Saturday 18th April. 12noon Meet in the Stableyard Café of Coton Manor Garden, Guisborough, Northampton, NN6 8RQ before wandering the Botanic gardens of this 17th Century Manor House. Admission is £12.50 per adult or £5 per child.
Saturday 16th May. 11am. Meet in the Refectory Café of Southwell Minster, Church Street, Southwell, NG25 0HD, before taking a self-guided tour of the historic Minster and the world famous ‘Leaves of Southwell’ in the Chapter House. It will also be possible to wander through the adjacent gardens and ruins of the Bishops Palace. Admission to the Minster is free, but they ask for voluntary donations. (Just along the road is The Saracens Head hotel where King Charles I spent his last night of freedom before surrendering to the Scottish army at Kelham. For those who wish there is a trail from the town centre to the Workhouse or just enjoy browsing the local shops.)
Saturday 11th July. 11am Meet in the Helenium Tea Room, Barnsdale Gardens, Barnsdale Avenue, Exton, Oakham, LE15 8AH. Barnsdale Gardens was created by Geoff Hamilton, presenter of BBC Gardeners' World from 1979 until his death in 1996. Geoff presented Gardeners' World from his home in Rutland where he developed the individual garden designs, experimenting with plants, themes and ideas to inspire the nation and earned the reputation of being the ‘People’s Gardener’. Admission adults £16.00, under 18s are free.
Saturday 20th June. 11am. Meet in the café of the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, The Strand, Derby, DE1 1BS, which is situated in the Ceramics Gallery before wandering the galleries. The special exhibition will be ‘Wright of Derby: From the Shadows’; Joseph Wright produced works of art that explore the use of light and many of his works remain in his hometown. Entrance to the Museum is Free.