Even though this is only peripherally related to Churchill I thought some on the list might be interested. All the best holiday wishes for all. -john
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Info <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 10:16 AM Subject: ESU Travel Opportunities To: [email protected] Dear ESU Members, The New Year will bring several splendid ESU-specific travel opportunities that I would like to let you know about -- and receive some feedback from you as they are being planned. Traveling with fellow ESU members is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of our mission: to: celebrate English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators, and members. Royal Wedding First, I would like to know if you have interest in a trip to London to coincide with the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Monday, April 25 to Sunday, May 1. The ESU offered a trip at the time of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana that was so popular we had to organize two departures and it was a great success. Now, the same specialist in tailor-made international travel itineraries who made those arrangements for us is proposing a similar trip to coincide with the April 29, 2011 royal wedding. Proposed highlights of the tour package include: * Lodging at the four-star Rubens at the Palace Hotel located between to Buckingham Palace & Victoria Station; * Easter Monday Evensong at Westminster Abbey, site of the wedding the following Friday; * Private visit to Spencer House, built in 1756-66 for an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales; * Dinner in Mosimann's Private Dining Club, owned by Prince Charles' favorite chef, where a program on the ceremony and protocol of the royal wedding will be given; * Viewing the Royal Wedding Procession from a private room overlooking Whitehall with champagne breakfast and three-course lunch, and HD TV screens showing broadcasts of the wedding; * Reception at Dartmouth House; * Presentation on the architecture of London by the noted architect Lord Rogers in his Chelsea home; * Private tour of the Cabinet War Rooms and exclusive visit to the Houses of Parliament including lunch in a private room in the House of Lords hosted by a Peer of the Realm; * Visit to the Tate Britain; * Visits to Highclere and Windsor, with lunch in a country pub and Choral Evensong at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The Royal Wedding trip is anticipated to cost approximately $5,000 exclusive of airfare. We find this proposal very appealing and have a tentative hold on hotel and event spaces, but we need to ascertain if enough members are interested in this opportunity to see history unfold before we can proceed with actually offering the trip. Kindly respond to this email (to [email protected]) if you have an interest in participating. Your positive response will not constitute a commitment on your part but will help us determine if sufficient interest exists to proceed with plans. Chasing Churchill I met with Celia Sandys, Sir Winston Churchill's granddaughter, recently and she said that after finishing her splendid television series, Chasing Churchill, she began to develop tours that she herself leads, in association with knowledgeable local people, to retrace her famous grandfather's footsteps. She stressed that these trips are geared to those who love to travel and are interested in Sir Winston's life. They are not exhaustive research journeys, but rather gentler visits to places that inspired Sir Winston as soldier or statesman or painter or even as a grandfather with a young Celia in tow. Celia's next two tours are to: * Morocco, September 17 to 26, costing £3,950 per person double occupancy, and * Cuba, April 3 to 11, costing £2,995 per person double occupancy. If you are interesting in participating in one of these tours, contact Emily Pontifex in the UK, Tel 20 7386 4664 or [email protected]. Mention that you are a member of The English-Speaking Union of the United States. Launch of ESU Iceland All members are welcome to attend the launch of the newest ESU in Reykjavik, June 9 to 12. ESU Launches always provide participants with the very special experience of being part tourist and part guest while becoming friends with ESU members from around the globe. We have not yet received information on the cost, but the tentative schedule of events is: * June 9, arrival and a social gathering event * June 10, Official Launch proceedings with a panel discussion * June 11, an all-day excursion on the "Golden Circle" to see waterfalls, geysers and the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park * June 12, a visit to the famous outdoor spa, the Blue Lagoon (bluelagoon.com), for a dip in this thermal pool in a lava field. Delta Airlines is initiating service between New York and Reykjavik, and the ESU Steering Committee in Iceland is investigating a reduced group rate. If you are interested in attending the launch, please reply to this email ([email protected]) and we'll send you updates on the planning as we receive them. ESU National Patron Trip, "The Best Private Country Houses and Gardens of England" At the invitation of Dr. Quinn Peeper, Board Member and President of the New Orleans Branch, Tom Savage, Director of Museum Affairs at Winterthur Museum and Board Member of The Royal Oak Foundation, is hosting a trip to some of his favorite private properties in Great Britain from June 7 to 15. The itinerary will include Haseley Court, the legendary house and garden once owned by Virginia born tastemaker Nancy Lancaster; the Highgrove garden of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall; Madresfield Court, the "Real Brideshead" of Evelyn Waugh's novel; and Frampton Court, with its magnificent "Gothick" orangery. In most cases you will be greeted by the owners who look forward to sharing with you the challenges of maintaining these historic properties in the 21st century. A unique part of this itinerary is the privilege of staying as houseguests in three of England's grandest country houses. The cost of the tour is $6,500 per person, double occupancy, and $6,950 per person, single occupancy. For more information visit http://www.esuus.org/PDFs/ESU_England_Tour.pdf. A few spaces remain. The 2011 ESU Annual Conference in Philadelphia, "Taking Liberty with Language" The next ESU Annual Conference will take place October 6 to 9 in Philadelphia. It will be a stimulating conference on issues pertinent to our mission and programs, and entertaining and informative speakers and panelists will address the theme, "Taking Liberty with Language," exploring the concept that the English language is encoded with the principles of freedom, adaptation and resistance to authority. The historic Union League Club will be the primary venue of the Conference and other projected event sites include The Franklin Institute and Independence Hall. Joining ESU of the US members will be ESU International Council members who are holding their annual meeting simultaneously. More information and registration materials will be distributed to all ESU members shortly. Please be so kind as to let me know before January 7 specifically if you have interest in participating in the Royal Wedding trip, and we hope to see you in Philadelphia! With best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season and for a terrific new year, Alice Boyne, President and Executive Director The English-Speaking Union of the United States 144 East 39th Street New York, NY 10016 212-818-1200 212-867-4177 fax www.esuus.org -- JOHN DAVID OLSEN *webmaster* ------------------------- The Churchill Centre and Museum at the Churchill War Rooms, London www.winstonchurchill.org -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.
