New Programme Year

I am writing to you as your new Chairman. After three years, Simon Brown and Michael Frampton have come to the end of their tenure as Chairman and Vice Chairman and on your behalf I would like to thank them for all they have done to lead us through our first three years of the Great Ouse Valley Arts Society, with such energy and enthusiasm. We welcome Edward Chamberlayne as our new Vice Chairman and I hope that he and I, along with the Committee, can serve you well and lead your society forward into 2021 and beyond. 

Well, what a year! Who could have imagined that, when we met in February to learn about the Art of Seduction, the turmoil of Covid was about to descend. Going into lockdown was one thing but coming out of lockdown is another and not at all straightforward. Your Committee have been exploring the options to enable us to enjoy our fabulous lecture programme when our new year starts in September and to secure the future of our Society. At the moment, we cannot imagine that meeting at the Sharnbrook hotel would be wise but at the same time we don’t want to delay our programme again. Florian Schweizer and his team at the Arts Society head office have been working extremely hard to equip societies with alternative ways of delivering talks and consequently we are planning to do a live screening of our first lecture, 150 years of the London Underground with Mark Ovenden, at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th September. This will almost certainly be through Zoom and links and instructions will be sent nearer the time. 

Whilst this is by no means the same as meeting face to face, it does mean that we can keep our society running until we reach calmer waters and once again gather to share our wonderful lectures and friendship. 

In addition to our monthly talk, your membership includes the quarterly AS Magazine - do look out for Committee member Laura Garratt who features in the latest edition. Alongside the Magazine, the Arts Society has launched the new Connected website, which will be available for Arts Society members only from September and this includes monthly talks and arts projects. Your membership also gives you access to discounts at some museums and galleries, which are thankfully slowly opening up. 

Finally I would like to thank you very much indeed, for your continued support. We have a wonderfully eclectic and enticing selection of talks to look forward to and I have no doubt that we are going to emerge from hibernation with our zest for the Arts renewed. 

Floreat Great Ouse Valley! 

Nicholas Tusting 

Chairman of the Great Ouse Valley Arts Society

For any membership enquiries please contact:

GreatOuseValleyMembers@gmail.com