U3A Roseland and District
In Autumn 2008 and 2009, we arranged short visits to London with the option to see a play or plays at the renowned Shakespeare's Globe. If there is sufficient interest, we will repeat the trip in September or October 2010.
As an indication of what you might expect, we've provided a report of the 2008 trip. More details will be announced later in the year, but to register early provisional interest, contact Shirley on 01872 270030.
Visit to London with option to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe - October 1st to 4th 2008
The coach holiday to London has proven to be most successful.
On Wednesday 1st October, 33 members from U3As Roseland and District, St Austell, Carrick, Liskeard and Taunton were picked up in the Truronian coach to be taken to their destination of Blackheath, 6 miles outside London. You might wonder why we didn’t stay near to the Globe theatre but the cost of £720 was prohibitive. Therefore, what appeared to be the second choice was selected. However, as you can see from the photographs, the Clarendon Hotel at Blackheath was the best possible solution to an otherwise unsolvable problem.
Outside the front door of the Georgian hotel was a massive carpet of green, once used as a pit for Black Death victims (1348-50) and where peasants of the 1381 rebellion met before being crushed by King Richard II and his loyal supporters and (perhaps more relevant) where An Gof and his followers planned to raise arms against King Henry VII. Of course, as we all know, the king’s army easily defeated the West Country people, leaving Michael Joseph to become a local legend.
Today, the heath is used by dog-walkers, kite-flyers, and anyone who wishes to enjoy fresh open air.
Immediately over the heath lay Greenwich Park, full of ancient trees, now producing glorious shades of autumnal colour. Squirrels dashed hither and thither collecting nuts for their winter hoard. The town of Greenwich itself nestled beneath the park with its observatory, maritime museum and lots more besides.
For people who wanted shopping, Blackheath village (a small town) provided almost everything, including a railway station that took visitors directly into London
For any of our party wishing
to go into London early, the coach left the hotel at 9.30 am and returned to
take the rest of us at 12.30 pm but the best laid plans don’t always work out
as expected. Thursday’s journey into town was very successful and we thought
the apparent problem of being out of the big city was solved, but Friday proved
how fickle life can be.
As you might expect with London driving, a road traffic accident blocked the roads thereby causing our driver to return – but not to the hotel in defeat. He took everyone to the wharves at Greenwich to catch the water-taxi. What a magic idea that was! The 12.30 pm journey also was taken by boat, and we alighted at Bankside – right beside Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.
Tickets for the Shakespeare plays were seats in the middle gallery (the best) with A Midsummer Night’s Dream proving appropriate for the Indian summer being experienced. It was hilarious, and so much better than can be imagined.
The second performance we saw
(optional, lest participants of the holiday preferred to make alternative
arrangements) was The Merry Wives of Windsor, which produced tears of laughter
from many. The cast and costumes for both plays was beyond one’s hopes, with
the result that the holiday has proven itself to be 100% successful.
Rather than pay £720 for bed
and breakfast in London,
we chose to pay £235 for bed, full English breakfast, dinner and good company a
few miles away from the noise and troubles of city life. Transport was not an
issue as the Truronian coach driver took us everywhere we needed to be in a
most helpful and courteous manner.
