Annual Church Outing - Wisley RHS

The Parish Church of ST. FAITH in HAVANT

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ANNUAL CHURCH OUTING


After the Flower Festival in June, there was more to come when 34 parishioners gathered in the rain at the "old" Post Office in Havant on Saturday 26 July for the annual church outing. This year it was to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley in Surrey. The Flyght Travel coach departed at 10.35am, drove up the A3, with a 20 minute hold-up at Hindhead (will a tunnel ever be built?) and arrived at Wisley just before mid-day, in the sunshine, albeit briefly. It was lunchtime. The choice was a 3-course meal in the Terrace Restaurant (with linen napkins, which is always a good sign!), sandwiches, baguettes and jacket potatoes in the Conservatory Café, hot and
	cold snacks near the glasshouses, or the picnic area for those that had brought their own lunch. The afternoon was overcast, but the rain held off for three hours. This gave us time to walk around the garden (240 acres of it) and enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the various areas, like the Seven Acres Lakes (with large beautiful fish swimming around), the Walled Gardens, the Glasshouses, Model Gardens, Rock Garden (above), Rose Garden, Alpine Meadow or Long Water (left). When the spits and spots started there was just time to explore the shop and the plant centre. Many plants were purchased (including those by Peggy & Beatrice below!) and filled the luggage area in the coach. The coach departed Wisley at
4.05pm in the rain, heading back along the A3, turning off onto the A283 for Petworth, where we arrived 55 minutes later. The cream tea was at the Saddler’s Rest 15^th century restaurant. There are a number of small rooms and you had to watch your head as the beams were very low. The cream tea was served in a romantic setting with lighted candles on the table! We boarded the coach at 5.55pm for the last leg of the outing, travelling along the A272 and A3 before arriving back at the "old" Post Office at 6.45pm, in the rain! Our thanks to Sandra Haggan for yet another well organised outing which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

The Parish Church of ST. FAITH in HAVANT