Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Planning for the Trafalgar Weekend and AGM in Bristol is well underway. The event will be held on 18, 19 and 20 October. The weekend will include guided tours of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain, both designed by Brunel and a visit to the Georgian House.  This was the home of John Pinney who had connections with Nelson.

The weekend includes several guest lectures and a Panel question and answer session, with an all-star cast. The theme of the Panel will be “Nelson and the West Indies”. As usual, a highlight of the weekend will be the Trafalgar Dinner with a range of invited guests.

The event will be held in the Mercure Hotel, Bristol.  Negotiated rates for accommodation and breakfast have been obtained. Double rooms are priced at £75 and single rooms at £65. 50 rooms have been reserved and are being held up until 18 August, 2013, so early booking is recommended.

Car parking is available for the weekend at the price of £12.

Contact: Chris Brett or Sue Morris (contact details on inside front cover of The Nelson Dispatch)

This year’s Nile Luncheon returns to the Rutland Hotel in Bakewell. The Hotel has new owners who are looking forward to our booking. A comprehensive four choice menu will be available and a guest speaker will again precede lunch. The cost of the lunch is £25 per head.

For booking forms, the menu, Friday evening’s event and other details, contact Bob Brister, (contact details inside front cover of The Nelson Dispatch)

Email: bob.brister@btopenworld.com.

Please ensure that you leave your full contact details. Family, guests and partners are welcomed. Room reservations should be made direct to The Rutland Arms Hotel, The Square, Bakewell, DE45 1BT. Tel: 01629 812812. Fax: 01629 812309.

Email: enquiries@rutlandbakewell,co,uk

Early booking is advisable.

Members who came to Greenwich in January will be pleased to know that the restoration is on schedule the completed area of the Painted Hall where Admiral Lord Nelson laid in state and will reopen to the public in early May. TNS member Dr Eugene Rasor was in London last week from the USA. I was able to arrange for a small group of us to accompany Eugene up the scaffolding. For those of us who had been before it was really interesting to see the restoration so near to completion to compare what we had seen in January and be able to talk with the restorers at work. We after had a pleasant lunch then  Eugene and Elizabeth Baker did the Royal Tour of the ORNC whilst the rest of us took in The Caricatures at the NMM before all meeting for a lengthy teatime in The Meantime Brewery. Eugene sends his best wishes to all TNS members and hopes to be back soon.

We have been invited to be involved in The Immortal Memory in January 2014 at The ORNC and plans are already in hand.

There is a ‘Jane Austen and the Navy: Archive Event’ on June 27^th from 18.45 to 19.45 in the NMM Seminar Room. There are possibly lectures in July at The Royals Museum ahead of ‘Nelson, Navy, Nation 1688-1815’ which will open on October 21st. When I have more details I will post them on the website. I went to a very interesting evening in the Caird Library for members and saw Nelson documents that I had not seen before.

On Saturday June 1^st 2013 there is a London and SE day out in Merton lead by TNS member Michael Ford: see details in TND or on the website.

The Nile Clumps/ Highclere Castle visit on July 31^st/August 1^st 2013 for TNS members. I have already had bookings the visit. We may possibly be having a presentation on the evening of July 31^st as well which will be good. We given an Oak tree grown by TNS member Michael Ford to plant in Highclere Park as Lord Nelson’s last steps on English soil were in Hampshire. Sadly due the very inclement weather we have had to plant the tree a couple of weeks ago without Dr Nick Slope or members there. We will however see the tree and unveil its plaque when at Highclere Castle in July 2013.

Lastly The Nelson Society have been invited by Dr Kevin Fewster, Director of the Royals Museum to make a Day visit in late November 2013, at the Royals Museum to see the newly opened Nelson, Navy Nation Gallery. This is likely to be a very extraordinary event from tentative plans in hand from The Royals Museum. The details will be on the website shortly or members can let me know they are interested and I will post details and a booking form as soon as available.

I hope to see some members at the summer events arranged and in the Autumn I hope we will have the visit to the London Guilds. My thanks to Michael Ford for giving us The Nelson Oak to plant in Hampshire and for arranging the Merton day out for us all.

Further to post: The Nile Clumps on Thursday August 1^st 2013  see www.nelson-society.com/2013/04/the-nile-clumps-august-1st-2013-2/

Please be aware the Holiday Inn offer of £85.00 per room for The Nile Clumps event has to be booked by May 31st 2013. We are there during the peak Summer rates when the rate  is £135.00 for 2013.

TNS member Michael Ford has kindly offered to lead a group of up to 25 people on a walk around Merton to places that Admiral Lord Nelson would have known or have a Nelson connection. Michael was born in Trafalgar Road, Merton on Nelson Land. To quote Michael ‘Nelson has been in his blood all his life’. The plan is to meet at 10.30 am at St Mary the Virgin, Merton Park SW19 3HJ, where there is free parking. We will have a tour of the church ending about 12.00 – 12.15 pm.

We will then drive down to the Sava Centre where we can park free for 4 hours – it is then a 5 minute walk to have a pub lunch at The Abbey Mill. Abbey Mill also has connections with William Morris as he had workshops there as well as with Nelson. After lunch we will go to St John’s, which stands on Merton land. Part of the Altar is timber from HMS Victory. About 3pm we will walk through Nelson Gardens, look where Merton House once stood before seeing The Nelson Arms which has Poole Pottery Mosaic tiles with a Nelson Theme. Lastly we will go to Merton Priory where we will be given a tour by David Saxby, a local writer and historian. The day will conclude about 5pm.

For those who have never been to Merton this is a unique chance to have a very interesting day out with Nelson Society friends and many thanks to Michael Ford for arranging this day out.

For members who can only come by public transport it is easy to reach St Mary the Virgin on the Northern line to South Wimbledon then 2 stops on the 152 bus to Church Rd or by the Croydon tram to Merton and a short walk to Church Road. Walking clothes and comfortable shoes are ideal.

The day will cost £12.00 per person to cover guide and visit costs, not included is the pub lunch. This walk is restricted to a maximum number of 25 people in total so early booking is advised.

Genevieve St George

London & SE Secretary

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I would like to attend The Merton walk with TNS member Michael Ford on Saturday, June 1^st 2013 and enclose £12.00 per person. Please return the form with cheque payable to TNS to Genevieve St George (address to be found inside the cover of The Nelson Dispatch) by May 20^th 2013.

I enclose a cheque made payable to The Nelson Society for £12.00 per person.

Name ……………………………………………………………………………………

Number of people……………………………Total amount…………………………

Address…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………..Post code…………………………..

Email……………………………………………Telephone No………………………

Mobile number…………………………………TNS membership………………….

I am coming by car……………………………I can offer a lift …………………….

I am coming by public transport and would like a lift to the Sava Centre………

The Nelson Society can accept no liability for any accidents at this event

There will again be a visit to The Nile Clumps on Thursday August 1^st 2013 in conjunction with Amesbury Rotary. It will include a visit to The Nile Clumps near Stonehenge, after morning coffee from 9.00-9.30am at The Holiday Inn in Solstice Park, Amesbury and returning there for The Nile Clumps Luncheon later. The cost for the luncheon, the visit and morning coffee will be £25.00 per person. The main course is a choice of Beef Bourgignon or Globe artichoke stuffed with mushroom ragout in Puff pastry; both come with seasonal vegetables, then followed by Crème Brulee and coffee.

We also plan to visit Highclere Castle, Hampshire the day before so members coming to The Nile Clumps will also be able to see The Coronation Oak Tree that we are planting there at the kind permission of The Earl of Carnarvon. We were given two Oak Trees by Nelson Society member Michael Ford, who grew the trees. The second tree we are hoping to plant at Greenwich. Highclere Castle has Napoleon’s writing and desk that he owned and used Longwood on St Helena while in exile, which will also be of interest to members. Highclere Castle was the Summer palace of the Bishop of Winchester,who was required to supply Oak Trees for the Royal Navy. Highclere Castle is the setting for Downton Abbey and we are very fortunate in securing some tickets there this Summer. The cost for this group visit will be for Seniors for the Castle and Gardens £9.00 per person and £14.50pp for Castle, Garden and Egyptian exhibition. I have been able to hold 20 tickets for a group visit in the castle at 3.15pm. The Grounds open at 10.00am and we will arrange to walk from the car park to see The Nelson Oak. When I know who is coming to Highclere I will make a plan for the day. There are very nice tea rooms that serve lunch until 2.00pm but there are also picnic tables available. Cream tea is about £5.00 per person and I thought be nice to have tea as a group later in the afternoon before the pleasant drive to Amesbury for the night.

We arranged a B&B rate of £85.00 per room at the Holiday Inn until May 31^st2013, for members who would like to make a mini break and perhaps visit Stonehenge or Salisbury. Members can book  by calling Solstice Holiday Inn on 01980677450 or reservations@hisalisbury-stonehenge.co.uk and quote The Nelson Society

Please return the complete form to Genevieve St George Flat 13, 40 Mellish St, London E14 8NS by June 1^st 2013 at the latest.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I would like to attend The Nile Clumps Visit and Luncheon on August 1^st 2013 at a cost of £25.00 per person

Name ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Number of people…………………………………………………..

Total Amount…………………………….

Address……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Post Code………………………………………………………

Main Course…………………………..

Email……………………………………………………………

Telephone No…………………………

Mobile No………………………………………………………

Membership No……………………….

I would also like to visit Highclere Castle and would like ……tickets at £9.00 for the Castle and Garden

or …….tickets at £14.50 for the Castle, Gardens and Egyptian Exhibition.

Total……….

The total amount for both events is ……………………………………………………………………

I enclose a cheque made payable to The Nelson Society for ………………………………………

The Nelson Society can accept no liability for any accidents at this event

News from Genevieve Read the rest of this entry »

We have arranged a meeting of the Midlands Area on 18^th May 2013. Once more we have booked the meeting room at the Toby Carvery in Hall Green, B28 9ES (known locally as The Robin Hood Pub). The room includes tea and coffee all day.

Being a carvery and pub they can supply all kinds of food from a full three course meal to a sandwich in the bar. This would be an additional pay as you go price. As thIs is a Toby Carvery you may not eat your own food on the premises.

There is also a Premier Inn attached for anyone who wants to make a weekend of it.

Although this is a Midlands Area meeting anyone is welcome and non-members friends and family are also welcome.

There is no speaker this time. We have a very enjoyable and amusing silent film for you. It’s about the affair between Nelson and Lady Hamilton. This film is only 1½ hours long and another more serious film will be shown in the afternoon.

The room is available from 11:00 to 17:00. The venue is on the A34 which can be  accessed from the M42 Junction 4. A basic AA Route Finder from the M42 is enclosed. If you need further instructions or are travelling by public transport we will be happy to help you.

To cover the room hire we have to charge £5.00 entry fee. However this includes tea or coffee and biscuits all day at no extra charge. This is payable on the day.

If you are interested in attending please contact Eileen Skidmore, 87 Bromyard Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 3AY. Telephone – 0121 624 6770. Email:- Nelson1758@blueyonder.co.uk

London visit of Dr Eugene Rasor

Nelson Society member Dr Eugene Rasor will be over from the USA visiting London in early April and would like to meet up with TNS friends at Greenwich. He wrote to some of us and we have all since spoken and plan to meet for lunch and to spend a convivial afternoon together on April 5^th 2013. He would be delighted to see other members that day as he very much missed being at Norwich last year and may not be able to come back until Greenwich 2014.

Eugene is very keen to join the 2pm tour of The Old Royal Naval College after lunch as though he has spent a lot of time at Greenwich this is something that he has not done before.

If you are free that day and would like to meet with Eugene for lunch and the tour can you please let me get in touch (details on front cover of The Nelson Dispatch). It may be possible for some members to join the 3pm Scaffold Tour of The Painted Hall. It will be an informal relaxed day out.

Genevieve