Britain Update 77 - archives

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

English Gardens Tour

Dear Friends, We've never had a special issue of Britain Update before, but there's a special reason for this very special issue - our first tour! Mark it down on your calendars - June 11-19. That's when The English Gardens Summer Tour 2002 is set to depart on an 8-day excursion to some of England's best gardens, from grand estates to private, informal cottage gardens. We're expecting the tour to fill up quickly, so please take a few minutes to explore the tour details below, and register before the April 8 deadline!

David Ross, Publisher

ENGLISH GARDENS TOUR

English Gardens Tour June 11-19, 2002
Tour some of England's finest gardens in the company of a gardening expert. Visit stately homes and cottages, countryside and castles.... from Chatsworth House to Herriot Country, the Cotswolds to Sissinghurst!

Join professional gardening expert Anne Slade on an 8-day tour of England's gardens. Enjoy some of the finest gardens, large and small, that the country has to offer. Immerse yourself in the gardens and countryside of England - the meadows and villages of Yorkshire, the countryside made famous by James Herriot, author of All Creatures Great and Small...the cottages and classic English scenery of the Cotswolds...the rolling fields of Surrey and Kent. You'll have the time of your life!

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Sissinghurst Gardens
• Polesden Lacey
• Church Hill Garden
• Chatsworth
• Ripley Castle
• Castle Howard
• Hodnet Hall
• Barnsley House
• Hidcote Manor
• Westwind Organic Gardens
• Wisley Gardens
  

• Driving Tour of the Cotswolds
• Tour of James Herriot's Yorkshire
• Tour of York

Your experienced guide will escort you on a trip to 10 gardens, chosen for their variety and appeal, ranging from small, intimate cottage delights to the enormous formal designs of the great houses, these colourful gardens will thrill you and inspire you to your own creations. Included for our group to see in the company of tour guide Anne Slade, and in many cases, private guides, are:

Sissinghurst - Writer Vita Sackville-West created this garden in the 1930s, around the remains of an Elizabethan mansion.

Wisley (Surrey) - The 240-acre flagship of the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley features a Rock Garden, scientific trial grounds, the Model Garden, and enormous flower beds among mature trees.

Westwind Organic Garden - a couple esteemed for their garden photography worldwide created this organic garden from the cuttings and memories of their travels, including the Prayer Garden, Italian Terrace, and sections for roses and vegetables.

Polesden Lacey - Dating to 1761, this is the country estate where the Queen Mum spent part of her honeymoon. The 1920s Regency villa offers panoramic views over a wooded valley.

Church Hill Cottage Gardens - Snuggled up to this 16th-century cottage is a scene of riotous flowers, including many unusual varieties.

Chatsworth House - The home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire since 1552. Its maze, rookeries, and water gardens were first landscaped in the 1760s. The 26-room Great House has been twice voted the British Public's Favourite House. We will enjoy a private tour led by one of the family's gardeners. More about Chatsworth.

Castle Howard - Location for the film adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. Designed in 1699, the house is situated between two lakes, with extensive formal gardens. We will receive special tours of the Rose garden and the Temple of the Winds.

Hodnet Hall Gardens - These waterscapes along a chain of large ponds in Shropshire feature sweeping lawns, masses of brilliantly coloured flowers and a cultivated habitat for waterfowl and wildlife.

Barnsley House Gardens - A mecca for gardeners worldwide who come to see the creations of the late Rosemary Verey. We will be escorted by her husband Charles.

Hidcote Manor Gardens - Created in 1907, this Cotswold garden is famed for its old roses and its series of orderly formal spaces. More about Hidcote.

Our tour will include drives through the countryside of the Cotswolds and James Herriot's Yorkshire, known worldwide for their pastoral beauty and quintessential English scenery. You will have time to explore in detail the towns of York and Harrogate, full of historic architecture, shops, and pubs. Known as "England's Floral Town", Harrogate itself is replete with masses of flower beds throughout the city.

The four accommodations for the tour have been selected for their charm and ambience. We include three nights at The Old Swan in Harrogate, the hotel where Agatha Christie reappeared after her mysterious disappearance for ten days in 1926.

Full breakfasts are included every morning, as well as seven lunches, most at the garden sites themselves or in charming tea shops. Four dinners will be with your touring companions, each in an elegant and impressive setting, especially the Sunday dinner at The Old Swan. Transportation from beginning to end will be in our chartered luxury motorcoach.

Accommodation venues:
The Worth Hotel, Gatwick, Surrey (2 nights)
The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire (3 nights)
The Jarvis Bowden Hall, Gloucester (2 nights)
The Travel Inn, Gatwick, Surrey (1 night)

All accommodation is in 3 and 4-star hotels

Your Tour Leader:
A native of Lancashire, Anne Slade has lived in Dallas, Texas, since 1985. She has worked with an English antiques importer and later with a specialist in the sale and repair of rare books. She is the founder of Lakewood House Antiques, specializing in Victorian Lace, During the past 4 years, Anne has worked at Redenta's Organic Garden Centre in Dallas, where her knowledge of vegetables and herbs and her expertise in container arrangements has been well recognized. With her 30 years expertise of natural, now known as organic gardening, and as many years with English antiques, Anne has a "knowledge combination" that proves invaluable when visiting not only the gardens, but also the Historic and Stately Homes of England.

Cost: ($US)
$2300 per person, double occupancy
$2500 single

Includes: All land transportation, full breakfasts daily, seven lunches, four dinners, all site tours as listed in the itinerary.

Dates:
June 11 - June 19, 2002

Deadline for Registration: April 8, 2002

For further information and registration, please contact us either by email or phone:

The English Gardens Tour 2002 is a partnership between Britain Express, UKation, and Texas International Tours.

Texas International Tours

That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Be a carrier.

David Ross, Publisher, Britain Express