OUTINGS 2025
Page updated: 13 April 2025
STOP PRESS: The Outings Committee are conducting a Survey to help them plan ahead.
Please click on the green button to have a look & share your thoughts.
The Survey closes mid-day 26th May.
Bookings are issued by email to members, usually with the monthly Newsletter, about a month or two ahead. ​
Bookings are only accepted with payment.
Outings are arranged for members usually every month.
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A short four or five day holiday is included in the itinerary every year & previous destinations have included Normandy, Salzburg, Ireland, Tuscany, Madrid, Slovenia.
They are organised at cost price, with transport, tickets & gratuities included.
Ideas for future outings
are very welcome.
2025:
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Outings Committee had a break Jan & Feb
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March – The Back to Back Houses & the Coffin Works in Birmingham.​​
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24th April – The Historic Dockyards at Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk
Attractions: The Mary Rose Museum , HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, HMS M.33, The National, Museum of the Royal Navy
And over the water in Gosport: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum, The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower​
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22nd May – Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent
Dating back to the 14th century, Hever Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I.
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26th June – Osborne House, Isle of Wight - Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne in 1845 and it was used as a family home for over 50 years, the Queen finding solace there after Albert’s death in 1861. She said that “it is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”
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July –The Tower of London, possibly including a Thames cruise from Westminster Pier
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Aug – Poole Harbour, with a 4-hour river cruise from Frome to Wareham
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Sep/Oct – A holiday in Kent
2024:
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Jan & Feb - No Outing
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Mar - Churchill War Rooms (cancelled)
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Apr - Neasden Temple
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May - RHS Malvern Spring Festival
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Jun - The American Museum and Bath
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Jul - Avebury & Lacock
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Aug – 3 Rivers Cruise, Southampton
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Sept – Sudeley Castle
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Oct – 7-day Holiday in Normandy
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Nov – Theatre Trip, Rhythm of Dance, Wycombe Swan Theatre
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Dec – see above

2023:
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Feb Bovington Tank Museum (cancelled)
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Mar Wallace Collection & Chelsea Hospital
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April Highclere Castle
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May The Cotswolds - Gloucester Railway & Broadway
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June Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
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July Weald and Downland Museum with Gridshell Building
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Aug Cowes
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Sept The Hawk Conservancy, Andover
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Oct Annual Holiday to Salzburg and the Austrian Lakes
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Nov Milestones Museum
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Dec The Mill at Sonning for a performance of High Society
2022:
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Feb Museum trip to London
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Mar Cirencester Museum & the Mansion Cirencester Park Apr Brighton Pavilion
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May The Watercress Line
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June Little Venice, Regents Canal & Camden Market
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Aug Gilbert White's house, garden & Oates Collection
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Sep Holiday in Southern Ireland - 5 days
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Oct Coventry Cathedral & Coventry Transport Museum
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Nov Natural History Museum, Tring
2021:
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June/July - 4 days in Northumbria
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July - Cruise to the Isle of Wight
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Aug - Butser Ancient Farm
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Sept - Salisbury
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Oct - Gloucester
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Nov - Aerospace Bristol
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Dec - The Mill at Sonning
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2020:​
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Feb -Tutankhamun Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh Exhibition in London.​
Then Lockdown happened & the following outings were cancelled or postponed . . .
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Mar Brighton Royal Pavilion & walk along the beach.​​​
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Apr Aerospace Bristol & the last Concorde – Bristol.
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Jun Jewels of Northumbria six-day holiday.​
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Jul Isle of Wight day trip – sea trip, coach tour & cream tea.
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​Aug Salisbury Cathedral – tour & other local places of interest.
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Sep Hemel Hempstead Print Works
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2019:
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Feb London Guildhall
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Mar Royal Mint – South Wales
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May Southampton Water cruise & Solent Sky Museum
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Jun Slimbridge Wetland Centre ​
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Jul Thames Barrier Boat trip from Tower Bridge to the Barrier
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Aug Compton Vernay – introductory talk, a view of the several Art galleries and the Tea Exhibition.​
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Sept Fighter Command Bunker – A detailed talk on the Fighter Command activities was provided.​
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Oct Six Days in Sicily​
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Nov Tate Modern & Tate Britain – Tate Modern then took the boat to Tate Britain. ​
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Dec Christmas Concert at St James. Usual carols, Christmas singing & mulled wine.



Past Holidays
Sicily 2019
Six days of the History of Western Sicily & Palermo. Highlights of the trip included the medieval town of Erice, the Norman Cathedral at Monreale, a tour of Palermo & a boat trip to the island of Mozia. An excellent time had by all.
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Sept 2018 to Romania
To Bucharest, a city of extremes, then to Transylvania in the Carpathians, an area of natural beauty & home to wonderful scenery, Dracula’s Castle (quite ‘sort of interesting’) and Peles Castle, a truly wonderful 19th century chateau filled with highly decorated rooms, set in the most picturesque setting. A most enjoyable holiday with a happy group of members.
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2017
Lake Bled, Slovenia & Koblenz in the Rhineland
A group of 38 of our members had a memorable six day holiday based at Lake Bled. There were many highlights including a visit to Postojna, one of the world’s largest cave systems & a wonderful day at Piran, a medieval town with a Venetian influence, a typical Mediterranean look &, on the day itself, a very Mediterranean climate.
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Many more memorable holidays in the years before....​​
