of these are missing. Acting Chairman: Roger King [email protected] 01904 761274 Secretary: Jean Haywood [email protected] 01904 702402 Treasurer: Martin Lander [email protected] 01780 754567 Membership: Elinor Bailey [email protected] 01347 821262 Day Trips: Colin Sherwood [email protected] 01904 640915 Walks: Alison Rutter [email protected] 01904 703430 Holidays: Peter Drew [email protected] 01904 702285 Talks: Roger Armistead [email protected] 01904 622989 Events: Christine Truman [email protected] 01937 541163 Website: Brian Joscelyne [email protected] 01904 414683 Newsletter: Della Brotherston [email protected] 01904 629242

Cover: The Drum Fall and Rustic Bridge, Studley Royal Water Gardens ©National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

Chairman's Letter I am able to begin with some very good news. We have a new secretary, Jean Haywood, who took over from Brenda Batty on 1st January, and a new treasurer, Roger Mortimer, who will take over from Martin Lander at the AGM on 21st March. Thank you, Brenda and Martin, for the many hours freely given for the Association in those posts over 10 years and three years respectively. What we still need is a Vice-Chairman, so whether you are a relatively new or a long-time member, please think about offering to fill this position, which is not an onerous one. The AGM notice, accounts and Chairman’s annual report for the AGM can be found on the blue pages at the centre of this Newsletter for easy extraction if wished; those taking the online Newsletter can download them from the YANT members' website (Documents page), where there is link to AGM Papers. I look forward to seeing many of you at the AGM, which is your opportunity to put forward your views about the Association, approve the accounts and of course elect your Committee. The speaker at the AGM will be Peter Brown MBE, Director and Company Secretary of York Civic Trust. I am pleased to report that attendance at our Saturday afternoon talks has improved slightly, and I hope that support will increase further. Soon the day trip season will be commencing, and I have no doubt that the destinations chosen by the Programme Committee will be very popular and well supported. The Projects Committee has also planned a variety of events for the coming months. All the dates can be found on the back cover of the Newsletter. Please make a note of them in your diary and support them whenever possible. Those with access to the website www.yant.org.uk will find regular updates there on all our activities. Also, don't forget the monthly opportunity for informal socialising at the last Wednesday lunches at the Walmgate Ale House and Bistro, formerly Melton’s Too. In 1992 the Association (or York Centre as it was then) was the beneficiary of a very large bequest. Most of it was disbursed as contributions to improvements and enhancements to Trust properties in Yorkshire, but there remains a residue from accrued interest of just under £6,000. The Committee has agreed in principle to use it to contribute to funding a joint National Trust/Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition entitled “Vivien Leigh: Public Faces, Private Lives”, which is to be premiered at Treasurer’s House in the autumn – hopefully with a special viewing for our members – before going on a worldwide tour. Roger King (Acting Chairman)

Annual General Meeting, Saturday 21st March

Dante Suite, 2nd Floor, Ebor Stand, York Racecourse

The AGM will begin at 11 am. Coffee will be available from 10.30 am. Guests are welcome, but may not vote. A cash bar will be open before lunch, which will be served at 12.45 pm.

MENU Starter Herb-poached salmon, shellfish pannacotta, baby potato and samphire salad with caper cream or Provençale pine nut and tomato cheesecake, marinated vegetable salad and crispy noodles ******* Main course Twice-baked shoulder of lamb, roast potato and rosemary purée, redcurrant jus, seasonal vegetables or Gateau of aubergine and truffled risotto, wild mushroom tatin, roast tomato ravioli and tomato cream ******** Dessert Citrus tart with Cointreau-filled choux buns and raspberry fool

Freshly ground coffee and mints

The three-course lunch costs £26 per person. Please make your choice of starter and main course on the enclosed booking form. Bookings close on Friday 13th March and no cancellations can be accepted after that date. There are several free car parks at the racecourse.

TALKS Saturday 21st March, Peter Brown: “The History of York Civic Trust” One of the highlights of our programme this year will be this illustrated talk by Peter Brown, which will follow the formal business of the AGM. Since its formation in 1948, York Civic Trust, for many years under the enthusiastic chairmanship of John Shannon, has had a major influence on the character and appearance of this city. It was through John that the Trust bought and restored Fairfax House. Peter, who came to York to be its first director, said that he had intended staying for only two years, but that York and Fairfax House were both very seductive. Over the past 30 years Peter has helped to place Fairfax House at the centre of studies of 18th century life and culture and has written several books, published by the Trust, on the House and its collections, as well as on the City of York. Peter was promoted to Director of York Civic Trust in 2010 with a broader city- wide remit and was awarded an MBE in 2011 for helping to preserve York’s heritage. Many of our members who are also members of York Civic Trust will know Peter. We are very pleased that he has agreed to speak at our AGM to give us an overview of what is perhaps the most successful civic trust in the UK. Saturday 18th April, Mike Bevington: “Studley Royal Water Gardens” Our final talk this spring will take place at our usual venue of the Friends’ Meeting House in Friargate. The talk will begin at 2.30 pm and a charge of £4 will be collected at the door. In anticipation of summer, Mike Bevington, a guide at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, will tell us about the 18th century water gardens created by John Aislabie and continued by his son William. Mike’s talk will include a tour of the gardens, revealing why they were created and why they are a World Heritage Site of outstanding natural history and beauty. Roger Armistead (Talks Co-ordinator)

Talks Reviews Philip Thake: “The Work of the York Conservation Trust”, 15th November 2014 The Trust, described by Dalesman as “guardians of York’s heritage”, is not as well known as it deserves to be, given its role in the preservation of the fabric of the city. Philip Thake, the trust’s chief executive officer, told a packed Penn room how in 1945 John and Cuthbert Bowes Morrell formed Ings Property Company Ltd to buy and restore empty properties of historical significance in

5 the city, thus giving them a new lease of life. In 1976 Ings became the York Conservation Trust, a charity, to which the Morrells gave the 24 properties they owned at the time. By 1995 the Trust owned 56 properties; the 94th was added in 2014. In his talk Philip focused on three of the Trust’s most prestigious properties – the Assembly Room, the De Grey Rooms and St Anthony’s Hall, one of four medieval guildhalls that have survived in the city of York, which now houses the Quilt Museum. A beautifully illustrated Walking Guide covering virtually all the Trust’s properties in York is available for £9.99 from the Trust’s offices at 92 Micklegate; or visit their website www.yorkconservationtrust.org.uk, which has some 360 degree photographs. Catherine Brophy

Alan Woodward, “Brunswick Organic Nursery and Archbishop’s Palace Walled Garden”, 17th January Eight years a staff member at Brunswick Organic Nursery, Alan Woodward came out of retirement to talk to us when Adam Myers found himself unable to make the date. Supported by an excellent slide-show, he explained how in 1992 Adam Myers and Pam Mason took over the derelict Brunswick Nursery site in Bishopthorpe and have since built up a thriving sheltered workplace for people with learning difficulties and special needs. Supported by a team of 60 volunteers, eight workers maintain beds, greenhouses and polytunnels on the two-acre site, grow crops in the Archbishop’s Palace walled garden nearby and undertake off-site commissions such as wildlife planting for York City Council to help conserve the tansy beetle, an endangered species known as the Jewel of York, which only survives along 45 kilometres of the River Ouse. We saw samples of the workers’ craftwork that is available in the Brunswick nursery shop – handmade cards and wrapping paper, dried flowers, a bird nesting box. Lying on Appleton Road in Bishopthorpe and accessible from the York-Selby cycle track and footpath, the nursery welcomes visitors daily in spring and summer and runs a café at weekends. Georgina Winkley

DAY TRIPS Tuesday 28th April: Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn In April we will enjoy a spring trip through beautiful Wensleydale to visit a fascinating business which has grown from a small Dales company into an important international auction house. Tennants, based in the lovely Georgian town of Leyburn, started out as a small family firm founded by Edmund Slinger Tennant over 100 years ago. Edmund prided himself on providing a personal service, always putting his clients’ interests first. That tradition is still being upheld by his grandson, Rodney Tennant, and great granddaughters, Alison, Jane and Caroline. By the early 1980s, Tennants had consolidated its position in the north with a series of important country house and fine art sales. The company has received awards such as Best Regional Auction House and Rodney Tennant was voted Auctioneer of the Year in 2001. With 24 specialist departments, overseen by 50 knowledgeable full-time staff, a network of renowned consultants and a multi-million pound turnover, Tennants’ success remains firmly rooted in its traditional values, combined with an outstanding range and depth of expertise. The company is internationally respected, with clients in Europe, the Far East, Australia and America. On arrival coffee and home-made biscuits will be served. This will be followed by a talk from one of Tennants’ specialists. At lunch time we will enjoy a hot two-course meal. Please note that this will be Shepherd’s Pie, followed by dessert. If you would like the vegetarian option, please indicate this on your booking form. After lunch we will learn more about Tennants’ general activities and have a guided tour of the auction rooms. The afternoon will conclude with tea, sandwiches and cake. Ingleby’s Coach will pick up at Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road at 9.30 am and at Long Street, Easingwold (by the Co-op) at 10 am. The journey time will be about an hour. We will aim to arrive back in Easingwold at 5 pm and in York around 5.30-5.45 pm. The cost of the trip is £30, which includes morning coffee, lunch, light afternoon tea, talk from specialist and guided tour of Tennants and gratuities.

Wednesday 27th May: Rufford Abbey Country Park and Newstead Abbey Our May trip will take us down to Nottinghamshire to visit two former medieval monastic houses. Our first stop will be Rufford Abbey, which sits in 150 acres of historic parkland, woodland and gardens in the area of North Nottinghamshire called the Dukeries. The park includes the ruins of the 12th century Cistercian monastery, a contemporary craft centre, gardens and a sculpture trail. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the land and buildings were acquired by first the Talbot and then the Savile families, who gradually transformed the property into a country house estate. One of its most famous owners was George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, whose wife, Bess of Hardwick, built Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. After years of neglect, the estate and buildings were purchased by Nottinghamshire County Council in 1952. Sadly, it was too late to rescue the main house, part of which had to be demolished. The remains of the house, monastery and grounds were designated a country park in 1969. On arrival at Rufford Abbey, light refreshments will be served and a short introductory talk will be given about the estate. You are then free to explore the monastic ruins, the remaining wing of the Jacobean house, Georgian Bath House, formal gardens, craft centre and gift shops. Please wear suitable footwear, as there could be uneven ground, steps and slippery footpaths. Late morning we will travel to Newstead Abbey, once the home of the notorious poet, Lord Byron. The Abbey is a beautiful historic house set in a glorious landscape of gardens and parkland. It was founded as a monastic house in the 12th century and to this day retains much of its medieval character. The iconic west front of the church survives, whilst inside the house you can still see the medieval cloisters and Chapter House.

Lord Byron lived in the house from 1808 to 1814. He was not only “mad, bad and dangerous to know” but a poet, scholar, freedom fighter and athlete. The Byron Collection includes objects, furniture, letters, manuscripts, portraits and even his own bed, pistol and desk. On arrival, we will have a buffet lunch in a private room, followed by a private tour of the house lasting about one hour. Please note that there will be two staircases to negotiate and no lift. After the tour you will have free time to explore the beautiful gardens, which range from formal walled gardens to a luxuriant fernery and alpine rockery. Afternoon refreshments will be on an individual basis. Stephensons’ Coach will pick up at Long Street, Easingwold (opposite the Co- op) at 8 am, Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8.30 am and Middlethorpe Drive at 8.45 am. The journey time to Rufford Abbey is around 1¼ hours. We will leave Rufford at 12 noon for the journey to Newstead Abbey, which takes about 30 minutes, and aim to leave Newstead Abbey at 4.30 pm to arrive back in York around 6.30 pm and Easingwold around 7 pm. The cost of the trip is £30, which includes light refreshments at Rufford Abbey, buffet lunch at Newstead Abbey, guided tour of the Abbey and coach driver’s gratuity. Tuesday 23rd June: The National Glass Centre, Sunderland, and St Hilda’s Church, Hartlepool. In June we journey to the north east to visit The National Glass Centre, which celebrates the origins, growth and legacy of glass-making in Sunderland. Our day will culminate with a tour of St Hilda’s Church, which is perched on the headland in Hartlepool and believed to be the site of St Hilda’s 7th century monastery. The National Glass Centre, opened in 1998 at a cost of £17 million, was part of the regeneration of the area along the banks of the River Wear. Occupying a former shipyard, it is constructed of glass and steel. Visitors can walk on the glass roof, which has a total of 3,250 square metres of glass and can hold 460 people on it at one time. On arrival at the Centre, light refreshments will be served. These will be followed by a guided tour of the Galleries, including the roof, a walk behind the scenes and glass blowing demonstrations. If time permits, we will able to visit the shop and view works by current artists. The morning’s activities will finish with a soup and sandwich lunch. After a short drive to Hartlepool, we will visit St Hilda’s Church. There was a monastery, founded by St Aidan, on the Headland as early as 640AD. The first 9 abbess, St Bega, was succeeded in 648AD by St Hilda, who stayed for 10 years before moving to Whitby, where she died in 680AD. The monastery was destroyed by Danish raiders around 800AD. The present church was built in the late 12th century and occupies a site on the headland from where there are magnificent views of the marina and over the Tees Bay to North Yorkshire. There is evidence of an earlier Norman Church built in the time of Robert de Brus (Bruce), founder of Guisborough Priory. The Bruce Chapel and Tomb can still be seen. On arrival at the church, our party will divide into smaller groups for a guided tour, which will also cover the life and history of St Hilda and other important northern saints. Following the tour, there will be light refreshments, and, if time allows, a chance to admire the sea views from the headland. Ingleby’s Coach will pick up at Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road at 8.30 am and Long Street, Easingwold (by the Co-op) at 9 am. The journey time to Sunderland will be about 2 hours. We will leave the National Glass Centre at 1.45 pm for the 45-minute transfer to Hartlepool and aim to leave Hartlepool at 4.30 pm, arriving back in Easingwold at around 5.30 pm and in York at around 6-6.15 pm. The cost of the trip is £30 which includes the coach hire, light refreshments, lunch and guided tours/demonstrations at the National Glass Centre, guided tour and light refreshments at St Hilda’s Church and the coach driver’s gratuity. Note: On all day trips the leader will carry mobile phone No. 07960 710975. Please call this number on the day if you are delayed or cannot attend. We have tight schedules and try not to delay our departures. Jenny Denton (Programme Committee)

Drop-in Lunches at Walmgate Ale House Our drop-in lunches will continue on the last Wednesday of the month from 12 noon to 2 pm. Michael Hjort has kindly agreed to keep the price for YANT members at £7.50 for one course and £10.50 for two courses. Both options include coffee. There is no need to book in advance. The dates are on the back cover of the Newsletter.

Social Events We have planned what we hope you will consider is an interesting and varied programme of events for 2015 and we look forward to seeing you at as many as possible. Please put these dates in your diary: Tuesday 14th April Wine and cheese evening St Andrew’s Church Hall, Bishopthorpe, 7 pm Friday 19th June Summer Fair at St Crux, Pavement, York, 10 am – 4 pm Tuesday 4th August Garden Party, Goddards Tadcaster Road, 3–5 pm Saturday 7th November Coffee morning, Goddards, Tadcaster Road, 10 am Saturday 28th November Musical Evening with Jacqui Edwards and Andew Brownlie, St John’s College Our first event of the year will be a wine and cheese evening, which will be hosted by Paul Tate-Smith, the owner of Derventio Wines of Malton. Tickets cost £12.50 and a booking form is enclosed with this Newsletter. The winner of the Christmas quiz, which generated a profit of £124, was Mrs Inga Howden of Huntington, who won the £10 prize. Congratulations to her and to all the members who sent in correct answers. The answers can be found on the website under Social Events: www.yantmemb.moonfruit.com/ social- events. More details about the Summer Fair at St Crux and the Garden Party at Goddards will be in the June Newsletter. Members may have seen that the joke that won the award for the funniest joke at the Edinburgh festival fringe last year was: “I decided to sell my Hoover … well, it was just collecting dust.” If you have any items at home that are “just collecting dust”, please save them for the Summer Fair on Friday 19th June.

Christine Truman (Chairman, Projects Committee)

COUNTRY WALKS Social Evening and Quiz Night, Friday 6th March It is not too late to buy tickets for the annual social evening and quiz night, which will be held at the New Earswick and District Bowls Club in Huntington Road. The cash bar opens at 7 pm and the quiz starts at 7.30 pm. The Bowls Club will provide a buffet supper at about 8.15 pm and the evening will end at about 9.30 pm; there will be an optional raffle. Time will be allowed at supper to meet up with old friends, and this year our quizmaster, Dorothy Pope, has promised not to make the questions too difficult! Participants will be placed in teams of four, so if you have a preference, please state this when you book. To reserve a place, please contact Eileen Wishart on 01904 633705 before Wednesday 4th March. Admission is £11. Everyone welcome. Full-day walks with coach transport and afternoon tea Saturday 11th April, CWP 2015/1, North Cliffe to South Cave, 6 or 8 miles. The walk starts just south of Market Weighton. We pass Houghton Hall and walk through the woods on Houghton Moor to Hotham, going through the village and Hotham Hall Park to North Cave, where there will be the option to travel by coach to South Cave or continue walking there via Everthorpe. There are two stiles and some road walking. Standard: easy. Leaders Philip Mander and Jenny Fanthorpe. Tea at South Cave provided by the local WI. NB. This will include a ham salad. Please indicate on the booking form if a vegetarian alternative is required. Dawson’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 9.45 am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride at 10 am. Cost per head £19, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please return the relevant booking slip with payment by Saturday 4th April. Saturday 16th May, CWP 2015/2, Pateley Bridge/Nidderdale, 7-8 miles. A pleasant, fairly flat walk from Pateley Bridge to Glasshouses Mill and on to Merryfield mines. There will be extensive views of Nidderdale as the route goes along part of the Nidderdale Way and paths by Foster and Merryfield Becks. If there is time at the end of the walk, walkers might like to visit the Nidderdale Museum. Leader Yvonne Sumner.

Tea at Glasshouses WI. NB. This will include a ham salad. Please indicate on the booking form if a vegetarian alternative is required. Dawson’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8.45 am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride at 9 am. Cost per head £18.50, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please return the relevant booking slip with payment by Tuesday 5th May. Saturday 13th June, CWP 2015/3, Grassington, 8 miles. The walk starts near Grass Wood and follows the Dales Way along the River Wharfe past Linton Falls to the pretty village of Hebden. Following Hebden Beck the route goes through Hole Bottom and up on to Grassington Moor through an area of old mine workings. There should be excellent views of Upper Wharfedale from the path that leads us back to Grassington. Standard easy to moderate, with only a few small inclines and declines. Leaders Alison and Nigel Rutter. Tea will be provided at Grassington by the Linton and Threshfield WIs. Dawson’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8.30 am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride at 8.45 am. Cost per head £20, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please return the relevant booking slip with payment by Saturday 6th June. NB. Walkers participate at their own risk and must be capable of completing the distance in open countryside over uneven ground, with some ascents and descents in a variety of weather conditions. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn and a packed lunch and drinks carried. Details of the full-day walk on Saturday 11th July in the Sandsend coastal area, to be led by Tony Brooks, will be in the June Newsletter. Circular half-day walks using own transport Wednesday 18th March, Dunnington area, 4 miles. The walk leaves Dunnington via Eastfield Lane and Noddle Hill, then skirts west of Holtby, following tracks and paths to Holtby Lane and Rudcarr Lane, leading into Holtby via Mount Pleasant farm and Holtby pond. We return via the Old Rectory in Holtby and Eastfield Lane back to Dunnington. Easy walking, 6 stiles, may be muddy in parts.

Meet at the Cross Keys pub in the centre of the village for a 10am start. Car parking available behind the pub or take the No. 10 First bus from the station (9.31 am), Rougier Street (9.33 am) or Merchantgate (9.38 am) and ask for the Reading Room in the village (the Cross Keys is diagonally across the road). 13

Buses return at 2 minutes and 32 minutes past the hour. Refreshments available at the Cross Keys after the walk. A menu will be available before the walk starts, so that choices can be made in advance. Leader Irene Watson (07929 287899).

Thursday 23rd April, Nunnington area, 4.5 miles. Meet at Caukleys Bank for a 10 am start. Caukleys Bank is on a spur of the Hambleton Hills, from which there are fine views of the Vale of Pickering. The walk includes a footpath beside the river Rye between Nunnington and West Ness.

Driving from Hovingham towards Nunnington on the B1257, take the first turning right towards Nunnington, ascend the short, steep, winding hill up the Bank and park at the top on the right in a lay-by. Refreshments available afterwards at the Royal Oak in Nunnington or the Malt Shovel in Hovingham. Leader Sally Mayo (01904 490734 or 07530 218731 on the day). Tuesday 5th May, Harewood Estate, 5 miles. This flat, easy walk starts at Harewood Village Hall, Church Lane, Harewood, at 10 am. We enter the estate near the main gates and follow the path through the woods. The route takes us along the Leeds Country Way with views down to Harewood House and the surrounding countryside and probable sightings of red kites and deer. We continue past the lake, then through Home Farm back to the start. Take the A659 from Collingham. At the traffic lights in Harewood turn right towards Otley on the A61. Church Lane is a short distance along this road, on the left. Parking is available on the lane or behind the village hall at the Muddy Boots café (£1 charge). Lunch is available at the café or at the Harewood Arms Hotel on the main road. Leader Colin Sherwood (01904 640915). Thursday 18th June, Sutton-under-Whitestonecliff, 5 miles. Leader Dorothy Pope. Full details will be in the June Newsletter. Please park with consideration where roadside/village parking is involved. NB. Walkers participate at their own risk and must be capable of completing the distance in open countryside, over uneven ground with some hill ascents, in a variety of weather conditions. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn and light refreshments carried.

If you would like a lift for any walk or can offer one to others, please contact Colin Sherwood (details on page 2). An administration charge of 50p will be collected on each walk. Holiday Fellowship guided walking, South Downs, September 2015. Seven members have booked on a guided walking holiday at the HF Centre in Abingworth for 7 days, starting on Friday 18th September. It is also possible to book for 4 days from Monday 21st September. If you would like further information, please contact Alison Rutter (details on page 2). NB. This holiday is not arranged by the Walks Group: participants need to make their own booking with HF on 03454 707558, quoting ref. AWBOB. Contact List. If you would like to receive emails in connection with walks, please contact Alison Rutter. Email addresses will not be passed on. Eileen Wishart (Secretary, Walks Group)

Review: Christmas visit and lunch, 5th December 2014 Our visit to Burton Agnes Hall was on a very cold, dull day, which was made brighter and warmer by the welcoming atmosphere of this interesting house. The Cunliffe Lister family have lived on the site for 900 years, for the first 400 in the Norman Manor House, and in the Hall itself for the last 500. A longer visit would have been worthwhile to explore the history further, but we didn’t have time, and the main event that day was the spectacular Christmas decorations, all designed and made by the family and staff from natural materials found in the gardens and woods. The Great Hall looked magnificent, with an enormous Christmas tree and a fairy tale theme. The paintings in the dining room were all garlanded with holly wreaths except for the one of Oliver Cromwell, who banned Christmas from 1649 to 1653! In the Long Gallery there was a charming display created by the children of the Burton Agnes C of E primary school. We were given a test to find the snowmen – one hidden in every room! There were crocheted baubles, hand-dipped baubles, beautiful paper hearts, wooden angels and a knitted Nativity scene, all enhanced by silver sprayed branches and decorated bay trees. The overall effect was magical and must have taken many weeks of work to achieve. The visit was a lovely start to the Christmas season and was rounded off by an excellent lunch at Tickton Grange Hotel. Margaret Middlemiss

HOLIDAYS Our last holiday of 2014, a two-night break in London, was enjoyed by 17 members. The review is on the next page. At the time of printing in mid-February availability for the 2015 holidays was as follows: Crete (8th–15th April): 7 twin/double rooms. Devon and Somerset (5th–9th June): 2 twin/double rooms; 1 single. Suffolk (20th–24th August): 8 twin/double rooms. Isle of Man (5th–9th October): 3 twin/double rooms. Thursford (11th–12th December): 11 twin/double and 3 single rooms. Full details of these holidays are in the 2015 Holiday Programme and can also be found on the members’ page of our website www.yant.org.uk. Single rooms may still be available for the four English holidays: ring Brightwater Holidays on 01334 657155 to enquire or to make a booking.

15th Tours Advisory Meeting An invitation to help plan our 2016 holidays Wednesday 25th March Members are invited to come and discuss the destinations for our 2016 holidays with Graeme Mitchell and Andrew Sharples from Brightwater Holidays. The meeting will take place at the Walmgate Ale House and Bistro before the monthly drop-in lunch. Coffee will be available from 10 am and the meeting will start at 10.30 am. If you would like to come, please email me at [email protected] or ring me on 01904 702285

Peter Drew (Tours Organiser)

MEMBERSHIP The total membership at present is 850. We are pleased to have welcomed the following new members during the last three months and very much hope you will all enjoy the future planned events. Susan Palmer Fiona Batty Judith Carlton Barbara Crouch Eileen Wood Raymond and Margaret Vince Christine Robinson Thomas Stevenson Geoffrey and Elizabeth Ball Judith Moss-Smith Patricia Norris Arthur and Louise Gibson This is a final reminder that subscriptions were due by 31st December. Anyone who has not paid by 28th February will cease to be a member of the Association, and this will be their last Newsletter. If you have not yet paid your subscription, please send a cheque for £5 for a single person or £9 for two or more people at the same address to me at Avondale, Raskelf Road, Easingwold, York YO61 3JY. Elinor Bailey (Membership Secretary)

Review: London short break, 12th to 14th December 2014 We had an early start to join our Ingleby’s coach to London, arriving at Hampton Court at 12.30 pm, where we met by Ian Godfrey, our tour guide. After lunch we had an extensive tour of the Tudor area, built by Cardinal Wolsey and taken over by Henry VIII in 1549, when the cardinal fell from favour. We passed first through the Great Hall with its tapestries and hammer- beam roof before going into the Long Gallery, where it is said the ghost of Catherine Howard is seen. We then went into the Chapel Royal, with its splendid vaulted ceiling, where the organ was playing; the chapel is still used on Sundays and holy days. Returning to the Clock Court, we ascended the king’s staircase and went through the guard chamber and into the apartments of William and Mary, co- regents in the late 17th century. The ceilings were painted and the walls hung with tapestries, but the rooms were sparsely furnished. In 1986 fire broke out in one of the grace and favour apartments above the Privy Chamber causing a great deal of damage. While the building was being restored, the William and Mary garden was excavated and the plants grown at that time identified, which has enabled the beds to be reconstructed accurately today. We had further time to explore before leaving for our hotel, the Crowne Plaza in Buckingham Gate. The following morning we walked through Hyde Park to Kensington Palace, the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester. We first visited Queen Victoria’s apartments 17 where, in 1837 at the age of 18, she was informed that she had become Queen and held her first Privy Council. The apartments contained portraits of her as a young girl, as a bride and in the period of mourning after Prince Albert’s death, when all her clothes were black. After watching a film of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, we saw photographs of the present Queen’s clothes in the 50s and 60s, Princess Margaret’s in the 70s and 80s and finally Princess Diana’s – all beautiful, and accompanied by photographs of the occasions when the dresses were worn. Finally, we visited the Georgian state apartments, with their beautiful painted ceilings, which contained models wearing the fashions of the time. In the evening some of us went to the Royal Albert Hall for carols and Christmas music by candlelight with the Mozart Festival Orchestra and Chorus, the orchestra dressed in 18th century costume. We all enjoyed the audience participation in the carols. Others went to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse to see “The Knight of the Burning Pestle”, which was brilliantly performed. The following morning we left our comfortable hotel to visit the Banqueting House in Whitehall, England’s first classical building, built by Inigo Jones in 1622. It was used for exuberant court masques, but is now most famous as the site of Charles I’s execution in 1649. Its breathtaking Rubens ceiling has survived flooding, fire and war. We then said goodbye to Ian and returned to our coach for the journey home, impeccably driven by Andrew. Kath Carr

Password reminder for members’ pages on the YANT website The members’ pages are password protected to prevent casual viewing by the general public. There is a link from the menu on the main YANT website www.yant.org.uk (top right). These are the passwords you will need: username – member; password – yant Once you have accessed a members’ page, you can bookmark it on your computer so that you don’t need to put in the password again. Alternatively, as a member, you can go direct to the member pages, using the following link: www. yantmemb.moonfruit.com.

Review: "The Taming of the Shrew", Saturday 9th August 2014 The weather on Friday 8th August was wet, wet, wet, as it was again on Sunday 10th August. Fortunately, the Saturday in between was a glorious English summer day, providing ideal conditions for a picnic on the lawn – which is exactly what we enjoyed at Tolethorpe Hall near Stamford, home of the Rutland Open Air Theatre. There has been a house on this site since 1088, owned by only four families until 1967, when it was sold to a Cambridgeshire farmer. Ten years later he sold it in a derelict state to Stamford Shakespeare Company, who have gradually restored the house and grounds to their present immaculate condition. After our picnics we entered the covered auditorium to look down on the open-air stage, laid out as an Italian piazza complete with pavement café. The backdrop was a row of tall trees, over which the afternoon sun lit the stage, creating the perfect setting – no need for artificial lighting at this performance. The play was set in the 1950s – the dolce vita period of Italian society - with Petruchio, Katherine’s suitor, entering on a gleaming motor-cycle as a James Dean lookalike, while Gremio and Hortensio, rival suitors of Katherine's younger sister Bianca, came in on Lambretta scooters. The cocky Petruchio and feisty Katherine were well supported by the rest of the cast. The only disappointment was the poor support for this superb production of one of Shakespeare's more accessible plays. Even your Chairman, who has never liked Shakespeare since his schooldays, enjoyed it! Anne King This review was held over from the previous Newsletter for lack of space.

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

MARCH 6 Walks Group’s social evening and quiz, New Earswick and District Bowls Club, Huntington Road, 7 pm 18 Short walk: Dunnington 21 Annual General Meeting, talk and lunch, Dante Suite, York Racecourse, 11 am 25 Tours Advisory Group meeting, Walmgate Ale House, 10.30 am 25 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House, from 12 noon

APRIL 8-15 Holiday: Crete 11 Full-day walk: North Cliffe to South Cave 14 Wine and Cheese Evening, St Andrew’s Church Hall, Bishopthorpe, 7 pm 18 Talk: Mike Bevington “Studley Royal Water Gardens”, Friends Meeting House, Friargate, 2.30 pm 23 Short walk: Nunnington 28 Day trip to Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn 29 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House, from 12 noon

MAY 5 Short walk: Harewood 16 Full-day walk: Pateley Bridge/Nidderdale 27 Day trip to Rufford Abbey Country Park and Newstead Abbey 27 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House, from 12 noon

JUNE 5-9 Holiday: Devon, Somerset and Lundy 13 Full-day walk: Grassington 18 Short walk: Sutton-under-Whitestonecliff 19 Summer Fair at St Crux, 10 am – 4 pm 23 Day trip to National Glass Centre and St Hilda’s Church, Hartlepool 24 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House, from 12 noon

Please send feedback, contributions and photos for the June Newsletter to Della Brotherston at [email protected] by Thursday 7th May.

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