Welcome to the February 2019 News Letter.

 

This month’s meeting will take place in the Rose Room, Parish Hall.

The time of the meeting has been changed from 2.30pm to 8.00pm on the 21st of February 2019.

 

Maggie gives her apologies to Members because she put the wrong time in the Loddon Reach for our February meeting. As the article was to the wider public and we were also encouraging new people to come to the Meeting she feels we should make it an evening meeting in the hope that lots of our Members will join us and hear Jennifer give us what we're sure will be an interesting presentation.

 

We welcomed in the year 2019 with our dinner at the Mill House Hotel which was thoroughly enjoyed, giving us the opportunity to socialise with friends without any responsibility for organisation – wonderful.

 

Our next meeting is on Thursday 21st February when we welcome back Jennifer Highwood who is going to introduce us to: Local Women: Some Insights from the Archives.

We have all heard of Mary Russell Mitford and most members know more about her than our archivist does, so this is an attempt to discover something of the lives of some other women in the area. Some are known by name. The lives of others can only be suggested by random references in sources and oral reminiscences. Jennifer will try to put a few of them into the wider context.

 

The one wish for the New Year the Committee certainly has is to increase the number of people who come to our meetings. You don’t need to be a member, come along and enjoy the comfortable surroundings in The Rose Room, finish the evening with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a chat with anyone or everyone. Ask questions, make suggestions for future topics – we welcome any ideas that could be of interest to local people interested in history.

 

To give you a taste of what is planned in our 2019 Programme:

 

18th April – We welcome back Barbara Stanley will give us Part Two of her Personal experience of growing up during The Troubles in Ireland.

 

16th May – Sue Dormer, an Archaeologist who, since moving into the Mews at Farley Castle, has discovered so much history and gathered so many facts about Farley Castle. We are delighted that she has agreed to come and tell us what she has found.

 

Our meetings are on the third Thursday of the month, at 8.00pm in the Rose Room at Swallowfield Parish Hall. Visitors are always welcome. If you have any queries, please contact Ken Hussey (Chairman) on 0118 988 3650 or

Maggie Uttley (Secretary) on 0118 988 2954 or kcuttley@aol.com.

 

Visit our website, www.slhsoc.org.uk, for the full programme for the year.

 

Mike Round

Swallowfield Local History Society