Salisbury & District U3A Visits

OUTINGS NEWS – MARCH 2016

Trips are offered to all U3A members from 10am at our meetings or by post or by email

Please book early to avoid disappointment

                                           

WEALD AND DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM – Thursday 12^th May 2016 – BOOKING NOW –  The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum  in Singleton, West Sussex covers 50 acres with nearly 50 historic buildings dating from the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries, along with gardens, farm animals, walks and a lake.  The buildings were all threatened with destruction but were carefully dismantled, conserved and rebuilt in their original form at the Museum. These buildings help the Museum bring to life the homes, farmsteads and rural industries of the last seven hundred years. Many buildings situated there are over four hundred years old, and still stand strong.   The Museum Cafe offers pasties, jackets, soups and sandwiches.  Guide books are available on site for £3.95.  Coach Pick Ups:  9am – W – Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton OR 9:15am – S – Millstream Coach Park, Castle Street, Salisbury OR 9:30am – L – London Road Park & Ride.  Cost:  £23 to include Museum entry and free map, coach and driver's gratuity  or £25 if you'd like to include a 90 minute guided tour from 11:30am.  For those who'd like even more choice, West Dean Gardens is a mile west along the A286 – about a 20 minute leisurely walk – and offers an impressive collection of 13 working Victorian Glasshouses, a 300 foot pergola, spring gardens and a pond, a sunken garden, and the occasional surreal fibreglass tree.  Gardens entry is £8.50.  You can go for lunch at the Gardens Restaurant (reservations:  01243 818215) and visit their Shop overlooking the beautiful Lavant valley and West Dean park without paying Gardens entry.   Our Grosvenor or Taylor's coach will leave the Museum at 4pm.
OSBORNE HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT – Thursday 9^th June 2016 – BOOKING NOW – "It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot" said Queen Victoria of Osborne House, her palatial holiday home on the Isle of Wight.  Our visit includes Victoria and Albert's private apartments, their bathing beach and children's play-cottage for an intimate glimpse of royal family life and the opportunity to stroll through the garden terraces where the stunning views across the Solent reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples. Osborne House was designed by Prince Albert in the Italian Renaissance style and built complete with two belvedere towers between 1845 and 1851. The original wing, The Pavilion, housed the principal and royal apartments which retain reminders of Victoria's dynastic links  to the royal families of Europe. The grandeur of the Billiard Room, Queen's Dining Room and the Drawing Room on the ground floor forms a marked contrast with the homely décor of the royal apartments on the first floor including the Prince's Dressing Room, the Queen's Sitting Room, the Queen's Bedroom and the children's nurseries. The main wing, housing household, council and audience chambers was added later while the final wing, built between 1890 and 1891, includes The Durbar Room for state functions and where Queen Victoria's Golden and Diamond Jubilee gifts are exhibited. The Indian associations of Osborne House are wide ranging and include a collection of 19c paintings by Rudolf Swoboda. Victoria and Albert ensured their children learned where food came from by having them grow and cook fruit and vegetables at Swiss Cottage on the Osborne estate. Grand dining was also possible at Osborne in the fabulous Durbar Wing, designed by Rudyard Kipling's father. Famous in the world of desserts - Osborne is where the Victoria Sponge, the Battenburg Cake and the Osborne Pudding were created. Today at Osborne you can treat yourself to lunch in the Terrace Restaurant, an ice-cream on the beach, a snack in the Petty Officers' Quarters, or a quick bite from the Gazelle House.  Cost:  £25 to include coach, driver's gratuity, ferry, and Osborne House and Gardens entry.  A guide book is £4.99 and available in the shop.  Coach Pick Ups:  7:30am – W – Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton OR 7:45am – S – Millstream Coach Park, Castle Street, Salisbury OR 8am – L – London Road Park & Ride.   Our Grosvenor or Taylor's coach will leave Osborne at 4pm.

BILLY ELLIOT MATINEE AT THE MAYFLOWER – Thursday 9^th February 2017 – LATEST DATE FOR BOOKING IS 31^st MARCH 2016 –  Coach Pick Ups:  11:30am – W – Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton OR 11:45am – S – Millstream Coach Park, Castle Street OR 12 noon – L – London Road Park and Ride.  Cost:  £60 to include your front and centre Dress Circle ticket, coach and driver gratuity.                                                                

SLEEPING BEAUTY MATINEE AT THE MAYFLOWER – Thursday 17^th March 2016 – WAITING LIST ONLY -- Cost:  £30 to include center stalls ticket, coach and driver’s gratuity.  Coach Pick Ups:  12 noon – W – Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton OR 12:15pm – S - Millstream Coach Park, Castle Street, Salisbury OR 12:30pm – L – London Road Park and Ride.  Our Grosvenor or Taylor's coach will leave The Mayflower after the performance.
TULIPS IN MALMESBURY – Thursday 14^th April 2016 – WAITING LIST ONLY – Coach Pick Ups:  9am – W – Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton OR 9:15am – S – Millstream Coach Park, Castle Street OR 9:30am – L – London Road Park and Ride.  Cost:  £12 to include coach, driver gratuity and Abbey House  Gardens entry and introductory talk.  Our three Grosvenor and/or Taylor's coaches will leave Abbey House Gardens at 4pm
FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – To ensure you get a place, you are welcome to reserve place(s) in advance on any of the following future trips.  Once details are known a booking form will be emailed to you or sent to you in the post if you provide a stamped self-addressed envelope.                                      

14^th July 2016 – Broughton Castle                                                           

11^th August 2016 – Chiswick House and Marble Hill                           

8^th September 2016 – Cotswold Wildlife Park

13^th October 2016 – The Vyne and Sandham Memorial Chapel

10^th November 2016 – Cheltenham including Battledown Brewery Tour and Wilson Art Gallery & Museum                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

PAYMENTS FOR OUTINGS                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
From 10am At Meetings:  Cash or cheques payable to SALISBURY U3A. One cheque can cover as many people as you like, separate cheques for each outing please.  To save congestion and our frazzled nerves when so many people want to be served at once, may we ask please that you write your cheques in advance and have the correct money if paying in cash.
By Post:  If you are unable to attend the monthly meeting or prefer to book by post, please email Margaret  for a booking form.  If you don’t have email, please post your cheque with destination, your name, home and mobile phone numbers and pick up point on the reverse to Margaret Vacha, 1 Grasmere Close, Salisbury SP2 8DG. 
CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS: Full refund if cancelled within 1 month of outing. Cancellations less than a month before a trip are only refunded if we have a waiting list and can resell your place.
MONTHLY OUTINGS NEWSLETTERS:  Are available at our meetings and by email.  If you don't have email and would like to receive an Outings Newsletter but can't get to all the meetings to collect one each month, please give Margaret a supply of stamped self-addressed envelopes and we will be pleased to post one to you.

ANY QUESTIONS OR TO CHANGE YOUR PICK-UP POINT AFTER BOOKING:
Please contact Margaret at margaretvacha@hotmail.com or 01722 335586 or 07845 870512

I often hear of other trips you might like to know about...

Thursday 5^th May – Laverstock Gardening Club are offering a trip to Bowood House in Calne and would like to fill their coach.  Cost: £23.75 seniors and £25.50 adults.  Coach Pick Up:  Laverstock Green at 9:45am or pick up may be possible from London Road Park & Ride.  Contact Carol Curtis on 01722 336400 or email granny.carol@hotmail.com

Saturday and Sunday 18-19 June from 2-6pm – About 25 private gardens will be open for charity in Cerne Abbas  A day ticket to all the gardens is £6 or £10 for both days (accompanied children free).  Teas, plant stall and free car park.  For more information: www.cerneabbasopengardens.org.uk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tuesday 26^th July –  Highclere Castle – As group bookings are now closed until 2018 I have booked my seat with Golden Age Tours who offer a 16-seater mini coach trip including entry to the castle, gardens and park and hope you'll join me.  Cost: £35 (seniors).  Golden Age Tours – 01722 665544 – goldenagetours@gmail.com – www.salisbury-minibuses.co.uk     

BOOKING FORM

WEALD AND DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM – Thursday 12^th May 2016

Cost:  £23 to include coach travel, driver gratuity and entrance to Museum OR £25 to add a 90 minute guided tour from 11:30am.  Coach Pick Ups:  W – 9am at Michael Herbert Hall, Wilton OR S – 9:15am at Millstream Coach Park, Salisbury OR  P&R – 9:30am at London Road Park & Ride.

NAME ….................................................................................................................................................... 

LANDLINE ….............................................MOBILE ...................................................................

EMAIL …...................................................................COACH PICKUP ....................................

Please complete and return with your cheque for £23 or £25 (to include guided tour) to: 

Margaret Vacha, 1 Grasmere Close, Salisbury SP2 8DG

_______________________________________________________________________

OSBORNE HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT – Thursday 9^th June 2016

Cost:  £25 to include coach travel, driver gratuity, ferry and entrance to Osborne House and Gardens. 

Coach Pick Ups:  W – 7:30am at Michael Herbert Hall, Wilton OR S – 7:45am at Millstream Coach Park, Salisbury OR P&R – 8am at London Road Park & Ride.

NAME ….................................................................................................................................................... 

LANDLINE ….................................................... MOBILE ...................................................................

EMAIL ….......................................................................COACH PICKUP ....................................

Please complete and return with your cheque for £25 to: 

Margaret Vacha, 1 Grasmere Close, Salisbury SP2 8DG

___________________________________________________________________________________

**** BOOKINGS CLOSE ON 31^st MARCH 2016 ****

BILLY ELLIOT MATINEE AT THE MAYFLOWER – Thursday 9^th February 2017

Cost:  £60 to include coach travel, driver gratuity and front and centre Dress Circle ticket. 

Coach Pick Ups:  W – 11:30am at Michael Herbert Hall, Wilton OR S – 11:45am at Millstream Coach Park, Salisbury OR  P&R – 12 noon at London Road Park & Ride.

NAME ….................................................................................................................................................... 

LANDLINE …..................................................MOBILE ...................................................................

EMAIL …............................................................................COACH PICKUP .....................................

Please complete and return with your cheque for £60 before 31^st March 2016 to: 

Margaret Vacha, 1 Grasmere Close, Salisbury SP2 8DG