Sunday 20th June 2010 - Wightwick Manor, nr. Wolverhampton.

A visit to the National Trust owned Wightwick Manor near Wolverhampton. This fine late Victorian house was built for Theodore Mander the head of the famous paint manufacturing firm and was extended soon afterwards in a roughly late Tudor style. The house contains much decorative work by William Morris and a large collection of art predominately from the Pre-Raphaelite and the Arts & Crafts/Aesthetic Movements. Well worth a visit.

19th & 20th June 2010 - Himley Church fete and Remembrance Garden open weekend

The 19th & 20th June saw the church of St. Michael & All Angels, Himley hold thier open weekend and summer fete. The Ward family private Garden of Remembrance was also open, the only weekend of the year where the public are allowed to view the last resting place of the Earl's of Dudley and thier family. As usual Mr Gilbert Guest, the now retired gardener, was on hand to chat to the people who came to view the burial ground.

Visit to Witley Parish Church by our friends from Himley

Today a party of around twenty people from Himley paid a visit to Great Witley to view the parish church. The group consisted of historical researchers and their friends from the other "Dudley" family home and we were especially delighted to welcome Dr. Trevor Raybould and his wife Angela along with Peter Tilley and not forgetting Mr. Gilbert Guest who recently retired as part-time gardener to the present Earl of Dudley and who was responsible for the maintenance of the Garden's of Remembrance at both locations. Their visit included a talk on church history at Witley by Anne Leonie and chief steward Roger Perkins and a visit to the crypt (thanks go to Ian Holland). For my part I gave a conducted tour around the Garden of Remembrance at the Chapel of Ease. We all enjoyed the experience and there are already plans afoot for a reciprocal visit and for the mutual exchange of material between the two groups.

3rd June 2010 - Poseidon Fountain restoration Society A.G.M.

P.F.R.S. - A.G.M. was held at the English Heritage visitor centre at Witley Court, courtesy of site operations manager Spencer Trickett. See main website pages for further details.

Sunday 30th May 2010

Stewarding the church again in the morning whilst plants were on sale on stalls outside the porch. Plenty of visitors from 11.00 a.m. until 2.00 p.m. (just over 100), then Simon Lees-Milne arrived for the afternoon session.