STOKE FERRY & DISTRICT LADIES GROUP

On Aug 1st at 10am, 17 members & friends left Stoke Ferry on a Harrods coach trip. Our first stop was the lovely old Lincolnshire town of Stamford. Here we saw a large proportion of beautiful old listed buildings, which gave the feeling of going back in time, in spite of having a high street with plenty of shops to browse in. After a nice lunch, the coach took us on to Rutland Water, where we boarded the Rutland Belle, a pleasure cruiser that that gives tours around the lake. While cruising we were served with a lovely afternoon cream tea, and listened to a commentary telling us the history of the area. The reservoir is man-made, and began construction in 1971 to provide water to the surrounding area. It took 4 years to complete & a further 4 to fill. Many homes and farms, & even one whole village were lost. One landmark that was preserved was St Matthew’s church, once the private church for the Normanton Estate. It is now a museum, and given access via a specially built causeway. The dam is 1200 metres long, but is barely visible because of the landscaping. Extensive nature reserves have attracted a number of endangered species, especially the osprey. Rutland Water has become an important tourist attraction offering something for everyone, including sailing, cycling, bird watching and walking. After a very interesting day, we returned to Stoke Ferry at 6pm. Everyone thanked Mrs Gillian Smith for organising such a lovely trip. Claire Lankfer (secretary)