GUEST TOURS

Building on the success and popularity of the Guest Tours in previous years, three Guest Tours have been arranged for this September.

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT - Guest Tour 1
Tuesday 2 September 2008

A private tour of the Houses of Parliament tour has been arranged for Tuesday 2 September.

Where Parliament now stands has been a centre of authority for over a thousand years. Once the home of the royal family, and still officially a royal palace, the ‘Palace of Westminster’ offers selected visitors a tour or the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Queen’s Robing Room, and a fascinating insight into British architecture and government.

A private luncheon, in the Library of the Rubens Hotel has been organized immediately before the tour of the Houses of Parliament. Tour tickets will be distributed at this lunch.

Participants will assemble for lunch at 12:00, then walk (10 minutes) to Parliament Square where security checks will be completed at 13:45. The tour will finish at approximately 15:15 and participants should be back at their hotels by approximately 15:30.

Cost of the tour (including lunch) £44.

LEEDS CASTLE - Guest Tour 2
Thursday 4 September 2008

A full day Guest Tour has been arranged for Thursday 4 September.

Luxury coaches will collect participants from the Rubens Hotel at 08:00 and from the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 08:15 before setting off to the English countryside in the county of Kent.

After arriving at Leeds Castle at approximately 09:15, participants will be given a private guided tour of the castle, which has been home to royalty, lords and ladies for over 1000 years.

It has Norman foundations; a medieval gatehouse; rooms built by Edward I and updated in Henry VIII’s times; a Tudor tower; and a 19th century country house - all of which were substantially refurbished in the 20th century.

After the (one hour) formal tour of the Castle, participants may visit the aviaries, gardens and maze. An opportunity to stroll with the peacocks on the lawns or watch the black swans glide on the castle moat.

Coaches will leave Leeds Castle at 12:40 and take the Tour to Biddenden Vineyard in the heart of the Kent Countryside. On arrival at 13:30, a Ploughmans lunch will be provided; after this, participants will be given a 40 minute long guided tour of the vineyard. In addition to the Vineyard walk and winery talk, there will be an opportunity to taste and purchase wines (not included in tour price).

Coaches will return participants to their hotels by approximately 17:00.

The cost of this tour is £69 per person.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL - Guest Tour 3
Friday 5 September 2008

A private tour of St Paul’s Cathedral has been arranged for the morning of Friday 5 September.

With its world-famous Dome, St Paul’s Cathedral is an iconic feature of the London skyline. The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.

The interior of the Cathedral, with its glittering mosaics, intricate stone carving, and breathtaking vantage points, are just a few reasons why a visit to St Paul’s is a must.

Coaches will collect participants from the Rubens Hotel (10:00) and the Crowne Plaza Hotel (10:15) and take them to St Paul’s Cathedral. The tour will commence at 11:00 and last for 90 minutes. Participants may then either return to their hotels by coach (arriving at approximately 13:30) or continue to explore the Cathedral and/or the City of London on their own (and making their own arrangements for the return journey).