May 13th 7.15 pm at Park Junior School
Annual General Meeting
Documents for the AGM can be found here
followed by Vicki Walker and Shirley Dicker – Shops in Stonehouse – photographs then and now
Members enjoyed refreshments before and after the meeting.
April 8th 7.15 pm at Park Junior School
The History of Hoffmann’s
Vicki Walker gave an overview of the history of the Stonehouse factory, followed by Andrew Walker and John Wilkins talking about Hoffmann Apprenticeships in the 1960s and Mike Cooke talking about his work organising activities and outings for the Apprentice Association and working in the drawing office.
A large audience also enjoyed a display of memories, documents and items brought along by former Hoffmann employees.
March 11th 7.30 pm at Park Junior School
Simon Draper – Lines in the landscape: decoding boundaries (with a Gloucestershire/Wiltshire focus)
Dr Simon Draper is County Editor for the Gloucestershire Victoria County History (VCH)
and Assistant Editor for the VCH in Oxfordshire. He showed us the rich archaeology and history of the boundaries that exist in our local landscape, from those of manors and parishes to hundreds, shires and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. He also told how boundaries were marked, both physically and mentally through the ritual of ‘beating the bounds’.
Feb 11th 7.30 pm at Park Junior School
Gareth Howell – Pancake day: the Linby Pancakes, a Viking army and the history of pancakes and their Day
It is said that the Nottingham village of Linby was the scene of the invention of the Pancake, when some abandoned women chased off the Great Viking Army. The truth behind the story, the history of Pancakes and of Pancake Day. A fascinating journey through the history of pancakes, pancake day and the Viking army of the north.
About Gareth Howell:
Gareth Howell
I have recently moved down to Gloucester, after being a popular speaker up in Nottingham for over a decade. I regularly appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham as an historical adviser, most notably as the military historian when Armed Forces Day was hosted at Nottingham. I also acted as a Politics advisor, covering the resignation of Boris Johnson and the first Truss vs Sunak debate. I have also spoken on BBC Notts on topics as diverse as Richard 3rd, the tanks, the home guard and the Easter Rising (for which I also appeared on a programme with BBC Ulster). I am also a regular guest speaker for Abingdon Museum in Oxfordshire, the British Biomedical Institute, Buxton Museum and various Rotary clubs. I have done some TV work for BBC Ulster and for Channel 4. I am a speaker for a number of Cruise ship lines, and I have appeared as a History speaker for the veterans program for Nottingham Forest and Gloucester Rugby.
Jan 14th 7.30 pm at Park Junior School
Dr Phil Bischler – Two polymaths, two visits and one hero
Phil talked about the history of submarines, their inventors and some links to local history.