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On the last day of March a small group of Questers met at the Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke on the site of a mill noted in the Domesday book. We were met by our knowledgeable guide who gave us a brief history of the large site and how many of the old buildings had been adapted for modern use. For 200 years this complex of brick buildings was owned by the Portals paper making business who produced bank notes for the British Empire and was subsequently sold to De La Rue who ceased production in 2018.
We were invited to make up our own G & T mix with plenty of ice and take a seat in the comfortable cinema to learn more about the distilling process.

Dodging the sleet squalls, our guide took us into the glasshouses where some of the herbs and spices used in the distilling process are grown, the remainder coming from selected growers around the world.

We then had our opportunity of seeing and smelling the 10 “botanicals” with an explanation of how it is the vapour from the botanicals that makes the gin lighter and different from other varieties. The cost and noise of having a bottling plant at the Laverstoke site means the concentrated spirit is transported by road to Glasgow where the alcohol content is reduced before it is bottled in the distinctive blue rectangular bottles. In 1998 Bombay distillery was acquired by Bacardi and since then the visitor centre and other improvements have been made

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On 21st October, ​14 Questers met on a bright late autumn day at the Tudor house in Southampton. Our guide, a knowledgeable historian, led us a fascinating 1.1/2 hour walk around the Old Town. Originating in Roman times and much expanded by the Normans, Southampton became an important gateway for commerce. Most of the produce in medieval England was the export of wool to the continent and its re-import as clothing and the import of wine.

We visited two of the existing wine vaults, one under a modern block of flats, our guide pointed out a small exit tunnel at the back of the vaults which was excavated during the 2nd world war as an escape when the vaults were used as air raid shelters.

The Old Town walls enclosed medieval Southampton and much of the land to the South including West Quay and the docks was reclaimed over the centuries. We learned the history of several more old buildings before ending with a walk around the Tudor house and the 800 year old garden.

22 Questers assembled outside the Town Hall in Hungerford on July 27th.

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Ann Scott gave a brief history of the town before moving up the High Street and finding some hidden steps which led us around the backs of houses to the common. Ann told us that the towns councillors had fought many plans to build on the common over many years. The 220 acres, now run by trustees as a charity, have changed little over the centuries, the grass is kept in check by a herd of cattle.

Questers dispersed for lunch to several of the town’s eateries before boarding The Rose of Hungerford narrow boat for an afternoon 1 1/2 hr restful trip up the Kennet and Avon canal, through the Dunmill lock and return. A commentary from the crew gave us a history of the canal as we glided past canal boat homes, watched the wildlife and partook of the refreshments on board. A very enjoyable day out with the added bonus that we didn’t have to pay a parking charge as the barrier machine was not working!