Newsletter No. 87 - January 2007

Chairman's Corner

Today's (30 November) Guardian carries a small piece about the great influenza epidemic of 1918, which in Manchester (the paper was The Manchester Guardian then and for many years after) had reached 'an acute stage'. All schools were closed, mortuaries were full and skilled coffin makers were being sought from the army.

What was happening here in Berkshire ? I have not seen any published work about the great epidemic in this county and yet the sources must survive -Berkshire County Council minutes including Medical Officer of Health reports, the Registrar General's Abstracts of Statistics, newspaper accounts, possibly even parish registers, hospital and cemetery records. What an interesting and valuable study for a local group or society to undertake, with possibly an excursion into the 'flu outbreak of 1956 in which one of my friends died at the age of 21. With everyone still worrying about the possibility of bird 'flu hitting us in the near future, the local press might welcome an article on real 'flu scares of the past', and it would make an excellent contribution to Berkshire Old and New . Any takers?

More cheerfully, Christmas is alarmingly near, but will be well and truly over when you read this. Christmas past is another theme, which local historians can research; perhaps you already have. Much has been written about how the great and the good celebrated but what about ordinary folk? Before the Reformation, the feast began with Mass for which the churchwardens of St Laurence, Reading, provided tallow candles to illuminate the church, new wax for lights on the rood screen and what seems to have been a crib; there was a frame for angels who either carried or were lit up by small tapers. Outside the church was a holly bush, which also carried small tapers.

How did your parish celebrate the feast? There is plenty of evidence to investigate: Victorian log books show better off parishioners visiting the school with small gifts; special provision for workhouse inmates in the Guardians' Minutes; press reports of activities for children in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the appearance of the pantomime in Berkshire . There is plenty of seasonal research to occupy you when the Christmas turkey palls.

I hope you had a peaceful and enjoyable feast, and that 2007 will be full of good things, not least in your local history activities.

Joan Dils, Chairman, BLHA

Words from the Editors

In 2006 the Berkshire Local History Association reached its 30 th year and on the 17 th March 2007 we will be holding our 30 th AGM. This newsletter is our 87 th and we produced the 23 rd issue of the Association's journal Berkshire Old and New. To mark this considerable achievement and the Association's contribution to local history in the county, we hope that as many as possible will join us on the 17 th . My thanks to Michael Bayley for his contribution on the origins of our Association, which forms our Special Feature this time.

Having notified you in our last newsletter of a day school to be held in November 2007 I am very pleased to be able to tell you that there is another such day planned for 2008, more details in the Notice Board. It is hoped that the day school will become a more frequent feature of our activities than it has of late as they are important, not only in the transfer of knowledge, but in bringing members together.

I would like to put out a plea to our quieter members and ask them to consider contributing copy for the newsletter and or dates for our diary insert.

I hope you enjoy this edition and that it finds you all well and free from the usual winter ailments. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year.

Margaret Simons

In Memoriam

Betty Cossey

It is with great sadness that I have to inform our members of the death of Betty, Chairman of the Twyford and Ruscombe Historical Society, who died suddenly at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in August. The Society has lost a very dedicated member and we shall miss her regular contributions to the Newsletter.

Betty is survived by her husband of 53 years, David, two sons and three grandchildren, to whom I would like to express our sincere sympathy.

Pauline Bayley

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere condolences to Michael Bayley and his family. Pauline, Michael's wife, passed away on 21 st December after being ill for some time with cancer.

Margaret Simons

Requests for Information

Jerry Bell has sent the following request. "My great grandparents lived in Harwell. My great grandfather was named William Clark, and he is reputed to have been a publican. I think he was born in 1832 and was buried in Harwell in 1870. My great grandmother was named Sophia Clark. In Harrods Directory of Berkshire of 1876, S. Clark is listed as a beer retailer in Harwell, which would seem to indicate that she took over her late husband's business. She does not seem to appear in the 1881 census, but a Sophia Clark was buried in Harwell in 1919 aged 88, and age wise, this could well have been her. Does anyone have any details of what their pub/business might have been called, and anything else about it. My email address is jjbell@netspace.net.au "

A request has been received from Christine Banks regarding the following. 'I am looking for any possible descendants of James Hall (and wife Alice Gertrude nee Geary) who, according to 1901 census, were residing in Winkfield Row 'cottage & shop' Winkfield. James was originally from Sussex , Alice from Devon . I am attempting to fill in some gaps on family tree.' If you can help with this then please contact the editor.

Notice Board

Action for All

At our 2006 AGM John Chapman spoke to members about The Community Council for Berkshire 's Action for All. John has since sent me a small write up and together with the thoughts of our own web designer Dave Osborne we can include the following précis.

The Community Council for Berkshire have been given funding to allow them to set up a web portal called 'Berkshire Action for All' ( www.ba4all.org.uk ) and it is available to all local societies and community groups in Berkshire to give them a web presence for FREE. Not only that but the training and support available to local societies is also FREE.

There are three top-level facilities, which will be of interest. First you can put all your meeting dates into a Berkshire-wide group diary of what's on. Second you can make people aware of your existence and provide contact details. Third you can link to your own website (if you have one) or provide links to a variety of websites that can be useful to your members in their research.

For further information please contact 0118-961-2000 and talk to someone at CCB or alternatively send an e-mail to admin@ccberks.org.uk

AGM 2007

The Annual General Meeting for the BLHA is to be held on Saturday March 17 th 2007. Once again we are fortunate to be able to hold the event at MERL and Kate Tiller will be our guest speaker. If you wish to attend please complete either the enclosed or the online booking form as soon as possible as places are limited.

Berkshire Old and New

If you have an interesting article or proposal for an article and would like it to be considered for publication in the Association's journal Berkshire Old and New , please contact the editor Jonathan Brown either by email j.h.brown@reading.ac,uk or write to him at the Museum of English Rural Life, The University of Reading, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX. The word count for contributions has been extended, but should be no more than a maximum of 4,000 words. Please note that the editor's decision is final on all contributions.

If you or any society, association library or museum would like to advertise in the journal the rate for a full page is £60 and for a half page is £40. If anyone is interested would they please contact Jonathan.

BLHA Day School 2007

We can now confirm that the autumn day school for 2007 will be held on Saturday 3 rd November. Once again the event will be at MERL and we invite anyone interested in presenting a paper or giving a talk on group or individual research interests to please forward a short resume to our Secretary, Margaret Yates. There will be a cost of £10 for the day, tea and coffee will be included, but own arrangements will be necessary for lunch. A booking form will be included in the May issue of the Newsletter.

Day School 2008

We are very pleased to announce a day school in February 2008 on religious change in Berkshire . The day will be hosted jointly by ourselves, the Berkshire Record Society and the Department of Continuing Education and will be held in the recently refurbished Gyosei lecture theatre at the University's London road site. Once again we are looking for speakers for the occasion, would anyone interested in giving a paper please contact our Secretary, Margaret Yates.

The Friends of Reading Abbey

We run twice-yearly lectures on the life of the Abbey, newsletters, a Day School next spring, and a summer visit. We also have an input into the Reading Borough Council's plans, as they affect the Abbey and its environment. Anyone interested in joining the Friends should contact: The Friends of Reading Abbey: Mrs Sylvia Chumbley, 36 Kidmore Rd , Caversham, Reading , RG4 7LU . 0118 9470762 Email: cschumbley@yahoo.co.uk www.readingabbey.org.uk

Lockinge Estate

Village Life Past and Present, aspects of Lockinge Estate: the churches of Ardington and Lockinge, an exhibition in the Loyd-Lindsay Rooms, Ardington on Saturday and Sunday 17 th and 18 th of March 2007 2-5pm. Refreshments available.

Maps

The Digimap Historic Interface offers maps from the First Edition County Series ranging in date from 1846 through to the late 20 th century. For a comprehensive list of what they have to offer visit their website at www.digimap.edina.ac.uk.

Members may be interested in Cassini Maps, a company, which specialises in sourcing, scanning, digitally enhancing and re-publishing historical maps in a variety of formats. For anyone interested more information can be obtained from their website www.cassinimaps.com .

Margaret Simons

Membership Rates - Increase 2007

Don't forget membership rates have increased, the charge for corporate members is £18 and for individual and family members the charge is £9 and fees are due at the beginning of the year. May I also take the opportunity to remind members that non-payment will result in no further copies of the newsletter being issued after the May edition when a reminder will be enclosed.

Margaret Simons

Newsletter

You will have noticed that we have recently included flyers with your copy/ies of the newsletter. This is a useful way of disseminating information that we think may be of interest to our members. If there is anyone interested in having information included then we will be happy to provide this service at a small cost. (This helps offset the cost of postage and production of the Newsletter). The rate for a single one off inclusion of a flyer costs £50 and for inclusion in three newsletters the cost is £100. If anyone is interested could they please contact me, all details available on the back page.

Margaret Simons

Reading and the 1918 Influenza Epidemic

Records show that there were 228 deaths from influenza in Reading in 1918 and 83 in 1919. If we consider that for the 10 years prior to 1918 deaths from influenza were in total only 186 or on average 18.6 per annum, the extent of the epidemic is clearly apparent. (source: Annual report of the medical officer of health, 1918/1919)

Margaret Simons

New Books

The Case of Reading : urban governance in troubled times, 1640-1690 , by Manfred Brod. (Upfront publishing 2006), 140 pp, ISBN 978-184426-404 - 9, £8.50 plus postage and packing. Obtainable from Wordplay, 18, Prospect Street , Caversham tel: 0118 948 2800 or Mostly Books, Stert St , Abingdon tel: 01235 525 880

This is a small book but it is essential reading for all historians of the early modern town, including those in the ancient county of Berkshire especially anyone interested in the history of Reading . It is not to be judged by its small size: it is a densely packed work.

This reviewer was pleasantly surprised at the honesty of its title. David Dymond, commenting on the reluctance of historians to admit to being 'local historians', warned readers to beware of a colon in a title. Often, he remarked, a title suggests a general study but beyond the colon a more limited range of a local study is revealed. This book does not pretend to be other than a local study but it is in the best tradition of the genre; its concern is the Borough of Reading but the town's fortunes are firmly set in the context of national events and, to a lesser extent, that of its hinterland.

Its over-riding concern is the political history of the town, the composition and nature of its Corporation and how this body dealt with the successive crises, which affected Reading during the momentous years before, during and, after the Civil War and the Interregnum. After outlining the structure of urban government, the following ten chapters deal with the problems caused by the uncertainties of the pre-war years, harassment by occupying troops, siege and war taxation during the hostilities, and the tensions arising as councillors and local gentry, divided in politics and religion, attempted to cope with the changing power structures in Whitehall and Westminster. The concluding chapter has some important thoughts on the significance of the period for local and parliamentary politics in the Borough.

The work is based on exhaustive research, meticulously referenced. It reveals a complicated story, clearly explained, but dense enough to require more than one reading. Part of its value is the wealth of detail about personalities in the Borough and beyond. It deserves to become a standard work on Reading politics of the seventeenth century and is a worthy addition to studies of other aspects of the town's history.

Joan Dils

Pride of Place: the story of Abingdon's County Hall, by Peter Gale. (Trafford Publications 2006) 80 pp with 60 illustrations £5.99 plus p & p.  from Abingdon Museum tel.01235 523703.

This book is an account of the Sutton family enterprise in Reading and its later move to Devon . In 14 chapters the reader is taken through the history of the family, the business - products, sales and marketing - the relationships with the staff and employee reflections. The Group have used the company's own colourful advertising media on the front and back covers and on colour plates within the text to great effect. Other colour photographs included offer a glimpse of the trial grounds in full bloom and show how the company presented itself and its products at various flower shows.

Margaret Simons

Special Feature

The Berkshire Local History Association 1976-2006

The current "Berkshire Local History Association" was founded in Reading on January 22 nd 1976, but its origins can be traced back half a century to 1924 and the Local History Recording Scheme. The director and founder of the scheme was Mr G. Birdwood Willcocks F.R.I.B.A, he secured the services of a Miss Mary Hartley M.Ed. to act as secretary to the committee and it is her subsequent much later role that was to prove pivotal to our Association.

Mr Willcocks and the other members of the committee set up the scheme to capture those aspects of Berkshire life that were fast fading away and to save local legends, traditions and other interesting facts for future generations. The old rural way of life was disappearing fast as human and animal labour was largely being replaced by mechanisation in the interwar period. The work of the scheme filled five volumes and copies were donated to the British Museum and the County Reference Library . Interest in the Scheme dwindled during the Second World War and it never really recovered the former level of activity. However, Miss Hartley kept the records, accounts and bank balance and they came to light again after her retirement.

Therefore, on the 17 th October 1974 some 30 societies around Berkshire were invited to a meeting and some 25 people attended; Bettie Miller of the Standing Conference for Local History addressed them on how local history was treated in different counties. Berkshire was then one of only eight counties with no active Local History Committee. As a result of this meeting, representatives from Slough, Sonning, Blewbury, Wokingham and Reading were appointed to form a working party to start our Association. The guiding principle came from an amusing lecture being given by Dr C.F. Slade of the Berkshire Joint Committee for Archaeology. He explained how the local historical and archaeological societies treated each other as rivals and accused each other of trespassing on their territory and of pinching members instead of cooperating to achieve more useful results.

In the event history repeated itself and a group of architects, The Berkshire Architects Consultative Panel provided a group of architects to follow in the footsteps of Mr Willcocks and comprised of Angela Perkins and her architect husband, Mr Michael Bayley and Mr Anthony Cross who became the new society's first chairman. However, from the start the driving force of the society was another teacher Mrs Judith Hunter from Slough and under her guidance the Association grew and flourished and expanded its cooperating membership. She was an exacting historian and very correctly insisted on written reference to everything although from an oral history point of view such precision was not always possible.

Michael Bayley

Society News

Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group

SERIAC

The South East Regional Industrial Archaeology Conference this year is hosted by BIAG and takes place on Saturday 21 st April at the John Madejski theatre, Agricultural Building , University of Reading , Whiteknights, (Earley Gate Entrance). The cost for the day is £11, for more information email Dennis Huntley at huntley12@waitrose.com

History of Reading Society

The Society's 2006/07 session started on 20 th September with an illustrated talk by Anne Jessel on the history of swimming baths in Reading - and, indeed, other swimming facilities in and around the town. The earliest was off Oxford Road , whilst another, still just within living memory, was in Tilehurst Road , near Connaught Road , followed in 1903 by Kings Meadow, all being open air and open to men and women on different days. Arthur Hill Baths at Cemetery Junction, heated and enclosed, were followed in the late 1950s by Central Pool, Bedford Road, South Reading Leisure Centre, and Rivermead. Also covered were the Jesse Terrace slipper baths and outdoor swimming in the Thames at Freebody's Lido, Caversham Bridge and facilities at Scours Lane , Norcot.

The meeting on 18 th October, given by the Society's Chairman, John Dearing, was certainly a little unusual, for it also invited audience participation. Entitled 'Children of the Heavenly King', featuring hymn writers connected with Reading, it proved exceedingly enlightening, for it drew attention to the connection not only with such well-known names as John Bunyan and the Wesleys but also with Gustav Holst, who was for a short time Professor of Composition at Reading University and whose hymn music included Irby, the tune of 'Once in Royal David's City', the words for which were written by a lady from Ulster. Several composers were, in their time, curates or vicars of the Minster Church of St. Mary the Virgin, St. Mary's Butts, while others were non-conformist ministers serving, for example, Kings Road Baptist Church and St. Mary's, Castle Street. We were much indebted to the present minister of Abbey Baptist Church for playing piano and to several of his congregation for help in leading the singing.

Martin Parsons, from Reading University, an authority on 'The Evacuations' during the Second World War, talked on 15 th November, during which he was able to dispel a number of myths that continue to surround the subject. He has amassed much first-hand material over the years, enabling him to develop other avenues of research; particularly the long-term effect evacuation has had on children now 70 years on. Whilst some were never happier, others survived a hell, which clouded the rest of their lives. It was all the more interesting to learn that a similar sort of evacuation had taken place, both in Germany and Finland and that similar effects were experienced there too.

Joan Dils will be giving her Presidential Address in December, on 'Education and Popular Culture in Late Victorian Reading', while Nigel Sutcliffe is due to speak in January on 'Reading Races, 1705-1906' and David Cliffe, on 'Two Reading Churches, 1912-1924', in February.

Meetings are held on Wednesday evenings mid-month (apart from August) at Abbey Baptist Church , Abbey Square starting at 7.30pm prompt. Entry free to members; Non-members £2.00. Inexpensive car parking is available for members. Meetings finish at 9.00pm with refreshments available.

Ring 0118 947 2470 or email Edward.W.Hooper@btinternet.com for further details of the Society.

John Whitehead

Project Purley

In September our speaker was Dick Greenaway, from the Friends of the Pang Valley , who gave an illustrated talk on Woodland Archaeology in West Berkshire .

With his excellent photography Dick took us around the woodlands in the area, giving us an insight into what there is to observe regarding archaeology. From the study of the landscape Dick explained that features preserved in the woods, such as chalk pits, banks, variations in soils, plant distribution and also documentary evidence from old maps can help build up the history of these ancient woodlands. This was a fascinating subject enjoyed by all.

At our October meeting our speaker was Sidney Gold who came to give us a talk on the Statues and Monuments of Reading. Sidney is a well-respected expert in his field. We saw excellent photographs, starting with the famous Forbury Lion, sculpted by George Simmonds, a member of the local brewery family. Queen Victoria and George Palmer were given pride of place amongst the many other statues and monuments shown. Sidney had a wealth of information about each of them, which made for an informative and interesting talk.

The talk in November given by Kevin McCormack, a member of the Great Western Railway Society, brought us much closer to home. Kevin told us of his chance discovery in 1969 of a rare 3 rd Class Saloon railway carriage in situ in Riverside Gardens in what was then the River Estate at Purley, and where there were various types of such vehicles used as living accommodation.

In 1972 Kevin bought this particular carriage himself, and with great determination got it transferred to the Great Western Railway Centre at Didcot. There he has spent all the years lovingly restoring the carriage to its original pristine condition. With the many photographs shown, members could appreciate all that Kevin has achieved. Many questions and much discussion followed. A most enjoyable evening.

Milly Bordiss

Sandhurst Historical Society

Our meeting are held at the Sandhurst Community Hall, usually on the last Thursday of each month, commencing at 7.30pm. The Society's website can be found at www.sandhurst-historical-society.org for further information. Alternatively please ring Jean Baker on 01252 843309.

Our 10 th AGM was held in September when we had an election of new officers, Jack Martin is now our Chairman, Jean Baker is Secretary and Jennie Ogden our Treasurer. Following on from the AGM Eric Marsh gave a talk, accompanied by slides, on "A taste of Surrey ".

October saw the Society reach its 10 th anniversary, which was celebrated by way of a party for members, founder members and special guests including the Mayor, Mrs. Elizabeth North. Our thanks go to her for attending as she had flown in from Australia that very morning. Congratulations to Mrs. Jennifer Hulbert, winner of our photographic competition. During the evening the Mayor presented Mrs. Hulbert with her prize, and engraved clock. The photograph was of the newly renovated well in Scotland Hill. We had a quiz entitled "Where is this?" consisting of 30 photographs taken in Sandhurst , there were photograph albums and the society's scrap book for to browse through together with an historical display provided by Michael Young. All the entries for our competition were on display too. Our thanks got to Hodges Coaches for donating a large bottle of whisky as a raffle prize. This special evening was enjoyed by all.

We have had quite a few new members joining our Society of late so why don't you come along too? If you are interested in local history in a friendly atmosphere you won't be disappointed and our 2007 programme looks very inviting!

Janice Burlton

Sonning & Sonning Eye Society

The Heritage Open Day walks 8-10 September drew in a wide variety of visitors over the four days. Some came from as far afield as Australia , Canada and the US (via Newbury). We welcomed Councillor Annette Drake, our Heritage Champion, amongst the 39% of punters from the Reading area excluding Sonning. There were also Woodyer enthusiasts on some of the walks.

The team was blessed with the last heat of the Indian summer, and visitors benefited from the opportunity of sitting down in the coolness of the Church to admire both the architecture and the wonderful medieval and Tudor brasses that are normally hidden.

The Guides received a postcard from a grateful Society member who praised the 'superbly guided walk'.

A few months ago an enthusiastic Society member, who is closely involved in Wokingham History Group, rang the Co-ordinator of the Education Panel to tell us about a short clip of cine-film he had seen. This came from some early 20th century amateur footage of races at Sonning, with a clear "heroine" whom it would be great to be able to identify. With this in mind we have arranged that the January "talk" will be a film show, which is being put on for us by David Lee of the Wessex Film and Sound Archive based in the Hampshire Record Office in Winchester .

The collections are rich, and we plan a varied programme. There are 47 items relating to Sonning that are chiefly images of various business or domestic letters, including, for instance, the will of Emily Matilda Rose Payne of The Acre (1932). The show will include the footage of the races in Sonning. It is also likely to include footage of a boating holiday from Sonning to Hambledon (1933); Wargrave Regatta (early-mid 20th c.); and a short film about Huntley & Palmer, for whom the Mill used to provide flour.

The film show, "A Night at the Pictures" will take place at the Reading Blue Coat School on Friday 26 January 2007. It will start at 8.00 p.m, and last for about one hour. A drink on arrival is included in the price of the ticket, and we look forward to welcoming you.

Recent issues of bridge have carried articles on our hidden Arts & Crafts gem, Halsey Ricardo's The Eyot House in Sonning Eye (Issue 7, Spring 2006); the bells of St Andrew's Church (Issue 8, Summer 2006); and our 61 st listed building, the thatched barn at Barn House in Sonning Eye, as well as a major article on the Robert Palmer Cottages in Pearson Road (Issue 9, Autumn 2006).

If you would like to contact us, here are some details.

Diane Coulter

Swallowfield Local History Society

Our September meeting was held in All Saint's Church to the dulcet, if invasive, tones of the bells. Between rounds we heard from Jack Neave about the long history of the church and its various interesting features. A photocopy of the charity board was distributed amongst members, fixed to the wall of the church in the year 1784, few people, not even Jack, were aware of its existence as it has remained hidden for centuries. This accounts for it having remained in such good condition. Jack's booklet on the history of the church has now been re-launched; copies are available at £3 each from our Secretary.

Our annual visit to Swallowfield Park has always been a special occasion and this October it was an appropriate venue for Ken Hussey's talk on Lady Constance Russell's diary of 1875. The elegant library provided a perfect setting in which we could imagine ourselves in mid-Victorian times, with a constant round of dinner parties and balls. It was particularly interesting to note that, although most of the action took place in Folkestone, she seems to have moved easily between Swallowfield and Kent. A booklet accompanying the talk has been produced and copies are available from the secretary at the price of £2.

Before and after the talk members were able to see The Russell Room, which houses the Society's library and archives, which should be a valuable source of information to anyone researching our local history. Anybody wishing to gain access should contact, the Librarian, Tony Fletcher, (9884279) or the Secretary.

Dr. Roger Jago was our Speaker at our November meeting. A packed Riseley Memorial Hall enjoyed a most informative talk on "The Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Victoria Cross". Roger firstly spoke about the formation of the regiment and the way it is sadly disappearing into the history books due to ongoing streamlining of the armed forces. An 8pp transcript of Roger's talk is available.

The Victoria Cross was first awarded after the Crimean War for outstanding acts of bravery in the field of conflict. It is the highest award to recognise gallantry amongst 'ordinary' servicemen, regardless of wealth, rank or creed and was the first truly democratic war honour. Since then, 1355 medals have been awarded and Roger detailed those Berkshire men who have been decorated since the mid nineteenth century.

Following the talk, the number of questions asked by members and 'old soldiers' was an indication of the interest that Roger's talk had generated.

At the end of the meeting Chairman, Tony Fletcher, invited members to bring regimental memorabilia to the next meeting on Tuesday 19 December. This is Christmas party night when member are asked to bring and talk about 'anything old'.

Ken Hussey

Twyford & Ruscombe Local History Society

The autumn session commenced in September with Margaret Railton's history of the Royal Berkshire Hospital 1839 - 1989. As very few people have not had contact with this hospital in some way or another it was surprising to learn no hospital had existed before 1839. The possibility of establishing a hospital had been raised before then, as it was very difficult for the poor to be cared for other than in the Workhouse. The Reading Dispensary had been founded in 1802 but was insufficient to meet the needs of the poorer population. Therefore, after many meetings, much discussion and planning the hospital was built by public subscription on land donated by Lord Sidmouth, called, at the request of King William IV, the Royal Berkshire Hospital . It was fascinating to see by the aid of slides the vast improvements which have taken place and transformed the hospital from what it was in the early years with just two medical and two surgical wards and a few staff, into the exceptionally high stand edifice it is today.

We had a welcome return in October of David Embling to again delight us with the history of furniture. He reminded us of his lifetime involvement in the care and restoration of English furniture and of the different types of wood popular for furniture making throughout the ages. Mr. Embling accompanied his talk with slides showing furniture before and after restoration, including a Bible rest in the form of a cross and a dining table formed from and old lavatory door salvaged from a London office.

At the beginning of his talk in November, Peter Gilbert called Florence a magical city and thus proceeded to justify this by talk and slides. Florence had originally been a very swampy, unhealthy place but after draining became a very fertile area. The Florentines were a very contentious people and a power struggle existed between the aristocracy, who held the power by birth and the wealthy merchants who had the economical power. The Cosimo and the Medici were amongst the most notable of the banking families. Monks too fought between themselves, but there were periods of peaceful living. Public exhibitions of celebrated painters were held regularly and in 1560 buildings were destroyed in order to build the Uffizi which houses a wealth of beauty including Michelangelo's statue David. Two notable events in Florentine history were the Black Death in 1348, which killed half the population, and the devastation and damage caused by the Flood in 1966. It is a city rich in history and culture of which much has survived.

Edna Bowman

Wargrave Local History Society

In September Colin Hennell gave us an illustrated talk on " History Beneath Our Feet ", sharing his experiences of metal detecting. He described the metal detector itself, and the need for research in the local record office etc, before going to a site, as well as obtaining the landowner's permission. We saw pictures of many locally found items, including silver Roman coins, traders' tokens, brooches, buttons and buckles. Colin also explained how 'finds' could be identified, the legal position (governed by the Treasure Act), and the possible need for a coroner's inquest. He also brought a display of many items he had found, including a 'mystery object' for members to identify!

"Dovecotes & Pigeon Lofts of Old Berkshire " was Andrew Hutt's subject in October. Esme Few had toured Berkshire in the 1960s, recording about 50 dovecotes etc, which is the basis of the Berkshire Archaeology Research Group's work. The Normans, who ruled that only Lords of the manor could keep them, introduced pigeon keeping to this country. The nature of commercial pigeon keeping changed after the dissolution of the monasteries (who owned many manors), and the manorial prerogative on pigeon keeping ended, and from 1619 - 1793, pigeon keeping was mainly by commoners. BARG has surveyed 90 dovecotes etc sites in old Berkshire - of which 31 retain the form of a dovecote and are in good repair, whilst 10 former dovecotes have been converted for use by people. The oldest surviving Berkshire pigeon loft is at Great Coxwell Tithe Barn (13th century), whilst the oldest dovecote, at Hurley Tythe Barn, dates from 1308.

The November meeting - marking the 25th birthday of the Society - was the first part of ' Wargrave Then and Now' . With mixture of old pictures of the village - many lovingly restored by Geoff Briggs - and modern views, the slide presentation began with a look at the village from pre-Norman times. The church was next 'explored', including the fire of 1914, followed by some notable features of the churchyard and Mill Green, and the activities that take place there. A visit to the cemetery followed, and then the village centre. Many of the village pubs, the chapel, houses and shops featured, showing how some aspects have remained virtually unchanged over decades. Some of the people pictured in the 'old' views were present in the audience, which added to the 'interest'!

December was the traditional Christmas party, when members tried to work out the location of photographs of parts of the village - sometimes, small details, and others maybe above or below the usual eyeline!

Peter Delaney

Winnersh and District Historical Society

Although we do not meet in August, we had a stall at the Hurst Horticultural Show to promote the society and its publications. In September, Bob Mould gave an entertaining talk on the history of the above show, which has existed for over 100 years, bringing back many memories. It is now known as the Horticultural and Cottage Garden Society, and held its 92 nd show in 2006. There were gaps during the war years, etc.

In October, Margaret Railton brought slides and told us about the history of Billingbear - a manor originally owned by the Bishops of Winchester and later granted to the Nevilles, whose heirs were the Lords Braybrooke. The house had been changed over the years and was finally demolished in 1924 after a fire.

In November, Tony King gave us a very good and instructive presentation on the history of London 's underground - the world's first underground railway. The current map has now become an example throughout the world.

For those who may be interested, our meeting on 19 th February, 2007 will include "Winnersh history from the air", an illustrated talk plus an exhibition of nearly 100 aerial photographs of the local area taken over the last 65 years.

Visitors welcome: Details from Brian Eighteen (0118 9784499)

Stella Young (0118 9784741)

Stella Young

Heritage, Family History, Museums and Libraries

Courses

University of Reading 's Short Courses in History

With this newsletter we have once again included leaflets detailing courses in history for the spring term at the School of Continuing Education at Reading University . Courses are run on weekdays, mornings, afternoons or evenings, for ten sessions and on some Saturdays, generally in the university buildings on London Road . Courses are friendly and informal, designed to interest the general public as well as the academic student and the subjects covered are very wide.

The Oxford University Department of Continuing Education also have a number of part-time courses in their 2006/7 prospectus that may be of interest to members. For more information on these and other courses please call 01865 270360, email pp@conted.ox.ac.uk or look at the website on www.conted.ox.ac.uk

BLHA Website (www.blha.org.uk)

Unique visitors *

Total since 1 August 2004 10517

Average daily visitors 12.4

Average weekly visitors 86.6

September 2006 581

October 2006 817

November 2006 718

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

Geographical breakdown (of last 100 visitors)

The statistical analysis shows that the most popular pages on the website (aside from the home page) are the queries page and the newsletters page .

Graph showing visitor activity to the BLHA website since August 2004

Dave Osborne, websitedesigner@blha.org.uk

History Societies

Arborfield Local History Society : Mrs P Steed, The Old Post House, Eversley Road , Arborfield Cross, Reading , Berks, RG2 9PG.

Berkshire Archaeology Society : Andrew Hutt, 19, Challenor Close, Wokingham, Berks RG40 4UJ

Berkshire Archaeology Research Group : G.C. Johnson, 'Wayfield', 20 Rances Lane , Wokingham, Berks, RG40 2LH. 0118 9782161 Email: Email: gcjohnson@oakingham.freeserve.co.uk or www.berkshire-archaeology.info or www.barg-online.org

Berkshire Family History Society: Research Centre , Yeomanry House, Castle Hill, Reading , RG1 7TJ . Email: chairman@berksfhs.org.uk

Berkshire Industrial Archaeological Group : Secretary, Peter Trout, 7 West Chiltern, Woodcote, Reading , RG8 OSG or Mr. Weber, Email: bentwebershops@waitrose.com

Bracknell & District Local Historical Society : Geoff Wood, 1 King Edwards Road, Ascot , SL5 8PD .  01344 883325

Burnham Historians : Mary Bentley, 38 Conway Road , Taplow, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 0LD.  01628 665932 . email bhme@gme.prestel.co.uk

Cox Green Local History Group : Pat Barlow, 29 Bissley Drive , Maidenhead, Berks. SL6 3UX. 01628 823890 week ends only.

Datchet Village Society : Mrs. Marjorie Clasper , 3 Riverbank, Southlea Road , Datchet, Berks. 01753 545110 www.datchet.com

East Ilsley Local History Society :.Mr Peter Wardell, 1 Church Barn, Broad St , E.Ilsley, Berks. Email: eastilsley@btinternet.com

Eton Wick Local History Group : Mary Gyngell, 47 Colenorton Crescent , Eton Wick, Windsor , SL4 6WW . 01753 861674 www.etonwickhistory.co.uk

Faringdon & District Historical Society : Rosemary Church, 1 Orchard Hill, Faringdon , SN7 7EH . 01367 240885 www.faringdon.org/hysoc

Finchampstead History & Heritage Group : Miss Joan Betts, OBE. 134  Kiln Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham , RG40 3PB . 0118 9733005

Friends of Reading Museum : Mrs Ann Middleton, 2 Rose Walk, Reading , Berkshire , RG1 6QB . 0118 9505548

Goring & Streatley Local History Society : Mr A.J. Simpson, 45 Springhill Rd. , Goring on Thames, Reading , Berks RG8 0BY.  01491 872625

The Hanneys Local History Society : Mrs. Ann Fewins, 'Lilac Cottage', East Hanney, Wantage , OX12 0HX . 01235 868372 Email: annfewins@beeb.net

Hare Hatch & Kiln Green Local History Society : Mr. Richard Lloyd, Shingleberry, Tag Lane , Hare Hatch, Reading , RG10 9ST. 0118 9402157 Email: richardlloyd@wargrave.net

The History of Reading Society : Mr. Peter Russell, 5 Wilmington Close, Woodley, Reading , Berkshire , RG5 4LR . 0118 9618559 Email: peterrussell@yahoo.co.uk

Hungerford Historical Association : Mrs Jean Hutchins, Westbrook Farm House, Smitham Bridge Road , Hungerford , RG17 0QP . 

Maidenhead Archaeological & Historical Society : Trevor Jones, 70 Lambourne Drive , Maidenhead, SL6 3HG. 01628 672196

Mid Thames Archaeological & Historical Society : Sheila Orton, 1 Saffron Close, Datchet, Slough , SL3 9DU . 01753 543636

Mortimer Local History Group : June Woodward, 19 Victoria Road , Mortimer, RG7 3SH. 0118 9332819 Email: woodward.mortimer@virgin.net

Newbury & District Field Club : A.R. Higgott, Hope Cottage, Ashmore Green, Thatcham, RG18 9HD. 01635 579016

Project Purley : Mrs Lee Hall. 33 Waterside Drive , Purley, Reading , Berks RG8 8AQ. 0118 9429238 Email: leeandrichardhall@vodafone.net

Sandhurst Historical Society : Mr Jack Martin, 5, Ceders Close, Sandhurst , Berks GU47 8HF.

Shinfield & District Local History Society : Mrs Ann Young, 'Roselyn', School Green, Shinfield, Reading , Berks RG2 9EH. 0118 9882120.

Sonning & Sonning Eye History Society: Diana Coulter, Red House Cottage, Pearson Road , Sonning, Berks, RG4 6UF, 0118 9692132

Standford in the Vale & District Local History Society: Philip Morris, 71 Van Diemans, Standford in the Vale, Faringdon, Oxon , SN7 8HW , 01367 710285

Swallowfield Local History Society : Ken Hussey, ' Kimberley ', Swallowfield, Reading , RG7 1QX . 0118 9883650

Tadley Local History Society : Mr. Alan Cooke, PO Box 7264 , Tadley, Hampshire , RG26 3FA .

Thatcham Historical Society : Mr. Chris Turner, Monks Chambers, 4 Church Lane , Thatcham, RG10 3JI. 01635 867 802 Email: chris@skipoles.co.uk

Theale Local History Society : Mr.& Mrs. A.D. Spurling, 7 Broadlands Close, Calcot Park , Reading RG31 7RP.  Email: ThealeHistory@aol.com

Twyford & Ruscombe Local History Society : Denise Wilkin, 26 Highfield Court , Waltham Road, Twyford, Berks. RG10 OAA.

Wargrave Local History Society : Peter Delaney, 6 East View Close, Wargrave, Berks, RG10 8BJ. 0118 9403121 Email: peter.delaney2@btinternet.com

Windsor Local History Group : Dr.Brigitte Mitchell PhD, 56 Albert Street , Windsor , Berks, SL4 5BU. 01753 774642.

Wokingham History Group : Barbara Young, 39 Howard Road , Wokingham, Berks, RG40 2BX. 0118 9788519

Wiltshire Local History Forum : Lorna Haycock, 9 Hartfield, Devizes , SN10 5JH . 01380727369

Archives, Libraries & Museums

Abingdon Library : The Charter, Abingdon , OX14 3LY . 01235 520374

Email: abingdon_library@yahoo.co.uk

Allen County Public Library : Mary Lou Clegg, Genealogy, PO Box 2270 , Fort Wayne , Indiana , 46801-2270 , United States of America .

Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre : Royal Berkshire Hospital , London Road , Reading , Berks, RG1 5AN. 0118 9877298 Email: marshall.barr@btinternet.com

Berkshire Record Office : 9 Coley Avenue , Reading , RG1 6AF . 0118 901 5132 www.berkshirerecordsoffice.org.uk

Bracknell Forest Heritage Centre : Mrs Agostina Hawkins, Heritage Officer, Times Square , Market Street , Bracknell , RG12 1LR . 01344 351754 Email: agostina.hawkins@bracknell-heritage.gov.uk

Bracknell Library Local Studies : Mrs Pat Almond, Town Square , Bracknell , RG12 1BH . 01344 352400

Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies : County Hall, Walton Street , Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1UU. Archives: 01296 382 587 Email: archives@buckscc.gov.uk Local Studies: 01296 382 250 Email: localstudies@buckscc.gov.uk

Centre for Oxfordshire Studies : Helen Drury, Central Library, Westgate, Oxford , OX1 1DJ . 01865 815749

Maidenhead Heritage Centre : 3 Kingsway Chambers, King Street , Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 1EE. 01628 780 555 www.maidenheadheritage.org.uk

Maidenhead & Windsor Local Studies Library : Pat Curtis, St Ives Road , Maidenhead, SL6 1QU. 01628 796979 Email: pat.curtis@rbwm.gov.uk

Newbury Reference Library : Fiona Davies, Newbury Central Library, The Wharf, Newbury , RG14 5AU . 01635 519900

Reading Central Library : Local Studies Manager, David Cliffe, Abbey Square , Reading , RG1 3BQ . 0118 9015965

Reading Museum Services : The Curator, Town Hall, Blagrave Street , Reading , RG1 1QH . 0118 9399800 www.readingmuseum.org.uk

Reading School Library : Librarian, Mrs B Taylor, Erleigh Road , Reading , RG1 5LW .

Reading University Library : Val Davis, Library Assistant, PO Box 223 , Whiteknights , RG6 6AE . 0118 378 8785 Email: v.j.davis@reading.ac.uk

Museum of English Rural Life : The University of Reading , Redlands Road , Reading , RG1 5EX. 0118 378 8660 Fax: 0118 378 5632 Email: merl@reading.ac.uk - www.merl.org.uk

Royal Borough Museum Collection : (Windsor & Maidenhead) Heritage Office, Tinkers Lane , Windsor , SL4 4LR . 01628 796 829

Slough Library Local Studies : Tony Pilmer, Slough Library, High Street, Slough , SL1 1EA. 01753 787511 Email: librarytop@sloughlibrary.org.uk

Slough Museum : 278-286 High Street , Slough , SL1 1NB . 01753 526422 Email: info@sloughmuseum.co.uk

West Berkshire Heritage Services : Amanda Loaring, West Berkshire Museum , The Wharf, Newbury , RG4 5AS . 01635 30511 Email: heritage@westberks.gov.uk

Wokingham Library Local Studies : Carol Carson, The Library, Denmark Street , Wokingham , RG40 2BB . 0118 9781368 Email: carol.carson@wokingham.gov.uk

Wantage Vale & Downland Museum : Tony Hadland, Church Street , Wantage, OX12 8BL. 01235 771447 Email: museum@wantage.com

© COPYRIGHT: Trustees of the Berkshire Local History Association and Authors 2006