www.nadfas.org.ukNADFAS REVIEW / WINTER 2011 7NEWSFrom November 2011 toMarch 2012, Minervawill beembarking on a visionarymulti-million pound upgrade.As well as retaining itscountry-house style ambiencefor just 350 passengers, thenew specification will feature23 per cent balcony suites, thecreation of spacious new publicareas, an upgrade of en-suitepassenger cabin facilities andimproved manoeuvrability andenvironmental performance.While Swan Hellenic sincerelyregrets any disruption this hascaused, the company stressedthat this is excellent news forthe future of the ship and islooking forward to introducingthe 'all-new' Minervawhen shereturns in March 2012. Elsewhere, NADFAS travelaffiliate Voyages of Discoveryhas unveiled a new fleet -Voyager. Formerly Alexandervon Humboldt, she has beenextensively upgraded and willbe joining the ever-popularDiscoveryin November 2012to provide an even widerchoice of close-cruisingitineraries to destinationsworldwide. Discoveryis alsoset to undergo an extensiveprogramme of upgradesduring an extended dry dockperiod. This will includecomplete refurbishment ofsome of the teak decking,public areas and cabins, plusdeveloping other dining areas.Meanwhile, Hebridean IslandCruises has announced a newRhine and Danube RiverCruises programme on boardthe Royal Crown river vessel.The ship has been selectedon account of her intimatesize and the on-boardambience indicative of a smallprivate yacht.Above: Explore withHebridean Island CruisesBelow: Swan Hellenic'sMinerva is getting an upgradeNADFAS travel affiliates get makeoverHow to take agood photoMany members have already takenadvantage of courses from NADFAS Houseoffering tips on how to take good photos foruse in the Reviewand local and nationalmedia, and there will be more of these nextyear. In the meantime, the following pointerswill help readers to ensure their photographscan be included in the Review.Whatever digital camera you have, always use your camera on the settingthat gives the largest size picture at thehighest quality.Selecting the best quality at the outset,the lowest ISO speed if available, andframing as close as possible should give afile size of at least 4-5Mb.A file must be at least 1Mb in size forNADFAS Reviewto be able to reproduceit at sufficient quality. Creating a printedimage that isn't blurry requires more pixelsthan when viewing it on a computerscreen, which is why the file size needs tobe as large as possible.

This year, the National Chairman's event will be hosted at Britain's newest major art gallery, the Hepworth Wakefield inYorkshire. It is one of the largest contemporaryart spaces outside London and is being lauded as one of Europe's finest contemporary art museums. (See our article on page 44 for more about the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery)SCHEDULE10.30-11.00 Members arrive. Tea, coffee, pastries served 11.00-11.15 National Chairman's welcome - introduction to the Head of Collections and Exhibitions, Frances Guy11.15-11.55 Introduction to the Hepworth Plasters, given by Frances Guy11.55-12.15 Questions12.15-13.30 Lunch 13.30-15.00 Guided tour of the Hepworth Wakefield (time slots to be allocated on the day) Tickets cost £30. Book on 020 7430 0730; return booking formopposite in an envelope marked 'Hepworth'; or visit the NationalEvents page at www.nadfas.org.ukEVENTSEventsA round-up of upcoming National Events The Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012:HM The Queen at WindsorThursday 29 March 2012To mark 60 years of the Queen'sreign in 2012, NADFAS membersare being given the opportunity toexplore three aspects of HM TheQueen's life at Windsor: her publicand private image, her role asSovereign of the Order of theGarter and her links with twoimportant buildings - St George'sHall, destroyed by fire in 1992 but triumphantly reconstructed,and 15th-century St George'sChapel, spiritual home of theGarter Knights.The Queen: Sixty Photographsfor Sixty Years- an exhibition oficonic photographs capturingfleeting moments of the Queen onofficial occasions and at relaxedfamily gatherings, is preceded by ashort illustrated talk.The names of all Garter Knightspast and present are inscribed onthe walls of St George's Hall, thesetting for state banquets, whichoccupies the site of Edward III'sGreat Hall. Badly damaged in HM's'annus horribilis', it has amagnificent new hammerbeamroof constructed of green oak usingmedieval carpentry techniques. A short talk will concentrate on therestoration work.Charlotte Manley (Chapter Clerkat the College of St George) willgive a talk on the Order of theGarter (see her article in the spring2009 issue of the Review) in theVicars' Hall, built in the year ofAgincourt. Small groups will thenbe specially guided around StGeorge's Chapel, a wonderfulexample of the perpendicularperiod, burial place of 10 Britishmonarchs and many othersincluding HM The Queen Mother.The Quire of the Chapel isbreathtaking, with 15th-centurydark carved oak contrasting with the colourful heraldicpageantry of the Knights' bannersand stall-plates.The visit concludes withEvensong sung by the choir of St George's Chapel. SCHEDULE10.30-11.00 Registration 11.00-11.30 Guard change atParade Ground11.30-13.00 Group visits13.00-14.30 Lunch in town (Note:lunch is not includedin ticket price)14.30-16.00 Group visits16.00-17.00 Tea in the Dean'sCloister17.15-18.00 EvensongTickets cost £48. Please bookon 020 7430 0730; return thebooking form opposite; or visitthe National Events page atwww.nadfas.org.uk8NADFAS REVIEW / WINTER 2011www.nadfas.org.ukDATES FOR YOUR DIARYLook out for details about these forthcoming events in future editions ofthe Reviewand on www.nadfas.org.uk18 June 2012 Goldsmiths' Hall, Gold - Power and Allure21 June 2012 Kensington Palace26 September 2012Buckingham Palace SPECIALEVENTNational Chairman's Event 12 April 2012, Hepworth Wakefield