WELCOME TO THE ARTS SOCIETY WIRRAL
Cultural Tour
Birmingham and the Midlands
28th to 30th September 2023
3days/2 nights
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Maximum 40 Staying at 4 star Moor Hall Hotel and Spa
Twin/double share £399 per person
Single supplement £59 per person (2nights)
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Now fully Booked
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N.B. Please be at Heswall Squash club by 8.15 ready to depart at 8.30
National Memorial Arboretum.
click the link to go to the National Arboretum website
click the link to go to Potteries Museum + Art Gallery website
Thursday Day 1 - Departing Heswall Squash Club car park at 8.30am, we begin our journey to our first visit to The Potteries Museum + Art Gallery, home of the Staffordshire Hoard. This is the largest collection of Angio-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, comprising of over 4,000 items, Archaeologists believe the Hoard was buried during the 7th Century at a time when the region was part of the Kingdom of Mercia. The Hoard was jointly acquired by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Birmingham City Council after it was discovered by a metal detector in 2009 near Lichfield. Lunch can be purchased in the onsite cafe adjacent to the new Spitfire Gallery: before continuing on to National Memorial Arboretum. This attraction comprises of 150 acres of trees and memorials devoted to the concept of Remembrance and is the home of the Armed forces Memorial. This is a striking and emotive structure that gives recognition and thanks for those who have died whilst on duty or as a result of terrorist action
since WW11 and acknowledges the enduring sacrifice of those who mourn their loss. A 60- minute Land Train Tour
is included which incorporates the outer lying points or the Arboretum with commentary. It is then just a short
transfer on to our hotel near Sutton Coldfield, where having checked in and freshened up we will have dinner which is included this evening.
Click the link to go to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts
click the link to go to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens website
Birmingham Rep
Friday Day 2 - Breakfast included. Today is dedicated to the city of Birmingham, beginning with an included 1 hour guided Backstage tour of The Birmingham Rep. Next there will be free time to visit the library of Birmingham (free flow visit) set over 10 levels, which shares a spacious entrance and foyer with The Rep. Located in Centenary square, the library along with The REP and symphony Hall forms the cultural heart or the city. You will see the outdoor Amphitheatre surrounded by wildflower planting, used for performances of music, drama and story. telling. There are also 2 outdoor garden terraces in the lLibrary, one of which offers a good view of the surroundings from one of the highest points in the city. Next you will be transferred to the Birmingham Botanic Garden where lunch can be purchased. This 15 acre green oasis is home to around 7.000 plants, shrubs and trees, including many rarities. There are four glasshouses to explore (Mediterranean, subtropical, tropical and arid) as well as a fragrant rose garden, colourful cottage garden, shady woodland walk, rock pool, and alpines, the National Bonsai Collection, and much more. Today concludes with a visit to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The galleries at the Grade 1 listed Barber Institute boast on outstanding art collection and a concert hall with perfect acoustics. See masterpieces by Botticelli, Rubens, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Tuner and Rossetti, Monet, Manet and Van Gogh. The jewel in the cultural crown of the University of Birmingham, the Barber lives the vision of its founder, Lady Barber, who wished to establish a centre 'for the study and encouragement of art and music'. There is also a dazzling coin gallery, housing Europe's must significant collection of Roman, Byzantine and medieval coins, alongside
decorative art and sculpture as well as changing exhibitions and displays of prints and drawings. Returning to the hotel, dinner included.
© National Trust/Lindsey Bucknor
Wightwick Manor
Saturday Day 3 - Breakfast included. Checking out of the hotel today begins in Dudley. Pop on your hard hat, hop
on a canal boat and explore the underground world of Dudley Canal Tunnel and Limestone Mines, learning about thousands of years of history in just 45 minutes! The Dudley Canal Trust has been restoring these underground
waterways since the 1960's and today, this award winning production contains videos, lifelike reconstructions and
immersive music and light shows. Travel the canal and find out about the tropical shallow sea that once covered the local land and created the fossils you see today. This is where miners dug out thousands of tonnes of limestone to fuel the Industrial Revolution, something you will lean about from your skipper leading the way. The limestone itself is estimated to be over 400 million years old. Refreshments can be purchased here before the short journey to Wightwick Manor (NT), which displays the legacy of a family's passion for Victorian art and design. In 1937 Geoffrey Mander MP persuaded the National Trust to accept a house that was just 50 years old. The local paint manufacturer and Liberal MP had been left the timber-framed house by his father Theodore. Taking inspiration from a lecture on 'The House Beautiful' by Oscar Wilde, Theodore and his wife Flora decorated its interiors with the designs of William Morris and his Arts and Crafts contemporaries. It houses a remarkable collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Rosselli, Burne Jones and their followers. A light lunch is included here before continuing homeward, returning to your original departure point later in the day.
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Click the link to go to the Dudley Canal website
Click the link to go to the Wightwick Manor website
Simply Groups reserve the right to make changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond their control
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The 4* Moor Hall Hotel & Spa is a 4* Country House hotel set in beautiful parkland, within easy reach of Birmingham
The hotel is approached via a stunning tree lined avenue and has 83 comfortable bedrooms, 2 restaurants, a bar, a leisure club and spa, plus outdoor grounds with an historical sunken garden and woodlands. The Hotel has rich history dating back to the 16th century when it was owned by Bishop Vesey who frequently entertained Henry Vill. Moor Hall has been owned by the Webb family for over 60 years now, and it is this personal touch that sets it apart. Standard rooms are furnished in a range of traditions styles with all having an ensuite bathroom, flatscreen TV and free wi-Fi. Access to leisure facilities included.
Insurance
Members of The Arts Society Wirral should arrange their own insurance cover for personal accidents caused by their own actions or lack of attention, as this is their own responsibility. Members’ personal effects are not covered by The Arts Society insurance unless they are being used or stored in conjunction with The Arts Society authorised activities and events.
If you require further information about The Arts Society insurance, please refer to full details on The Arts Society website, www.theartssociety.org in the Members Section.