members&social meetings

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Members Meetings & Social Programme

Our programme of meetings and presentations is designed to focus attention on important local conservation and historical issues. We investigate emerging “good practice” and stimulate debate about matters affecting the quality and attractiveness of the town. We also organise seminars and study tours to enable us to learn from the experience of other historic towns.

All meetings, unless otherwise stated, are held in the Verona Suite at the Falcon Hotel, Chapel Street, Stratford-upon- Avon. Guests pay £5 to attend the talk (refundable if taking out membership). Afterwards there is an opportunity to meet the speaker and enjoy a free glass of wine.

If you have any queries, comments or suggestions for future speakers or events or
if you require transport to any meeting or social event

please don’t hesitate to EMAIL or telephone 01789 269183

Jean Clymer, Programme Secretary

Click Here to download a copy to print

Monday
19 September 2011
6.15 pm

Putting the heart back into the town centre.

Gordon Reid, Oxford City Centre Manager, will talk about what constitutes good town centre management and how it can contribute to a strong and commercially successful retail sector. He will draw on examples from Oxford and other locations. Gordon is a member of the ATCM National Advisory Panel, a pioneer of the UK town centre management movement and a government advisor on town centre management.

Thursday
29 September 2011 2.30pm

Guided tour of St Mary’s Church, Warwick including the Beauchamp Chantry, ‘the finest medieval chapel in England’

Maximum 20 people.
No charge
Please telephone or email Jean Clymer to reserve a place.

Monday
10 October 2011
2.30 pm

Private visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Archives.

This is a unique opportunity to view rare items relating to local and Shakespearean history. Not normally available to the public, these items will be removed from the vaults and placed in the Boardroom for our exclusive enjoyment. Library and Archive staff will explain the significance and history of the items and answer any questions. Maximum number 15

Further details to follow
Tickets £8 each

Monday
17 October 2011
6.15pm

Better by Design – how High Street and Bridge Street could be improved.

Colin Davis, one of the country’s leading urban designers, prepared Stratford’s Streetscape project in 2005. The Society’s highly regarded Historic Spine project is based on his recommendations. He is returning to review progress and to put forward some new ideas on possible ways of improving Bridge Street.

Monday
15 November 2010
6.15 pm

Learning by Example – how have other historic towns overcome the problems which now beset Stratford?

Chris Winter will look back at the lessons learned during her 13 years as Director of the Historic Towns Forum and talk about the interventions that worked well – and those that did not – and most importantly, what lessons can we learn to guide future actions.

Friday
2 December 2011 7.30pm

Christmas Party – Stratford upon Avon Town Hall.

An evening of entertainment, mulled wine and mince pies. The Warwickshire County Boys’ choir, who were runners up in the 2010 BBC Choir of the Year, will provide the entertainment together with Jeffery Dench who makes a welcome return.

Tickets £10 each, available in early October.

Monday
20 February 2012
7.30 pm

Tourists – love them, hate them, they are Stratford’s lifeblood.

Tony Merrygold, Managing Director of Shakespeare Country, will show how tourism drives the town centre economy. He will discuss changing patterns of tourism in the UK – more visitors from Asia and fewer from North America – and look at future prospects. He will also reflect on how the town might respond to make best use of its visitor assets.

Monday
5 March 2012
7.00 pm

AGM 2012.

Following the AGM Peter Jefferson, affectionately known as the ‘Voice of the Shipping Forecast', will talk about his 40 year career with the BBC and his book ‘And now the Shipping Forecast’.

Thursday
8 March 2012
10.30am

Guided tour of the Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh Temple), Leamington Spa

Maximum 20 people
No charge
Further details to follow.

Spring 2012

Visit to 13 th century Astley Castle, nr Nuneaton.

The Landmark Trust has invited Society members to pay a return visit to Astley Castle. Before opening to the public, members will be able to view the conversion from a derelict castle into one of their prestigious holiday homes.

Maximum 20 people
Date to be confirmed. Further details to follow.

Monday
16 April 2012
7.30 pm

Re-inventing the Birthplace

Dr Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, will talk about the origins of the Trust and the challenge it faces. The Trust is a private charity and has to keep up with changing technology to sustain its income. Applications for hand-held ipads and other communications devices are already widely used and members will be introduced to the Trust’s new ‘app’ which uses material from the archives and virtual reality to guide visitors round the Trust’s properties and the town

Wednesday
16 May 2012
2.30pm

Private visit to Honington Hall nr Shipston-on-Stour.

Benjamin Wiggin will give members a private tour of this wonderful 17 th century manor house & gardens which is not normally open to the public.

Tickets £8 each.
Minimum/ maximum number 20 people
Further details to follow

Wednesday
13 June 2012
2pm

Private visit to Stanway House and water gardens nr Cheltenham

Stanway is an outstandingly beautiful Jacobean manor house, owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years then for 500 years by the Tracy family and their descendants, the Earls of Wemyss. It is currently the home of Lord and Lady Neidpath. The main feature of the Stanway water gardens is the tallest fountain in Europe. Provided there are no water restrictions, the fountain will be in operation during our visit.

Tickets £10 each to include tea and cakes
Minimum number 20 people
Further details to follow

Friday
6 July 2012
7.30pm

Chairman’s summer party

An evening garden party at Charlecote Park

Further details to follow

Falcon Hotel
Chapel Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
01789 279953

The car park at the Falcon Hotel is Pay & Display and operated by a third party.

To take advantage of free parking when attending a Stratford Society event at the Falcon it is necessary to inform Reception of your car registration number on arrival.

You will need to do this on each occasion you attend.

	Members are cordially invited to the Stratford Society Christmas Party Friday, 2^nd December at 7.30pm An evening of Music, Mulled wine and Mince pies
Guest appearances by Jeffery Dench and Robert Lister Robert appears in ‘The Archers’ and is a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, the New Shakespeare Company, and the English Touring Theatre. Please join us in the Ballroom of the Town Hall
Pianist Kenny Fu, who delighted us with his debut performance last year, makes a welcome return. 13 year old Kenny is a gifted pianist, currently studying at KES and the Birmingham Conservatoire.	Choir The Warwickshire Boys Choir who, under their musical director Garry Jones, were runners up in the BBC Choir of the Year 2010 will entertain us with heart-warming songs including Al Schlosha D’varim , Catch a Falling Star, The Rose and How Can I Keep From Singing?
Tickets £10.00 each from Jean Clymer Click Here for an application form or ring 01789 269183, or EMAIL Programmesecretary@stratfordsociety.co.uk