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WESTERN WAYS Group Travel Organisers Association Western Branch Summer 2013 News from our Chair Gill has begun radiotherapy over about four weeks, which should bring an end to her treatment and we all wish her well. Thirty one members and guests attended the very successful Big Jurassic Weekend towards the end of March. I think it safe to say that it was one of our best Branch events ever, thanks to Sylvia Saxon and Ben Dames of National Trust, Dorset (5797). The itinerary was very full, to say the least, but took full account of its familiarisation role as opposed to trying to be a full visit to each venue. The day started and finished at innovative venues for breakfast and dinner, ie not eating at the hotel, where the food was unusual, excellent and the atmosphere fun. Several others were involved in helping to make this weekend wonderful – very cold though! A fuller report appears within these pages. It’s lovely to have had some sunny weather at last! The garden’s gone berserk. Is this the start of a glorious summer? Well, the Branch’s summer is to be celebrated in Weston-super-Mare! With a visit to Tyntesfield and afternoon tea at the end of the Pier it promises to be a lovely day. You’ll find the booking form enclosed. Best wishes for the summer. Phil Taylor In this issue: · News from our Chair and committee · Future Events · Jurassic Joys · York · Scotland · IMPORTANT INVITATION respond ASAP Sponsored by

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FUTURE EVENTS 2013 22 - 24 March - Weymouth and Purbeck 29 June - Weston Super Mare Booking form with full details enclosed. 4 - 7 October - Isle of Wight Western Branch Forum & Familiarisation including an hour for AGM on the Sunday 2014 January 2014, National AGM - Swindon October 2014, Western Branch - Forum & Fam, that will include (for about an hour) our AGM SATURDAY 29TH JUNE 2013 GTOA WESTERN BRANCH DAY OUT 10.15am Meet at the Grand Atlantic Hotel in their meeting room for coffee 10.30am Branch Meeting 11.15am Coach from Hotel to Tyntesfield, a wonderful Victoria Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset that was created by William Gibbs and founded using the profits from guano fertilizer sales. 1pm Coach departs for Portishead for an award winning Pizza/Pasta dish at Botellinos where the Pizza’s are very best in the world. 2.30pm Coach returns us to Weston for a walk along its new promenade. 4.00pm Meet at the Pier Restaurant for tea and scones. 5.00pm Bid Farewell, Leave restaurant and return to our cars GTO Members £15 Guests £19 Social Members £19 Bookings closed

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TOOT! News from your Secretary Thanks again to Peter McGahey for taking the minutes of our Branch Meeting in Weymouth. You should find enclosed with this issue a booking form for the summer meeting in Weston. Thanks to Christine Howard for organising the event. I said last time that it should include an overnight stay. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out. De-spite Christine’s best efforts; hotels are unable to give us the necessary discount at the height of the holiday season. This is undoubtedly why our summer meetings have always been one-day events. Those needing a overnight stay in order to attend may be able to obtain B&B. Either way, I think you’ll agree that Christine has organised a very interesting itinerary and I hope you will join us. Since our last edition I have attended the National Committee Meeting at which the findings of the Working Group on the Governance of the GTOA were announced. Look out for the details in GTOA News. Currently, it is intended to bring the proposals to the GTOA AGM in Swindon – an extremely important meeting. I urge everyone to attend. Thanks and kind regards Phil home@philiptaylor.go-plus.net 029 2052 2833 BBC HOLIDAY presenter, Jill Dando (9 November 1961 – 26 April 1999) was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader who worked for the BBC for 14 years. She was murdered by gunshot outside her home in Fulham, West London; her killer has never been identified. A memorial gar-den was designed and realised by the BBC Television Ground Force team in her memory, using plants and colours that were special to her. It is located within Grove Park, Weston-super-Mare and was opened on 2 August 2001.

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Thirty one members/guests from the GTOA Western Branch convened in Weymouth on 22 March for the spring branch meeting and fam. trip. Day 1: We checked in to the comfortable and very conveniently located Premier Inn at Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth. The rooms were spacious and well appointed, and waiting there for each of us was a well-stocked ‘goody-bag’ containing around £45 worth of donated items including leaflets, postcards, money off vouchers, drinking bottle, beach ball, bottle of water and a Premier Inn purple rain cape that appeared to be large enough to accommodate a family of four! The hotel was situated right next to some of the main at-tractions in Weymouth such as the ‘Weymouth Sea Life Centre’ and ‘Sandworld’, both of which we had the opportunity to sample during our visit. In fact Sandworld took time out of their busy pre-opening preparations to give us a special preview of their stunning creations on our first day. The ‘Brewers Fayre’ adjacent to the hotel, was the venue for our meals and a good sized room for our meeting. The quality of the evening meal and breakfast served there was excellent. After a sponsored welcome drink courtesy of Tolchards, and a tasty ‘fish and chip’ themed dinner at The Brewer’s Fayre, we enjoyed a wonderful evening’s entertainment provided by Malcolm G Pugh, alias ‘Sounds of Sinatra’. He soon had people up on their feet dancing, including David and Jane Lote who were celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary. Many congratulations to them both. Day 2 offered an optional ‘Sunrise stroll’ along the sea front, and although an intrepid band of walkers did turn up at 7 a.m. the weather caused this event to be postponed. After a hot cuppa in the Brewer’s Fayre we boarded our luxury Excelsior coach and headed to our ‘breakfast on the beach’ at the newly re-opened ‘Taste Chesil’ which provided a delicious cooked breakfast. This restaurant is run by Todd and Louise Moffat, owners of the popular ‘Taste’ café/bistro in Dorchester, is an integral part of the ‘The Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre’, run by Dorset Wildlife Trust. Then on to the spectacular ruins of Corfe Castle where our National Trust guide condensed a 2.5 hour talk into a little over 20 minutes, but nevertheless gave a good account of the interesting history of the castle and how it came to be destroyed by

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CORFE CASTLE CORFE CASTLE STATION Oliver Cromwell’s parliamentary forces. Descending from the castle we walked across to the Corfe Castle railway station on the Swanage Railway line, where we stepped back in time and boarded a steam train to Swanage. Then we went to the More-ton Tea Rooms for a tasty light lunch. These tea rooms, located in a former old school house, were just a short walk from the church of St Nicholas, famous for its beautiful ‘Whistler’ engraved windows,

St Nicholas Church Etched windows and for being the final resting place of TE Lawrence i.e. ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. Our next stop was the Tank Museum and ‘Cloud’s Hill’, (Lawrence’s quirky cottage in the rhododendron woods (recently chopped down), close to Bovington Barracks where

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he was based). The Tank Museum was a revelation and one could easily have spent the whole day there. It contained hundreds of tanks within 6 large halls, including the very first models which had seen active ser-vice during the First World War, right up to tanks from the present day in desert livery. There was even a very realistic mock-up of WWI trenches that one could walk through, and there was a further reference to TE Lawrence within the museum, including a Brough Superior motorcycle identical to the one that he had ridden up until his fatal accident.

CLOUDS HILL cottage Cloud cottage revealed what an eccentric enigma TE Lawrence had been. Originally an estate workers cottage, it contained a bath but no toilet, a library but no kitchen, and had very rudimentary sleeping arrangements. The audio-commentary that set the scene for the tour, described what life was like within the cottage from a visitor’s perspective. Finally back to visit the Weymouth Sea Life Centre which was home to some fascinating exhibits, including sharks, rays, turtles, otters, penguins and many other creatures, as well as play areas and water features especially for children to enjoy. Our dinner at ‘The Stable’ in Weymouth was an interesting ‘rustic’ pizza and cider restaurant spread over two floors and accessed via stairs or lift. The pizzas included some old favourites such as the ‘Margherita’ and ‘Fresh Hawaiian’ as well as some unusual gourmet versions such as ‘The Roast lamb’, with mint and sweet potato, and the ‘Joe Gundry’ which contained smoked mackerel and salmon, not to mention the ‘Chesil Chicken’, ‘West Country Porker’, Bridport Blaster etc. Gluten free pizzas were available, as well as a limited range of alternative dishes such as pies and salads, washed down with an assortment of cider samples. The evening culminated with a surprise raffle where several lucky recipients found envelopes sellotaped beneath their seats offering fantastic prizes such as National Trust family day passes, tickets for the Tank Museum etc. This officially concluded the second day’s programme, though I am reliably informed that the night owls amongst us adjourned to a nearby pub where they were further entertained by an Elvis impersonator. Day 3 began for some brave and hardy souls, with the re-scheduled walk along the sea front. Then, after a good full English breakfast at the adjacent Brewer’s Fayre, we attended to the formalities of the GTOA Western Branch meeting. Acting Chairman, Phil Taylor thanked Sylvia Saxon and Ben Dames profusely for all the

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hard work they had put into organising such a brilliant weekend for us, and for this they received a hearty round of applause from the appreciative members. We then we made our own way to the Sea Life Tower on Weymouth Quay, where free car parking had been provided for us. We were whisked up to the top of the tower for a special revolving panoramic view of Weymouth, accompanied by a witty commentary from the operator. Upon our descent, we walked across the car park to attend ‘The Best of Dorset’ show being held in the Weymouth Pavilion. This show featured many local attractions and gave us further opportunity to talk about Group options. Finally we drove ourselves to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, voted HHA/Christie’s ‘Garden of the Year’ 2012, and acclaimed by Alan Titchmarsh as ‘one of the finest gardens he had ever visited’. We were given access to stroll around the beautiful gar-dens, and admire the sea views from the higher points. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens had also very kindly provided each of us with a £15 voucher towards a lunch of our choice in their lovely Colonial Restaurant, where a delicious and hearty Sunday lunch was enjoyed by all. It was from here that we said our goodbyes and made our way home, our heads brimming with ideas. Thanks to the hard work of Sylvia Saxon and Ben Dames, who had both put in many hours of planning and preparation, the ‘Big Jurassic Week-end proved to be one of the best events that the Western Branch has ever run. The weekend was jam-packed with interesting experiences, which left members in no doubt that the Jurassic Coast was an excellent place to bring a group, as there was so much to see and do and something there to please everyone! Andrea Golder, Thames Valley Tours. Acknowledgements. Special thanks are given to the following people for providing time, money and/or expertise in the organisation of this successful weekend: Tracey Datlen – Premier Inn; Jackie Richmond & John Houston – Best of Dorset; Jayne Kerr – Travel Adventure; Sylvia Saxon – Saxon Group Travel; and Ben Dames - National Trust Dorset. Also to: Tolchards for providing the welcome drink on Friday evening, and Daishes Holidays, Thames Valley Tours, Herts Theatre Club, Greatdays Travel Group, Saxon Group Travel, and National Trust Dorset who sponsored the wine for our first dinner. JURASSIC: a period of the Mesozoic Epoch, occurring from 190 to 140 million years ago and characterized by an abundance of dinosaurs and the advent of birds and mammals. The Jurassic is named after the Jura Mountains within the European Alps, where limestone strata from the period were first identified.

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The Wales & Midlands Travel Club in conjunction with Success Tours (5233) organised a 5 Day Trip to York from the 21st – 25th April 2013. This is a report on the visit by Barbara Brett, a member of the WMTC With great anticipation 32 of us set off early on Sunday morning for a five-day visit to York. Coincidentally our driver Gareth had last taken one of Heather’s trips nearly 20 years ago and that was to – York! We had a leisurely trip up. First stop the Strensham service station for coffee (never let it be said we miss a stop for coffee!). The next stop was for lunch, and the first chance to shop, at the Denby Centre. There’s plenty to see here and the food in the restaurant was just like home, delicious and generous. We arrived at our Hilton Hotel (5230) in York, right behind Clifford’s Tower, with time to unpack and relax before dinner was served. All the rooms were lovely and dinner was a relaxed affair, served by friendly and jolly staff.

The following day Heather had planned two trips, both within walking distance of the hotel. The first in the morning was to the Jorvik Viking Centre where a very knowledgeable Vi-king guide told us about the early history of York, the Vi-king invasion and how the town grew in importance. We then took a trip through the early city of York on 6-seater cars, getting a chance to see tradesmen at work and experiencing the tightly packed town – both sounds and smells! In the afternoon we saw a more modern side of York when we visited the “York Chocolate Story” (Continuum 5323). Another excellent guide told us about the early beginnings of chocolate production. It started as a drink for Quakers, whose religion did not allow them to drink alcohol. Following which, chocolate as a sweet was developed. Of course we all had to sample the wares at every stage of its development (such a hardship!) and we actually made some chocolates ourselves that we were able to take home – not that many of them made it home. Late afternoon and a group of us went to Choral

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Evensong at York Minster, a lovely experience. Later still, a group went on one of the famed York Ghost Walks, but without encountering any ghosts. Tuesday dawned bright and windy and saw us on our way to Castle Howard. A fire in 1940 had partially destroyed the interior and many of the original features were destroyed. An interesting display showed how the house had been used in the filming of two versions of “Brideshead Revisited”. The weather being dry, after lunch we were able to explore the gardens. Returning to York we had time to explore more of the city on foot before dinner.

Our last full day in York and we took a trip on the river by York to see another side of the city. Before departure we were treated to an impromptu gosling parade featuring three families of Canada geese! Then an afternoon at leisure to do some last minute shopping, visit one of the many museums or revisit a favourite place. The following day we boarded the coach early to make a trip into neighbouring Lancashire and the town of Rochdale. There we visited the Co-Op Museum and learnt how the Cooperative Movement started – very interesting. After an excellent lunch at The Baum, next door to the museum, we made our way home and arrived in Cardiff in the early evening. I think it’s safe to say everyone enjoyed themselves and that included our driver who has already booked his place on Heather’s next trip!

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Having just returned in February from Scotland I felt that a few words of praise was justly deserved for the hotel and its staff who looked after my group of two coaches comprising 95 members and guests. Upon arrival at the Duke of Gordon Hotel, Kingussie, we received a warm welcome from Paul the Hotel Manager. The hotel being the heritage of an old Scottish coaching inn with its high ceilings, ornate cornices, elegant chandeliers and lounge log fire, gave everyone a warm feeling from the outside snow. John the Dining Room Manager ensured everyone was well catered for seated on round tables of eight or ten. He orchestrated his helpful and friendly staff very efficiently to serve our five-course evening dinner with an excellent selection to choose from the menu. Breakfasts consisted of cold buffet style with traditional hot Scottish inclusive of locally caught haggis. Kippers, haddock with poached eggs or pancakes were also available upon request. On several evenings we were piped into dinner by a piper in full Highland dress. One evening dinner started with Buck’s Fizz leading on to a mouth-watering Lairds Highland carving buffet consisting of fresh salmon, various meats and salad followed by a numerous selection of desserts. Day time excursions consisted of a ride on the funicular railway up the Cairngorm mountain to see the skiers and surfboarders, a

visit to a local heather centre, a search for ‘Nessie’ at the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, a shopping trip to Inverness and of course the mandatory tasting at a whisky distillery. Some of our group decided to get in some hiking around the various trails available from the hotel. Evening entertainment took place in the spacious ballroom. Our first few evenings saw us practising dance moves in readiness for the night when a Ceilidh band was hired in to put us through the paces of the Gay Gordons, stripping the willow and a host of dances for those that had the energy.

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On our homeward journey we had the fortune to see magnificent stags proudly standing over their herds of red deer. Since returning I have received nothing but good comments and excellent feedback regarding the whole holiday experience. If you wish to have a traditional Scottish stay in the Highlands, con-tact David Southcott, Tours Manager for Cairngorm Travel – Associate Member 5767 Martin Gibson 1231W – Howmet Sports and Social Club N.T. GEMS IN DEVON The Jurassic Weekend gave Western Branch a great chance to enjoy NT treasure at Corfe Castle. As Group Organisers we all appreciate the many and varied National Trust properties that make an ideal refreshment stop as we travel the country and a good destination for groups. We are particularly fortunate in Devon and Cornwall as we also have the coastal path for those able travellers still good on their feet! Our group recently visited Buckland Abbey, a home of Sir Francis Drake a few miles from his other and our only home in Tavistock and are shortly to re-visit Greenway, the holiday home of Agatha Christie, near Dart-mouth and Torquay. This was a particularly successful visit previously, hence the demand from others in the group that were unable to join us last time. We love the food served in National Trust cafes and restaurants and the properties are usually in stunning scenery or surrounded by well-kept and wonderful gardens. Margaret Brown, 1691 Tamar Travel

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IMPORTANT MEETING AT WESTMINSTER HALL I am sure you are all aware by now that the GTOA is heading towards great changes. This is to facilitate making the GTOA more fit for purpose and to make it more attractive to Group Travel Organisers. At the last Southern Branch meeting on HMS Belfast, it was suggested and agreed that we should hold an extra meeting, along with the Kent Branch, to specifically discuss what we as members would like the GTOA to be to its members. To this end we have arranged a meeting to be held on: Monday 10th June 2013 at Central Hall Westminster We would like to invite our Associate & Intermediate members to joins us for this discussion session. The Central Hall Westminster has the largest conferencing and catering facilities in London and has been extremely welcoming and helpful with organising this event so please support us by attending if at all possible. They would also like to showcase the Hall and new catering facilities to members and Associates and to this end they are providing a lunchtime reception for us. The anticipated programme for the day is as follows: 10.30 – 1100 Arrive. Coffee may be purchased in the newly refurbished cafeteria. An area will be reserved for the GTOA. 11.15 Meet in the Visitor Centre Exhibition area 11.15 – 1200 Guided tour of Central Hall Westminster 12.00 – 1245 Lunch reception on the Skyline Terrace/Rotunda hosted by Central Hall Westminster. 12.45 A short presentation in the John Tudor room by Maria Schuett, GTOA Associate member for Central Hall Westminster and Frank Waller Visitor Ser-vices Host. 13.00- 15.00 GTOA meeting. Please let Jenny Barling (1835) jennyb@vfast.co.uk 01227 831796 know in advance and preferable by 1st June 2013 if you are able to attend.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND CONTRIBUTIONS THIS TIME. The next Western Ways will be in August 2013.

Please send word or picture contributions, by 2 August E-mail to Margaret Brown at: gord_marg@btinternet.com

or Sylvia Saxon:sylvia.saxon@btinternet.com

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