National Trust Visit – Quarry Bank Mill

by WebmasterNational TrustPosted on Comments are Disabled

The group left Hucknall Market Place at 8.30am on Monday, 31st July, to visit Quarry Bank Mill. After a two hour drive we were met by volunteers from the National Trust who gave out our tickets for the day and maps of the site.

Those members who wanted to visit the Apprentice’s House were given timed tickets for this tour.

The grounds at Quarry Bank are very extensive and include a variety of activities. The centre piece is the old cotton mill, parts of which date back to the 17th century and includes machinery that is still working today. Covering five floors there was a lot to see.

Next to the mill members were also able to visit Quarry Bank House. Close by were very large gardens on two levels and a lovely riverside walk.

There was the customary mix of National Trust shops and two cafes on site.

A short walk away was the village of Styal with its church and well preserved buildings which once housed the mill workers and their families.

A torrential downpour of rain caught a few of the members as we walked back to the coach after a very busy and enjoyable day. 

 Mainly light traffic on the  return journey saw us arrive back in Hucknall for 6.15pm

Litter Picking

by WebmasterLitter PickingPosted on Comments are Disabled

Frequent and heavy rainstorms have understandably rather curtailed the activities of many of the group in July. Nevertheless 20 bags of litter have been collected by some of the most ardent members. One such member who takes his dog for a walk often also takes his litter picking equipment with him thus proverbially killing two birds with one stone, and recently two members collected 7 bags of rubbish in one outing, two instances which are very commendable indeed.

Should anyone wish to join our litter picking group please contact me as per the interest group details at the end of the newsletter.

Val Gant

Medium Walk

by WebmasterMedium WalksPosted on Comments are Disabled

Our July walk started from Epperstone, where we were scrutinized by several people in the pub car park when we arrived, who we then established were another walking group on a similar route.

Our walk took us uphill from the village, with the high point being conveniently next to Hollybeck garden centre, where we stopped for coffee in the café, rather than our usual flasks.

On the return there were good views over towards Epperstone, Oxton and Calverton, shown in the photo, but also of gathering dark clouds. We agreed that we were all about to get very wet, but in the event, the rain only lasted for a few minutes. We rounded off a very pleasant walk in the Cross Keys pub afterwards.

Many thanks to Gill Hunt and Mark Thornley for planning this walk. Our next walk on Monday 21st August walk will be at Dale Abbey.

John Tedstone

Bridge for Beginners

by WebmasterBridgePosted on Comments are Disabled

Our group has been going for ten months now and has proved to be very successful.

We have five volunteer tutors, without whom we would never have got started!

If anyone is interested in joining us, we do have two vacancies, but it would be an advantage if you had some knowledge of the game. We are a mixed ability group though and those that can play help those that can’t.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month (6:30-8:30 p.m.) in the Byron Bar at The John Godber Centre.

If you are interested, please email me on bridge@hucknallu3a.org.uk

Sue Tedstone (Group Leader)