RUGBY NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION

Rugby National Trust Association 

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November 2020 Bulletin

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Three months on from our previous news bulletin, we hope that you are all keeping safe and well as these strange and unpredictable times continue. One thing seems to be certain – a return to our “normal” lives before the pandemic feels to be a long way off yet. So it will probably come as little surprise to you that after the enforced shutdown of all our Summer and Autumn activities, we have regrettably decided that our Spring 2021 programme of talks will also be unviable, including cancellation of the January AGM. To attempt to run meetings with a smaller audience, due to social distancing, and without refreshments, would be impractical, unfair to members, and financially unsustainable.

 

A similar gloomy forecast hangs over attempts to provide our usual full programme of visits for next Summer. Due to the continuing Covid-19 crisis and Government Guidelines, any proposed programme for 2021 has to be put on hold and so we are unable to give any lists of visits. As an alternative, we hope to offer visits on a one-by-one basis when we know what might be possible. So much will depend on how they can be managed and how we can contact members.

 

However, despite this “gloom and doom”, we are by no means “down and out”!

A full and comprehensive Newsletter for Spring 2021 will be published and distributed to everybody in January as in previous years. As well as including the current RNTA news and business, it will contain items and news about the National Trust in general, and about some local NT properties in particular. There will also be further information about the possibilities of organising Summer outings.

 

All the talks that were to have taken place this Autumn will now be presented next Autumn in 2021. We are grateful to all those speakers for kindly agreeing to return then, and some details of their talks will also appear in the Newsletter. We are also planning to have the usual full programme in the Spring of 2022, and that will include our next AGM. 

 

In the meantime, we are happy to see that membership renewals have been coming in well, as always, and that the new database that Michael Turner has put so much time and effort into, is working most efficiently.

 

For your information, a statement received from the National Trust following the new lockdown states:

 

“Following the announcement of a lockdown for England from Thursday 5th November until 2nd December, we intend to keep our gardens, parks and countryside sites open but will close our houses and shops. Where possible visitors will still be able to get takeaway food and drink and outdoor play areas will remain open in line with government guidance”.

 

 

So, even though RNTA appears to be a little dormant for the time being, we are still very much functioning. We will keep you up-to-date with developments as 2021 progresses, especially via our website.  We are looking forward to a complete restart next October, and in the meantime if you have any questions about any of this before you receive the next Newsletter, do please contact

 

Anne Turner  01788 519935,   or  George Brunavs  01788 811701,  or David Knapp  01788 817346.

 

We extend our best wishes to you all, and once again keep safe!

                                                                                                                      The RNTA Committee