Members' Centres and
Friends' Groups
CAMBRIDGE FRIENDS of the NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
The Cambridge Friends of the National Trust for Scotland is one of the latest Members' Centre to be established. A programme of evening meetings has been arranged for October 2008 through to May 2009.
All evening meetings are at 7:30pm for an 8pm start. Wine and soft drinks are served before and after the meeting. Meetings cost £6 per head. It is better to apply for tickets in advance although it may be possible to attend some meetings by buying tickets at the door. If you buy tickets for all events before 26 September you will receive a discount of £6.
To apply for tickets, or to receive full details of the programme, please send an e-mail to : cambridge@ntscentres.org.uk.
Alternatively a printable application form is available in PDF format by following this link.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to read this form.
Programme for 2008/9
- Tuesday 7th October 2008 at Haslingfield Village Hall, High Street, Haslingfield, CB3 7JW. 7.30 p.m. for 8 p.m.
- "The Little Houses Improvement Scheme - a World first for Scotland".
Sian Lofthouse, NTS.Sian Lofthouse is the director of The Little Houses Improvement Scheme, a unique part of NTS or any conservation charity. It is one of the most radical and interesting parts of NTS work. It takes rundown domestic buildings and brings them back to a usable state. They are then rented as social housing. Sometimes these are stand alone buildings, sometimes they are parts of large estates. Other than private individual use they can also be used sometimes for communal facilities.
Sian will present a fully illustrated talk showing buildings before and after renovation and illustrating how local communities throughout Scotland have thrived as a result of this wonderful work.
This is our first attempt at taking one of our evening talks outside the centre of Cambridge. The village hall is at High Street, Haslingfield and is very easy to find. And easy to park?
- Monday 17th November 2008 at Newnham College, Cambridge. 7.30 p.m. for 8 p.m.
- "The Eagles of Scotland".
Stuart Housden, RSPB Scotland.Stuart Housden is the Chief Executive of RSPB Scotland. He will talk about these special birds: the Golden Eagle and the larger White Tailed Eagle which has been a recent re-establishment success. Eagles are not exclusive to Scotland but they are present there in greater abundance than elsewhere. Eagles are big and beautiful and relatively easy to spot. Stuart promises a fully illustrated talk showing the birds and their habitats. Stuart has not previously come down to England to talk to any English based group so this is something of a coup for us.
- Wednesday 11th February 2009 at Newnham College, Cambridge. 7.30 p.m. for 8 p.m.
- "Crathes Castle Gardens - the second best garden in Scotland?".
Callum Birnie, Head Gardener.Callum Birnie is the head gardener at Crathes and naturally believes his garden is the best in Scotland. He hopes to demonstrate this with a fully illustrated talk showing the best of the garden at different times of the year. Although clearly located in Scotland the iconic walled garden looks like an archetypal English garden.
Callum has worked in gardens all his life including time at Threave and at Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. He has been in charge at Crathes since 1995.
- Wednesday 11th March 2009 at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 7.30 p.m. for 8 p.m
- "St. Kilda and the universe.".
Robin Turner NTS.The star event of this season? The island of St. Kilda is famous for many things and St. Kilda is never dull. Remote, forbidding and with a mysterious past and some unique natural history. It is hard to get to, hard to stay on and difficult to study.
Our speaker Robin Turner is head of archaeology at NTS and has a special interest in the island. Robin will pepper his talk with lots of illustrations and answer questions about life, past and present on the island. Robin led the NTS team that achieved extended World Heritage Site status for the island to include the cultural landscape.
This special evening gets a special venue, Emmanuel College.
- Wedneday 13th May 2009 at Newnham College, Cambridge. 7.30 p.m. for 8 p.m.
- "Gladstones' Land - Lost Lands and New Jambs.".
Pat Wigston.Pat Wigston has worked at this NTS house on Edinburgh's Royal Mile for many years. This is your chair's favorite NTS building, always mysterious and always something new to see. It is a gem, right in the heart of Edinburgh.
Pat will give a fully illustrated talk on how the unique building that is now Gladstones Land was assembled over various periods of time with the assistance or rather lack of help from various neighbours. A most peculiar story.