Built by Robert Cecil in the grounds where Queen Elizabeth spent much of her childhood, Hatfield House was decorated for entertaining. We shall have a guided tour of the House, following which there will be free time to explore the gardens, St Etheldreda’s Church and the Stable Yard shops.

We fly from Birmingham to Brussels with a coach transfer to the four-star Mercure Lille Centre Grand-Palace Hotel. During the holiday, we shall have the services of a Tour Manager and local guides. Our visits will include the Villa Cavrois and La Piscine, the Musee des Beaux Arts in Lille and a full day in Antwerp, to include a walking tour of the Golden Triangle area and visit to the Fine Arts Museum.

The National Memorial Arboretum is a British site of national remembrance. After refreshments on arrival and an introductory talk, there will be a fifty-minute land tour of the site.After lunch, members will be free to explore the Arboretum, gift shop and exhibitions.

This independent and world-renowned boarding school for professional classical ballet works in association with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. During our visit, following an introductory talk and light lunch, we shall be treated to a ballet performance or dress rehearsal.

The Arts Society Solihull

Registered Charity No. 1133670                                                                

Durham Delights September 2022

Dear Members,

Attached to this message you will find a booking form and a flier for our proposed visit to Durham in September.

Many of you will remember that this trip was planned for September 2020 and of course did not take place. BUT WE ARE BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING YOU TO VISIT THE DELIGHTS OF DURHAM THIS YEAR!

Much of what was planned for 2020 is included in this itinerary, though one of the venues we looked at has sadly gone into liquidation. However, the Piece Hall in Halifax, Durham’s majestic cathedral, the city itself, the Auckland Project, Seaton Delaval Hall and the Bowes Museum are still there for us to enjoy.

Despite the rigours of the pandemic much has developed in recent months and the site of the Auckland Project has opened up even more. Do take a look at the website of this exciting and unique experience (aucklandproject.org).

We are also going to a second newly opened project in Seaton. Seaton Delaval Hall has undergone a £7.8 million heritage project for the National Trust and should be fully

re-opened by the time of our visit. Designed by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, Seaton Delaval Hall has a fascinating history. ‘In an age notorious for extremes of behaviour the Delavals stood apart as the most notorious of all Georgian party-goers and pranksters. Imagine awaking in the house to find your room ‘’turned upside down’’ with furniture fixed to the ceiling’.

Most of us are NT members so please make sure that you add your membership number to the booking form in order to facilitate your entry. (For non members a charge of £8.55 will be added to your booking fee).

The cost of this visit includes all travel, the 4* Durham Marriot Hotel, entrance to the visits, and all meals except lunches. Both Johnsons Coach Company and the Durham Marriot Hotel have held the prices quoted to us in 2020 which is excellent news!

Remember, your application form goes directly to Jo Brown at Johnsons, not to the Arts Society Solihull, and I would urge you to apply quickly as places are inevitably limited.

I look forward to travelling with you again,

Judith Carver

FROM WEDGWOOD TO BRIDGEWATER  

Meet the Experts and learn about English Ceramics 

Wren Hall on Thursday 24th March 2022 10.30 – 2.30pm

Dear Member,

In conjunction with Fieldings Auctioneers of Stourbridge we are going to take a look at the rich legacy of English ceramics. Our day at Wren Hall will open with tea and coffee on arrival. We are seated cafe style and will then enjoy a presentation from our ‘expert’ Alison Snowdon who will share her knowledge and interest in ceramics as seen through the eyes of an auctioneer. Who knows what delights she will uncover?!

A challenge will be set for us before lunch to see how effective we are at valuations.

Following the buffet lunch provided by Gourmet Foods of Knowle, Alison and her colleague, Andrew Mayall, will select items from those brought in by yourselves to comment on and ‘value’. These items do not need to be ceramics - in fact a variety would prove more interesting - jewellery, glassware, paintings, an antique or collectible from any era.

Your contributions will be on open display in the Hall and are brought in entirely at your own risk. The

more we have the more of a challenge to our experts and whilst we cannot guarantee that every piece will be highlighted. I am sure the process will be of interest to us all. 

After our treasures have been reviewed Alison will resolve the challenge and then questions can be taken. So, please review your display shelves and look through your cupboards and drawers to find a piece you are happy to bring along with you to add to what I am sure will be an interesting time at Wren Hall.

Our day will look like this and cost £26.00 per person

10.30 – Tea /coffee on arrival

11.00 – Fieldings’ presentation

12.15 – Buffet Lunch

  1.15 – Members’ own items discussed, highlighted and valued

  2.00 - ‘The Challenge’ revealed

  2.15 – Questions

If you would like to join us, please complete the form below and send it with a stamped addressed envelope and cheque (made payable to The Arts Society Solihull) to Mrs Judith Carver 23 Abbots Close Knowle Solihull B93 9PP. Telephone - 01564 778636

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From Wedgwood to Bridgewater Thursday 24th March at Wren Hall School Lane Wroxall CV35 7NF

Closing date for applications – Friday 4th February 2022

Name---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tel. no.-------------------------------------------

Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I enclose a cheque for ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join Blue Badge Guide, Katherine Alcock, on a cross-country virtual tour exploring the most exceptional works of one of the country's most exceptional men, Sir Christopher Wren. Unconstrained by the physical limits of a normal tour, we'll dash from Oxford, to Cambridge, to London and back again, exploring some of his most ground breaking pieces and the genius behind them. We'll dicuss the great man himself, but also the artists and innovators that he worked with as he left an indelible legacy, not just on the architecture of this nation, but on its imagination itself.

Join David Drury in looking at the history of all our British classics from fish and chips to curry, roast dinners to cooked breakfasts and Afternoon Tea to comforting desserts.

Examine the complete change in dining habits within a generation and the growth of Michelin star restaurants (UK and Ireland now 7th in the world) and street food markets as well as looking at the classic pubs and traditional cafes.

For our final ‘course’ we wrap up with some of London's more unusual dining experiences from eating in the dark to being served by classically trained opera singers to experiencing fine dining in a prison!

Conwy - snuggled between Snowdonia’s mountains and the Irish Sea has so much to offer the interested visitor.  Amanda will walk us around the World Heritage site of  Edward I castle and up onto the town walls. learning about the conquest of Wales. We’ll follow her through the churchyard learning about the characters buried there, amble down back streets and the main High Street gaining insight into why this town has such a reputation for foodies and lovers of independent shops. We’ll stroll along the Quayside taking a peak at the Smallest House in Britain and learning about life on an Estuary from tides to fishing. We circle back to the castle over Thomas Telford’s suspension bridge and besides Stephenson’s wrought iron railway bridge learning about the crossing of the river Conwy.

Oscar Wilde: aesthete, writer, wit, social analyst, gay icon and the first modern celebrity...join actor, award winning London Blue Badge Guide and Oscar devotee Simon Whitehouse as he takes you back in time to the "naughty nineties" and to Oscar Wilde's London. We take a virtual "stroll" through parts of elegant, aristocratic Mayfair and St James's (where many of Oscar's characters and contemporaries lived) to see Oscar's home and meet his artistic circle in the riverside village of Chelsea. We celebrate his glittering theatrical successes in the heart of the West End and stand with him in the dock of the Old Bailey as he gives the performance of his life at the most infamous criminal trial of the century..."I can rsist everything except temptation"

So, why not give in to this temptation and join us on Wilde about Oscar?

This virtual tour around St James's and Mayfair charts the history of menswear over the past 200 years. See the places where the men who made menswear worked, lived and played as I tell the story the story of men's clothing through the lives and careers of the men who commissioned, inspired and made it. John Lock, Bunny Rodger, the Duke of Windsor, Tommy Nutter, Henry Poole, John Stephen, Montague Burton, Beau Brummell and Rupert Lycett Green are just some of the familiar and not so familiar names who crop up.

Enjoy a leisurely stroll around one of England's most beautiful cities - taking in some hidden corners and quirky spots you might have overlooked before. George V1 said the history of York is the history of England - Romans, Normans, the Viking invasion, the rich monastic tradition, the Reformation, the Civil War, the Georgians, the coming of the railways, chocolate and more - it's all happening here! Join me in uncovering the many fascinating layers that make up this city!

Laskett Gardens Herefordshire and All Saints’ Church, Brockhampton

Tuesday 23 June 2020

Dear Member

Our summer visit this year centres on two venues in Herefordshire: The Laskett Gardens, Much Birch and nearby All Saints’ Church, Brockhampton.

The Laskett Gardens are the creation of Sir Roy Strong and his late wife, designer Julia Trevelyan Oman, a series of stunning garden rooms which evolved over four decades.

All Saints’ Church is an outstanding treasure and is widely recognised as one of the most important Arts and Crafts buildings of the early 20th century, designed and built by renowned architect William Lethaby and completed in 1902.

MEET  at the Old Silhillians Car Park at 8.45am for a 9am start, leaving Brockhampton 3.30pm, aiming to return to Old Sills by 5.00pm. There will be a coffee stop before arriving at Laskett.

ENJOY  vistas transformed from a four acre field to become Laskett. The churchwarden of All Saints’ Church will talk to us in situ about this beautiful church.  Access to both is mainly on flat paths; it is advisable to wear appropriate shoes and clothing to meet relevant weather conditions.

COST    £26.00 to include coach travel, gratuities, entrance fee and a donation to the church.

Lunch at your own discretion at The Garden Restaurant, after Laskett, before All Saints’ Church.  

If you would like to join us for this visit please complete the form below and send it with a stamped,

self-addressed envelope and cheque made payable to The Arts Society Solihull to Mrs Pauline Pedersen,

27 Saxonwood Road, Cheswick Green, Solihull, B90 4JN (Tel: 01564 703100).

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The Laskett Gardens and All Saints’ Church Tuesday 23 June 2020

Please note the closing date for applications is 20th March 2020

Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________Tel.no._______________________________

In case of an emergency, contact name and number (for use during the visit) _________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Car Park: Yes/No (Please add £3.00 car park fee if required)

I enclose a cheque for £____________________________________________________________

Arts Society members will receive first priority however; should you wish to bring a friend please add their name below and we will notify you.

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOLIHULL                     

Registered Charity No. 1133670

2020 HOLIDAY TO DUBLIN AND THE SURROUNDING AREA  

(In conjunction with Riviera Travel)

Monday 27th April to Friday 1st May 2020 inclusive

Dear Member,

I am delighted to be able to bring you details of our 2020 holiday to Dublin. We have been looking at this location for a little while and feel that now is the right time to offer it to you. As you will know we have travelled with Riviera Travel on a number of occasions over the past few years and have enjoyed fabulous holidays with their experienced and friendly guides.

We will be staying in a superior 3* hotel in the centre of Dublin giving us easy access to its places of historical, artistic and retail interest. Rooms in the Belvedere are equipped to a modern high standard and its location on Great Denmark Street places it within easy walking distance of  O’Connell Street, Henry Street and Temple Bar.

During our stay we will have four full days in Dublin and enjoy excursions and events planned for each day. We will visit the art, history and gaol of the city; travel through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains to Powerscourt Gardens, recently voted No. 3 in the World’s Top Ten of Gardens, and enjoy good Irish hospitality culminating in a visit to the Guinness Storehouse on our last afternoon in Dublin.

If you are a single traveller please consider sharing as hotel single supplements are high.

If you are sharing please state the name of the person you would like to share with at the time of completing your booking form. You must both fill out a separate booking form and rooms will be reserved for you by the staff at Riviera Travel. Couples need only complete one form.

In order to secure rooms at the hotel deposits must be received at Riviera Travel no later than Friday 31 October 2019, so please ensure that you put your form in the post well in advance of the closing date. If you are paying by card you can scan and e mail your application to groups@rivieratravel.co.uk . They will then ring you and take the card payment.

We are all excited about this visit and look forward to travelling with you again.

Judith Carver

Chairman

The Arts Society Solihull

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOLIHULL                      

Registered Charity No. 1133670

AUBREY BEARDSLEY EXHIBITION – TATE BRITAIN

Wednesday 22 April 2020

Dear Member,

Tate Britain has brought together the largest exhibition for 50 years of the work of Aubrey Beardsley, the most controversial artist of the Art Nouveau era. Over 200 of his works are displayed, as well as artworks from which he gained inspiration, including Japanese scrolls and water-colours by Edward Burne-Jones and Gustave Moreau. He was renowned for his striking black and white drawings, with their dark and perverse images and grotesque erotica, which reflected the decadence of the period. Spanning seven years, the exhibition covers his intense and prolific career, cut short by his untimely death from tuberculosis at the age of 25. As well as his contribution to the development of the Art Nouveau and poster styles, he was a leading figure in the aesthetic movement, which also included Oscar Wilde and James McNeill Whistler. We hope you will join us for this stunning exhibition.

Meet        at the Old Sills Carpark at 8 45 am for a 9 am start, hoping to be at the Tate well in advance of our timed

               entrance. We aim to leave the exhibition at 4 pm.

Enjoy       lunch at the Tate in the Djanogly Café or the Rex Whistler Restaurant, or in one of the nearby restaurants on

                Millbank. Lunch is at your own discretion.

Cost          £36 to include coach travel, entrance fee and driver’s gratuity.

If you wish to apply for this trip, please complete the form below and send it with a stamped self-addressed envelope and cheque made payable to The Arts Society Solihull to Mrs Rosemarie Cope, 10 Warwick Manor, Solihull B91 1AU (Tel:  0121703 0676).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Aubrey Beardsley Exhibition – Tate Britain Gallery - Wednesday 22 April 2020

Please note the closing date is Friday 28 February 2020.

Name:_________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________

               _______________________________________________ Tel No: _________________________________

Car Park: Yes/No (Please add £3.00 car park fee if required).

I enclose a cheque for: ____________________________________________________________________________

Arts Society members will receive first priority for tickets, however, should you wish to bring a friend we shall accommodate them if there are spare places. Please leave names here-

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOLIHULL                      

Registered Charity No. 1133670

Visit to Bletchley Park

Wednesday18 March 2020

Dear Member,

We invite you to join us for a visit to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers. It is now a vibrant heritage site, with historic buildings set in beautiful grounds. You will step back in time to experience the extraordinary achievements of the men and women who worked there, including Alan Turing. A private, one hour, guided outdoor walking tour will set the scene, telling the story of Bletchley Park and its major role in producing secret intelligence which influenced the outcome of the war.

Highlights of the day will include the opportunity to visit the restored code-breaking huts, where you will see a working model of a Bombe Machine which broke the Enigma Code. A permanent exhibition in the newly restored Teleprinter Building marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings via a dramatic audio-visual experience.

If you would like to join us for this visit please complete the form below as soon as possible.

MEET         at the Old Silhillians Car Park at 8 45 am for a 9 am start, leaving Bletchley Park at 4 pm, aiming to return

                  to the Old Sills by 5 30 pm, traffic permitting.

ENJOY       the Visitor Centre where there is a multimedia interactive introductory exhibition. Tea and coffee will be

                   available on arrival. The Visitor Centre and Hut 4 both provide lunch, which will be at your own

                   discretion.

  COST       will be £35.00 to include the coach travel, gratuities and entrance fee. You will be issued with an Annual

                  Season Ticket which allows entry to Bletchley Park for up to a year.

                  You can pre-order an official guide book at the reduced price of £4.50 (see application form).

A Very Special Christmas Visit to Packwood House

13th December 2019

 Dear Member,

Earlier in the year we were invited by the National Trust at Packwood House to work in partnership with them on events tailored to the members of the Arts Society Solihull.

We are delighted to bring you our first collaborative event with the staff at Packwood House. On the evening of Friday 13th December 2019 you are invited to join us for pre-tour drinks and nibbles in Packwood’s lovely restaurant to be followed by a bespoke After Hours Guided Tour of the ground floor of the house which will be dressed for Christmas. This will then be followed by coffee and mince pies in the restaurant.

As I am sure you will appreciate this is a marvellous opportunity to see the house bedecked with Christmas decorations which this year follow the theme of The Nutcracker. It is very much a personalised tour solely for The Arts Society Solihull.

You will make your own way to Packwood where there is ample parking. We have been advised to suggest that you wrap up warmly and bring a torch with you as the road across from the restaurant to the house is not lit.

v  We will meet at 5.30 in the restaurant for a social event including pre-tour drinks and nibbles.

v  At 6.00pm we will walk across to the house where the tour will last approximately 45 minutes.

v  We will then return to the restaurant to share our experiences over coffee and mince pies.

The cost of this visit is £13.00 but places are limited due to the capacity of the house.

If you would like to join us please complete the form below and send it with a stamped addressed envelope and cheque (made payable to ‘The Arts Society Solihull’) to Mrs. Rosemarie Cope, 10 Warwick Manor, Solihull, B91 1AU.

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A Special Christmas Visit to Packwood House - Friday 13th December 2019

Closing date for applications – Friday 29th November 2019

Name:_______________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

Tel. no. ______________________________________________________

I enclose a cheque for: £ __________________________________________

SOLIHULL DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS SOCIETY

Registered Charity No. 1133670

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

Wednesday 4th December 2019 at Copt Heath Golf Club

We are pleased to invite you to this very popular annual event, which will commence at 12.30pm with a welcome drink. Our menu this year offers a choice of starter and main course. (Please put the number of your menu choices on the slip at the bottom of this letter.)

Starters

1 Crispy bruschetta topped with king prawns and port and stilton rarebit;

                                        2 Homemade parsnip and apple soup topped with a parsnip bhaji;

       3 Fig, goats’ cheese and crispy Parma ham salad with a truffle and balsamic glaze;

Main courses

4 A duo of plaice,one poached with a spinach stuffing and one deep fried with a king prawn,

carrot and leek stuffing served with a caper veloute ;

                  5 Turkey paupiette with a sausage and herb stuffing, wrapped in pancetta and served with a

 cream wine sauce, fresh cranberries and crispy sage;

6 Home made risotto topped with wild mushrooms, chargrilled asparagus tips, artichoke

and a deep fried soft boiled egg;

All dishes will be served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes.

Dessert

A trio of sweets, comprising - St.Clement’s posset with fresh raspberries and a ginger biscuit, 

apple, fig and mincemeat pistachio crumble tart with brandy cream and white chocolate and

cranberry brioche bread and butter pudding with a cranberry and orange brandy sauce.

Or Cheese and biscuits

Lunch will be followed by coffee / tea and mints.

The cost will be £33.00 per person, to include a glass of wine or fruit juice on arrival. Please note that special dietary needs can becatered for if we have sufficient notice. The seating capacity at Copt Heath enables us to open this event to guests. We will prepare a seating plan for the occasion which will help us to meet your requests to be seated with family/ friends/guests. Please indicate this on the booking form.

As in previous years we will hold a raffle for a selection of prizes, the proceeds of which help to support our Young Arts projects.

If you would like to join us for lunch please complete the form below and return it to: Mrs. Diane Grainger, 33 Meerhill Avenue, Monkspath, Solihull, B90 4TU with your cheque made payable to The Arts Society Solihull by Friday 25th October 2019.

Please note that tickets will not be issued. A receipt of your application and cheque will be sent to you by email. If you require a written receipt please enclose a stamped self – addressed envelope.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOLIHULL CHRISTMAS LUNCH – Wednesday 4th December 2019

 (Please note that the closing date is Friday 25TH October 2019).

Name:_________________________________________________________                                    Membership No:___________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Tel. No:________________

Email address:__________________________________________________________________________

I enclose my cheque for: £--------     (To include your guest if applicable)

Name of Guest(s): ___________________________________________________________________________________

I/We would like to sit with: ________________________________________________________________________

Special Dietary requirements: _______________________________________________________________________

Menu choices: Starter ______________________________    Main: ___________________________________________

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOLIHULL                   

Registered Charity No. 1133670

WADDESDON MANOR House Tour and Gardens Visit

Wednesday 26th June 2019

Dear Member,

We invite you to join us for a visit to Waddesdon Manor, the Rothschild’s beautiful house and gardens in Buckinghamshire. Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild built the house to showcase his collection of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts which we will enjoy in the company of one of the National Trust’s expert guides as part of a private tour of the ground floor of the house ahead of the opening to the public.

The house is built in the style of a French chateau and in its time was the scene of many lavish weekend parties. More recently it has provided the setting for scenes in ‘The Crown’ and ‘Downton Abbey’. Queen Victoria requested to visit the Manor and was not disappointed.

Over the years the impressive art collection has been supplemented by new works and the Rothschild Foundation has encouraged a programme of engagement with contemporary artists.

So if you would like to join us on this visit please complete the form below as soon as possible.

MEET                      at the Old Sils car park at 8.30am to leave at 8.45am. We aim to leave Waddesdon by 4.30pm to return to The Old Silhillians for 6.00pm - traffic permitting.

ENJOY                     Tea/ coffee and home-made biscuits on arrival. This will be followed by a private        ground floor tour of the house with a guide. Lunch is at your own discretion.

                               Re-entry to the house in the afternoon is included and access to the gardens.

COST                      £26.00 to include coach travel, entrance fee (for National Trust members) tea/coffee + cake on arrival, guided tour and driver’s gratuity. Please note that NT membership cards must be brought with you on the day. There is an entrance fee to the House and Gardens of £18.00 for non- members payable in advance of the visit.

If you wish to apply for this visit, please complete the form below and send it with a stamped,

self - addressed envelope and cheque made payable to ‘The Arts Society Solihull’

to Mrs Judith Carver 23, Abbots Close, Knowle, Solihull, B93 9PP (Tel. 01564 778636)

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Waddesdon Manor 26th June 2019.

Please note the closing date is 22 March 2019

Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

N.T membership no._______________________________Tel.no._____________________________

Car Park: Yes / NO (Please add £3.00 car park fee if required).

I enclose a cheque for: £ _____________________________________________________

Arts Society members will receive first priority however, should you wish to bring a friend please add their name below and we will notify you.

A two day trip to include Bombay Sapphire Distillery Tour, the Winchester Bi- Annual Flower Festival and Winchester College Tour.  4* Hotel + Spa

A five day holiday to include Moritzburg Castle, a River Trip on the Elbe, Pillnitz Palace, Meissen Porcelain Factory and more.  4*  Hotels

This will be a full day with a visit to the fascinating Arts and Crafts cottage of Stoneywell in Leicestershire in the morning and a tour of the internationally acclaimed Richard III exhibition in the city of Leicester in the afternoon. Stoneywell is a rare surviving example of one man’s vision and passion for the arts having been left almost intact. The Richard III story has fascinated the nation and is encapsulated in the superb visitor centre created to celebrate the king whose body was found beneath a car park. Due to restrictions at Stoneywell numbers are limited for this visit.

MEET                      at The Old Silhillians Car Park at 8.50 am to start our tours at Stoneywell
                             on time

ENJOY                    a guided tour in groups of 10 around the house with time for coffee in between

MOVE                     to the Visitor Centre in Leicester in time for a soup and sandwich lunch
                             which is included in the cost

 EXPERIENCE            a guided tour of the Richard III Experience with time to re-visit individually

 LEAVE                     Leicester at approximately 4.00pm to arrive at The Old Silhillians Car Park
                              by 5.15pm

 COST                      £30.00 for National Trust members - to include entrance, coach travel,
                              light  lunch and driver gratuities.(NB  £39.00 for non - trust members).

 If you wish to apply for this visit please complete the form below and send it with a stamped,

self - addressed envelope and cheque made payable to   ‘The Arts Society Solihull’

to Mrs Judith Carver,23 Abbots Close, Knowle, Solihull ,B93 9PP. ( Tel.01564 778636 ).