This group started in January 1999. It’s named after the Three Choirs Festival, because most of our members live in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. However, any SI members who can get to meetings are welcome to join.
The Three Choirs Group runs a discussion forum that is open to all members of the Society.
Further information
For further information, please contact the Three Choirs group coordinator, Pam Scholefield
Forthcoming meetings
Tuesday 9 June 2020 at 10.30 a.m. – virtual meeting via Zoom
Following the two successful virtual meetings, we will be getting together again on Zoom. Contact Pam Scholefield if you haven’t received the link to join the meeting.
Information about face-to-face meetings will be posted here in due course once the lockdown restrictions have been lifted. In the meantime, keep in touch with other indexers via SIdeline and the group forums. Don’t forget you can participate in discussions on any of the local group forums.
The following meetings were planned but are currently (June 2020) cancelled due to coronavirus.
Wednesday 25 March, Snowshill Manor, near Broadway, Gloucestershire WR12 7JU
May 2020
We have two possibilities here. One is Newark Park; Malvern Priory is the other choice. The date isn’t set at the moment but will probably be late in the month depending on what we can organise for the day at either place. More details later.
July 2020
We are going a little out of our area to Tintern Abbey. More details later.
Wednesday 18 November 2020 at Batsford Arboretum, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9QB
Our annual planning meeting will be held at Batsford Arboretum–hoping there will still be some leaves to look at! The date is already set so you can put it in your diaries already. For sat nav use GL56 9AD, which will get you to the village of Bourton on the Hill. You will see the red banners of the arboretum at the bottom of the hill as you go out of the village towards Moreton-in-Marsh.
Recent meetings
Tuesday 26 May 2020 at 10.30 a.m. – virtual meeting via Zoom
Wednesday 13 May at 10.30 a.m. – virtual meeting via Zoom
A successful virtual meeting discussing indexing and, of course, Covid-19.
Thursday 30 January 2020 at 11 a.m. at Stanton Rooms, 26 Church Street, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL53 8AR
A session on subheadings led by Wendy Baskett, followed by lunch at the Royal.
Wednesday 13 November 2019 at 10.30 a.m. – Nature in Art, Wallsworth Hall, Sandhurst, Gloucester GL2 9PA
Given the weather, it was a good thing we went to Nature in Art on the Wednesday rather than Thursday! It was a beautiful day and eight of us were there for the meeting. We started with coffee and our planning meeting for next year. The exhibit was the 2019 British Wildlife Photography Awards so, of course, there were some stunning things to see.
Thursday 11 July 2019 at 10.45 a.m. – Perrycroft Gardens, Jubilee Drive, Upper Colwall, Malvern WR13 6DN
We were again lucky with the weather on our visit to Perrycroft, a hidden gem that we all managed to find hidden on the west side of the Malverns. The house is a beautiful Arts-and-Crafts-style house with perfect views of British Camp, the Iron Age hillfort, from the terrace. Lunch was outside at the Chase pub, so we were able to carry on enjoying the weather while celebrating 20 years of the three Choirs Group.
Wednesday 15 May 2019 at 10.30 a.m.- Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury GL8 8QS
Visit to the arboretum for the spring colours. Thirteen of us met at the cafe for coffee, followed by a walk through the arboretum and then lunch in the restaurant.
Thursday 14 March at 10.30 a.m. – Hereford Cathedral, Cathedral Close, Hereford HR1 2NG
Visit to Hereford Cathedral where the Mappa Mundi is located. It is the sort of thing you could stand in front of it for ages so Pam came home with a poster with an English translation for her office wall. The Chained Library was fascinating with illustrated books for us to marvel at and the ‘indexes’ of books on each set of shelves. Thanks so much to Jane for organising this for us. It was a good day and wonderful to get out of the office for a while.
Tuesday 22 January 2019 at 10.30 a.m. – Stanton Rooms, 26 Church Street, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL53 8AR
After coffee,Wendy Baskett gave us a very clear demonstration about Index-Manager, even using the word ‘fun’. Who couldn’t use a little fun while indexing? You can download a demo version that lasts 14 days. after the talk, we repaired to the the Royal Pub for lunch.
Wednesday 6 November 2018 at 10.30 a.m. – Dyrham Park, Dyrham, near Bath, Gloucestershire, SN14 8HY
Our annual planning meeting, plus lunch and a look round the spectacular 17th-century mansion.
Wednesday 11 July 2018 at 10.30 a.m. – Hidcote, Hidcote Bartrim, near Chipping Campden GL55 6LR
Seven of us net at the Barn Cafe for a leisurely walk around the gardens of Hidcote Manor, followed by lunch and a discussion about the forthcoming conference.
Tuesday 22 May 2018 – Berkeley Castle , Berkeley GL13 9BQ
A stunning day weatherwise for a tour of Berkeley Castle with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide. For added interest the courtyard was full of crew and actors waiting around to start filming a series about Mary Queen of Scots. Over lunch in the Yurt Cafe there was some discussion about the GDPR and what we need to do about it. After lunch, some went off to the butterfly house and others to the Jenner museum.
Wednesday 18 April 2018 – Cotswolds Distillery, Phillip’s Field, Whichford Road, Stourton, Shipston-on-Stour CV36 5HG
Tour of the gin factory (with free samples), followed by lunch.
Wednesday 14 February 2018 – Cheltenham GL53 8DP
Peer review plus ‘bring-and-share’ lunch.
Previous meetings have included visits to Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Chedworth Roman Villa and Westonbirt Arboretum
