Events Programme 2024

Find out what events we will be holding in 2024.

All events are held at The Birmingham & Midland Institute, unless otherwise stated.

Please note our Refunds Policy at the foot of this page.

Dates for your diary:

Saturday 27th April
MEMBERS’ AFTERNOON
2.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. in the Sir Arthur Sullivan Hall at the BMI.
£15 with light refreshments, including cakes.
Members and their guests are invited to bring a maximum of 6 images on a memory stick to explain and share. We hope this will be an opportunity for those attending to see buildings which are either well known favourites or architecture which is new to them. Other aspects of life in that era may also be shown.

The afternoon will provide a relaxed opportunity for members to get to know each other and chat over tea/coffee and cakes.

Prior booking essential.

Download Booking Form here or book on Eventbrite


Thursday 6th June
DAY VISIT TO STOURBRIDGE
9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Departing St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston B16 9JN (Buses 9 or 126 from Colmore Row or Broad Street to Westfield Road.) There is free road parking by the church.
£30 which includes bus from St Augustine’s Birmingham, morning drink, lunch, and guided tour of the Glass Museum + donations

This walking tour of Stourbridge will be led by Andy Foster and David Low and will highlight some of the town’s significant Victorian buildings. We hope to include the closed church of St John the Evangelist (G.E. Street, Grade II, 1861)

Stourbridge Glass Museum is housed in the former Grade I Stuart Crystal Works. Opened in April 2022 it was previously based at Broadfield House. It is now situated in the heart of the Glass Quarter, the home of glassmaking for 400 years. The collection contains pieces from Roman times to the present day but has a particular emphasis on those from the 19th century golden age of glassmaking in this area.

On the site across the road is the only remaining glass cone (Grade I, being totally restored) as well as buildings and evidence of the importance of the canal to the glass industry.

For this trip we will be using a single decker, former Birmingham Corporation bus, which has no seat belts fitted.

The group will be divided into two. One group will start with the walking tour and then visit the Glass Museum in the afternoon whilst the other group will start with the Glass Museum and then the walk in the afternoon.

Everyone will have morning refreshments in the town, and a buffet lunch at the Museum.

Download Booking Form here or book on Eventbrite

Saturday 13th July 2024
A COACH TRIP TO SHROPSHIRE
Visiting 2 churches with lunch and a guided tour of Stokesay Court

£56 including coach fare, lunch, donations and guided tour

9.00 am Coach departs from Church Street, Birmingham City Centre
9.20 am 2nd coach pick up from St Augustine’s Road, Edgbaston B16 9JN

Then to Burford House Garden Centre, Tenbury Wells. Morning refreshments (not included in visit price) before we walk to St Mary’s church, (Grade I with 1889-90 restoration by Aston Webb) at the lavish expense of The Hon. Georgina Rushout of Burford House. Rebuilt tower and chancel with roof of angels, all window tracery and most fittings by Webb and stained glass by Powell. Our next stop is St John the Baptist (Grade I) at Stokesay Castle. Rebuilt after the Civil War our main reason for visiting is the 1903 stained glass by Henry Payne of Birmingham. Trained by Christopher Whall, he then taught at Birmingham School of Art many ofArts & Crafts artists. Also 1913 nave window by James Hogan for Powells.

We then depart for Stokesay Court (Grade II*) at Onibury near Craven Arms. 1889 – 95 by Thomas Harris, a Gothic Revivalist architect. Costing over £100,000 for the glove manufacturer John Derby Allcroft M.P. One of the first houses in England to have electric lights, it has gardens laid out by Henry Ernest Milner. Through marriages it has remained in the same family ownership and is described in Pevsner as ‘the most grandiloquent Victorian mansion in the County.’ After a light lunch we will have a private guided tour of the principal rooms. There will also be time to visit the gardens.

17.00 hrs Leave Stokesay Court to return to Birmingham;
18.30 hrs Estimated arrival time back at St Augustine’s Road then onto Church Street.

Download Booking Form in Word or in PDF or book on Eventbrite

REFUNDS POLICY

  • If cancellations are made before the closing date for bookings you can request a full refund by cheque or BACS.
  • Cancellation after the closing date and up to 8 days before the event = 50% refund.
  • Cancellation within 7 days of the event = no refund.
  • No money will be refunded until after the event has taken place.
  • In the event of the Society having to cancel, refunds will be made less any administration costs.


PAST EVENTS:

Saturday 27th January
MEMBERS' NEW YEAR LUNCH
12.45 p.m. for a 1.00 p.m.
Bistrot Pierre, 46 Gas Street, Birmingham, B1 2JT
£26 per person for a 3 three-course meal

This city centre location is a 19th century Grade II canal side venue in Gas Street. Previously known as Waterside House it was formerly the head office of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal Company. Many of the building’s original features including the wrought iron staircase and brass door handles have been retained. It is now the Birmingham branch of renowned restaurant chain Bistrot Pierre.

It is a short walk from New Street station and near the Library of Birmingham central bus and metro stops.

The menu choices will not be available until immediately after Christmas, but you may reserve and pay now to secure places. Menu options will be e-circulated to you as soon as they are available and will include vegetarian and fish choices. The.£26 includes a gratuity to the staff, but you will have to purchase your own drinks.

Pre-booking is essential for members, who may also bring relations or friends.

BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED

Saturday 10th February
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
10.15 a.m. for 10.30 a.m.
Papers for the AGM have been sent to members. After the formal proceedings of the AGM, the winner of our 2023 Conservation Award will be announced followed by an update on current Casework in our region.
Complimentary tea/coffee on arrival.
A sandwich lunch may be ordered at the Café.

BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED

Saturday 16th March

SYMPOSIUM TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL’S DIVINE BEAUTY PROJECT
10.15 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
£40.00 (£30 concessions) including lunch and refreshments
Organised in conjunction with Birmingham Cathedral this day will share the conservation work and history of the newly cleaned and repaired Burne-Jones windows .
Booking essential by 9th March.

You can see a video of the story behind the restoration of the windows by clicking the image here:

The Divine Beaty project was supported by a £2,500 donation from the Society and National Lottery Players via a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED

Tuesday 9th April
VISIT TO GREAT MALVERN & MALVERN COLLEGE
10.00 a.m.
£23 including buffet lunch & afternoon tea/coffee.
Malvern was no more than a village of 3,000 inhabitants in 1831 when Princess Victoria visited the area. By the time Queen Victoria died, the population was nearer 16,000. Growth on this scale can be explained by the arrival of the two Water Cure doctors in 1842. Their reputation spread quickly and very soon Malvern became a health resort in the same league as Cheltenham, Tunbridge Wells and Leamington Spa.

We start our day at 10.00 a.m. at Christ Church, Avenue Road (Grade II,1875, T. D. Barry and Sons Ltd, Liverpool) (WR14 3AY), where you may buy refreshments upon arrival. The church is a 5-minute walk from Great Malvern Railway Station. The station canopies are supported by elaborate, cast-iron pillars, and capitals decorated with high relief mouldings depicting different arrangements of flowers and foliage. Network Rail has recently spent £8 million on restoration of the platform canopies and ornate ironwork.

At 10.30 a.m. we convene to explore the station and many of the surrounding fine Victorian buildings, guided by Peter Clement of Malvern Civic Society; we will then go on a tour of the town, taking in many of the other fine Victorian houses on the way, led by our Chairman, Stephen Hartland. We will stop for a buffet lunch at The Mount Pleasant Hotel.

After lunch, around 1.15 p.m., we will walk to Malvern College, which was founded in 1865 and is regarded as one of England’s premier independent schools. Our Honorary Treasurer, James Fletcher, who works at the College, will guide us around the College campus including the main College (1865), Chapel (1899), Pavilion (1894), Music School (1862), St Edmund’s Hall (1905) and others. We will finish with refreshments in the Memorial Library (1924), leaving the College by 4.15 p.m.

We are limited to 30 people, so that initial bookings will be restricted to members only. Any tickets that are still available after 1st March will become available for non-members.

You may download the Great Malvern walk notes here

You may download the Malvern College tour notes here

Photos of the visit may be viewed here

BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED