Welcome to Region 06 – East of England

Welcome to the East of England Region which covers Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

At present this Region has no Executive Representative, but it does have one Local Contact who organises activities for around Cambridge and one Local Contact who organises events in Essex. Having an Executive Representative would be wonderful for the Region, so if you might be interested in the role, please contact our AOUG Officers on info@aoug.org.uk 

However Local Contacts would be welcomed in other areas to arrange activities in their immediate localities and any member could suggest and organise an event. Whether a local Stately Home or your regular cafe or coffee shop, could you offer to meet other local members. If you have any ideas for activities, please contact the Development Officer, Lesley Sleigh via info@aoug.org.uk 

Local Contacts:

Cambridge Area     Jayne Littlejohn   Jayne.littlejohn52@gmail.com    07719 405859/01296 424152

Essex Area         Roger North    rogersnorth@hotmail.com     07580 738901/01245 472013

Previous Events

The Alban Pilgrimage and Festival is a high point in the diary of the City of St Albans located in the East of England. Our members thoroughly enjoyed this spectacle from their vantage point from outside the St Alban’s Museum after a refreshing coffee in the Old Court Room. From this point they viewed the procession which incorporates a story of courage, life and vitality from medieval times. The story is of the life a.nd courage of St Alban who was viewed traditionally as the first Christian Martyr in Britain. The procession and events include a jester, owl encounters, chain mail making, manuscript creation, apothecary talks and lots of family linked fun such as face painting

Our members visited Norwich Castle which has a lineage dating back to the 12th Century and being regarded as one of the most important European buildings. It was commissioned by William the Conqueror and then completed by his son (Henry I). It has had many uses over the years such as a royal palace, prison, and now is a museum. The latest incarnation was due to a significant grant from the National Lottery Fund. There are lovingly recreated royal apartments. In collaboration with the British Museum there has been created a Gallery of Medieval Life with over 900 artefacts some leant by the British Museum. There is the rest of the castle to explore including a keep, accessible battlements and a basement. Well worth the visit!

An organised visit to the John Bunyan Museum in Bedford, incorporating a day by the river, in Spring, celebrated the acclaimed author of ‘The Pilgrims Progress‘. This book has never been out of print and is the depiction of the ideal, and not so ideal, lives of Christians and other worldly characters. Who can forget the “Slough of Despond.” Bunyan was born in 1628 and died in 1688 and was a non-conformist preacher. The Museum is interesting and has a strong connection because Bunyan was born in nearby Elstow and spent much of his life in Bedford. The museum explores his life, his imprisonment for preaching without a licence, and the enduring influence of ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress.’
The Museum also forms part of the John Bunyan Meeting Church complex in Bedford and is a worthwhile visit if you’re interested in English religious history, literature or local heritage.

Our first event for 2025 was our coffee morning in St Albans.  A small group of us braved the freezing winter weather to catch up on everyone’s news from the Christmas period as we enjoyed our warming coffee.  After coffee we took advantage of the free exhibition ‘Catching the Chain’ which explored the history of criminal justice from the Iron Age to modern times.  The coffee shop is situated in what was St Alban’s courtroom and the cells can be visited in the basement.  The exhibition featured images of St Albans gaol (now used as the Registry Office) which did feature as HMS Slade exterior in the television programme ‘Porridge’. The title of the exhibition, ‘Catching the Chain’, apparently refers in prison communities to leaving prison and re-entering society.