We are delighted to announce that we have arranged a 5 day tour to visit 'The Historic Houses and Heritage of Devon' commencing on Monday 28th Septemebr 2026. You can download the brochure  and booking form here and for more information about this tour please visit Tailored Travel

Our day begins with an early start at 8:30 am pick up behind Sainsbury's Thorley to allow a full day to visit two locations.

At the Red House, Benjamin Britten's and Peter Pears’ house and gardens we will have an introductory talk. Click the here for more information on the Red House.

There is also an opportunity to visit The Aldeburgh Gallery to see the Suzanne Cooper exhibition. We will be welcomed by Cooper’s son Dan and daughter-in-law Lucy Hughes-Hallett who provided the excellent lecture on her paintings recently. Click here for more information about The Aldeburgh Gallery.

There will also be the opportunity to spend about an hour and a half free time exploring Aldeburgh.

We shall be divided into 2 groups, swapping locations after lunch. To make the day as flexible as possible and not crowded into one location, we can all choose from the many cafes, restaurants, and pubs in the delightful town. Therefore, the cost per person of £36.00 charge does not include any refreshments but allows you freedom to choose.

We set off for home at 4:30 pm.

Booking for this outing can be made at our next meeting on 12th May - from 9.30am in the auditorium.

We are pleased to announce that English Heritage have kindly agreed to us organising a trip for 24 of our Arts Society members to have a private guided tour of the famous paintings at Audley End House.

The paintings include a unique collection of 18th century ones of the house and estate by the noted landscape painter William Tomkins (1732-1792) which are not normally available to the public. They are all in the Tomkins room.

Our guides/lecturers on the day will be Dr Peter Moore (EH curator of collections) in the general house and Mary Jowett (a senior EH guide) or one of her team in the Tomkins room.

If you would like to join this visit and would like more information please follow this link

This will be for 5 days from £739 departing 25th September 2025 and staying at the 4* Park Royal Hotel in Stretton, offering the usual half board basis plus excellent facilities which you can see on their website if you so wish.

We will be visiting :-

Attingham Park
Manchester Art Gallery (guided tour)
Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate
Chester (guided walking tour)
Erddig
The Lowry (guided tour)
Lyme Park
and RHS Garden Bridgewater

For the brochure, booking forms and full details go to Tailored Travel
 

Tailored Travel, who are once again looking after us, have asked that “Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems”

Visit to Hever Castle 2025 Wednesday 16th July leaving from the BACK of Sainsburys Thorley at 9am and returning for home from the venue at 4pm 

Experience over 600 years of history at the romantic double-moated 14th Century Castle, once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth 1 and discover magnificent award-winning gardens set in 125 acres of glorious grounds. No matter what time of year you visit you are guaranteed a breath-taking display.

So says the website and so you are in a for real treat! Plus you will also be able to discover the opulence of the Tudor court with a unique display of historically accurate costumes from the acclaimed TV drama of Hilary Mantel’s final novel Wolf Hall:The Mirror and the Light, telling the story of the Tudor Court from Thomas Cromwell’s perspective.

We will be selling this visit at the lecture on the 10th June and payment may be made by card, cash or cheque payable to BSDFAS. Whilst we always try to make our Outings as cost effective as possible, this time lunch is not included as it would seem preferable to choose your own on this occasion at your own cost but, morning refreshments on our arrival will be included. The cost overall is £50 which covers travel, entrance with a multimedia headset, coffee/tea and home made biscuits. Then this gives you ample time to pursue what appeals to you. We hope to see you on 10th June so that you can place your booking.

We will be visiting Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, a vibrant cultural hub in the Surrey countryside on Monday 19th May 2025 leaving the BACK of Sainsburys Thorley at 9am and returning for home from the venue at 4pm

Watts Gallery was founded in 1904 as the only gallery in the UK devoted to a single artist. Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village offers a unique insight into the life and work of ‘England’s Michelangelo’ George Frederick Watts and his wife Mary Watts, the designer and founder of The Potters’ Art Guild at Compton.
George and Mary Watts shared a vision that had the power to change society and should be available for everyone to experience and enjoy. This legacy is continued in many different ways, through their collection and exhibitions, programming, contemporary art projects and community engagement.
You will have the opportunity to have a guided tour of the Gallery (all on one level), and in addition visit their house and the Church, designed by his wife in the exquisite Arts and Crafts style which is a short walk away. There is a good shop too!

This visit will be on sale at the lecture on the 8th April and payment may be made by card, cash or cheque payable to BSDFAS. We always try to make our Outings as cost effective as possible and, as such, find it beneficial if we cost the day to include refreshments (coffee and lunch) and this makes it all easier for all of you too. The price is £60 which includes travel, admission and one guided tour, coffee and biscuits on arrival, lunch consisting of a sandwich platter selection with a seasonal fruit platter, small admin and driver tip addition. 

We are pleased to present this Tailored Travel tour consisting of 4 days from £714 Departing 6th March 2025

Features are:- 4* hotel, 3 dinners included, specialist battlefield guide throughout, all excursions, entrance fees and guided tours included, return Eurotunnel crossings, executive coach throughout, local accommodation tax included.
 

What we will see:- Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, Loos Memorial at Dud Corner Cemetery, Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, Site of the Christmas Truce 1914, Hooge Crater Museum, Ypres, Last Post Ceremony under the Menin Gate, Carriere Wellington, Arras Memorial, Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, La Boisselle, Devonshire Trench, Flat Iron Copse, Thiepval, Memorial Reden Ridge No 2 Cemetery
 

Accommodation: 3 nights at the 4* Best Western Plus Alize Hotel
 

For more information follow this link. or contact Rosemary Thomson 01279 758389 and for booking forms with a closing date of 30th November 2024.

Visit to The National Gallery, London on Wednesday 20th November 2024 and to celebrate its 200th Anniversary.
 

We will leave from the BACK of Sainsburys Thorley at 9am and leave London at 4pm.
The cost is £27.00 covering travel and administrative fees and allowing you to do “your own thing” during the day.

We will be selling places at the lecture on 8th October and, once again, although the sum-up machine seems to be working well, please also bring cash or a cheque just to make sure we are up and running! 

We are planning a visit to Glyndebourne once again. At this early stage we are proposing the following programme which will be provided by Tailored Travel.

Duration: 3 days 2 nights
Coach: Executive coach throughout 

Guide: a Blue Badge guide is included on Day 2. A guided tour is also included at Brighton Pavilion and Firle Place.

Hotel: We stay 2 nights at the 4* Hydro Hotel in Eastbourne. Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and bar, and all rooms are ensuite and feature hairdryer, television, telephone, an in-room safe, and tea and coffee making facilities. A choice 3 course dinner without drinks is included at our hotel on the first evening and we enjoy a set 2 course dinner without drinks at Glyndebourne after the Opera on Day 2.

Included: Stalls/Circle tickets are included to see the 4pm performance of “La Traviata” opera at Glyndebourne on Day 2. The entrance fee is also included at Brighton Pavilion and Firle Place.

Rooms: We have been allotted 10 twins/doubles and 10 singles at a cost of £714 per person plus £29 single supplement.

For the Tailored Travel information brochure and booking form click here

Meanwhile, as time is of the essence please email me if you think you may wish to join this Autumn break which I know will be very special as our trips always are.

Rosemary Thomson
Outings Co-ordinator.

email: r.thomson019@gmail.com

We can discover 400 years of history at Blickling Estate where Henry and Dorothy Hobert created Blickling Hall on a corner of Norfolk. King Harold owned the estate and Anne Boleyn was believed to have born there. Generations of the Hobart and Kerr families have lovingly added their touch, allowing us to delve through layers of history and get to know the communities that have loved and cared for the estate.

The hall, built in the 1620s is surrounded by 55 acres of formal garden, including a parterre, lake, kitchen garden and the unforgettable front drive, framed by ancient hedges.

Conservation work continues to protect this legacy: the glorious house, with its nationally important library and the parkland’s extensive veteran tree collection. So do come and join us on this slightly longer than usual journey for us but travelling through an Autumn East Anglian countryside.

We will leave from the BACK of Sainsburys, Thorley, at 9am and leaving to return home at around 4pm. Cost is £28 for National Trust Members and £42 for Non National Members and this covers the cost of travel and admin costs allowing you to wander at your own pace during the day there.

Booking will take place at the lecture on Tuesday 9th July and so please bring cheque or cash as we are still coming to terms with the new SumUp situation!

“The most charming marine chateau that ever was” as a friend of the Duke of Wellington described it, Walmer Castle began in 1539-40 as one of Henry VIII’s Tudor artillery forts defending The Downs, a crucial sheltered anchorage.
 

Part of the Castle is closed in preparation for conservation works and so no guided tour, hence I will order guide books for everyone but I understand that there is a small number of rooms which we can visit individually plus we will have the opportunity to see the Lord Wardens apartments which have not always been open to the public.

Garden developments recreate the vision of Lord Warden, William Pitt the Younger, the former Prime Minister and his niece and hostess Lady Hester Stanhope. Nearer the house, is the tranquil Queen Mother’s Garden, created to honour her 95th birthday and where she enjoyed visiting with her corgis in tow and her own curtains to personalise the flat. She frequented the castle from 1978 to 2002 while she held the ceremonial title of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Keep your fingers crossed for a sunny day which will certainly enhance our walk round the gardens!

We will leave from the BACK of Sainsburys Thorley at 9am
The cost is £44.50 if you are an English Heritage member and £57.00 if you are not. This includes travel, refreshments on arrival, a guide book and a Castle Garden salad for lunch in the Tea Room.

Booking will be at our lecture on 11th June. We have a new SumUp machine but just in case there are problems with this one please bring your cheque book or cash!
We are in for a splendid day out with something to appeal to all and I look forward to being with you on the day.

Most of you will be aware that the Committee have been working towards offering a European tour next year and attached is the information regarding a possible visit to Italy for 6 days from 16th to 21st May. This will give you a good idea of a very busy schedule starting with a flight, hopefully from Stansted, and very full days with a lot of visits each day. So I am advising you to consider all this when thinking of booking as I cannot be responsible for those with limited mobility whilst ensuring everyone has access to all that is on offer. I am very happy to discuss this further should you be concerned in any way. I will have booking forms next Tuesday, 11th July, and up until October. 
Rosemary Thomson, Outings Co-ordinator"

Our first visit in 2024 is to Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury where we will be able to see Gainsborough’s masterpieces, exhibitions of international appeal, contemporary art and a landscape studio with panoramic views over Sudbury. Nowhere else in the world can such a wide collection of Gainsborough’s art be seen in a single setting, alongside delightful personal collections of the Suffolk artists John Constable and Cedric Morris.

On arrival we will be welcomed with tea/coffee and cookies before breaking in to smaller groups for a 40 minute guided tour after which you can wander as you wish before everyone will meet for a set classic sandwich lunch organised for our group separately. This has all been organised in advance so that we can appreciate as much of our visit as possible and at the most effective cost.

We will leave Sudbury after lunch and travel to Lavenham to visit the Guildhall of Corpus Christi which is a remarkable testament to the last 500 years of village life. This complex of timber-framed buildings provides an atmospheric backdrop to the stories of the people who shaped and influenced its fortunes and, ultimately, the village of Lavenham we see today.
There will be time for you to enjoy refreshments of your own choice before boarding the coach to return home.

If you are a member of Historic Houses or have an Art Fund pass your entrance to Gainsborough’s House will be free and so you may deduct £13 from the costing below and National Trust members will have free access to Lavenham Guildhall. Non members will be charged £8.55. So overall the cost for the day is £54 which includes travel, entrance to Gainsborough’s House, coffee and cookies, a 40 minute tour and a sandwich lunch and as NT members free entrance to Lavenham Guildhall so you don’t need to worry about anything else. 

We will be selling this visit at our lecture on Tuesday 13th February 2024.

Rosemary Thomson, Outings Co-ordinator

We visit Bletchley Park, home of the WW2 Codebreakers which was one Britain’s best kept secrets and is now a vibrant attraction open daily for visitors to learn how the Codebreakers breath-taking achievements helped shorten WW2 by up to 2 years.

This will be a self guided tour which will allow you to enjoy everything on offer at your own pace. Individual guide books will be included to make your visit even more enjoyable. The catering facilities are good!

The cost for the day will be £40 which includes travel, entrance and the above mentioned guide book and Rosemary will be selling this at the lecture on Tuesday 12th September. We now have the facility to use a card reader but as it is quite new I would ask that, for administration purposes, you bring your cheque book or cash with you for booking in case there is a problem!

A further information letter will be given to you once you have booked so that you have details of timings and where to board the coach.

This tour will take place over 5 days from 17th to 21st September 2023

Click here for a brochure and full details of this tour

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control this outing has been cancelled.

For further details and information about refunds please contact Rosemary Thomson

We are planning a visit to the above which I am sure will be a most interesting and varied day. This venue offers the delightful contrast of a magnificent collection of industrial, agricultural and transport heritage exhibition with the relaxing rather magical environment of the Swiss Garden, filled with seasonal colour.
Six large hangars showcase remarkable examples of early aviation, vintage vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles. This living and working museum is the legacy of Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth who died on an RAF training flight in 1940.
Visitors can also enjoy nearly 60 acres of parkland including a woodland sculpture trail, a lake, paddocks overlooking the grass airfield and the gentle hills of the North Park which afford fantastic views of Shuttleworth House and the surrounding countryside.

The cost is £37 which includes travel and the “Shuttleworth Explorer” which gives meet and greet on arrival, virtual Shuttleworth overview with tea and coffee, guided tour elsewhere and access to all open areas of the Visitor Attraction. This is slightly more expensive than doing your own thing but I feel this is very worthwhile on such a huge site.
As I mention each time please consider carefully your mobility before booking. 

I will be selling this visit at the lecture on 11th April. We now have a facility to use a card reader but as it is new to us I would ask that for administration purposes you bring your cheque book or cash with you for booking just in case there is a problem!
A further information letter will be given to you then so that you have details of timings and where to board the coach.
 

Marble Hill has been described as “Breath taking restoration revives Georgian England”.
Perfectly situated on the banks of the Thames between Twickenham and Richmond the newly and marvellously renovated Marble Hill House is one the last survivors of the 18th Century Palladian villas and gardens which once bordered the Thames.
The House was restored by the GLC in 1965 and opened to the public the following year. English Heritage, which took over its management in the 1980s, has just completed a major restoration. The results are breath taking and so we are in a real treat on this visit.

The cost is £24 for National Heritage members and £37 if you are not a member.  This covers travel and a House Highlights tour of approximately one hour, introducing Henrietta Howard, her house at Marble Hill and its superb collection of artworks and furnishings

This visit will be on sale at the lecture on 14th February. It is important for administration purposes that you bring your cheque book or cash with you for booking.
As mentioned before please consider carefully your mobility before booking.
A further information letter will be given you then so that you have details of timings and where to board the coach.

Mrs R J Thomson
Outings Co-ordinator

Our next outing is to the Imperial War Museum which has been highly praised over recent months. It is planned for Tuesday 15th November to coincide with Remembrance weekend.
The cost for this is £25 which includes coach travel and administration costs. Once we have arrived and enjoyed our morning coffee or tea break you will be free to spend as much time as you wish anywhere in the Museum both late morning and early afternoon.

Food is available in the café which is not large but offers a wide choice of light lunches.

Step free access is via the West entrance.
Please consider carefully your mobility before booking.

A further information letter will be given to you on the day so that you have details of timings and where to board the coach.

To book this visit please contact Rosemary Thomson

This visit will take place from 14th to 16th October and will include reserved seats for the Glyndebourne performance of ‘La Bohème’. You will also visit Penshurst Place, Charleston House and  Michelham Priory. Download the brochure and booking form here

A visit to the above, entitled Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature is planned for Tuesday 20th September at a cost of £36.00 which covers the cost of coach travel and entry to the exhibition. Other areas to visit in the V and A are free and there is always something interesting to explore. There are several areas for food which allows you make your own purchase and at a time to suit you.

Please consider carefully your mobility before booking.

I will be selling this visit at the lecture on Tuesday 12th July. It is important, for administration purposes that you bring your cheque book or cash with you for booking.
A further information letter will be given to you on the day so that you have details of timings and where to board the coach.
 

Coming to the summer season, this could be the best time for a visit to Kew Gardens especially as Kew Palace is open from Easter till September. The botanical garden was founded in 1759 by Princess Augusta, mother of George III. The Architect Sir William Chambers designed several buildings for the estate including: The Orangery, Pagoda and Ruined Arch. In 1987, The Princess of Wales Conservatory named for Princess Augusta, was officially opened by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Kew is also a world-leading centre for plant and fungal research and conservation. 

Our visit on the 20th May is to Holkham Hall and Walled Garden in North Norfolk.  Holkham Hall was built by Thomas Coke, later the 1st Earl of Leicester, following a 6 year Grand Tour where he met the architect William Kent in Italy.  They both had a passion for the architecture of Andrea Palladio  and they together built a vast house in the Palladian Style. 

The house contains art, original furniture and classical statuary much of it collected by Thomas on his travels but the house is still a lived in family home.  The six acre walled garden includes Victorian greenhouses, a vineyard etc. 

We will visit one of the architectural jewels of Oxford. The Sheldonian Theatre was erected between 1664 and 1669, designed by Sir Christopher Wren; it is the ceremonial hall of the University also used for concerts and lectures. Its impressive painted ceiling is the work of Robert Streater who was the Sergeant painter to the King.

For those who wish to climb the stairs; The eight-sided Cupola in the centre of the roof with large windows on all sides provide stunning views across central Oxford. An History of the University of Oxford guided tour is arranged entitled: ‘The Sheldonian Theatre in Context’.

Our first outing of the year will hopefully deliver some diversion from the cold days of winter with classic characters from leading cartoonists. On the 1st July 2019, The Cartoon Museum was refurbished and relocated to 63 Wells Street, London.

The aim of the cartoon Museum is to conserve and provide access to Britain’s cartoon and comic art heritage with over 200 original cartoons, caricatures, comics, graphic novels, including a great comic artwork from 2000AD.