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Rain or Shine: Murder Most Wilde

The Rain or Shine Theatre Company will be back at the Barn in Purley on Friday 6th December with their new performance Murder Most Wilde.  Tickets from David Downs, 0118 942 4167, or from the Rain or Shine website:  https://www.rainorshine.co.uk/

The performance will start at 7:00 pm, and the bar will be open at 6:30 pm and at the interval.  Profits from the evening will go to Cancer Research.

Following their highly successful summer tour of The Importance Of Being Earnest, Rain or Shine Theatre Company is touring ‘Murder Most Wilde’, a new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s comic and quirky tale “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime”, a delightfully silly Victorian comedy chock full of muddled murder attempts and comic confusion.

Meeting dates 2025

Meetings are held at The Barn, Goosecroft, Purley on Thames RG8 8DR

Friday 17th January, 7:30 pm.  TBA.  The booked speaker, Caroline Piller, has had to postpone her planned talk on Horse Dealing in Reading until later in the year.  

Friday 21st February, 7:30 pm.  Katie Amos: Tilehurst’s Big Houses: Dellwood, The Laurels and Kentwood.

Friday 21st March, 7:30 pm.  TBA

Rain or Shine: The Importance of Being Earnest

Friday 7th June – 7.30pm
“The Importance of Being Earnest”

The Barn, Goosecroft

Profits from the evening will be donated to the Army Benevolent Fund.

Rain or Shine describe their adaptation as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When two Victorian gentlemen assume the name of ‘Earnest’ to win the affections of two ladies, both determined to marry a man of that name, the scene is set. Join Rain or Shine Theatre Company for an evening of hilarious confusion in a world of handbags, perambulators, cucumber sandwiches, muffins, butlers, the English upper class, and of course, that theatrical tour de force – Lady Bracknell!”

Tickets are priced at £16 adult and £8 child, and you can purchase these from:

David Downs at 0118 942 4167 (cash purchases only)
The box office ticket line 03306 600541 (card only)

Website https://www.rainorshine.co.uk/   (card only)

Please do come and support, if you can, and bring your family and friends. Open to all.

 

Visit to Chiltern Open Air Museum Friday 12th July

Leave 8.30am from Goosecroft Recreational Ground, return approximately 5.30pm.
Price £27.50 per person (including coach there and back).

Step back in time and explore over 30 reconstructed historic buildings, including an Iron Age roundhouse, 1940s prefab, blacksmith’s forge, Victorian toll house, tin chapel, WW1 and WW2 Nissan huts, earthen cottage and working historic farm that is home to goats, sheep, chickens, cows and farm cats. All set in 45 acres of beautiful Chilterns countryside. As well as a collection of historical buildings, the Museum boasts a number of small traditional gardens that complement them and suit their time periods. These include a formal Arts and Crafts garden, a pretty cottage garden, and a ‘dig for victory’ allotment next to the 1940s prefab.

In addition to the buildings and gardens there are orchards, a woodland trail, sensory trail, gift shop and tearoom (serves lunches as well as tea/cake etc). If you prefer to bring your own lunch, there are a number of picnic benches scattered around the site.

Discover more at: https://coam.org.uk/
Book a place via Jean Chudleigh on email jeanchudleigh@btinternet.com. Open to members and their guests.

Pre-booking required – bookings close Sunday 7th July

 

D-Day Commemoration Event

Project Purley’s D-Day Commemoration Event
Saturday 8th June, 1pm
Purley Memorial Hall, Glebe Road
£10 per person

Any profits from this event will be donated to the Army Benevolent Fund.

In keeping with the spirit of 1944, we will begin with a fish and chips lunch, after which historian Mike Cooper will give a talk about the events of D-Day itself.

“D-Day” wasn’t a single event, but many. Mike will look at the context for the landings, the planning and assumptions behind the actions of both sides, and at each of the landing beaches. This can’t be a detailed study, but instead an introduction and overview to help understand the nature and significance of what happened.

There will be a small display about D-Day and we will also light one of the special D-Day lanterns.

Vegetarian options are also available – please request when booking.

Book a place via Jean Chudleigh on email jeanchudleigh@btinternet.com. Open to all.

Pre-booking is required. Bookings close Monday 3rd June.

 

Meeting dates 2024

Meetings are held at The Barn, Goosecroft, Purley on Thames RG8 8DR

Friday 19th January, 7:30 pm.  Nick Brazil:  Swan Upping – a 900-year Royal Tradition

Friday 16th February, 7:30 pm.  Sarah Somerville: The History of Shaw House in Newbury

Friday 15th March, 7:30 pm.  AGM followed by Richard Marks: Biscuits for Queen Victoria – the story of the early days of Huntley and Palmers

Friday 19th April, 7:30 pm.  Dr Stephen Goss: From Doomsday Book to listening in for doomsday: Caversham Park’s 930 years at the centre of history

Saturday 8th June, 1:00 pm.  D-Day Commemoration Event

Friday 7th June, 7:30 pm  Rain or Shine Theatre Company: The Importance of being Earnest (A Trivial Comedy for Serious People) by Oscar Wilde

Friday 12th July.  Outing by coach to Chiltern Open Air Museum

Friday 20th September, 7:30 pm.  Members’ meeting – Hobbies and Collections

Friday 18th October, 7:30 pm.  Ellie Thorne: The Shops, Trades and Businesses of Pangbourne, 1949 to the Present Day.

Friday 15th November, 7:30 pm.  Richard Marks: Berkshire’s Forgotten Railways

Friday 20th December.  Social: Christmas Party

Rain or Shine: Frankenstein

The Rain or Shine Theatre Company will be back in the Barn in Purley on Thames on Friday 8th December 2023, hosted again by Project Purley.  As usual, we look set for an evening of great acting and much laughter.

Mobirise

Victor Frankenstein is on a scientific quest. He believes that he alone is destined to break through the greatest boundary of the medical world and harness the power to control life and death. Along with his faithful assistant, Igor, he finds that the act of creation is not all it’s cracked up to be when his efforts finally bring a homemade man to life. The only true question is who is the monster? Victor or his creation? Join Rain or Shine this winter for their hilarious take on this Gothic classic. Expect gags, fast paced chaos, well-timed comic set pieces. And hats. Lots and lots of hats.

Tickets are on sale now at £12 adult and £8 concession either from David Downs face-to-face or on 0118 942 4167.

Christmas Party in the Barn 2023

The Project Purley Christmas Party will be held on Friday 15th December at 7:30 pm in the Barn.  

There will be a hot supper and a Christmas Quiz.  A professional caterer will supply a choice of three different main courses, and you can pre-order your preference.  There will be a charge of £12 to cover the cost of the catering.  Members should bring their own crockery, cutlery, glasses and drinks.  Before, during and after the food there will be a photograph quiz.

Pre-booking is required, contact Jean Chudleigh.

Summer Outing – Visit to Purley Hall and its grounds

Project Purley’s Summer Outing will be a visit to Purley Hall
19th May 2023 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Purley Hall pictured across the man-made canal. Photograph: Catherine Sampson

Built in the early 1600s, Purley Hall is a very attractive property set in stunning grounds.  It is privately owned, and we are grateful to Mr & Mrs Anderson for welcoming us to their home.  Weather permitting, our visit will include time to explore the gardens, which includes a canal, boat house, rustic temple, and walled garden, and also a tour of the main reception rooms downstairs with Ben Viljoen.  We will finish afterwards in The Barn for refreshments.

The visit costs £5 per person, which includes refreshments.  Advance booking required: contact Catherine Sampson.