Future Outings - TrustNews March 15
Spitalfields - Thursday 21 st May
We will travel by coach. Our first stop will be Christ Church, Hawksmoor's masterpiece, and there meet Charlie de Wet, a trustee of the Huguenot Society and a most experienced guide. Alter the church, she will lead us through the Huguenot quarter and tell us of the history of these hard-working refugees from France. We will see their houses, some still unrestored and some gentrified, and hear something of the heroic efforts which have been made to save this historic part of London from the developers.
The walk will end at Sandys Row Synagogue, originally a Huguenot chapel and converted at the end of the 1860s. There the Custodian will speak of its history and use to the present day by the Jewish residents of the area, their numbers now much diminished. By then in need of refreshment, we will move to the strangely named Water Poet nearby for lunch. Thus fortified, we will walk the short distance to Denis Sevens House which describes itself as more than just a time capsule. lt is a breath-taking and intimate portrait of the lives of a family of Huguenot silk weavers from 1724 to the dawn of the 20th century.
After that, we should be ready to return home. We travel by coach for cohesion and because it is cheaper than by train, even on a senior ticket!
Please see the accompanying application for times and cost. Numbers are limited to 24, so early application is advisable.
Bletchley Park - Thursday 25th June
This destination needs little introduction. Its code breaking activities are credited with shortening World War 2 and, some say, winning it. Many members will have been there already. Some tell me they will be happy to go again.
Again, please see the accompanying application. Numbers limited to 24, which is the maximum capacity of the coach. For both trips, it is essential that the coach is fully loaded.
Possible return visit
Our visit last year to the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust was held to be a great su cess and was certainly oversubscribed. We saw a great deal of the work of the former Royal Aircraft Establishment and were guided by a former scientist whose explanations were fascinating. Who knows how important and lengthy was the work on the leading edge of Concorde’s wing? Who has seen a full size replica of the first aircraft to fly in the UK?
A second visit has been mooted. Cost in the region of £25, numbers limited to 25 — 30. If you are interested please tell our Secretary not later than 31st March.