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Your “May” invitation
Good news! Open Days on Mondays and Sundays, start again on May 17th. We are really looking forward to being able to visit the house again, see old friends and welcome new ones.
Are you a Friend?
If not, please consider joining. All details are on the Support Us tab.
Our AGM will be held online this year on May 25th, where we will be electing a new committee for the coming year as well as reviewing the last two years, as we were unable to hold an AGM in 2020 owing to the restrictions and complications of the pandemic.
Monthly coffee mornings
These are held on 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Gardener’s Cottage Café and have been “on hold”. They are very informal. Just come and find us in the walled garden and say hello.
However although the Cafe has reopened on April 12th with outside seating, social distancing and rule of 6 apply, with no more than two households mixing.
We hope that after further easing of restrictions on Monday June 21st, we will be able to meet up again.
Friends’ Events
We can’t yet announce details of future events inside the mansion, but rest assured the committee is meeting regularly and formulating plans.
February’s online event, “From Tiny Acorns” was very well attended and helped bridge the gap we are all feeling. More details in our quarterly newsletter for members. Madeline, newsletter editor, also produces a monthly e-news for those on email. If you haven’t been receiving these, please send us your email address so you don’t miss out!
Coming soon!
We will be shortly updating this website with details of the amazing work done from 1999-2009 by the Valentines Park Conservationists. They produced 29 newsletters during that time and are a mine of information for those interested in the park.
We are currently writing up the history of how the restoration of this mansion and gardens was achieved by the local community, represented by the Cranbrook Residents’ Association, Friends of Valentines Mansion, the Valentines Mansion Trust, the Valentines Park Conservationists and Redbridge Council with a successful bid for Heritage Lottery funding. The Conservationists were formed in 1999 and Friends of Valentines Mansion soon afterwards in 2000.
The Friends had plans for the 20th anniversary year in 2020, which sadly had to be put on hold, but now in 2021 we have “come of age” and can’t wait to begin the next chapter!
Right: extract from VPC newsletter no. 26, July 2007 written by David Lane.
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