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At the meeting held on 7 January the Chairman, John Illston wished everyone a bearable New Year, and suggested that U3A members should follow his practice of making New Year resolutions and then giving them up for Lent! He asked everyone to think about leading a group in the next session - anyone wanting to start a new group or continue leading an existing group should contact Mary Smith. The Secretary, Neville Jennings, reminded everyone to return their questionnaires regarding the venue for the anniversary lunch. At the AGM in March a new Treasurer and two new committee members will be needed. Salisbury Healthcare is mounting an initiative on patient involvement, and U3A members are invited to take part. There will be a full meeting at 4.30 pm on Tuesday January 27 at the Education Centre in Salisbury District Hospital. Planned outings include a visit to 'Milestones' at Basingstoke on January 14, a look behind the scenes at Salisbury Playhouse on 11 February and a visit to Sweeney Todd at the Watermill Theatre on 26 February. Bookings are being taken for Madam Butterfly at the Mayflower Theatre on 30 March. There will be a Family History trip to the Family Record Centre, London, on 12 February. Jeffrey Ashenden, formerly the Cathedral Close Architect, gave an illustrated talk on the houses in the Close. He emphasised its incomparable setting and its quality of spaciousness (it extends over 70 acres), the vision of Bishop Poore, its founder. It has seen a continuous process of reconstruction and restoration over 700 years, and many changes of use in accordance with the changing demands of society. The Bishop's Palace, built by Bishop Poore in 1220, featured castle-like crenellations; later additions were Venetian-style windows and an early Victorian gatehouse. The open truss roof of the Deanery is the only one in the country. The building was nearly demolished in the 1960's, but after a public outcry it was restored as the Medieval Hall. Modern buildings have been erected in the Close, including a new Headmaster's house built in 1947. Many celebrities have visited or lived in the Close over the centuries, including Izaak Walton, Arthur Bryant and Rex Whistler. Christopher Wren came to Salisbury to report on the Bishop's Palace and the Cathedral. John Constable spent three weeks with Bishop John Fisher in 1810 and became friendly with the Bishop's son. He was captivated by the cathedral and spent six years painting it. The Bishop complained that Constable's landscapes always looked stormy and asked for more blue skies. Thomas Hardy's sisters trained at the King's House which featured as Melchester College in Jude the Obscure. Wyatt demolished the bell tower and created
the great grassy expanse that is such a feature of the Close. The
visual impact of the Close is made up of many elements, the trees,
lawns, street lamps, telephone boxes etc. all adding to the overall
picture. Thanking Mr Ashenden for his talk, John Illston recalled that the artist John Piper also painted mainly cloudy skies. George V. on meeting him exclaimed "Oh Mr Piper, you do have terrible problems with the weather!" The next monthly meeting will take place on 4 February. Alan Corkhill will give a talk on Beyond the Footlights. |
