| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Leader: |
Steve Sell
|
This is a new group for occasional extra trips by coach.
Future trips:
Friday 21st August - Coach to Brighton.
Wednesday 21st October - Coach to Deal’s sandy seafront, followed by a lunchtime visit to Warmer Castle and the gardens.
Details will appear in the Monthly Programme.
PREVIOUS TRIPS
Wednesday 24th June 2026
We visited Harrow School in June when the temperature reached the mid-thirties! Fortunately, the journey there was by coach and the air conditioning was turned up high, so it was very pleasant. The coach driver commented on the fact the streets we passed through were remarkably quiet compared to normal, presumably because of the temperature outside.
When we arrived, we waited for our guides in the Speech Room Underpass, which kept us relatively cool. Because we were a large coach group, we split into two groups so that some toured first and took afternoon tea afterwards and vice versa for the second group.
The tour was modified slightly because of the heat, so we were inside most of the time. Group 1 started in the historic Fourth Form Room with our guide Sharon. This original classroom took us back to the early days of the school, which was founded in 1572 under a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I. We learned the school was originally set up for the poor boys of the parish and only became fee-paying later on. The old classroom was used in the first Harry Potter film, ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’. Indeed, the school has been used as a location for many well-known films.
After some time in the classroom, it was becoming a bit stuffy, so we appreciated the opportunity to move next door to the very cool War Memorial Building and then to the impressive Speech Room. Finally, we crossed the road and visited the Chapel.
By this time our group were very hungry and thirsty, so we really appreciated the afternoon tea of various sandwiches, cakes and scones with tea and coffee laid on in the air-conditioned conference room back across the road.
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
Initially we visited the famous French Renaissance-style chateau Waddesdon Manor, built in the 1870s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. It was an early start so we could arrive for included refreshments followed by a private tour of the house.