Founder and Chairman Valerie Woodford chats with Carrie Drage about her 17 years organising mainly day trips for her club, For Pure Pleasure, an initiative that has helped raise more than £14,000 for a local hospice.

Based in Buckinghamshire, For Pure Pleasure has been in existence for 17 years. Chairman Valerie Woodford explains, “The intention was to create a club where like-minded people could come together and experience places they might not get to otherwise.” She continues, “The idea came to me when a friend asked me to arrange an outing for him and his friends to a dance fundraiser at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. About 24 of us went along altogether and I haven’t looked back since.” The club now has a membership of just over 150 people with most members above the age of 50. She laughs, “One lady is 94 and aside from attending a number of our trips, she also finds time to play 18 holes of golf on a regular basis.”

Members pay an annual membership fee of either £20 per couple or £15 for an individual, which goes towards stationery, printings costs and postage. Valerie adds, “We also contribute £2 from each member’s fee towards a local charity, Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, which we have been supporting for 14 years.”

Prior to forming the club, Valerie organised outings for the Harrow branch of NADFAS (National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts) and was later invited to join the National Executive Committee where she began organising overseas tours. This experience gave her the knowledge necessary to set up her own operation. Valerie originally ran For Pure Pleasure single-handedly; however, as word of mouth spread and the club began attracting new members, she created a committee. This presently comprises five other people who meet once a month to discuss business. The membership year runs from August; however, the committee normally put together the programme of trips in January. Valerie adds, “We publish a quarterly newsletter updating members on recent trips and any forthcoming dates for the diary.”

Outings are organised as a joint effort by the committee members and average one day trip a month in addition to weekend breaks and an annual holiday, each for roughly 49 members at a time. She comments, “We pick up ideas for day trips in publications such as Group Travel Organiser magazine and we also like to attend a trade fair at least once a year.”

City, coast and country

When arranging transport for her group, Valerie mainly uses local coach providers, notably Smith’s Coaches, based in Tring, Hertfordshire. She comments, “I chose the company because they offered the most competitive price; however, they have since proved to be extremely reliable. The coaches are also very clean and well maintained.”

Over the years, Valerie and her group have enjoyed day trips to a number of destinations and attractions. In 1998, the group spent a day in Old Leigh and Southend, Essex, where Valerie arranged a welcome for the group from members of the Leigh on Sea Historical Society. Valerie remembers, “We met them in the Leigh Heritage Centre and Museum where they greeted us with coffee, a video presentation and a guide for the cockle sheds and Old Town.”

The group at the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

The same year, Valerie organised a ‘Vines, Wines and Railway Lines’ package with Kent-based Biddenden Vineyards, a package that still exists today. She says, “The day was good value for money. We enjoyed coffee and biscuits on the Kent & East Sussex Railway followed by lunch and a guided tour of the vineyards.”

London is another destination that stands out in Valerie’s memory. In 2000, the group enjoyed an unforgettable experience at the headquarters of The Magic Circle in Euston. Valerie remembers, “The group received a very warm welcome here. We saw magic performed both close-up and as part of a stage show.” Three years later, Valerie paired a visit to Spencer House with a BBC Backstage Tour. She comments, “We had an interesting guided tour of Spencer House in the morning followed by a BBC Backstage Tour in the afternoon. The guide encouraged the group to participate in some mock radio presentations, which was fun.”

The members on a tour of the Biddenden Vineyards.

More recently, in 2007, the group visited West Green House Gardens in Hampshire. She reveals, “The garden is unusual because the planting mixes vegetables with flowers.” Equally memorable was Great Dixter House & Gardens, in East Sussex, which the members visited in September last year. She says, “You can just imagine the former owner, gardener Christopher Lloyd, living there.”

Longleat, meanwhile, provided a lot of laughs for the group in October last year. She explains, “We took the coach through the safari park, which was hilarious. The monkeys climbed all over the vehicle.” Valerie was impressed by the convenience of the site too. She explains, “Everything here is in such close proximity – the coach can drop off passengers right in front of the house, which in itself is close to the site’s other attractions.”

Curtain up

Ever since Valerie’s very first outing, music has featured heavily in her programme. One show that is always guaranteed a good reception is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s (RPO) ‘Best of Broadway’ performance at the Royal Albert Hall, which the group most recently enjoyed in 2006. Valerie comments, “The conductor said we could dance in the aisles and, sure enough, we did.” She adds, “Jo Thomson at RPO is excellent. She is always at the venue to welcome you and hand over the free concert programmes that are offered as an incentive for group bookings.”

Valerie also praises the benefits available through the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). She explains, “We attended the ‘Sir John Eliot Gardiner Beethoven Cycle’ concert at the Barbican earlier this month. The group representative treated us very kindly and as a group booking we received complimentary concert programmes and free places, which is always welcomed.”

The group have also ventured backstage at some musical venues, most recently on a guided tour of the Royal Opera House in 2005. Valerie remembers, “We got to see the ballet school where The Royal Ballet train and where members of The Royal Opera have their singing classes. It was very interesting.”

Although infrequent, theatre productions in the West End and regional venues have been popular with members over the years. Valerie explains, “We use ticketing agencies Encore and Applause for London theatre bookings. Both companies provide helpful staff and payment is not demanded immediately.” She adds, “The last West End show we went to see was Billy Elliot The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2006. It was brilliant – the youngsters in the production worked so hard.”

Something special

Over the 17 years that the club has been in existence, Valerie has booked day trips to a number of special events and exhibitions. She says, “I always book tickets for events and exhibitions directly with the organisers. The same goes for the attractions we visit.”

The members enjoying a guided tour of Sudeley Castle.

One event that stands out for Valerie is the annual Upton Jazz Festival in Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire, which takes place in June. The group have attended the event twice to date, most recently in 2006. En route to the festival, the group stopped for a guided tour at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, before continuing on to Great Malvern for an overnight stay at The Abbey. Valerie says, “We wanted to be away from the noise and commotion of the festival and this hotel was ideal for that.” She adds, “The festival was great. The group particularly enjoyed the New Orleans-style parade and we also attended a church service where we saw the vicar dancing down the aisle!”

The same year, the group visited the Worcester Christmas Fayre on a day out. She says, “The cathedral becomes part of the event with stalls set up all round the cloisters.”

In 2005, meanwhile, Valerie took the members on a day visit to the Antique & Collectors Fair, an event organised by DMG Antiques at the Royal Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallett. She explains, “David Barby of BBC1 ‘Cash in the Attic’ fame lead a private masterclass for the group before we toured the fair.”

Horseracing is another experience that has attracted a lot of interest from the members in past years. Valerie says, “In 2007, I took the group to Newmarket Racecourse for the day. We toured the Jockey Club in the morning. They have a marvellous history and the guide was very informative.” Ladies Day at Royal Ascot proved to be equally successful in 1997. She says, “We had a picnic in the coach park before making our way to the Grandstand where we were able to see the horses parading around the paddock before the races began.”

Exhibitions that have featured in Valerie’s programme include, in 2008, a visit to ‘The First Emperor – China’s Teracotta Army’ exhibition at the British Museum, which was paired with a guided tour of St Pancras International train station. Valerie reveals, “We all fell in love with the station and, as a result of that trip, I have booked a visit to Paris by Eurostar for the group in November through Simply Groups.”

Every year, Valerie and her committee also organise fundraisers, such as barbecues, flea markets, luncheons and dinners for the members, with all proceeds going to the club’s designated charity. Valerie explains, “One event that stands out for me is the lunch at Waddesdon Manor, in 2005, where we had antiques expert John Bly give a talk to the group.” She adds, “Waddesdon Manor is a very elegant property – it certainly had the ‘wow’ factor. The food was delicious and very well presented too.”

Take a break

The members of For Pure Pleasure are offered one holiday annually; these are both UK-based and continental. Valerie takes more of a backseat in the planning of these, preferring instead to let the coach company or tour operator put together an itinerary and subsequently book any accommodation or excursions for the group.

Group members outside Alnwick Castle in Durham.

Last year, in July, the group visited Northumberland for four days taking in Alnwick, Beamish, Cragside and Durham. The transport was booked through Motts Travel, based in Aylesbury, because they presented the most competitive rate; however, as a change from the ‘norm’, the accommodation and excursions were booked direct. Valerie remembers, “A highlight for me was the excursion to Alnwick Castle. The preservation of paintings and antiques inside the castle was what struck me most; they were so well-cared for.” The group stayed at Hallgarth Manor Hotel, in Pittington, discovered by a committee member on a familiarisation trip. Valerie remarks, “The hotel was comfortable and both the food and service were very good.”

Although overseas breaks are less frequent, Valerie’s members have visited both Belgium and France in recent years. In 2002, she arranged a weekend to Bruges with Smith’s Coaches where the group stayed at the Park Hotel. She comments, “The hotel was very central and there was plenty of space for coach parking.”

Members taking a break on their Chrismas trip to Brussels.

In 2004, the group returned to Belgium for a Christmas market break taking in fairs in Brussels, Bruges and Valkenburg, in Holland. The weekend was booked through Brighton-based Equity Travel because one of Valerie’s committee members had successfully used the company for a school skiing trip. The group stayed at the Hotel Tulip Inn Brussels Boulevard, now Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre, which Valerie describes as “very central with a nice bar area where the group could meet up for drinks.” Commenting on the Christmas markets, Valerie says, “In my opinion, Brussels was the best. There were stalls leading all the way down to the central square, which was so beautifully decorated.”

The most recent overseas trip took place in July last year when the group visited Honfleur, in France, for four days, again with Equity Travel. The centrally-located Hotel Mercure Honfleur provided the accommodation for the trip. Valeries remembers, “They coped with the group beautifully and the hotel was close to many local restaurants.” One of the excursions that formed part of the break was a visit to Monet’s Garden in Giverny. Valerie adds, “The garden was lovely – full of flowers. You could imagine Claude Monet looking out of his window at the view!”

Plenty to smile about

Over the coming year, Valerie has day trips planned for the London-based Whitechapel Bell Foundry and the Museum in Docklands, in March, Wilton House and Salisbury Cathedral in May and a Cotswold River Cruise with London-based City & Village Tours in June. Valerie states, “I’ve used City & Village Tours on a number of occasions. They provide excellent guided tours of the capital in particular.” A visit to Ladies Day at Goodwood Racecourse in July also features.

Reminiscing on her experiences as an organiser, Valerie has one piece of advice for fellow GTOs. She reveals, “Even though budgets are always a consideration, I think it is important to do something in as much style as your passengers can afford; to make the person on board the coach feel special.”

Looking to the future, she explains, “In recent years, the short breaks have been very successful and there is enthusiasm among our members for longer breaks both in the UK and more distant destinations. This is certainly something the committee and I will consider.” For the time being, Valerie is content with her lifestyle. She adds, “I love the industry and the involvement with people and plan to stay a GTO for as long as possible.”