Special Interest Days are an essential part of our programme for enlarging the experience and enjoyment of our members. We have found it most enlightening to arrange a day during which an expert on his subject can come and talk to us, and show us what to look out for, and tell us of the history and background involved. 'Hands on' sessions, when members can bring silver, or porcelain etc. are very popular, and result in a greater understanding of the subject than would otherwise have been achieved by the usual approach.

The links between different forms of art were most admirably demonstrated by Peter Medhurst last year, when he gave us a series of lectures on 'Pictures which inspired Music, and Music which inspired Pictures'.

Douglas Skeggs, to prepare us for our visit to Krakow, gave us his most erudite lecture covering 'Cities that shaped History' demonstrating the enormous influence over centuries of the Hapsburg Dynasty, right across the Old World, which is absolutely necessary if we are to understand the city we will see in September 2010.