As this Newsletter is being prepared the Heritage Open Weekend is about to start. So much happens over this weekend it is difficult to know where to go and what to see but no doubt many of you will have taken advantage of visiting interesting places not normally open to the public. Perhaps you have been to Rectory Cottages and seen the excellent display of Railway photographs mounted after much hard work by Roly Doggett, along with displays by the Beekeepers Association and a local Owl Sanctuary. We are always grateful to those members who help set up and run this event. We hope you have enjoyed your summer and are looking forward to attending our next series of lectures which start in October.
First we would like to extend a warm welcome to the new members who have joined us since last October – Ms Christine French, Mrs Janet McMeekin, Ms Dallas Sherwood, Ms Kathy Wilson and Mr Anthony Farmborough.
We would like to thank also those members who have provided us with suggestions for speakers and we hope to include all of them over the next two years if they are not too expensive! The lectures we have arranged from October to January are as follows:-
THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER: MURDERS IN 19th CENTURY BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Speaker: Leonard Woodley
Leonard Woodley worked as a Police Officer for 30 years before becoming a Patrol Officer for British Waterways for 5 years. His talk covers murders ranging from post Napoleonic Wars to the 1890s in Aylesbury, Denham, Slough and Ivinghoe. A merry start to the season!
THURSDAY, 3 NOVEMBER: ROMANS IN THE HAMBLEDEN VALLEY, BUCKS
Speaker: Dr Jill Eyers
Dr Eyers is Director of Chiltern Archaeology, OU Lecturer and writer of local geology and archaeology books. You may have seen her recently on BBC2’s programme ‘Digging for Britain’. Who were the ‘Romans’ and what were they doing in Buckinghamshire? She will take a look at some exciting recent archaeological work at a large site in Hambleden (near the River Thames). What was life like and why were 97 babies found on the site? The Roman world was intriguing and more so when you have masses of artefacts. She will bring some books for sale up to £5. Last time she spoke to us several members ended up accompanying her on a trip to Southern Turkey.
THURSDAY, 1 DECEMBER: PARCHMENT MAKING THROUGH THE AGES
Speaker: Mrs Tovs Irving, BSc. FSLTC
Mrs Irving served an apprenticeship of 2 years at a tannery in Zimbabwe before training at the University of Northampton for a BSc in leather technology. She returned to Zimbabwe to work for 10 years in the leather trade. After political persecution and the death of her husband she returned to Britain in 2003, the home of her ancestors. She accepted a job at the William Cowley Parchment works in Newport Pagnell where William & Katherine’s marriage certificate was made. She will tell us about the manufacturing techniques of parchment little changed over the last 2000 years, the uses and the future of parchment. She will bring some parchment bookmarks for sale costing between £2/£3 each – a nice Christmas present.
THURSDAY, 5 JANUARY: THE WIFFEN BROTHERS OF WOBURN AND WOBURN SANDS
Speaker: Paul Cox
Paul Cox was raised in Woburn Sands. He has researched Woburn Sands and Aspley Heath since 1989 and now runs the Woburn Sands Collection. His website www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsc is well worth a look. The Quaker brothers Benjamin and Jeremiah Wiffen were exceptionally talented in their literary fields, yet modest and hardworking religious men. Each has left a legacy of work that is largely forgotten, but is still a fascinating local interest story.
ONE FOR YOUR DIARY
LECTURE 1 MARCH 2012: ‘…ARE THEY TO STARVE IN A LAND OF PLENTY’: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE NEWPORT PAGNELL POOR LAW UNION WORKHOUSE
Speaker: Dr Paul Carter, Principal Records Specialist Manager at The National Archives, Kew and Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham.
Under the guidance of Dr Carter members of Milton Keynes Heritage Association including some of our members were involved in a project to transcribe the records of the Newport Pagnell Workhouse. Dr Carter is an extremely knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.
REPORTS
ARCHAEOLOGY AT ALDERTON MOUNT
Unfortunately there was no excavation this year 2011 as there was no money available, not really surprising in the present financial climate. A pity because the 2010 dig produced exciting results as described in our Autumn 2010 Newsletter. On a more positive note those results mean that when (let’s not say if) money does become available Alderton is higher up the list of priorities with organisations such as English Heritage who hold the purse strings. Also as it is a listed site we are not in a race against time before it is covered by a motorway or houses, it’s been there protected by soil and turf for hundreds of years so a few more years won’t make much difference. The site owner, Derek Batten who gave us an excellent presentation of Custer’s Last Stand last December, is proposing to set up a trust to ensure the site’s long term future.
FENNY POPPERS CARNIVAL
Once again the Society had a stand at this street fair, a display of old photographs of Fenny Stratford was set up under Roly Doggett’s trusty gazebo. Copies of our 2011/2012 lecture programme were available to take away so we hope to see more visitors to our presentations in the future. Many thanks to all those who helped.
MEDIEVAL STAINED GLASS AT BRADWELL ABBEY
This very poorly advertised event at Bradwell Abbey turned out to be an excellent way to spend a Sunday morning (although I’m not sure the homemade cakes did us much good). On display were the remains of the original medieval stained glass window dating from the 14th century excavated at Bradwell Abbey 28 years ago and now stored in chipboard boxes at Buckinghamshire County Museum not on public display together with the replica produced with funding from the Worshipful Company of Glaziers which you can see in Christ the Cornerstone. Ros Tyrrell, Finds Liaison Officer for Buckinghamshire who had been involved in this excavation at Bradwell Abbey carried out by Milton Keynes’ archaeology Unit, then gave a detailed presentation on the excavation of the window which was unusual as the glass was still in its lead. This was followed by a tour of the Bradwell Abbey Site including the wall paintings in the Chapel. Bradwell Abbey plan to hold more such events and if you are interested either contact us or look on their website www.mkcdc.org.uk
OUTINGS/EVENTS
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LOCAL HISTORY NETWORK CONFERENCE & FAIR
SATURDAY 1st OCTOBER 2011
The theme of this year’s Conference is Military Buckinghamshire being held at Kermode Hall, RAF Halton starting with the first lecture at 10.00am. The day includes a series of seven lectures from the Hundred Years War, the Civil War, the First World War to the Secret War in Buckinghamshire in the Second World War. Tickets cost £10. There is further information available on the website www.bucksas.org.uk/events or from the Society.
GUIDED WALK ROUND GREAT LINFORD
SUNDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2011
Don O’Connell, a Bletchley Park Guide, will show us round Great Linford on Sunday afternoon, 23rd October. We meet at 2.00pm at the Linford Arts Centre where there is plenty of parking. The gentle walk will take about an hour and a half. Afterwards Norman Clark’s wife has very kindly offered to open the Church for us where she will provide us with a welcome cup of tea. Please let us know if you would like to join this walk either before or at our meeting on 6th October. This event is free.
DISCOVER MK
There is a recently opened exhibition at Discover MK now located on the First Floor of Milton Keynes Central Library. It is called ‘Then & Now’ and is an exhibition celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain and compares the area then with how we live and work today, featuring exhibits from MK Museum and The London Transport Museum. One of the items on display was a Mincer described ‘as used in the 1950s’ – it is still one of my favourite and most used items of kitchen equipment. The exhibition area is only small but is packed with information. If you haven’t yet visited Discover MK do go, it is well worth the visit. It runs until 20th October.
Their next Exhibition starts on 24th October. The theme is all about myths, mysteries and ghost stories and they are looking for stories. Get in touch if you can help.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The Society has been run for a number of years by a small dedicated band of Committee Members who meet twice a year in a member’s house in the evening. To ensure the survival of the Society we urgently need new Committee Members. Meetings are relaxed and informal, often more chat than business. Please think about joining the Committee. Before making a decision you are welcome to attend our next meeting on 31st October to see what goes on.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
The annual reminder! Our membership year runs from 1st October and subscriptions are now due. They remain unchanged at:
£8 per annum individual
£6 per annum Concessions
£10 per annum for a Couple
£3 per lecture for Non Members
Students free
Subscriptions can either be paid at our meeting on 6th October or by cheque payable to Bletchley Archaeological & Historical Society and sent to Ms Justine Smith, 31 Bay Tree Close, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes, MK17 0DT.
E-MAIL
This is the first Newsletter to be sent to members electronically. If you have an e-mail address and can assist us in keeping down costs, please e-mail. If you no longer wish to remain on our e-mail list please let us know. Those without e-mail will continue to receive the Newsletter by post.
For further information and details on any item in this Newsletter or other queries please contact Mrs Diana Kesterton (Secretary), 4 Woburn Sands Road, Bow Brickhill, Milton Keynes, MK17 9LA. Tel: 01908 372434 or e-mail diana.kesterton@dsl.pipex.com
