EVENTS

NEXT SOUTHERN CROSS MEETING

Date:

Sunday 25 February, 2018

Location:

Castlemaine Uniting Church Hall 8-12 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine

Time:

Noon

LONDON RALLY 2018

The focus of the Rally will be on the life of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, and grandaughter of Lady Margaret Butler, whose father was Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl of Ormonde.

Thursday 5th July:

A welcome reception with afternoon tea at the House of Lords. We will have a rare insider's access to Westminster Palace, one of England's architectural gems, immortalised in poetry and painting. A casual dinner to follow at restaurants nearby.

Friday 6th July:

Day trip to Hever Castle, the Boleyn family home where Anne grew up. Hever was painstakingly restored and adorned with period antiquities and art by the Getty family in the late 20th century. The current owners, the Guthrie family, maintain the castle's intimate feel and have filled the grounds with enough activities to justify a day trip from London to entertain all ages. These include a yew maze, archery training, a water maze, rowing lake, and other activities.

Saturday 7th July:

A boat trip on the Thames to visit the Tower of London, where Anne was imprisoned by Henry until she was beheaded. We will hear from official guides but also a Butler who grew up in the Tower precinct. In the evening we will have a banquet at the historic and elegant Merchant Tailors' Hall on the appropriately named Threadneedle Street. This remarkable building is the seat of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Tailors, one of the twelve great Livery Companies of the City of London surviving from medieval times.

Sunday 8th July:

Service in the historic Temple Church, which was built by the Knights Templar, whose English headquarters were based in this area, in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Church has an effigy of William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, who built the original Castle at Kilkenny. For a Registration Form and details of how to pay, please email the Treasurer in Ireland, on treasurer@butler-soc.org.

SOUTHERN CROSS REGION GATHERING 2019

The next Southern Cross Butler Gathering will be held in 2019. The location and program is still being decided. Details will be provided later.