Maghull and Lydiate U3A

Thursday 6th December 2012 – Join us for our Christmas celebration at the Theatre Organ Heritage Centre.  Settle back in this small comfortable theatre and listen to the fully restored Wurlitzer Organ entertain us with seasonal music, christmas songs and carols.  Tea/Coffee/Biscuits will be served.  After we will proceed to the AA4* Mere Court Hotel at Knutsford.  This lovely Hotel is set in acres of its own beautiful gardens.  Dining Room overlooks the lake.  We can enjoy a 3 course Christmas Lunch followed by tea/coffee/mince pies.  Departs. 9.30am  Returns 4.30pm  Price £25 inclusive.

We left Maghull at 9.15am, dry but with the threat of showers.  On arrival at the Plassey Centre just outside Wrexham, a bee line was made for coffee, scones, toasted teacakes etc. Delicious! The threat of showers soon materialised and we made a dash for the local farm shop, scaring the life out of them, I dont think they had been invaded by such a crowd before.  However, they soon recovered when the till started ringing.  After lunch we departed for our basket making demonstration at Bangor on Dee, which was a bit unorthodox but nevertheless informative/interesting and hilarious. Some of us had a try at basket making and agreed it looks easier than it is.   There was a wide variety of articles for sale and a really good cuppa with home made scones.  We made friends with a week old lamb, who had been deserted by his mum and was being hand reared by one of the staff.  It ended up being very spoiled by our members.  What better way to end the day than an ice cream (double ice creams in some cases) so we took the pretty route home and stopped at Cheshire Farm Ice Creams – worth it!!

From the moment this trip was advertised there was a big interest in it.  So much so that our reserve list grew into a second coach and trip.  Our first day on the 15th March was dry, intermittent sunshine but on the cool side.  On arrival at  our first port of call, Carnforth Station - coffee proved to be a bit on the chaotic side! However, eventually everyone was sorted and we heard the details about the station and the filming of the film Brief Encounter.  On recommendation from our guide we ventured into Carnforth Town for lunch refreshment and found a couple of excellent reasonable eating places.  Lancaster Castle, standing high above the town, was very impressive.  Our Guide was good and very informative.  The Castle has stood here for generations and is witness to many famous trials including the Pendle Witches which is 400 years this year.  None of us were brave enough to get locked in the dungeon cells – what an experience that must have been. The Crown Courts were in session and some of our members went into the public gallery were a girl was being tried for fraud.  Our second trip, on the 22nd March,  was on a warm, sunny day and after having had  a quiet word with the Station prior to our visit, our experience was much improved in the coffee stakes.  We also had extra guides and again the visit was good.  From previous experience members were recommended to the cafes, pub etc that were used the previous week.  Again, at Lancaster Castle, we had an excellent guide – Rachel, who told us all we needed to know.  The Castle is an imposing fortress with amazing views of all the surrounding countryside and well worth a visit.  This time we had some braver members on board who ventured into the cells but couldn’t quite allow the door to be shut although some explored them by torchlight. One of our members,  had a copy of an original Death Warrant, issued at Lancaster Castle Courts in 1964, one of the last executions to be ordered, and also a copy of the reprieve.  This was a rare sight indeed and a really good point of interest which was passed round the coach.  Two good visits.

Friday 24th February saw us departing for Wakefield to see what the Festival of Food, Drink and Rhubarb had to offer.  The festival was full of freebies – some didn’t have to buy lunch!  The Chefs from the local De Vere Hotel were demonstrating and making rhubarb scones, delicious warm with rhubarb jam.  You could decorate your own cupcakes and eat them.  The beer tent proved an attraction with samples plus cheese.  It really was a celebration of Visit Yorkshire and eat local produce.  Onto the Rhubarb Farm – where we arrived at the same time as Mr.Ed Balls, Shadow Chancellor and a contingent of Directors from the toiletries Company – Molten Brown, who are launching a new product in May based on the skin care qualities of rhubarb.  After hearing a talk about the amazing qualities of rhubarb and the research going into its properties we visited the enormous rhubarb shed, the biggest in the country, and witnessed the sight of rhubarb by candlelight.  Acres of it all grown without soil.  The rhubarb is graded eg. the best goes to Harrods and Waitrose, followed closely by Asda and Sainsbury. I thoroughly enjoyed my Harrod’s standard rhubarb crumble on Sunday.

A lot of members have enquired when the Turkey and Tinsel Break is happening.  We have had a few problems getting the room mix we require together with a hotel that can accommodate our group.  Final preparations are now being negotiated with Airedale Tours, who have been voted best Group Tour Operator for many years.  The likely date is Mon.19th November 2012 to Friday 23rd November 2012 for five days, four nights dinner/bed/breakfast.  Watch this space – the notice board and the newsletter.  As soon as we have full details they will be published.