Reports on Outings and Days of Special Interest: 2009
13 August 2009: Rochester - Restoration House
Restoration House is a unique survival of a pre-Civil War town house.The house takes its name from the visit of King Charles II to Rochester on the eve of his restoration as king after fifteen years in exile. It was also the house on which Charles Dickens modelled Miss Havisham's Satis House in "Great Expectations".
On arrival our party was split into two groups, one half savouring the splendour of the beautifully restored gardens, whilst the other enjoyed coffee and cake. Once we were all refreshed there followed a fascinating tour of this unique property. The guides are drawn on a voluntary basis from Medway DFAS and the City of Rochester Society.
The rest of the day was free for members to follow their own interests, but most visited the imposing Cathedral, several were seen at the Castle, and nearly everyone managed at least to sample the excellent Guildhall Museum, in particular the section highlighting the Dickens connection. We must thank Vickie Harris for organising such an interesting day.
28 April 2009: Outing to Kentwell Hall and Long Melford, Suffolk.
31 March 2009: Day of Special Interest:
St Pancras, and behind the scenes at the British Library.
The day began at St Pancras International in the morning, when armed with an information pack produced by Dianne Howes and Chris Lund, members were able to explore and marvel at the transformation which has taken place.
After lunch the party visited the British Library which included a tour behind the scenes to see the conservation work which is carried out there.
