Harlaxton during the Summer

July 2010

 

The English weather can be unpredictable but our summer visitors this year have, for the most part, been very fortunate with warm sunny days and long summer evenings adding to their enjoyment of being at Harlaxton.   To see the reflections of the setting sun in the windows of the Manor was an experience witnessed by many visitors, including colleagues attending the Partner Conference, 21 -23 June.   After the hard work of the conference day, a walk up the drive to The Gregory for supper, with the opportunity to view the newly refurbished Gate House flats en route, provided an enjoyable way to relax. 

 

The gardens have flourished in the summer warmth and the roses in the Italianate garden have put on a truly magnificent display. The roses chosen for this area have Shakespearean names – a  reference students coming to study during the Fall and Spring semesters will soon pick up.

 

The Eastern Illinois English Group, which arrived during the first week of June, stayed for a full month and just long enough to attend the Harlaxton 4^th of July celebrations. They were joined for that first week in July by the Harlaxton Reunion group of 1979-1980, and a group of alumni of the University of Evansville from across many years.   Visitors from both groups were keen to remember friends from their time spend at Harlaxton and trees were dedicated to the class of 1979-1980 and to the memory of a group of six students from the 1980-1981 cohort who were tragically killed in an accident whilst at Harlaxton. A bench was also dedicated to the memory of a classmate from Fall 1979 who died more recently.

 

Dr Kingsley, and his wife, Suzanne hosted 4^th of July celebrations with over 400 guests enjoying a warm summer evening in the grounds of the Manor and entertainment provided by the Melton Band.  Earlier in the day there had been a strong gusty wind that brought down several of the marquees but thankfully the wind died down later in the afternoon, whilst the sun continued to shine.

 

Members of the University of the Third Age (U3A) have been regular visitors over recent years and two groups have been in residence over the middle of July. A varied selection of courses were on offer for delegates including ‘Singing for Fun’, ‘Art in France’, ‘The rise of the House of Windsor’ and ‘The Brontes’, together with house tours, walks around the Walled Garden and a number of specialist trips out. 

 

Summer School visitors during the second half of July will include groups from The College of New Jersey and Western Kentucky University, and a meeting of the Medieval Symposium. Dr David Green from Harlaxton College is also on the committee for the Medieval Symposium and will be welcoming members to the Manor for this conference visit.

 

A formal dinner is often a feature of summer school visits or conferences and this keeps the catering and housekeeping departments very busy – preparing banquet food and getting the rooms set out in order to ensure an enjoyable and memorable evening for our guests.

 

To discuss opportunities for summer study or other events at Harlaxton contact Edward Bujak, Vice Principal for Academic Services, (email: ebujak@harlaxton.ac.uk) or Cynthia Marke, Programmes Coordinator, (email: cmarke@harlaxton.ac.uk).