This is the weekend of the Heritage Open Days. See http://www.heritageopendays.org/ Quoting from there: Heritage Open Days celebrates England's architecture and culture by allowing visitors free access to interesting properties that are either not usually open, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Heritage Open Days also includes tours, events and activities that focus on local architecture and culture. Heritage Open Days 2004 will run from 10th-13th September, with places all over England taking part. Organised by volunteers - usually property owners or managers - for local people, Heritage Open Days is England's biggest and most popular voluntary cultural event, attracting some 800,000 people every year. The Civic Trust gives central co-ordination and a national voice to the event, which is made possible by funding and support from English Heritage. Heritage Open Days provides visitors with a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy these sometimes hidden, often curious and always interesting places in English cities, towns and villages - and completely free of charge. Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage, says: Heritage Open Days has become an important part of the heritage calendar, allowing everyone, wherever they live and whatever their background, to enjoy, understand and feel a part of the country's rich and diverse cultural heritage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I can highly recommend browsing your county's listing - Buckinghamshire is at http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ed/buckinghamshire/index.shtml - and considering an expedition to "somewhere different" this weekend. In Buckinghamshire there are various heritage walks and open churches, amongst other offerings. In the last few years I've been to sites as diverse as an ice house in Surrey and Oxford Castle (gaol) at which my PULKER ancestor was a turnkey in the nineteenth century. Tomorrow I'm going to the Heritage walk around the Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens (fresh from their recent makeover), Stoke Park and St Giles's Church (Gray's Elegy). Wendy List Admin [email protected]