1st February 2025 

Hello Everyone,

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We started the new year with our first lecture of 2025, on January 20th when heard from Scott Schiavone all about 

Fashionable Folds: The Fan as the ultimate fashion accessory

This proved an unusual and interesting link between art and high fashion, from the time of the pharaohs onwards, with the fan being sometimes the preserve of the Court and nobility and at other times in far more widespread use. 

Our thanks again to those of you who completed the questionnaires which are proving to be interesting reading. As mentioned before there is a clear wish for tea or coffee after the meetings. Other questions have far more disparate responses and all are collated by our Outings Secretaries. 

As always, a plea to members that if they would be interested in helping in whatever capacity on the Committee, they would be very welcome. Please do think about it. 

We are looking forward to a busy time ahead this year. Arrangements are well underway for the Spring Supper on 27thMarch at Heswall Hall. Tyler Butterworth will return with another of his fascinating showbusiness talks, 

A Bit of a Carry On 

Doors will open at 6:00pm, the lecture is given at 6:30pm and supper will be from 7:30pm. Tickets are available at £52.00 each, a very small increase since our last such entertainment, two years ago. 

We have tickets for the matinee performance of “Hamilton”, which has been so well received, at the Liverpool Empire on Tuesday 27th May. All tickets are priced at £49, lower than individual purchases, for the block booking. As we will be in Liverpool there is no coach fare to include in the price. Even people who aren’t keen on musicals have been enthusiastic about Hamilton. 

An outing is being organised to Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury and Benthall Hall, near Much Wenlock, both in Shropshire and both National Trust properties, to take place in late March/early April. Date and price will be announced as soon as possible, and will of course be updated here on the website. 

Six months seems to pass very quickly, and the next North West Area meeting is scheduled for 3rdMarch at Brockholes, near Preston. I anticipate a good showing from our committee at this always useful, informative and helpful meeting.

A reminder that our AGM will take place on Monday 17th March, immediately before our lecture. This is to begiven by Paul Rabbitts, 

A Concise History of Our Great British Parks

and I am absolutely sure that we will be hoping to hear about our own Birkenhead Park.

 

So we reach the beginning of 2025, with the world still in a perilous state. All we can do is hope, as we have for almost three years since 24th February 2022, for a better and more peaceful outcome in so very many parts of this world. So many changes have already taken place. 

My sincere good wishes  

Yvonne Woodhead