Newsletter No. 80 - September 2004

The Chairman's Corner

Members may recall that at the March, 2003, AGM. John Chapman of Project Purley, drew attention to the fact that member societies and individuals, undoubtedly possess a considerable mass of local historical information of which there is no record held by our Association. There is a real risk that some of this material will be dispersed or lost at a later date, particularly unpublished or unfinished work but containing useful facts.

At our last committee meeting it was decided that a professional start should be made to build a fully indexed database with all sources shown of this valuable information. To this end we will need to apply for a Heritage Grant to enable us to obtain the necessary equipment, experienced help and advice and above all, the full co-operation of members to provide the information.

We do not expect to receive artefacts, documents, books, etc., the proper place for these is the record office, museum or library where they can be correctly preserved. We will shortly be holding a meeting led by Professor Collins, to decide the details of this enterprise and in the meantime would be glad of any ideas and thoughts from members.

Your committee has proposed that £25.00, should be added by the Association annually to the prize for the best article published in the Journal and the award to be named, 'The Judith Hunter Prize', in recognition of Judith's work for the Association.

It was also decided to give two copies of the Journal to each society instead of the previous single copy so that it can be more widely read.

Joan Dils has suggested that the Association holds a meeting in honour of the work of W.G. Hoskins. This could take the form of an Open Day in 2005. Members will be given details in the January edition of the Newsletter.

Everyone is reminded that there are Officers and Members of the Executive Committee who are due to retire this year. I do ask everyone to give thought to help in finding members to offer their services as officers or committee members for the coming year. Please ring me if you have any proposals.

Temporary Newsletter Editor.

A question for everyone! What was the size of a Virgate of land ? The editor's decision is final.

Requests for Information

A gentleman wishes to restore the front garden of No. 11, Westfield Road, Caversham, complete with the paving and iron railings as it was before the iron railings were removed at the beginning of WW 2. He therefore requires fairly detailed photographs of this or nearby houses. To me this seems an admirable idea, as those who were living in the Reading area, know how the removal of these railings ruined the character of large areas of the town and destroyed civic pride.

There is evidence that much of this wrought ironwork was never used for the war effort and emained in Jackson's scrap yard after the war.

Please address your replies to me or to the house in question. Ed.

Mr. Peter McCaffery wishes to know if the property called 'The White House', in London Road, Sunninghill, presently used by Messrs PGR Pressure Gauges, is the same house that was occupied by a Mr. Skinner in 1870 ?

Please send replies to , peter@mccaffery.ndo.co.uk or to me. Ed.

Mr. Felix Cook, Master of the 'Eagle House Prep School', Sandhurst Berkshire, GU47 8PH, has interested his pupils in the history of the school grounds, believed to be part of the gardens of Edgebarrow Manor a large house adjacent to the school demolished in the 1960's. They have started an archaeological search and have already found some interesting artefacts.

The house is thought to have been built by an American, Raymond Tucker and subsequently owned by Richard Edgecombe, a drawing master at nearby Wellington College.

Please reply to the school.

The Mason/Thackham Family.

I am presently tracing my family line in Mortimer. I know that my grandparents, George Mason and Mary Thackham Mason owned the Railway Inn/ Hotel, presently called The Fox and Horn and my grandmother, Ellen Charlott Mason, and her brother, Kennett Mason, inherited the hotel from them. Kennett Mason died in 1935 and we presume, left the hotel to one of his children, Richard Kennett Mason or Rosemary Mason. Any information with respect to my family's history and the history of the inn would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted at d_Osborne@dccnet.com

Mrs. Carole Doran wishes to know more of the history of the houses in Crowthorne near her church of St. John, the Baptist, especially one called 'Poynings'. Her E-Mail address is carolejoan133@aol.com

Bridget Ann McCormack is researching Irish Immigration into the Reading area and wishes to know of other researches into this subject. Would others interested or with knowledge of this subject, please get in touch. Her E-Mail address is lhu03bam@reading.ac.uk

Lectures & Courses

The University of Reading @ Newbury College

From September, 2004, the University will run a programme of Certificate of Higher Education course in Archaeology, English Literture, History of Art & Architecture and Combined Studies at the College's Monks Lane site.

The Certificate, which is a qualification in its own right and is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree, provides an opportunity to study university-level education in a friendly, supportive environment with people who share similar interests.

Those interested should contact - Debbie Doyle, Regional Partnerships Officer, School of Continuing Education, University of Reading, London Road, Reading, RG1 5AQ. E-Mail, d.doyle@reading.ac.uk as soon as possible.

West Berkshire Museum Centenary Lectures

A series of lectures with special guest speakers to celebrate the centenary of the Newbury Museum is being held at the Newbury Town Hall, from 18.45 to 20.30.

Thursday, 16th. September, 2004, 'Early Mesolithic activity and environment in the Kennet Valley', Cathie Chisham, Wessex Archaeology.

Thursday, 21st. October, 2004, 'John Kendrick and the building of Newbury Cloth Hall', Dr. Christine Jackson, Staff Tutor & Fellow of Kellog College, University of Oxford.

Thursday, 18th. November, 2004, ' From Berkshire to the Beagle, a career in ruins' Julian Richards, Archaeologist & Broadcaster.

Tickets are £5.00, including refreshments obtainable from the museum.

Please contact the museum, West Berkshire Museum, The Wharf, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5AS. Telephone 01635 30511, E-Mail heritage@westberks.gov.uk

Until the 25th. of September there will still be an opportunity to see the 'Civil War Century', exhibition at the Wharf, Newbury.

Museum of English Rural Life

The University of Reading's Museum of English Rural Life, is moving to new premises in Redlands Road, Reading. The museum galleries on the current site are now closed to the public.

However the Reading Room will continue to be open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 4.30pm on the present Whiteknights site until December 2004.

Much of our library and archive material will have to be brought to the reading room from off site, so in order to guarantee that items will be available we ask readers to make appointments well in advance of their visit and specify material required. Details of collections can be found on the MERL website, www.ruralhistory.org

Society News

Goring and Streatley Local History Society

We had three contrasting talks at our members' evening on 5th April. Rosemary Stewart-Beardsley spoke about the Swing riots in Goring and asildon in 1830, when farm workers smashed machinery in protest against low wages and high prices; three of the rioters were later sentenced to transportation. Adrian Harris gave an account of the life of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and finally Tony Norris gave an illustrated talk about the interesting places of burial or memorials he had come accrosss in his travels in the UK, Kenya, Rhodesia and South Africa.

On the 10th May Committee members conducted a group from the Chiltern society on a walk round the centre of Goring to view some of its listed buildings.

The speaker at the May meeting was Carl Boardman, Oxford County archivist. County archives were originally established to conserve Council minutes and documents but soon expanded to include Quarter Sessions, parish and district Councils, church and diocesian records and estate and family papers. He emphasised the enormous amount of information to be gleaned from the records and interspersed his talk with animated recountings of some of the bizarre happenings recorded in his archives.

Our Annual outing on 16th June was to Salisbury; 32 members enjoyed visiting the Cathedral and other attractions of the City and fine weather enhanced a very pleasant day.

At our AGM on 12th July Charles Preuveneers stood down after 12 years as our Treasurer. Tributes were paid to the exemplary manner in which he had conducted the society's financial affairs, as shown by the present satisfactory state of our funds. He was presented with a book token and a card signed by the members present and is wife received a flowering plant in appreciation of her help in organising refreshments at our meetings and for conducting the register of attendances. The other Officers and Committee members were re-elected for a further year. It was agreed that annual subscriptions should remain unaltered for the current year.

A.J.Simpson, Hon.Sec.

Bracknell and District Historical Society

Founded June 1971. Meetings are held in the Braybrooke Recreation Ground Community Hall, Makepiece Road, Bracknell, the third Thursday of each month, September to April. Admission and refreshments, £7.00 per year and visitors, £2.00 per visit.

Chairman, Mr. B. Slatter. 01344 883 325.

Secretary, Mrs. S. Hasted, 01344 640 341

Future Meetings,
16th. September, 'The History of Newbold College', Harry Leonard
21st. October, 'A Tale of Banburyshire', Bernard Slatter
18th. November, 'Taplow and Cliveden', Luke Over
16th. December, Christmas Party; tickets available prior to the event
2005
20th. January, 'The Thames from the Cotswolds to the Sea', Richard Poad

History of Reading Society

On 21st April, over 40 members enjoyed an evening of slides of Reading Past presented by Society Archivist Bent Weber, which had been drawn from the collection of founder member the Late Peter Southerton, donated to the Society by his widow.

On 19th May, there was a bumper attendance to hear Amanda Clarke, from Reading University, give a well-presented and informative illustrated talk on Silchester and the on-going archaeological project in just one small part of the site. It was explained that 'dig' techniques have changed considerably since the site was first investigated in Victorian times and that the artefacts now being found are giving amazing new insight into life in a Roman town in Britannica over 1,500 years ago.

The first of two summer evening outside meetings took place on 16th June, when members joined Daphne Barnes-Phillips, author of a book on the subject two years ago, for 'A Walk Round the Top of Whitley'. Some interesting facts emerged regarding conversion of houses into shops on the eastern side of Whitley Street; and springs in the area supplying drinking water to the Abbey (hence Spring Gardens); 'The Tank' (a play area since 1902 but originally a reservoir); and the well-remembered Whitley Pump (the original disappearing when the present roundabout was built in 1949).

A visit to the Reading University archaeological dig at Silchester on 21st July by kind invitation from Amanda Clarke duly completed the Society's 2003-2004 programme.

A full programme for 2004-2005 has been finalised and those meetings to the end of the year are as follows:-
15th September Cardinal Newman's School - A History of the Oratory School (Tony Tinkel, School Archivist)
20th October 19th, Architecture and Decoration in Local Churches (Sue Branfoot)
17th November Reading People and Places - 1,000 Years of History in the Town (Matthew Williams, Senior Curator, Reading Museum)
15th December Holidays and Holiness in Late Medieval Reading: The Evidence of St. Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts (Joan Dils, Society President's Address)

Meetings, which are held on Wednesday evenings, commencing 7.30pm prompt, at Abbey Baptist Church, Abbey Square, are open to all, with a small charge to non-members.

Ring 0118 947 2470 or E-Mail, Edward.W.Hooper@btinternet.com for further details of the Society.

The Facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry in Reading Museum.

As we are all aware the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the most famous event in our history, the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The original is kept in the Archbishop's old palace at Bayeux in Normandy and is attributed to Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror and the ladies of her court. It is on linen, 230 feet long by 20 inches wide, and represents events in the lives of Edward the Confessor, Harold and William.

The facsimile was worked by 35 ladies from Leek in Staffordshire in 1885-6 whose names are embroidered on it. It was bought by Alderman Hill in 1895 and presented to the museum of Reading where it has been kept ever since, apart from going out on loan occasionally to other museums. More recently it has been cut into sections for ease of display.

According to Andrew Bridgeford, an historian writing in the Times a short while ago, the tapestry may be a subversive piece of anti-Norman propaganda made in Canterbury, rather than an account of William's triumph in 1066. His research suggests that it was probably designed by an Anglo-Saxon artist and made by English needleworkers.

Woven into the story is a sly celebration of Count Eustace the 2nd of Boulogne, a French rival to William for the English crown, who joined the invasion. His prominence shows English sympathy for Eustace, who within a year of the invasion led an ill-fated rebellion at Dover Castle.

The tapestry was a secret memorial to him as much as to the military might of the victorious Normans, concluded Mr Bridgeford. The style of the tapestries has led historians to conclude that its master artist was working in Canterbury.

So now, readers, you must decide for yourselves, which version you prefer to believe!

Norman Wicks.

The Maidenhead Archaeological and History Society

This is a list of this societies activities, taken from the society's Newletter -
September 18th. Saturday, VISIT by coach, depart 9am 'Royal Air Force Museum', Hendon.
September 29th. Wednesday, TALK by Dr. A. Fitzpatrick, Wessex Aschaeology, 'The Amesbury Archer, King of Stonehenge' ?
October 27th. Wednesday, TALK by Adrian Thornton, 'National Parks, Not Ours but Ours to Look After'.
November 24th. Wednesday, TALK by Bruce Watson, Museum of London, 'Excavations at Blossoms Inn, City of London'.
December 15th. Wednesday, TALK by Dr. Martin Parsons, University of Reading, 'The Finnish Connection, Wartime Separations'.
Rendezvous Point for coach visits and Wednesday Walkers, Junction of Boyne Hill Avenue and Westmorland Road, Maidenhead. Wednesday talks held 7.30 for 8.00. At King George V1, Club, York Road, Maidenhead.

For further information on walks and coach visits, contact Mrs. P. Fowler Telephone 01628 635 156. For membership details, contact Mrs. K Ferguson, 01628 630 869. Chairman and Newsletter Editor, Mr. T. Jones, 01628 672 196.

Project Purley

In April we were entertained to a most interesting illustrated talk about Ascension and the Falkland Islands given by our member John Chapman, who had visited there last year.

The journey down was a long one, but with a landing at Ascension Island for a few days stopover he was able to explore one of the most remote islands in the planet. This Island is home to the Royal Air force, the BBC World service and numerous British and American telecommunications facilities and the breeding ground of the huge green turtle.

When eventually reaching the Falkland Islands their plane was escorted in by Tornado fighter planes which makes an impressive arrival.

The Islands are of strategic importance with good water anchorage and relatively calm weather, although cold winds blow from Antarctica.

John's enthusiasm for the Falklands was quite apparent as he described the terrain, mentioning various places such as Tumbledown, a name familiar to us after the relatively recent conflict.

The bird life is prolific, particularly the penguins which were most interesting to observe.

With the aid of slides John took us on a tour of Port Stanley, where there is a golf course and a racecourse.

The main industry is sheep farming, providing wool: the sheep are sheared by travelling Australian gangs.

This was a most interesting first hand account of life in these remote Islands which in recent times have been brought to world attention.

To launch our summer programme the May annual walkabout took place in the village of Theale. Despite an evening with overcast skies and the threat of rain almost thirty members and friends gathered to meet Mr Roy Townsend of the Theale Local History group, our guide for the walk.

There has been a settlement at Theale since the Bronze age, and with the gravel terrain above the the Kennet flood plain, the village has grown over the centuries to its current prosperity.

Mr Townsend proved to be an excellent guide who knew his village history well. We were given a leaflet describing the walk, produced by the Local History Group, which together with our Guide's informative discourse made for a most interesting expedition.

Notable was Holy Trinity Church, a grade 1 listed building. As we paused to admire the architecture of this magnificent Church Mr Townsend handed round a print of a painting of it, the original of which was painted by non other than John Constable.

The walk continued through the most architecturally interesting areas of the old village, pausing whilst our guide drew our attention to features of particular interest.

This was a most pleasant and informative evening, and we were grateful to Mr Townsend for his part in making it so.

The annual outing on the 18th June was a visit to the city of Salisbury, where seventeen members enjoyed a most interesting day.

Part of the visit was devoted to the Wardrobe Military Museum. This Museum deals primarily with the history of the the Royal Berkshire Regiment, which has a long and distinguished history.

There was much to see, with memorabilia depicting the various battles, ranging from the 18th C through WW1 and WW2, and the postwar era with service in Cyprus, Kosovo and Northern Ireland. Members enjoyed wandering through the rooms and examining the various displays, each telling its own story.

Colonel Chilten, the Curator of the Museum invited the party into the Regimental room, not normally open to the public, and members were able to see WW1 weaponry, casualty reports and diaries amongst other most interesting items.

From the Museum the party then visited the beautiful Cathedral, and were taken on a guided tour, taking in the beauty of the building. There were many things to admire including the huge Father Willis organ, the mediaeval clock dating from 1386 and the revolving glass prism in the Morning Chapel, engraved in 1985 by Laurence Whistler in memory of his brother Rex, killed in action in Normandy in 1944.

Finally a visit to the Chapter house to inspect the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta signed by King John at Runnymede in 1215.

A truly memorable day.

July 16th, and the evening for the Project Purley annual barbecue Again this year it was held in the delightful garden of Dorothy and Ben Viljoen, our hosts for the evening.

A goodly number of members and friends forgathered on a warm (and dry!) evening to enjoy good company, lots of chat and delicious food and drink.

A fine end to our Summer programme.

Millie Bordiss

Dates for your Diary
17 September John Bucknell's diaries Kerr Kirkwood
15 October Managing the River George Fielder Lock Keeper
10 December Christmas Social Evening At the Gatehouse
21 January 2005 Memories of Schooldays Members Evening

Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group

This important group of local historians does not often receive the publicity it deserves which is probably due to the fact that most local people are unaware of the achievements of local producers. Most have heard of Huntley and Palmers and possibly Jethro Tull but how many associate Reading and Newbury with cloth and clothing manufacture and sailmaking; the Reading Iron Company with the manufacture of steam engines and winding gear for mining; John and Walter Wilder for agricultural machinery and their iron foundries; bricks and tiles; pin and needle making and many wire products. Bent Weber the present chairman has some new faces in his committee Peter Trout, Secretary, Peter Pribik, Treasurer; Ron Neal, Activities Organiser and Robin Wallace-Sims, Newsletter Editor. Tel. 0118 971 3185. You may have specialised knowledge of other industries.

Finchampstead History and Heritage Group

Our first subject of 2004 homed in on the use of bricks and terracotta in local buildings. Our speaker, Sue Branfoot, showed us the range of bricks that have been used in the past which differed not only in size but also in texture and shape. Her passion for the often fine 19th century brickwork of Reading was well illustrated and showed how both industrial and residential buildings made good use of the different colours and shapes available; relative utilitarian industrial buildings, in some cases, displaying a quality of workmanship and range of bricks which would be at home on a fine country house. Whilst Reading bricks were prized far beyond the local area, unfortunately such fine brickwork is not always appreciated by either local authority or residents and examples portrayed the way in which a largely harmonious design could be spoilt by ill conceived alterations.

Dr. Hugh Davies visited us in March to speak on the subject of Roman Roads on which he has published a comprehensive and well researched book, illustrated with photos and diagrams. We were shown the countrywide network of what are considered the principal Roman roads. Their method of construction, together with the variety of widths and forms of ditching were explained as were the methods put forward over the years to explain the straight lines so often encountered. We were given a more detailed look at the local Devil's Highway, along which, a variety of features were pointed out and then, via Silchester, followed the road away into the West Country Finally we were shown how legend can distort facts, well illustrated by one road in particular, which was originally considered Roman but has since been proved post-mediaeval.

Trevor Ottlewski.

Goring and Streatley Local History Society

In December we had a joint opresentation by Rosemary and Tony Kelly about the effect of the Civil War on Oxford. Rosemary gave the talk and described the slides while Tony gave readings from contemporary documents. Oxford became a Royalist stronghold after the battle of Edgehill and was besieged by the Roundheads. Able-bodied men were required to work one day per week building defences, on pain of a fine for default and cattle and sheep were grazed in the college grounds. The city became seriously overcrowded and there was a serious fire there in 1644; disease broke out and it was estimated that 20% of the population died during the siege.

The city was never captured by the Roundheads but the Royalists left in 1646, after the battle of Naseby and subsequently surrendered. This was an interesting and well presented talk.

Kerr Kirkwood came in January to tell us about A.W. Bucknell, a farmer who kept a daily record of the work on his farm. He began farming near Hungerford, then at Aldermaston from 1911 to 1936, when he moved to Purley until 1940. The wage bill for the 9 men he was employing before Word War 1, was £4. 8. 6d per week; in addition, the men had cheap eggs, vegetables and firewood. Milk was sent to London daily by train and feed was supplied to the local hunt. In the Winter, the men worked at road mending for which he charged £1 or £2 per day for labour and horses. Later he bred and sold horses and was involved in animal inspection. He was a shrewd but fair businessman.

About 40 members attended our Annual Lunch at Streatley Golf Club in February. This was a relaxed and enjoyable occasion.

In March, Bill King told us about the 'Upper Thames Patrol', formed in 1938, to patrol the 135, miles of the Thames, between Teddington and Lechlade. The river was a vital strategic link as well as a defence line and damage to the bridges or locks would have seriously reduced its effectiveness. Thames conservancy staff formed the core of the manpower but were later supplemented by volunteers and men awaiting call-up. Each section of the river was patrolled by day and night and had the expected invasion come, the patrol would have been involved in serious fighting. It was stood down in 1944, when the danger of invasion was considered over. The talk was illustrated with contemporary photographs of the patrol at work and with German maps prepared for the invasion.

The Hanney History Group

From information supplied by their chairman, Ann Fewins, Telephone, 01235 868378, e-mail annfewins@beeb.net

This group meets monthly from September to April on the fourth Tuesday of each month. In the Summer months, we organise a program of visits and outings. Visitors are most welcome. The group which was founded in 1984, is also committed to recording and preserving the history of the Hanneys, by research, by the development of an archive of photographs, documents, memorabilia and recordings and by publishing some of our work. We also try to assist those who are interested in researching their family history or who wish to know more about their house or village.

We hope you may be interested in some of our meetings and visits. All meetings start at 8pm in the Old Hanney Room in the War Memorial Hall and visitors are most welcome.

Coming visits:- Please notify Ann Fewins if you wish to join us.

Tuesday May 25th. Visit to Berkshire Record Office, 9, Coley Avenue, Reading.

Thursday, June 24th. A private Guided tour of William Morris's country home, Kelmscott Manor. Cost, £10.90, to include afternoon tea, payable in advance. This will be followed by a visit to the church of St. George, Kelmscott, which dates from Norman times, has medieval wall paintings and is where the grave of William Morris is in the churchyard.

Tuesday, July 27th. 7pm. Guided tour of Christ's Hospital, Abingdon, Mr. David Barren will guide us round the medieval almshouses and hall and talk about the portraits. No charge.

Ann Fewins

Mortimer Local History Group

We were visited in November by Alan Thirton, the curator of Basing House. He is an excellent speaker and we were completely enthralled by his expert knowledge of the amazing history of the house and its siege during the Civil War. I would recommend any society looking for a speaker to contact Alan. They will not be disappointed.

One of our members, Peter Stone, talked to us in December on the subject of shopping in Mortimer. We have a good number of printed interviews with old residents and of course the shops were often mentioned by them. As in most villages, there were far more shops in the past than there are at present. We were so inspired by Peter's talk that we are considering the possibility of producing another of our books, this time on shopping so we look forward to a busy time ahead if this takes off.

Our Christmas party was held in January, a light hearted affair with quizzes and splendid food provided by members. It was much enjoyed by everyone, even by those not usually party people.

We had another splendid speaker in February, Marie Matie was asked to speak on her work in Bletchley Park during the war and although this is not a local subject. Marie lives locally. She was a code breaker towards the end of the war, working on Japanese codes. She was very amusing and interesting. The people working at Bletchley were not allowed to tell even their colleagues about their work. She said that the hardest part was not being allowed to speak of it at all until restrictions were partly lifted fifty years later.

Two more of our members, Ruth and Meir Weiss, told us of their hard work over past years with a 'Pick your Own', fruit farm in Mortimer. They worked the land from the late 1970s planting all kinds of soft fruit including what they termed,'funny fruit', such as Tayberries and blackberries as well as well as asparagus, beans, plums and apples. Also, they had a children's playground, a farm shop and coffee corner. They were sad when the land was sold to provide more housing in the village and their beloved orchard was felled but they had no regrets for all the work they and their family had put in and said their time in Mortimer has been the happiest in their lives.

The AGM of the group takes place on May 20th 2004. The meetings for June and July have not been finalised.

21st September, 2004. Visit to Drake House, Drury Lane, Mortimer.

14th October, 2004. Barrie Newton will speak on his duties as Gentleman Usher to the Queen.

18th November, 2004. Mike Targett on Burghfield.

16th December, 2004. Fay Evans on Mortimer Lodge.

June Woodward.

Eton Wick History Group

Mary Gyngell reports that The Eton Wick History Group has now established its own website, the address of which is www.etonwickhistory.co.uk about 60 members attend the group meetings which are held in the village hall.

Tadley and District History Society

Tadley, a village on the Hampshire border with Berkshire was introduced to us by Mr. Alan Cooke while he was acting as a volunteer, examining and repacking photographic slides at the Rural History History Centre. He dealt well with the usual jibes about the extensive treacle mines, believed by many in Berkshire to actually exist in the area and then we discovered that they had a very active Local History Society.

TADS, their abbreviated name, have joined our association and we look forward to co-operating with them to our mutual advantage. They produce an A4 Newsletter and issue No. 5 is full of facts and photographs of the development of a small cottage grocery store, eventually becoming today, a large Sainsbury's Superstore. An interesting feature is a list of events in the area, reported in the Hants and Berks Gazette over the last 100 years and a further list of international events over the same period.

The Society has a list of its publications, books and maps, at very reasonable prices which are obtainable from Tadley and District History Society, PO Box 7264, Tadley, Hampshire, RG26 3FA. Prices include postage and packing.

TADS was founded in 1984 for people interested in local social history and in the broader scope of history and natural history. Annual subscription is £8.00 (individual), £15.00 (couples), £1.50 per meeting for visitors.

Monthly evening talks are held on the 3rd. Wednesday of each month (except August) at St. Paul's Church Hall, Tadley, starting at 8 pm. There is also an annual coach outing and occasional local walks.

Forthcoming meetings

Wednesday, 16th June, 2004. 'Francis Frith, Man of Pictures', Picture Postcard pioneer.

Wednesday, 21st July, 2004. 'The Living Paintings Trust', by Sylvia Lane. How a local lady brought pictures to the blind.

Wednesday, 15th September, 2004. 'The lost Roman Villa at North Waltham', by Richard Tanner. The search by the North Waltham, Steventon Ashe and Deane H. S.

Twyford and Ruscombe Local History Society

The Society was forced to move its home in Twyford last September when the local school found it could no longer accommodate us but we have a new venue in the Wargrave Piggott School where we have the use of the comfortable library.

Moving house to the neighbouring parish has not deterred members from attending and our meetings have been well supported.

Forthcoming Meetings

Monday, June 14th 2004. ' Decades of Discipline including Berkshire Workhouses'. Margaret Houlbrooke is the speaker and those who have listened to her before know how well she treats her subject.

July, 2004. Organised walk with Elizabeth Cader-Cuff, who spoke to us recently; we will visit an area associated with one of the writers in her book, 'Walk with Writers'. Also we will gather for a ploughman's lunch.

August, 2004. We hope to visit Fawley Court.

September 13th 2004 "The D-Day Crossword' a talk by Ron Smith who addressed us in the Autumn 2003, on the architect, Edwin Lutyens, an amusing and informative talk.

Wargrave Local History Group

For our January meeting, Margaret Houlbrooke spoke about the history of the suffragette movement. The activities of the movement have become part of 20th Century folklore. However the campaign for women to have the vote began in 1867, at the time of the second Reform Act, when men of the poorer classes in towns were given the vote, their rural counterparts getting it in 1884. For the first 30 years or so, the women tried to persuade MPs of the justice of their cause but parliament always turned them down. By 1900, the women started to get impatient and organised themselves as "The National Union of Women's Suffrage Society", and increased the volume of their activities. Another group, 'The Women's Social and Political Union', with Mrs. Pankhurst at its head, embarked on more militant activities to attract public attention. Hunger strikers were force fed and those in failing health were released, only to be arrested again when they recovered, known as 'The Cat and Mouse Act'. All this effort was ineffective. The women never got the full support of men or in general, of other women and Parliament was unresponsive. However, the part that women played in the 14-18 war, was rewarded by the Representation of the People Act, 1917, granting votes to women over 30 years

In February, Canon Bob Whiteley gave a talk, entitled 'From Army Academy to Almshouses'. He began with Harriet Cooke-Smith. Born in 1824, she came to Wargrave aged 2 when her father, Revd. James Hitchins became the vicar. In 1858, she married her cousin William Smith and they bought a house in Wargrave, extended it and called it 'Woodclyffe House'. Harriette inherited a large sum of money when William died and Woodclyffe Hall was built as a village hall in memory of William. Later the Parish Magazine announced that the north block of 'Hill Lands', had been turned into a block of eight comfortable and spacious alms houses, each self contained, by Harriet Cooke-Smith. This building had begun as the north block of an army academy run by the Revd. Albert Pritchard. In 1883, he spent a considerable sum on two buildings for his business, adding to the premises three years later. In 1891, 8 students, an army tutor and a caretaker lived in the north block; Hill Lands itself was reserved for the brightest group. Pritchard himself living there while the south block catered for the slow stream 'Militia' group. A most notable student was Hugh Trenchard who spent 7 years there, having repeatedly failed his examinations. He later became Chief of Air Staff of the RAF and later, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. In the 1890s, the numbers at Hill Lands rapidly declined; Pritchard was heavily in debt. The buildings were sold and in 1901, Harriet Cooke-Smith agreed to buy the north block for the Woodclyffe Almshouses. The facilities were limited, each flat had a single cold tap in the kitchen and outside toilets remained until the 1960s. Gas cookers were installed in 1951 but there were no electric power points until 1958. Bob also spoke about some of the residents including one of the first, Elizabeth Birt.

The March Meeting of the Wargrave L.H.S. began with the A.G.M. when the past year's activities were reviewed and the committee elected. For the rest of the evening members displayed photographs or objects of interest to discus. These included paintings of Bear place, an album prepared by the junior school, memorabilia from the celebrations of the 1953 Coronation of the Queen, including Mappin and Webb spoons presented to the winners of the childrens' races and Coronation mugs given to the children after a tea party. Other items displayed were a section of bell rope from the church tower, an 1877 conveyance for four cottages in Church Street, a board with biblical text and a warming pan that had been a prize for the pancake races and several interesting photographs.

All interested are invited to Society meetings which are normally in the Hannan Room, Mill Green, Wargrave starting at 8pm. Please contact Peter Delaney 940 3121 for more information about the society. Details may also be found on the website pages at www.wargrave.net/history

The 2004-2005 Program.

June 8th. The A'Bear Family. David Nash Ford. David will tell us about the A'Bear Family who lived in the parish for over 600 years.

July 7th. A Local History Visit, Details later of an afternoon visit to a miniature museum, followed by a tempting tea.

September 14th. The Piggot Infant School. Ann Bushnell. The infant school moved about 40 years ago from the Victoria Road to Beverly Gardens. Ann, (Headmistress for much of that period) will share her memories of the school at both sites with us.

October 12th. The Skiff Rowing Association. Patric Fennessy. Patrick will tell us about skiff and punting activities on the River Thames.

November 9th. The Wargrave Surgery. Sandra Swan. Sandra will tell us about the changes which occurred in her time as our village doctor.

December 14th. Christmas Party

January 11th 2005. Waltham St. Lawrence. Margaret Railton. Margaret will tell us about our neighbouring village of Waltham St. Lawrence.

Peter Delaney

Maidenhead Heritage Centre

The centre has issued a new leaflet giving details of the talks and walks which can be provided for societies. Copies may be obtained from the Administration on 01628 780555.

From the 19th May the current display of the 63 listed buildings within the old Borough of Maidenhead will be replaced by 'Memories of D-Day', to commemorate the 60th Anniversary. It will be opened by one of our volunteers, who as a sergeant, led the first platoon to land on one of the beaches. His orders were to hold the beachead osts. On the 2nd June there will be a public lecture by Dr. P. Craddick Adams of the RMCS, Shrivenham, on 'Planning for Overlord, the background to the Longest Day'.

On the 10th June there will be the popular River Thames Historical Cruise. Early booking is essential.

From the 16th June the next exhibition will be 'Maidenhead's Thames: Summer on the River', and will feature the Victorian heyday of the river.

From the 26th August there will be an exhibition covering one of the town's most prosperous periods entitled 'Stage Coach Maidenhead'. This will include a display by Alan Rosevear of the work of the 'Milestone Society'.

Brian Boulter

Where was the Talbot?

Among a collection of cuttings from an unidentified newspaper, recently acquiredby the Maidenhead Heritage Centre, is the following dated 1788.

Apart from the rather remarkable story, we have a problem identifying where the incident took place. There was no inn called 'The Talbot', three miles from Maidenhead nor was there a road to Langley. It could be that the reporter confused Maidenhead with Slough. There is a road to Langley branching off the Bath Road about three miles on the London side of Slough but no record of a Talbot Inn at the junction. If anyone can help, contact me at the Heritage Centre.

Brian Boulter

Wokingham History Group

Forthcoming events.

June 14th. The Development of Monumental Brasses: Ken Stirman.

July 12th. English Church Bells and Bell Ringing: John Harrison.

September 13th. Pewter Through the Ages: Roger Barnes.

October 11th. Hand-axes to Cannon Balls: Jill Greenaway.

November 8th. Rural Life: Brian Eighteen.

As part of the countrywide "Heritage Open Days", event. Town Guides from The Wokingham History Group will lead visitors around Wokingham Town Centre, pointing out buildings and highlighting some of the events and characters that have contributed to Wokingham's rich history.

The walk is taking place on - Sunday, September 12th at 2.15 pm. The event is free no booking is required; the duration of the walk is expected to be in the region of two hours and the meeting point is outside Wokingham Town Hall, Market Place.

Trevor Ottlewski

Project Purley

We ended 2003 in style with our Christmas Party at the Gatehouse at the kind invitation ofVal and Rick Jones. With the increased membership, there was a good crowd to enjoy the excellent food and mulled wine. Much hilarity ensued with the competition to put suitable captions to a variety of photographs. All captions to have Purley connotations There were some amazing entries, the best from Sylvia Conquest, who was the deserving winner.

2004, dawned and we started the New Year with an "in house" evening. The theme was WWII, and members were invited to bring along memorabilia and to talk about their own experiences during that time. The range of items brought along included ration books, a tin hat, propaganda leaflets, an army manual and all manner of things to stir the memory of those who had lived through those times. Also brought was a lovely wedding dress worn at the time of the London blitz in 1940, when the bride and groom spent their wedding night in an air raid shelter.

Various members who were children during the war told of their own experiences; ranging from an evacuation from Singapore to Australia, to fleeing from Germany to seek refuge in Southern Italy. Altogether, a very successful evening enjoyed by all.

In February, we had two speakers. Our Chairman, Jean Debney and Secretary Rita Denman, joined forces to give an illustrated talk about the St. John family of Lydiard Tregoze and their connection with the manor of Purley Magna. Jean began by explaining the definition of a manor and in this connection, Purley Magna, which from the 13th C. was held by the Carew family, who lived in the old manor house adjacent to 'St. Mary the Virgin', church. Members were shown the Carew family tree, tracing the descent to Jane Inwardby, daughter of Sanchia Carew and heiress to the estates. In the 15th C. Jane married St. John of Lydiard Tregoze and so the manor of Purley Magna passed to the St. John family and remained with them until the 17th C.

Those members who visited there last year will recall, Lydiard Tregoze is a fascinating mansion and the nearby church is full of monuments of the family. Of note is a triptych depicting the family of the 1st Baronet, circa 1683. The St. John family members, notably Lady Diana Spencer, wife of 3rd. Viscount Frederick, added to the beauty of the house in the 18thC. The estate remained in the family until the 20th C. and is today managed by the Swindon Corporation and continues to be carefully restored. This family was important and it is interesting to think of the connection with Purley.

The AGM was held in March and our Chairman, Jean Debney reported on another successful year during which the Society enjoyed a varied program and membership continued to grow, necessitating a move to a larger meeting place.

There were some changes to the committee and Jean thanked all for their continuing support. The business meeting concluded. Tony Corley gave an interesting talk about Huntley and Palmer's of Reading.

In 1822, a scholarly Quaker, Thomas Huntley, set up a business in London St., Reading, selling hand made biscuits. Tony's talk followed the development and expansion of this world famous company. It was accompanied by a series of nostalgic slides showing the illustrations on tins and packaging through the years.

Millie Bordis

Forthcoming meetings-

June 18th/19th. 'The Wardrobe', RGBW Regimental Museum, Salisbury.

July 16th. Barbecue. Venue to be arranged. September 17th. To be arranged.

Report from BLHA Website

Unique Visitors* Web Tracker Total, 1742.

*Unique visitor means that it is not counting when a visitor returns to the site.

Geographical Breakdown

'Hit Counter' gives the overall total 'Hits' as 3363. (This differs from the total given by the Web Tracker because it counts return visits.)

The website has now been up and running for two years. I am very pleased with the usage of the site shown by the above statistics. Since I first designed the site there have been some major developments in web design and therefore I am working on a redesign of the site to fall in with current standards. In particular, I am looking at increasing the access of the site as this is something of which the web designer must be aware. For example, I need to ensure that there is enough contrast between the text and the background colour so that it is easier for those with sight impairment to read. In addition to this, I am looking at changing the layout of the site so that it works in the software used by the blind to have webpages read to them.

I am at the beginning of the redesign process so this would be a good time for members to send their comments. Has anyone had any difficulties navigating the site? Is there something you would like added to the site to make it easier/more enjoyable to use? Is there anything about the site that you particularly like and would like to continue?

Please send all comments to me at webdesigner@blha.org.uk or by post to Emily Tarrant, 17 Anna Pavlova Close, Abingdon OX14 1TF.

Emily Tarrant

We have received a number of interesting enquiries through the web site and hope that when our database of societies researches and interests is up and running, we can respond more rapidly and accurately to these requests. In the meantime we trust that individual members and societies will do their best to answer the questions we pass on.

Ed.