Abingdon and District NT Association
Events Calendar

General details for Talks
General details for Visits
General details for Holidays
General details for Lunches

 
TALKS 2012
 
Tuesday 17 January 2012 Wantage Male Voice Choir - A Welcome to 2012: To start the New Year, the “Day” section of the Wantage Choir will sing for the Association a varied and light-hearted selection of songs for everyone to enjoy. The Day Choir was formed over 3 years ago, when the Main Choir was being approached to give daytime concerts. They now give an average of two concerts per month to various organisations and residential homes throughout the area and are getting busier by the month.
 
Tuesday 21 February 2012 Silvia Joinson - Eleanor of Aquitaine: the life of an exceptional and intriguing woman. She was married to two kings and was the mother of two kings and at times was the virtual ruler of England.. She had ten children, two of whom were born in Oxford. Her extensive travels took her to the Holy Land on the Second Crusade and as far. as Sicily as family members set out on the Third. She sided with her sons when they rebelled against their father and as a result spent years under 'house arrest'. She finally died in 1204 in her early 80's, a considerable age at that time.
 
Tuesday 20 March 2012 Alan Copeland – Curiosities in the Cotdswolds, part 2. For those of you with long memories, part one of this talk was given to us in 2003 and it’s time to look at the South Cotswolds, starting in Northleach and ending in Bibury. This will be a gentle, laid-back tour, looking at the odd, unusual and bizarre aspects of village life in addition to admiring the beauty of this wonderful part of England. You think you know it? Come and find out.
 
Tuesday 18 September 2012 Wendy Barnes - Cousins in War: the poet, the soldier and the farmer Cousins in War’ tells the story of the impact of the English Civil War on three members of the Washington family of Sulgrave Manor including two direct ancestors of the First President of the USA. Hear about Henry, the soldier, who held Worcester for the Royalists, Lawrence, the priest, who finally left Oxford and Archbishop Laud for a comfortable life but then was deemed a ’malignant priest’ and John who left it all behind, saw business opportunities in Virginia but hadn’t intended staying! Wendy Barnes is the Director of Sulgrave Manor who has undertaken the research for this talk and the exhibition 'Cousins in War' at the Manor. Wendy has been in post since 2004 and has developed the Manor into an award winning museum and visitor attraction.
 
Tuesday 23 October 2012 Martine King – The Story of Bernardo’s As well as one of the senior executives of the Organisation, there will be an ex-Barnardo Boy coming to tell of the experiences of living in a Bernardo House. Abingdon had its own House and this talk is the result of a request from one of our members.
 
Tuesday 20 November 2012 Mike Read – From the Rio Grande to the Grand Canyon Texas, New Mexico and Arizona are three of the states that border Mexico. The migrations that take place in Spring and can be stunning. Wintering ducks, snow and Ross’s geese and thousands of sandhill cranes make up some of the best birding that the USA has to offer. Fabulous habitats and the magnificent scenery of the Grand Canyon itself compliment all this. Mike is a wildlife photographer and both lectures on and writes about his extensive travels worldwide. This talk was postponed from 2011.
 

 
VISITS 2011
 
24 January 2012 Churchill War Rooms & Westfield Mall
 
May 4 2011 Arbury Hall
 
9 February 2012 Cadbury World, Bourneville
 
28 February 2012 The Victoria & Albert Museum
 
26 April 2012 Anglesey Abbey
 
Thursday 17 May 2012 to either St Fagans or Cardiff Attractions
 
27 June 2012 Jane Austen’s House & Museum plus Gilbert
 
3 July 2012 Tyntesfield

Holidays: Monday 28 May – 1 June 2012 North Wales . Please contact Barry Stayte on 01235 521372, email bjstayte@tiscali.co.uk

Lunches: Early August 2012 Summer lunch. Date and place to be confirmed. Contact Kelvin Rose on 01235 767593, email kelpam2@ntlworld.com
General details for Talks
All talks are held in the Guildhall, Abingdon, start at 2.30pm promptly and last an hour.
There is parking close by (free for 2 hours, £1.50 for 3 hours in the Council Car Parks, or free for 1½ hours at Waitrose just behind the Guildhall - you may have to make a purchase!). Everyone is welcome. The meetings are free to members of Abingdon & District National Trust Group (and give you an opportunity to meet and join us) and cost £2 to those who are not.
If there is anything further you wish to know, please contact Ruth on 01235 524119 or Barry on 01235 521372.
General details for Visits
BUS STOPS for DAY VISITS
Coaches now stop for boarding for visits at:
Abingdon, Stratton Way, bus stops 1 to 3.
Abingdon, Rye Farm long stay car park. This is the large car park on the left hand side of the Causeway, just after crossing the Bridge from the Town Centre,
Wallingford, Corn Exchange

The order of the pick up points will vary, depending on the route we are taking. The cost of parking at Rye Farm is more than £5 for over 6 hours and the same costs apply in Hales Meadow car park, which is opposite. The changes were necessitated by the introduction of time constraints at both Tesco and in Fairacres and currently no free alternative has been found

Organisers will make it very clear in the details of the trips which particular pick-up points will be used for each visit.
Please remember these changes when you fill in the pick-up information on your application form. and keep a note for yourselves.
For more details about visits, please email Shirleychapman19@aol.com

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