OUR NEWS

Jennifer Cowling gave us a fascinating talk on the origins of the extraordinary things we say...........kerfuffle, higgledy-piggledy, right as rain, fit as a fiddle.......well who would have known? A most entertaining and enlightening afternoon!

March 13th turned out to be unlucky in that our scheduled speaker, Bill King, was unable to attend due to personal issues. However fortune was on our side as Paul Colley was able to stand in at the 11th hour and entertain us with his amazing collection of award winning wildlife photographs ranging from stunning underwater shots to the sky at night as well as from the local Pennyhooks Farm project. .

The first of this year's coffee mornings was held on the 4th March at Studley Grange Garden Centre, Wroughton when we able to chat with fellow members while partaking of some of the cafe's delights.

Wayne Gregory returned on the 11th February to continue his insightful talk on Oman and its hidden wonders.

The 4th February saw about 40 members gather at the Blunsden House Hotel for a very a wonderfully sociable lunch and an extremely enjoyable meal. We all agreed that we would like to repeat the experience next year.

Dr Richard Fisher started our New Year with a detailed and fascinating talk on The Three Choirs and a Reformation

1st December 2025 It was very wet and miserable outside but warm and welcoming inside as we enjoyed tea and scones at our pre-Christmas social event. Jam first or cream first, Devon or Cornwall? Well no-one seemed to worry as we tucked in amid chatter, laughter and background music. Cleverly folded linen napkins shaped liked Christmas trees decorated the tables but, despite careful deconstruction, recreating what seemed to be a simple creation proved to be more tricky than

We are pleased that donations to National Trust projects and sites this year are being made to: Avebury Manor, Wiltshire, Lodge Park, Gloucestershire and Ashdown House, Oxfordshire Grateful responses have been received: Avebury Manor We received your letter yesterday; thank you so much for your kind words and the donation for our restoration project. It is so generous of the Upper Thames and Ridgeway NT Association to think of us and send their support. I will reach out agai

Wayne Gregory in his talk " Oman – The Jewel of Arabia” explored the historical links between the UK and Oman, the geography and climate...

Our visit to Coughton Court began with a tour of the house, where we discovered that the correct pronunciation is "Coat-on Court". The...

Thank you for organising such a worthwhile visit to Kelmscott Manor on Wednesday afternoon. We enjoyed the well-planned guided tour...

When I first saw the itinerary for the Bletchley Park visit I wondered whether 4 hours was rather a long time to spend there. Towards the...

Syon House, our final visit of the holiday did not disappoint. It is the London home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland whilst it...

Most of us were still recovering from our lovely, hot, busy morning at Sutton Hoo when we were dropped off in Lavenham. We had to walk up...

The Royal Burial grounds Sutton Hoo from the viewing tower, well worth the climb. On a decidedly warm summer’s day, our journey took us...

Long Melford village It was not even an overview, more a fly by! Our driver Barrie, was determined to demonstrate that Long Melford lived...

Visit to Kentwell Hall - Tuesday 17th June We approached Kentwell Hall, in the village of Long Melford, along a lime tree avenue and...

Ickworth Estate - 1700 John Hervey inherited the title and started work on the Walled Garden and Summer house. 1779 Frederick, Earl...

UTRNTA Report on visit to Bury St Edmunds Cathedral After a very short coach journey we arrived a few hundred yards from St Edmunsbury...

Sunday 15th June 2025 Our first day on the holiday to Suffolk, staying at Bury St Edmunds. We had a lunchtime stop with a soup and...