What a great session, enjoyed by everyone who took part.

Our main skittle winners were Hillary and Sue the killer skittles winner.

We are hoping to have another day in October.  As these events are always oversubscribed – Book early!

Carole Ward.

About 40 members gathered for the Platinum Jubilee Concert on Ferndown  St George V field    The weather could have been warmer but dressed up with coats and rugs we enjoyed a very convivial evening with drinks and nibbles.   We sat at the back of the audience so that we could still hear each other speak  !!  So lots of chatting and catching up.   The band were very good (and loud!) and some dancing was seen!!   The grand finale was the fireworks.  They were extremely good …”well done Ferndown Council “ 
A good evening was had by all.

 Angela Larcombe

This was a wonderful visit. Richard Tucker had put together an extremely interesting and well organised tour. Everything went smoothly and even the sun was on our side. The weather was glorious. The accommodation at Lanhydrock was lovely and we enjoyed pre dinner drinks overlooking the golf course. The only downside was that Richard was unwell and unable to make the trip himself. However, his detailed itinerary and organisation meant that Bob and Clare were able to pick up the reins and lead this fabulous three days.

Thank-you Richard, so glad you are on the mend. Thanks also to Bob and Clare for stepping in and leading a great visit.

EXETER  DAY 1

The first stop on our trip was Exeter where we were given a guided tour of the city by the extremely knowledgeable red coat guides. The City Wall tour covers 2000 years of history from the Romans to present day.  We learn about the significance of the Cathedral and how the city developed, the witch hangings and the devasting fire in 2019.

LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN  DAY 2

The Heligan estate is a palatial manor house with surrounding parklands first built in the 1200s. It wasn’t until the 16th century that the wealthy Tremayne family moved in, and another two centuries before they started cultivating what is now known as the “Lost Gardens of Heligan”.

The gardens are considered lost because there was a 75-year period during which they were forgotten and received no attention.

At the outbreak of World War One, the estate employed 20 men working in the Heligan gardens all of whom were conscripted. The manor house took priority and was turned into a convalescence hospital during the war. Jack Tremayne the last heir to the estate died unmarried and childless and Heligan was given to a trust made up of extended family none of whom remembered the existence of the gardens. The gardens remained forgotten until the hurricane of 1990 when the discovery of an old door revealed the lost gardens. In the past 30 years, the gardens have been cultivated and restored to mirror the grandeur they knew in the time of the Tremayne family.

WHEAL MARTYN CLAY MUSEUM   DAY 2

The clay works began at Wheal Martyn in the 1820s and were started by Elias Martyn on the Carthew Estate. Elias became one of the major clay producers in Cornwall and by 1869 he was producing 2,000 tons of clay a year at Wheal Martyn. After his death in 1872, the family kept the land but leased the works to other operators and the site continued to operate until 1969.

The museum was established at Wheal Martyn in 1975 by English China Clays Ltd., the producers of China clay at the time. The adjacent Wheal Martyn clay pit continues to operate today under the global mining company, Imerys Minerals Ltd.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who attended or contributed in any way to our Open Day event which was an outstanding success. We attracted a lot of interest from visitors so much so at one point we could hardly move! It was great to be back in the Barrington Hall where we could show first hand what we are about.

In particular, thanks go to Jo Brearley and her team for organising the event, and Jenny Bass and her team for the refreshments which were extremely popular. In addition, thanks to the outdoor team who encouraged the public over our doors.

Finally, it was also great to see so many of our Group Leaders taking considerable trouble to promote their Groups in imaginative and interesting ways.