Visits & Study Days Join us for a day out in Oxford on Tuesday, 14th April. The focus of our visit will be ‘In Bloom, How Plants have changed our World’ at the Ashmolean. This major new exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Oxford to the furthest corners of the world, uncovering stories of some of Britain’s most beloved blooms. It features over 100 artworks in a variety of media. On this occasion we have been unable to secure a group booking, due to limited timings for group visits. Therefore we suggest you either book yourselves in advance on the website (advisable), or just pay on the day. The entry cost is £16.20 per person. You will have plenty of time for lunch and to explore the Ashmolean and Oxford. The programme for the day is as follows: • 9.00am Depart from Glebe Road • 11.00am Arrival at the Ashmolean • 4.00pm Depart for home • 6.00pm Arrive back at Glebe Road The cost of coach travel for the day will be: £23.00 Please complete the slip below and EVEN IF YOU PAY BY BANK TRANSFER return to: Lois Pearson, 54 Elms Road, South Knighton, Leicester LE2 3JB. Tel: 0116 2704140 / Mobile 07817491518. Please note there are only 30 places available on this event. Please return your slips by Monday 23rd March Click here for a booking form PhotoBy Julian Herzog (Website) - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1377 11153 Study Day Tuesday 5 May 2026 £35 The Coplow Centre, Billesdon LE7 9FL Antonia Gatward Cevizli Istanbul - City of Faith, Power and Beauty The three lectures are Lecture 1 The Conquest of Constantinople and the Making of Istanbul This talk will immerse you in some of the architectural marvels of Istanbul. It explores the iconic landmarks of Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and more. We will think about the sultans who built them and how they communicated ideas about themselves, their power and their place in the world. Lecture 2 Treasures of Ottoman Istanbul: Suleiman the Magnificent's Era and Beyond The Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its power during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent. Money was pouring into the Ottoman capital and being invested in architecture, ceramics, textiles and manuscripts. This lecture introduces some of the treasures of this period and Süleyman’s importance as a patron. View of the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey. The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city. Diego Delso, license CC BY-SA Lecture 3 Carnations, Tulips and Hyacinths: The Story of Turkey's Iznik Ceramics Immerse yourself in a world of carnations, tulips, hyacinths and roses as you discover the history of the famous Turkish Iznik ceramics. From its origins imitating Chinese porcelain to its 16th-century heyday and subsequent decline. The focus on flowers makes this an ideal subject for spring but it works equally well at any time of year. Tiles with red clouds Iznik Turkey 2nd half underglaze painting on quarz ceramics. Dosseman, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Click here for a booking form and more details