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Visits After a very disappointing year in 2011, the Visits Team is battling on and our programme for 2012 as follows: Stratford
upon Avon and Baddesley Clinton: Saturday 12 May Baddesley Clinton is about a 30 minute drive from Stratford. This is an atmospheric moated house and dates from the 15th century. The last private owners of the house were the Lords Ferrers, one of whom took an important part in the funeral procession for the Duke of York and who died with his king at Bosworth Field. This is a National Trust property. Booking details in March 2012 Bulletin. Southwick
Hall, Nr Oundle, Northants: Saturday 14 July The oldest part of this house was built circa 1300 by John Knyvett and has been added to in the 16th, 18th and 19th centuries. Built of local limestone, it still retains much of its original mediaeval layout. The crypt, built in 1320 is now the entrance hall. The Gothic Room was also added about the same time and was probably used as a living room as well as a chapel, as it has a fireplace, window seats and an altar recess. We think members will find much of interest to see here. Booking details in June 2012 Bulletin. Bosworth
Commemoration: Sunday 19 August Booking form in June 2012 Bulletin. Pageant
of the Golden Tree, Bruges: Saturday 25 August to Monday 27 August AGM
York: Middleham - Sunday 30 September Fotheringhay:
Lunch and Carols: Saturday 15 December Booking form in September 2012 Bulletin.
Looking back . . . . . A reminder of what we did in 2011. Actually, it’s more like what we didn’t do. The first half of the year was pretty bleak as we didn’t have enough takers for our day trip to Abingdon and Oxford or for our long weekend in Sussex. However, we eventually got off the ground and made it to these events: Bosworth
Commemoration: Sunday 21 August Read all about it in the September 2011 Bulletin. Denny
(EH) and Anglesey (NT) Abbeys: Saturday 3 September Believed to have been founded in 1135 by Henry I as the hospital of St Mary, Anglesey Abbey became an Augustinian Priory in the early 13th century. The present dining room is a surviving fragment of the priory; this vaulted undercroft probably served as the monastic calefactorium (or warming room). Fascinating collections and beautiful gardens – a lovely day out. Read all about it in the December 2011 Bulletin. Fotheringhay:
Lunch and Carols: Saturday 11 December
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR TRIPS Non-members are welcome on trips. For
more details, please contact Marian Mitchell
Origins and Achievements Joyce Melhuish was the legendary genius behind the Ricardian day and long weekend trips. She did all the planning and bookings herself and provided detailed notes from her phenomenally extensive knowledge of all historical sites in the UK and France. Nowadays trips are organised by a small committee of dedicated volunteers who meet five or six times a year to plan excursions to places of Ricardian or general medieval interest. At present our annual programme consists of two one-day trips and a longer trip based in the UK or the Continent (generally France) of up to six days. Long weekends in the UK are based in a centre of interest and day trips are organised. University accommodation is used as this is cheaper and plentiful single rooms are available. As most universities cater for conferences nowadays, their accommodation has been substantially upgraded over the past 30 years – generally speaking, most rooms are en suite and the route march to the communal ablutions is a thing of the past. Continental trips are more complicated and our recent trips were co-ordinated through an experienced travel agent. In Joyce’s day, each year we went on a four or five day Continental trip in May and a three day UK long weekend at the beginning of July. The present pattern is to run these trips in July of alternate years. The Visits Committee also oversees the arrangements for the annual commemorative events at Bosworth and Fotheringhay. The long weekend trip is usually by coach, the pick up point being Bressingham Place near Victoria Station in London; however, we sometimes take the train, for example to York or Edinburgh, and organise a local coach for excursions. Members living outside the London catchment area are very welcome to join the coach party; arrangements can sometimes be made for a pick up at a convenient place on the outward journey or for the member to join the party at the central location. We have had some wonderful trips; more recent ones include: Northumberland
Castles and Saints, based in Morpeth (1997) Continental visits are usually to France or Belgium, though we have also been to Holland and Germany. They start from London as the most convenient meeting and departure point. Trips to Belgium, centred on Bruges, have usually been organised to coincide with the Procession of the Holy Blood or the Pageant of the Golden Tree. Some more recent memorable tours have been to: Normandy
(1996) To join a Society visit is a very good way to meet other Ricardians and to make friends within the Society. We all know how enjoyment of a site or activity can be enhanced in the company of like-minded people. The Visits Team does its best to make everyone feel welcome. If you come on a visit for the first time, do come up at a good moment and make yourself known to the organiser. The one-day trips organised by the Visits Team usually start from London; however, local members from the area visited are more than welcome to join the party. Just let the organiser know in case there are any bookings made for entry or, more important, tea, where numbers are needed. Everybody is welcome – just as, surely, all branches and groups would extend a welcome to Ricardians from other parts of the kingdom – and beyond. For further information contact the Visits Officer, Marian Mitchell. Tel:
01376 501984
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