Leatherhead & District Local History
Society - News
last updated 22 Aug 2010
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from the August 2010 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
Merger of the Museum Trustees with the History Society
Following the AGM in April when the executive committee
received the clear mandate of the members present for the
resolution to merger of the Museum Heritage Trust into the
Leatherhead & District Local History.
Progress has now been made with the museum's Trustees and
their Solicitors, the Trustees' position is now regularised
to enable the merger to move forward.
As part of this process the History Society are obliged to
make some minor but important amendments to the Objects of
the Society as recommended by solicitors for the museum
Trustees to enable the History Society to own and maintain a
museum. Our current objects only allow us to run a museum.
Ultimately the official custodian appointed by the Charities
Commission will hold the title to the property on behalf of
the History Society.
An extraordinary general meeting has been called for
Friday 17th September at 7.30pm in the Dixon Hall at the
Letherhead Institute. This extraordinary meeting is to vote
on the resolution to amend the Objects of the History Society
as previously described - you will find formal notice for
this extraordinary general meeting in this Newsletter and if
for any reason you have not received a copy please let me
know immediately and a copy will be provided to you.
Following this meeting our usual September Friday evening
lecture will start at 8pm and will be given by our President
Gordon Knowles.
Bookham Village Day
Another wonderful sunny Saturday heralded the launch of
this year's Bookham Village Day which was well supported as
usual by local schools, residents and visitors alike, this
years theme was The Circus Comes to Town.
Our Society provided a number of display boards on this
theme, something of the history of the circus over time from
the Roman period of gladiatorial contests between man and man
and man and beast. Mosaics and remains of wall paintings were
used to illustrate this theme. Other boards illustrated the
Victorian & Edwardian Circus and a reflection of circuses
as represented through the paintings of a number of
well-known European artists.
Finally we had some of the familiarity of the circuses of
the 1950s & 60s that we would recognise to the present.
Aside from this, the Society set out a table of books for
sale from our collection of book titles. The timely launch of
Peter Tarplee's new book Past Industries of Ashtead,
Leatherhead and Bookham also proved to be a big draw we
completely sold out of the ten books we had available on the
day.
My thanks go to Lindsay Trim, Jill Godfrey and Gordon
& Pam Knowles for their support in operating the
bookstall for the morning and afternoon sessions.
Positions Vacant
We still need your help and support - unfortunately your
silence has been deafening. Following our May Newsletter I
had hoped to find that one of our members would have some
spare time to pick up one of the positions on our Executive
Committee. Here is your opportunity to shape the future of
your History Society - we need to fill the following posts in
order of priority;
Honorary Secretary
Records Secretary
Publicity Officer
Part-Time Curator
Please speak to me if you would like more information or
would talk about any of the positions on offer
David Hartley
Heritage Weekend 11th/12th September 2010
As usual, we shall be taking part in Heritage Weekend on
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September. The theme the
committee has chosen this year is Georgian Leatherhead,
and to attract publicity on the website, it is entitled By
George!
There will be displays of Georgian Leatherhead in the
Institute on both days; (including two Georgian residents,
James Barlow and Benjamin Simmons) the Museum will be open on
both days, and there will be a walk round the town centre
from the Institute on the Saturday afternoon which will focus
on Georgian buildings past and present.
The parish church of St Mary & St Nicholas will be
open on Saturday 11th September from 10.00-12.00 and Sunday
12th from 14.00-16.00 hrs. There will be opportunities to see
and hear the magnificent Georgian organ made by Thomas Parker
in 1766, re-installed in 2007. There may also be visits up
the tower to the bell ringing chamber.
Linda Heath
Letter to the Newsletter Editor - Can you help?
Dear Mr. Warwick,
My name is Donna Workman-Streater and I am hoping you may
be able to help me with some knowledge on my family. I reside
in Sydney, Australia and have actually recently visited
Leatherhead but unfortunately, had little luck in finding any
information.
My mother is a Loxley and her father, my beautiful Da, was
Leonard Arthur Loxley. His father was George. I believe there
were 4 children in the family; another brother who emigrated
to Argentina and definitely, a sister Lilianne. My
grandfather emigrated to Australia in 1912 to join the
Australian Army as a Light Horseman. He was sent to the
Middle East and the Somme and was seriously injured and
hospitalised in France. He returned to Australia to marry my
grandmother.
Growing up, I used to write to my cousins who lived in
Leatherhead. Their names were Margaret, Carol and David. My
mother used to write to Eric Loxley, a postmaster, who
unfortunately passed away several years back. I know there
are a Peter and Kathleen Loxley, but they also are deceased.
I am very keen to find my history as it is something I
very much want to pass on to my children. One of my sons is
actually attending Exeter University at present. I have tried
extensively to find my cousins, but have had no luck at all.
If you can offer me any information or if you could pass
this email to someone who may be able to help me, I would be
truly appreciative.
I am very proud of my heritage as my grandfather was a
beautiful, beautiful man.
Kind Regards,
Donna Workman-Streater donnastreaterAToptusnet.com.au
(replace AT with @ before sending)
Dated Buildings in the Leatherhead area - Help needed!
Provisional lists of the buildings in the Leatherhead
district which bore an inscribed date were published in the
Newsletters for May and August 2005. Five years later seems
an appropriate time to produce a consolidated list, and I
invite you again to contribute. Do not think that the ones
you know are obvious - they may not be to others. Derek Renn
17 Burrows Close, Great Bookham Surrey KT23 3HB.Tel 454 880
(no email)
==
from the May 2010 newsletter
Chairman's Report - AGM
I am pleased to report that there was good turn out at our
AGM held on 16th April 2010 chaired by our President Gordon
Knowles.
The resolution for the merger of the two charities into
one single charity with the name of the Leatherhead &
District Local History Society was carried unanimously.
The President stated that the title to the property known
at Hampton Cottage 64 Church Stree Leatherhead known to us as
Leatherhead Museum is to be held on behalf of our History
Society by the Charities Commission's Official Custodian.
Your Executive Committee together with the Trustees of the
Museum and History Centre Trust will continue the process of
the merger to a successfully conclusion.
Following this year's AGM Peter Tarplee our Vice President
and former Chairman of the History Society concluded the
evening with an interesting lecture on the History of
Milner House, formally known as the Long Houseand
re-named after Sir Fredrick Milner the founder of the
Ex-Services Welfare Society.
There will be a book launch of the forthcoming publication
Past Industries of Ashtead, Leatherhead & Bookham
by Peter Tarplee at the Leatherhead Museum on Friday 28th May
2010 at 7.30pm - look out for the notices and please come
along in support.
I wonder how many of you have visited the museum recently
and seen the number of very new displays, others that have
also been re-organised it is well worth a visit.
I have also noticed a new free leaflet available when I
was on duty as a Steward, one that I had not seen before
called Leatherhead Town Tree Trail produced by Mole
Valley District Council and the support of the Mole Valley
Conservation group. The leaflet contains a very useful tree
trail map with an ample key to the descriptions. This nicely
designed folding leaflet complements a number of others
leaflets from the same source with the tiles of Leatherhead
Heritage Trails and Bookham Heritage Trail as well as the
older Ashtead Village Heritage Trail. Unfortunately, there
appears to be a clear omission from this collection of trail
maps - where is the Fetcham Heritage Trails? Fetcham has much
of interest as any of the previous examples and deserves to
be put on the map.
Membership Subscription 2011
Your executive committee have agreed that there will
be a £3.00 increase in the subscription for a Full Member
from 1st January 2011 from £15.00 to £18.00. Associate
membership subscriptions will remain unchanged.
Hon Secretary -Vivien Hollingsworth
Recently I received a letter from Vivien
Hollingsworth our Honorary Secretary expressing a wish to
retire from this post as soon as a suitable candidate and
successor can be found.
Vivien has served you and our executive Committee for the
last six years, always diligent and cheerful, efficiently
carrying out her many duties in the post and I would like to
take this opportunity to thank her personally for her work on
committee and on behalf of the History Society wishing her
well in pursuing her other interests.
The Museum's New Email address
Our Hon Treasurer David Lokkerbol together with Alan Pooley
our Museum Manager have rationalised the museum's email
account. Please make a note of the new e-mail address for the
Leatherhead Museum staff@lheadmuseum.plus.com
The original email address will still accept messages but it
will be closed down in due course. It would be a good
opportunity to take advantage of this new email address by
sending us and the museum some feedback and comments
pertinent to the changes that have taken place at your museum
or what has been reported and published in this Newsletter.
The existing website address of
www.leatherheadlocalhistory.org.uk remains unchanged.
Positions to be filled
We urgently need to fill the outstanding positions
on your Executive Committee. In the order of priority:
Honorary Secretary - we urgently need to fill
the post of Hon Secretary as quickly as possible for the
sake of continuity. Anyone interested in taking on this
role would they please contact Vivien Hollingsworth who
will be very supportive and will be able to induct you
into this post.
Publicity Officer - a talented, dynamic
networker who has the vision and the energy to promote
and publicise the work of the History Society, the Museum
and the Friends of the Museum.
Records Secretary - a passion for historical
documents, and photographs, someone with a logical mind
who has the ability process and enter data using
Microsoft Access, Excel and Word, who can work team
building with parish archivists and local U3A groups.
Part-Time Curator - one can complement the
work and objectives of the Museum's Manager Alan Pooley
and his team in meeting and developing the museums
accessions policy. The presentation and display of
artefacts and an outreach programme promoting the Museum
to a wider audience.
Report of 2010 AGM
At our AGM on April 16th chaired by our
President, Gordon Knowles, the Executive Committee was
re-elected, and a new Treasurer (David Lokkerbol), and
Membership Secretary (David Wall).
Presenting the Committee's report, the
Chairman and Archaeology Secretary (David Hartley) again
appealed for members to fill the vacant posts of Museum
Curator, Publicity Officer, Records Secretary and Bookham
Archivist. The backlog was worsening, and continuity of
service was only possible by essential tasks undertaken by
Alan Pooley, Peter Tarplee and John Wettern, who would help
any new volunteers by 'showing them the ropes'.
Mr Hartley had been delayed in his own
efforts to arrange for the analysis, conservation and storage
problems of the Society's records: some might be transferred
to the Surrey History Centre at Woking.
Very substantial donations from the Friends
of the Museum and a grant from the Surrey County Council's
Local Partnerships Scheme had paid for new carpets and N for
a new entrance giving easy access to the Museum for the
disabled from the garden. This wheelchair access had been
officially opened by Councillor Tim Hall, who had been
instrumental in obtaining the SCC grant. The Surrey Museums
Consultative Committee had paid half the cost of new display
panels which could be used almost any where Doug
Hollingsworth reported briefly on the repairs to the Museum
walls, gutters and gate.
A resolution (by the respective trustees of
the two charities) to merge the Leatherhead Museum and
History Centre with the Society was accepted unanimously for
submission to the Charities Commission. The Museum would be
run by as subcommittee, keeping separate accounts.
Mr Hartley thanked the Lectures and Visits
Committee for their efforts (nearly 500 people had attended
the events) and those supplying and serving the refreshments.
A laptop and digital projector had been purchased for
Powerpoint presentations. A list of members willing to give
talks had been published and sent to other organisations and
the local press. Frank Haslam (Website Manager) reported that
www.leatherhead local history.org.uk was getting 250 'hits' a
month, one-quarter coming from overseas.
Brian Hennegan's book Over the Bridge:
Memories of a Leatherhead Lad from both sides of The Bridge
was selling well.
Peter Tarplee's new book Early Industries
of the Leatherhead District would be launched at the
Leatherhead Museum at 7.30pm on 25 May, which would also be
an extra opportunity to see the new display of local
industrial history objects upstairs
Presenting the accounts, David Lokkerbol
thanked David Wall for acting temporarily as Treasurer before
he took over. He drew attention to the fall in income from
investments compared with past years due to the continuing
worldwide financial crisis. Recovery was not yet in sight,
and an increase in subscription was overdue. He was setting
budgets, so that the subscription met the cost of the basic
benefits available to members all over the world. After some
discussion, a £3 increase was accepted by the members.
Derek Renn
* * *
2 May 2010: PAST INDUSTRIES OF ASHTEAD, LEATHERHEAD AND
BOOKHAM
| This is the title of the
latest book to be published by the Leatherhead &
District Local History Society. It will concentrate
on many of the industrial activities in the area over
the years. There are plenty of books and documents
giving much detailed information about churches and
larger houses but it was felt that there should be
records about how the ordinary people lived and
worked and earned their living. For example, did
you know that the first electric blankets
were made in Ashtead and that this was one of the
first examples of industrial rehabilitation of
mentally disabled ex-servicemen? There was once an artificial
silk industry here before the works was
taken over by the company run by the inventor of the
vacuum cleaner. Ashtead was a centre of photographic
manufacture until the firms became swallowed
up in the Kodak empire and these factories were then
used for making leathercloth and steam cars then
pottery.
Ronsons were, of course, famous
for the development of cigarette lighters and Goblin
for vacuum cleaners but both firms also produced many
other products. Bookham had a small
engineering works in the early part of the
twentieth century but once the Great War got under
way this enlarged from 2,000 square feet to 56,000
square feet. After the war this factory made engines
which were used in around 80 makes of motor cycles,
30 makes of cars and 12 makes of aeroplanes. By the
time of the second war hydraulic equipment for over
15 types of plane were made here and the size of the
works had doubled.
see also our Publications
page
|
 |
Brick making was a local
industry whose history goes back to Roman times and carried
on until the 20th century. These and many other industries
are described in the profusely illustrated book and it is
hoped that this publication will fill in some of the gaps in
our knowledge of the past times in Leatherhead and district.
The book, which was written by our member Peter Tarplee,
is expected to be available during May and will cost £8-99.
Copies will be available from local booksellers, Leatherhead
Museum and, post-free, from our Sales Secretary (at 64 Church
Street, Leatherhead, KT22 8DP); cheques should be payable to
‘L&DLHS’. The book will be launched at
Leatherhead Museum where there will be displays of many of
the operations described. This will take place at
7.30 pm on Friday 28th May 2010. All members,
friends and anyone interested in the past history of the area
are cordially invited to attend and have a glass of wine with
us.
Surrey Heath Local History Club has been added to our Useful
Links page
The contents page of Proceedings Vol 7 no.3 has
been added to the website.
In recent years the L&DLHS Newsletter has increasingly
included articles in addition to those dealing with the
running of the society. As an experiment it has been decided
to begin providing a record of these and the
issues in which they appeared. Accounts of talks are not
included as these can be found via the Programme page.
Comments about this trial page are welcomed by the website editor.
====
16 April Annual General Meeting - see Programme
page for a report
====
from the February 2010 newsletter
Editorial
Dear Members
Yet another Newsletter and yet another appeal for all its
readers to supply articles for it. Currently the articles
repeatedly come from the same small faithful few but I feel
sure there are more of you who could write something of real
interest to our readership. You all have experiences in
perhaps your working days which give an insight into life as
it was — perhaps it was a wartime memory, perhaps a
person you met. It is fascinating to see how Brian Hennegan's
book describing life not so long ago in Leatherhead has
aroused so much interest — surely there are many more
stories to be told. They are the tales we would love to see
in the Newsletter.
The most important topic in our History Society is the
proposed merger between the Society itself and the Museum.
Currently the History Society and the Museum operate under
two distinct Trusts or Charities. Trusts are controlled under
the Charity Commission and are legally established bodies.
However what has been true for so many years is that the
funds of the History Society are mainly used to support the
Museum. This does not really make sense and the obvious
correct course of action is to amalgamate the two trusts.
From the Charity Commission point of view this is no problem.
What does it mean to us?
Under a combined arrangement there would only be one Trust
called the 'Leatherhead & District Local History Society'
but its objectives would include those which are currently
covered under the Museum Trust. In practice it would not make
a major difference as the control of the museum would operate
under a sub-committee of the main Trust.
It all sounds so simple but of course anything like this
has to be done properly and will in fact take time. Hopefully
you all will not notice any change in the practical operation
of the Society.
Chairman's Report
Dear Members
Welcome to this our first Newsletter of 2010. Like Janus of
Roman Mythology, used here to symbolise transition, change
and progression of the past to the future we have the
opportunity look back and reflect on the events of last year,
some events of national, local and personal importance to us.
This year I hope we can look forward with a new sense of
optimism to something of a new beginning for our History
Society.
A case in point is for six months of last year following
the AGM we were languishing without a Hon Treasurer and a
Membership Secretary, worrying how the History Society was
going to continue without filling these important posts.
After some successful networking by members of the committee,
two members in the persons of David Lokkerbol and David Wall
offered their services to fill these posts of Hon Treasurer
and Membership Secretary respectively. Thanks to all those
concerned, especially those two new office holders, we are
now back on track and moving forward in these difficult
times.
There are still however a number of vacancies on your
executive committee which we would like to see filled this
year. I have previously referred to these posts in the last
November Newsletter and should you be interested I would be
pleased to hear from you.
Proposed Merger of Two Charities Some of
our membership may or may not be aware that there is in
existence two separate registered charities, one designated
the 'Leatherhead and District Local History Society', the
trustees of which are your elected executive committee who
manage the business of the History Society and run the day to
day business of the museum.
The second charity is the 'Leatherhead Museum Heritage
Centre Trust'. The Trustees are responsible for the
management of the Trust's assets, the property and building
fabric of the Museum at Hampton Cottage at 64 Church Street
Leatherhead.
As part of our role and responsibility your executive
committee has been in mutual discussion with the Trustees of
LMHCT to set in train the proposed merger of the two
charities into one Charity under the L&DLHS for the
purpose of consolidation and efficient future management of
the History Society, the Museum Building and the Society's
artefacts.
A further explanation is presented elsewhere in this
Newsletter together with the notice of the AGM, nomination
papers and the special resolution that is to be ratified at
our AGM on Friday 16th April 2010.
The merger of the two Charities should not affect the good
work of the 'Friends of Leatherhead Museum' under the
Chairmanship of Dr Fred Meynen. The Friends provide much
needed fundraising and manage the Museum's volunteers
Stewards without whom the museum could not function properly.
Members' Interests Reluctantly have to
report that since the last Newsletter in November I have
received only one further expression of interest in any of
the subjects on offer. The total number of responses is 22
members. There is in my view insufficient numbers in any one
interest group to make it economically viable.
I would like to thank those members who took the time to
respond not to be daunted -we will revisit the subject again
at a future date.
David Hartley
Proposed merger between the two Registered Charities, the
Leatherhead & District Local History Society and the
Leatherhead Museum and Heritage Centre Trust. Notice for AGM
2010.
1. When the Museum Trust was established under the
guidance of Stephen Fortescue, it was deliberately separated
from the Society to safeguard the building in the event of
the winding up of the Society for whatever reason. Also, it
meant that should the museum fail it would not take down the
Society with it. It also kept the finances separated.
2. Over the years both bodies have survived and generally
prospered. The Museum Trustees have been able to maintain the
Structure and enhance it by building the recent disabled
access.
3. There has always been a sharing of certain expenses
between the two charities, in particular, insurance.
4. The Trustees and the Society Executive Committee now feel
that it is appropriate to merge the two charities, both are
concerned with the Museum in its totality.
5. The Charity Commissioner is content for the merger to take
place, provided we send him the nil accounts of the Trustees
after funds are transferred and a copy of the minutes
approving the merger.
6. It is intended that the Trustees will be replaced by a
Museum Fabric Sub-Committee of the Society Executive
Committee to carry on the work hitherto undertaken by them.
7. The Chairman of the Society and the Chairman of the
Trustees therefore recommend to this Annual General Meeting
that it approves the merger with effect from this date.
Gordon Knowles, Chairman of the Leatherhead Museum and
Heritage Centre Trust
David Hartley, Chairman of the Leatherhead & District
Local History Society
====
from the November 2009 newsletter
Chairman's Report
Dear Members
I am pleased to report that following our August Newsletter
we received two responses to our appeal for the vacant posts
of Treasurer and Membership Secretary. I would therefore like
to welcome both David Lokkerbol as our new Hon Treasurer
(01372 375756) and David Wall as our new Membership Secretary
(01372 374773) and offer them the full support of the
executive committee and our membership at large.
Whilst we have been fortunate to be able to fill these two
very important posts which have been vacant since our AGM in
April, we also have an urgent need to find other members to
fill the following positions, all these are part time,
voluntary positions open to members of the History Society.
Records Secretary
The first is that of Records Secretary to
co-ordinate, manage and develop a long term strategy for
the History Society's Archives, a keen interest in local
history and research in general would be a basic
requirement.
Bookham Archivist
The next post is of Bookham Archivist, would
ideally suite a member who lives locally and has keen
interest in the Parish of Great & Little Bookham who
would be able to accommodate and look after the Bookham
archive currently in temporary store in Peter Tarplee's
garage.
The late Brian Godfrey held both these positions, but
perhaps it would now be advantageous to split these two
areas of responsibility.
Museum Curator
The next post is of Curator to our museum at
Hampton Cottage at 64 Church Street, working together
with our Museum Manager Alan Pooley carrying out the
agreed museum policies and procedures, curatorial role,
actively promoting the museum to a wider public audience.
Publicity Officer
Finally we have the post of Publicity Officer
which in my mind requires an active, dynamic and creative
individual who likes to meet and deal with the press,
business and the public at large, reaching out to promote
the History society, its lectures and activities as well
as our local museum.
Heritage open Days 10th -13th September 2009
proved to be another well supported and successful weekend of
events at which the History Society provided one of several a
displays in the Dixon Hall at the Letherhead Institute and
the Museum at Hampton Cottage. I would like to thank all
those members and stewards on duty who gave up their time to
support of this years event.
I would like also to take this opportunity to personally
thank Peter Tarplee my predecessor as chairman who has
actively represented the History Society on the organising
committee for Heritage Open days in Mole Valley since 1996,
he has now indicated his retirement from the organising
committee in Mole Valley at the end of this years' event. We
owe him a debt of gratitude for his active support, promoting
the History Society on this committee as part of a national
event supported by English Heritage.
We are currently looking for a new member to take on this
role and represent the History society at next years
organising committee for Heritage Open Days in Mole Valley.
Is there is a member of the society out there who has the
energy and interest to volunteer to fill this role, someone
who will be able to allocate some time to attend the required
meetings on our behalf? I would be interested to hear from
you - the role could perhaps be linked with role of publicity
officer referred to above.
Members' Interests Questionnaire I would
like to have concluded this piece on a more positive and
optimistic note but I must express something of a
disappointment at the general lack of interest shown to our
members interests questionnaire launched in our August
Newsletter entitled 'Interested in History' - to date I have
received only 21 replies out of a possible 200 strong
membership which is more than a little depressing.
I propose to defer my report on member's interests to the
February 2010 Newsletter in the hope and anticipation that
there are members out there who have forgotten or mislaid
their member's interest forms and who wil, given the time,
respond to this important source of feedback for your history
society.
Between now and going to press in January for our February
Newsletter I am hoping you will all respond to this poll. In
the event that you have mislaid this form there will be
copies available at the Museum. Failing that, you can if you
so wish just put your name address and telephone number on a
piece of paper together with a short list of the subjects you
are interested in and put your response in an envelope and
post it for my attention or just drop it into our Museum -
you have my attention I hope I will have your support, thank
you.
David Hartley
1 Nov 2009: Member Brian Hennegan spent
seventeen of his formative years, from the early war period
up until 1956, over the bridge on Leatherhead Common, or
North Leatherhead as it is now referred to. He is a member of
the local History Society and has an interest in transport of
all kinds including Aviation. He is currently serving as a
volunteer at Brooklands Museum where he is a member of a team
engaged in the restoration of a Hawker Hurricane Aircraft.
Just to seal his credentials, he can still walk from home to
the centre of the bridge in three and a half minutes.
His book OVER
THE BRIDGE, MEMORIES OF A LEATHERHEAD LAD FROM BOTH SIDES OF
THE BRIDGE, just published by the Society, tells
the story of a childhood and early adulthood spent in North
Leatherhead - a must for anyone who lived in the area during
the 1940s and 1950s ... and for those who wish they had.
====
from the August 2009 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
Hello and welcome to this our summer Newsletter - the
weather has been excellent when compared to this time last
year. Saturday 20th June marked the events of Bookham Village
Day and Ashtead Village Da. Unfortunately the two events
clashed and it would have been appropriate to have supported
both events in some way - as it was we were already committed
and signed up to Bookham's 'Village Day' earlier in the year.
Next year perhaps we can support both Village Day for Ashtead
and Bookham.
The theme this year for Bookham was 'Beach Party',
appropriate enough for all those children and their parents
who attended on that very sunny Saturday. The History Society
provided a display in the Old Barn Hall at Bookham. We took
as our theme 'Going to the Seaside' - those British Holidays
and the many 'Day Trips' to the South Coast and elsewhere by
coach, train and car in Britain from 1910 - 1980s. Do you
remember those long coach trips or car journeys to the coast,
those terrible traffic jams on those A and B roads, those
long hot summer holidays and Bank Holiday Weekends - there
are many memories wrapped up with that time.
Our display illustrated something of this theme using
facsimiles of seaside holiday posters, produced by railway
companies of the time, together with contemporary pictures of
holidaymakers huddled or building sandcastles on the beach, a
big subject with many facets. My thanks to Goff Powell for
providing some of the early pictures of charabanc, bus and
coaches with their day trippers and references to local coach
companies. Thanks also to Vivien Hollingsworth, Peter
Tarplee, Goff Powell, Gordon Knowles and others in suppor,
manning the display. There was a lot of interest shown and
Goff achieved a very good level of book sales on the day of
the History Society's books.
L&DLHS Archive - Update: Having reported to you in our
May Newsletter the date of 21st May was set for a meeting of
the History Society's archivists and other members to discuss
the future of our archives. We held this meeting at the
Letherhead Institute which was quite a lively affair, well
attended by our parish archivists for Ashtead, Fetcham &
Leatherhead. Bookham unfortunately was not represented by its
archivist due to the untimely death of Brian Godfrey our
former Records Secretary and Bookham Archivist. The Bookham
archive is now currently lodged with Peter Tarplee pending
finding a volunteer to take over the archive and a decision
being reached on the future of the society's archives in
general.
John Derry the archivist who usually deals with the
Leatherhead documents has temporarily stepped in to act as
our Records Secretary, the rest of the persons present at
this meeting were invited senior members of the society who
have a keen interest in the future of our archives. It proved
to be a very useful first meeting which gave all members
present a chance to express openly their feelings over the
future of the archive and how our record should be maintained
for now and the future. A general consensus emerged from this
meeting that the future of the society's archive would be
better served if our original archives were to be deposited
on loan at the Surrey History Centre at Woking enablinge
preservation and access to a wider audience for research.
A second meeting was arranged and held on 30th June at the
Letherhead Institute when Mike Page our invited guest was
introduced who is Team Manager of Heritage Stewardship and
Preservation at the Surrey History Centre. He addressed us on
the subject of depositing our archive at the history centre
at Woking. Both archivists and members also had the
opportunity to ask questions on points of concern over what
was involved in this process.
Mike Page was thanked for his time in coming to speak to
us on that Tuesday evening, it was agreed that we now have a
better understanding of what is involved which would enable
us to move forward with our proposed objectives.
It was agreed in principal that the Bookham archive is to
be used as our first 'Test Case' for depositing at Woking,
hopefully sorting out any problems that may arise with this
process before moving forward with the other parish records.
Just by way of reassurance and clarification to all those
members who were not present, we are not looking to dispense
with the services provided by our local parish archivists -
they will continue to be a valuable asset to our society and
we still need a volunteer to fill the post of Bookham
archivist.
There is also still much work to be done on sorting and
collating, bringing the indexes up to date and entering the
information into the database. There is also scanning and
digital photographs and copies of digital recordings to be
made.
Martin Kruger and David Wall of the Leatherhead U3A
attended this meeting at our invitation, in anticipation that
they would be able to participate, lending support for the
work to be done.
If you feel you would like to help in this process please
contact me or John Derry via the Leatherhead museum. Finally
I would personally like to thank all those invited members
and archivists who attended this meeting for their
constructive and valuable support on behalf of the History
Society.
David Hartley
Ernest William Culley
Members will be sorry to hear that Bill Culley died on
21st June 2009 after a long and painful illness. Bill had
been a very active member of our Society and is perhaps, best
known as the author of 'Bookham in the Twentieth Century'.
During the late 1990s David Bruce had suggested that Bill
should investigate the history of Great and Little Bookham
since 1900 and he did this largely by interviewing a number
of the older residents of the villages. From the information
he obtained he gave a number of talks in the Old Barn Hall in
aid of our Society. This information was then produced in
book form by the Society and 'Bookham in the Twentieth
Century' is our most successful publication to date. Despite
many efforts we have found nobody to produce similar books
for the other parts of our area of interest. Books about the
recent past are the ones that sell in large numbers.
Aside from local history, Bill had many other interests;
some of you will have seen his paintings, particularly of
Bookham. He was a keen gardener and very interested in music,
particularly jazz. He was a pianist who until a few years ago
regularly played with a group of friends.
By profession he was an analytical chemist and after service
in World War II as a flight mechanic he worked in the
scientific branch at County Hall, London until he retired in
1986.
Our thoughts at this time are with Ena and their son and
daughter.
Peter Tarplee
Alan A Jackson
Alan Jackson, who died in February this year (2009) aged
86, was a member of our society for many years and whilst he
lived in Ashtead he edited the society's first history of the
village, Ashtead, a village transformed. He moved to Dorking
when be retired and became editor of the Dorking Local
History Group and the Dorking and District Preservation
Society as well as helping in the library of Dorking Museum.
He edited or contributed to many books on the area, notably
Dorking, a Surrey Market Town through twenty centuries,
Dorking's Railways and The Railway in Surrey. He was the
author of many books on the social and transport history of
the south-east of England and a past-president of the Railway
and Canal Historical Society.
Leatherhead Aviation Services - an example of how our
website helps our work
In the last issue of the Newsletter I wrote a piece giving
further information about the aeroplane propeller in our
museum which had originally come from Leatherhead Aviation
Services. Recently the Society received a further enquiry
concerning Leatherhead Aviation Services from someone who was
seeking information about his father-in-law who had been a
pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and as a civilian after World
War I. We were able to tell him that the person concerned
was, in fact, the pilot of the Leatherhead Aviation Services
Avro 504 which crashed near Slough injuring all three persons
on board including W G Chapman, the owner of Leatherhead
Aviation Services.
In turn we learned from our enquirer that the pilot,
Arnold Graham, did recover from his injuries and in 1922 left
England for Africa and India to work as a civil engineer on
railways, the profession he had trained for before joining
the RFC. He had been born in Calcutta in 1891.
These instances are two of many where we learn more about our
local history following someone looking on the Society web
site and seeing reference to a subject in which they are
interested. The reference to something in a lecture or
Proceedings article is all that is required.
Peter Tarplee
Born in Leatherhead - found fame in America
Harry E Cooper - 'Lighthorse Harry'
Harry E Cooper born in Leatherhead on the 6th August, 1904
was a prominent PGA golfer of the 1920s and 1930s in America.
His father Sidney was a professional golfer who had served as
an apprentice to old Tom Morris at St Andrews.
His family moved to Texas when Cooper was young and his
father took a job as a club professional in Dallas. Cooper
turned professional in 1923. A perennial US Open contender
(with seven top-10 finishes and second place in 1927 and
1936), 'Lighthorse Harry', as he was nicknamed, was also
placed second in the 1936 and 1938 Masters as well as
reaching the semi-finals of the 1925 PGA Championship. In all
he finished 20 times in the top-10 at major championships.
In the 1936 US Open at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield,
New Jersey, Cooper was involved in a highly controversial
match with Tony Manero, who was suspected of cheating. Manero
defeated Cooper by two shots to win the tournament. In later
years Cooper would say that he had a mental hangup during
major tournaments and couldn't picture himself in the
winner's circle. His greatest successes were across the
border, as he won the Canadian Open in 1932 and 1937. He won
31 PGA Tour titles in all and the inaugural Vardon Trophy in
1937; his 31 titles were a record for PGA Tour players born
outside the US until surpassed by Vijay Singh in 2008. He was
active as a senior golfer, placed sixth in the 1955 Senior
PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of
Fame in 1992.
Cooper was the golf professional at Glen Oak Country Club
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois from 1930-1937 and at Northmoor
Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois from 19411942. He
piled up many other titles, including wins in the first three
tournaments held on Medinah Country Club's No. 3 Course. He
dropped an 18-hole playoff to Tommy Armour in the 1927 US
Open and advanced to the semifinals of the 1925 PGA
Championship, falling to eventual champion Walter Hagen.
Statisticall, Cooper's best year was 1937 when he won eight
times on tour, and was both the leading money winner and the
first winner of the Vardon Trophy.
After his PGA tour career ended he became the head
professional at the Metropolis Country Club in Greenburgh,
New York. He held that position for many years. Following his
retirement from Metropolis he took a teaching position at
Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, where he remained
until his death. He was remarkable for his ability to work in
the golf industry into his nineties.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he was the Director of Golf on the
Oceanic Cruise Liner, which sailed between New York City and
the Caribbean during the Christmas season.
Cooper is often classified as the greatest golfer who
never won a major tournament. Some claim this classification
is erroneous because Cooper won the 1934 Western Open, which
many considered one of golf's major championships at that
time. Although in its early decades the Western Open was
widely regarded as a major championship, this designation was
unofficial and it is generally not included in tallies of
golfers' major championship wins.
Cooper had no children. He died in a hospital in White
Plains, New York on the 17th October, 2000 aged 96. He is
interred beside his wife Emma in Lot 15, Graves 1 and 2, in
the Kensico Gardens Section of the Kensico Cemetery in
Valhalla, New York. His grave is now marked with a headstone,
but his grave marker erroneously shows 1906 instead of 1904
as his birth year.
There were several Cooper families living in Leatherhead
around the turn of the twentieth century and I can only
assume some descendants may still live in the district. Any
other information appertaining to Harry Cooper would be
appreciated.
Goff Powell
====
from the February 2009 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
This our February Newsletter is the first issue of the new
year and is a particularly importance due to the fact that
the Notice and papers for the 62nd Annual General Meeting of
the History Society are distributed with this issue.
There are some important issues to be discussed concerning
the History Society therefore I would earnestly encourage you
to attend this meeting on Friday 17th April, not least
because we need nominations to fill two of the very important
posts on your Committee, namely that of Hon Treasurer and
that of Membership Secretary. The History Society cannot
properly function without the positions being filled.
I look forward to receiving your nominations for these
posts and for the other positions vacant.
I am sorry to have to report the untimely death of Brian Godfrey who was our Records
Secretary and Bookham Archivist, who will be much missed for
his hard work and dedication to the History Society and the
Museum.
Also I have been informed that one of our long standing
members of the Society, John Bull
passed away in December.
Following Dr David Birds talk to our Society in October we
have received and published here his interim excavation
report on Ashtead Roman Villa 2008 which we hope will be of
interest to our members.
Before winding up this piece I would like to give a plug
for more research at a Local, County and National level. As a
History Society's we should in theory be engaged in all sorts
of research, but how many of us are? We have our own archive,
a wealth of material pertaining to local parishes of
Leatherhead & District. At a county level we have
available to us the Surrey History Centre at 130 Goldsworth
Road Woking GU21 6ND, telephone 03456 009009 email: shs@surreycc.gov.uk on
line at www.surreycc.gov.uk.
At a national level we all have access to the National
Archive at Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 4DU, telephone: 0208 876
3444, on line at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. I have just
received their January Newsletter by email which is full of
interesting research topics including the launch on the 13th
January of the 1911 census.
So why not make the most of our resources and start
planning a research project today.
David Hartley
Members will be saddened to hear of the death on 1st
December 2008, of Brian Godfrey, aged 80. Brian, together
with his wife Jill, was a very active member of our society.
He took over the responsibility of all the society's Bookham
records from David Bruce some years ago and from 1997 he was
the society's Record Secretary and a member of the Executive
Committee. Whilst he held this post Brian was conscious of
the need for all our indexes to be computerised, and he had
achieved this with all the Bookham material as well as most
of the remainder of the records. The ultimate aim, of course,
was to have at least the indexes on the web and searchable.
Also whilst he was Records Secretary Brian formalised the
way in which the society dealt with historical enquiries. All
enquiries, whether by telephone, e-mail, letter or verbal,
are carefully recorded and then monitored to ensure that the
enquirer gets a response as soon as possible. At the Friday
evening lectures Brian was also busy; he arranged for the
projector and microphone equipment to be in place and so he
was an essential member of the team responsible for
organising these meetings. For many years now Brian has
served on the Museum Committee thus ensuring liaison between
the museum and all the society's archivists.
Brian's interest in local history and archives extended
beyond our society. He was a volunteer at the regional office
of the National Trust where he carried out research,
principally on the earlier days of Polesden Lacey.
By profession he was a physicist working in the National
Health Service but he had many other interests. He was an
enthusiastic sportsman, orchestral musician and bell-ringer
as well as a very active member of Leatherhead Methodist
Church.
He will be sorely missed by our Society and others and all
our thoughts at this time are with Jill and her family.
Members will be sad to hear that John Bull, one of our
earliest members, died shortly before Christmas. John was a
long-standing and very loyal member of our Society. He was
Treasurer from 1974-1977, Assistant Treasurer from 1977-1982,
and Museum Treasurer from 1983-2004. Part of this time he was
also Chairman of the Museum Trustees. Before retirement he
worked for the Midland Bank in their printing department and
was occasionally able to have some printing done for the
Society.
He was an avid DIY man and had every conceivable piece of
equipment, particularly electrical ones. He was always
willing to help with the museum in every capacity, both
practical and administrative. For many years he maintained
the fabric of Hampton Cottage, almost single-handed. He was
good at going up ladders, though possibly on the large side
for such activity!
John's interest in the museum was unfailing and he
attended most of the Society lectures until quite recently.
His genial personality and his unfailing courtesy will be
much missed by all who knew him.
Stephen Fortescue and Linda Heath
Index to Articles in the February 2009
Newsletter
| Archaeological Secretary's Report |
3 |
Leatherhead Clock Tower |
14 |
| Ashtead Roman Villa & Tileworks |
8 |
News from Friends of Museum |
20 |
| Ashtead Trail & Walk |
17 |
News from Museum Committee |
3 |
| Aviation Incidents |
16 |
Obituary - Brian Godfrey |
22 |
| Brooklands & the Hurricane Talk |
13 |
Obituary - John Bull |
19 |
| Chairman's Report |
2 |
Recent Library Additions |
21 |
| Early Water, Electricity & Gas |
15 |
Rooke Memorial |
4 |
| Editorial |
1 |
Sir Frederick Milner |
6 |
| Future Events |
22 |
Visit to The Spike & Visit Slip |
23 |
| Heritage of Mole Valley |
18 |
|
|
====
1 February 2009
Members Brian Bouchard and Frank Haslam launch the Ashtead
War Memorials website - see via the War
Memorials link, which also connects to the Leatherhead
War Memorials website edited by Frank, and his new page for
Fetcham War Memorials, the latter based on information
provided in the late John Stuttard's History of Fetcham.
====
from the November 2008 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
Did you know that this November is the 90th
anniversary of the end of the First World War? Like most
anniversaries they are very important events that should be
marked, therefore The National Archives, the Imperial War
Museum and the Surrey History Centre at Woking and some other
organisations will all be remembering the event.
On Saturday 25th October I attended the
Surrey Local History Symposium at Chertsey. Our history
society joined with other history societies to listen to a
programme of talks, making our contribution to the start of
the 90th anniversary celebration with the title of Surrey and
The First World War. The range of subjects were diverse and
interesting ranging from Aircraft Production in Surrey
Display in Word War I and the Frith Hill Prisoner of
War Camp to talks on The Royal British Legion Poppy
Factory at Richmond and The Mobilisation of the
Woodlands in Surrey in the First World War.
What most impressed me were the displays
mounted by each of the participating local history societies,
the effort put into drawing on local history archives,
photographs and personal family histories - this in a way
proved to be a very fitting memorial to all those soldiers
who had died and those who survived the conflict in the first
of the modern wars.
I would be interested to hear from any member
of our history society or Friend of the Leatherhead Museum
who has First World War photographs, service records and
memorabilia of soldiers, sailors and airman family members or
otherwise who are recorded on our local War Memorials and in
Books of Remembrance in Leatherhead and District during the
period 1914-1918 War. The district as far as this research
project is concerned, will cover all the parishes of Ashtead,
Great and Little Bookham, Effingham, Fetcham, Headley,
Leatherhead and Mickleham.
Turning to other more pressing local history
society matters I would like to make an urgent appeal on
behalf of the History Society and the Executive Committee for
volunteers to fill two very important posts, namely that of
Hon Treasurer and Membership Secretary. Due to his personal
family commitments our former Treasurer Ron Clark has tended
his resignation. Our Membership Secretary Jenny Morris did
indicate some twelve months ago her desire and intention to
give up this post.
These two posts need to be filled as a matter
of urgency and are critical to the health and the functioning
of the History Society. I am hopeful that one or two of our
members out there would be able to step forward and offer to
fill one of these most important vacancies.
If you would like to volunteer your help,
would you please contact our Hon Secretary V Hollingsworth on
01372 801357. Thank you.
David Hartley
====
from the August 2008 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
As chairman of the History Society I am
disappointed at the decline in attendance in support of the
fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Museum and for
other events such as National Archaeology Week. The turn out
was truly disappointing at this years event, only three
representatives of the History Society were present when our
invited guest, the Chairman of Mole Valley District Council
arrived to launch the event.
The attendance in general last week at this
event was no better with a distinct absence of any of the
membership visiting the museum, exhibition or supporting the
walks lead by Gordon Knowles and Gwen Hoad on the two Sundays
of 13th & 20th July.
Maybe archaeology is not your thing, or you
were committed to other things? You and the Membership must
decide what is wanted from the Society and the Museum.
Without your support attending talks, lectures and events we
will have no History Society. Make your voice heard, speak to
your representatives on committee and let us try to move
forward and build an interested, interesting and healthy
Society.
We need to engage with you the membership and
the general public at large and other local interest groups
if we are to survive. We also need your help in running the
day to day business of the History Society and we need new
volunteers who are prepared to give up a small amount of time
to sit on committee. We have a committee of dedicated members
who have held responsible positions for a number of years,
who have carried out their duties without complaint. A number
of committee members have now indicated that they wish to
retire from committee having done their stint and performed a
very valuable service to the History Society to peruse other
activities.
So what do we do? We need new members to step
forward and take up some of the positions vacant - some we
have advertised previously in the Newsletter and others are
more recent and need to be filled one way or another before
or at the next AGM. None of these posts are particularly
onerous but they do require a commitment to attend a
bi-monthly committee meeting on the third Monday every other
month.
We are currently looking for a new Membership
Secretary and a Records Secretary to co-ordinate the work of
the archivists of the various parishes.
We need someone to act as an Independent
Examiner of the History Society's Accounts. We also need new
committee members to just serve on committee, bring in new
ideas and make a contribution to the debate as to how the
History Society should move forward and serve you better.
Other posts that currently remain vacant are
Curator to work with the Museum Manager and a Publicity
Officer.
David Hartley
====
from the February 2008 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
Hello and welcome to our first Newsletter of
the New Year. It has not been a particularly auspicious start
to the New Year for our Museum or the History Society and it
has certainly started with a bang literally, with a car
running out of control into the front of the Museum on Sunday
morning 6th January. You will have probably all seen the
newspaper coverage. [see our
photo report]
The Museum Trustees and Alan Pooley the
Museum Manager have done everything necessary with the
insurance assessors to put the work in hand to reinstate and
carry out the reconstruction works as quickly possible in
order that the museum is readv to open on time in April.
Notwithstanding the time of day the
unfortunate accident happened, it has in fact raised the
wider issues of public safety of pedestrians, museum staff
and stewards during daylight hours. This is an opportunity
not to be missed to raise the matter of heavy lorries and
articulated vehicles who try to negotiate these streets and
we will be exploring some of these issues with the County
Council in the next few months.
With this Newsletter members will be
receiving the notice and agenda for this year's AGM. I do
hope that you will all come and use the opportunity to make
constructive comment on matters and issues that concern you
both about the History Society and your museum. Your
Executive Committee, Trustees and the museum manager deserve
your feedback and support.
We also have the positions of Curator and
Publicity Officer vacant and we will also ask you to ratify
our appointment of Martin Warwick as Newsletter Editor and
Ronald Clarke as our New Treasurer as our present Treasurer
Mrs Norma Robertson has previously indicated her desire to
retire at the AGM after a number of years in the post.
So what now of our plans for 2008? I would
like to see both the history society and our museum form
stronger links and networks with other history societies and
museums of Guildford, Ewell and elsewhere in Surrey. At a
local level we can and should build on existing and form new
links with groups such as the U3A in Fetcham and Bookham to
see how we can reciprocate and assist each other in research
and on joint projects.
Your executive committee have spoken about
new books and publications and it's my hope that we can
launch or at least start some new projects that will lead to
publication and will explore other aspects of our local
history and range of interests in Leatherhead and District.
There may in fact be members of the history society who have
or are currently working on projects, or have a manuscript
suitable for publication under the umbrella of the history
society - if so please speak to us.
It's quite reasonable in my opinion that the
history society should support and publicise some of the
talks and lectures that members give to other groups and
societies. I attended recently a very interesting and
informative talk given by Peter Tarplee my predecessor and
now vice president of our history society to the Epsom &
Ewell History and Archaeological Society (EHAS) on the
subject The beginning of Public Utilities in Surrey. Peter's
knowledge and interest in industrial history is well known to
some of us and to those within his circle of like minded
colleagues. Peter, Linda Heath, Derek Renn, Goff Powell and
others do give these regular and occasional talks and
lectures.
David Hartley
Museum Appeal Volunteers and Ideas
The first stage of the appeal could be said to be over as the
main donations from members and friends have been received
and we can only expect further contributions to be minor.
Many thanks for the generosity you have shown. There is
always much work to be done. Fortunately the recent accident
and demolishment of the bow window will probably be entirely
met by insurance.
Grant giving bodies are mostly looking for
new work to give funding - it is easier to obtain a grant to
build an extension than to maintain an existing asset.
Because of this we will need to stage money making events. If
we are to raise further funds we will need volunteers to help
us and offer need ideas. The Trust itself is bound by a limit
of only six trustees.
Please help us with your ideas and your time.
John Morris
Treasurer & Trustee 01372 362524
====
from the November 2007 Newsletter
Chairman's Report
Welcome to this our November Newsletter. We
start first with the news that Martin Warwick who may be
known to a number of local residents and members of the
L&DLHS who live in Bookham, Martin has stepped forward
and volunteered his services as our Newsletter Editor, to
fill the vacancy left with the retirement of John Wettern
with this edition of the Newsletter. (Ref. August Newsletter
3/2007) Martin has a number of interests and already edits
the National Trust's ‘Polesden People' newsletter and
the ‘Bookhams Bulletin' of Bookham Community
Association, as well as working with other local groups. Your
Executive Committee believe that Martin will prove to be a
worthy successor to John Wettern. We all wish Martin well in
his new office and offer him our full support.
To John Wettern we offer our grateful thanks
and appreciation for his dedication and years of service as
Newsletter Editor. John previously held the post of Editor
during 1999-2002 and again during 2006-07. John as usual has
always used his best endeavours to promote and publicise both
the History Society and the Museum over the years with some
notable successes, we hope he will continue to do so with
great effect where and when the opportunity arises.
Heritage Open Day 6th-9th September, reported
elsewhere in this newsletter was from all accounts was
another successful event, for which we should thank the
Heritage Day organising committee for all their hard work and
all those members and volunteers who made a contribution.
The Soirée at the Leatherhead Museum on
Friday 28 th September is also reported elsewhere in this
Newsletter. However I would like to record my personal thanks
to all those Friends and Members of the Museum and History
Society who turned up on a very damp and wet evening in
support of the event and to all those who worked to make it a
success. I would also like to record that Stephen Fortescue
the well known local historian and surviving founder member
of the Museum and the History Society and former past
President attended with his wife having travelled up from
Devon , they have kindly written to thank us for our
hospitality.
Finally this is the last Newsletter before
Christmas and as a timely reminder the Museum will be closed
from Saturday 15 th December there are a wide range of Local
History Publications available to purchase which could
perhaps make a suitable Christmas gift.
David Hartley
====
September 2007
The MVDC Heritage Weekend
The displays at the Letherhead Institute were
as published in the official programme: Food & Rationing
during World War II presented by Linda Heath; Leatherhead
Museum Appeal presented by John Morris; The Parks in the
Leatherhead District presented by David Hartley; The Inns and
Public Houses of Leatherhead & District presented by Goff
Powell.
 |
two of the featured displays: Hartley |
May 2007
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
(Report by the Chairman to the Society’s
members at the Annual General Meeting, held on 20th April,
2007)
The History Society in 2006 has had its
highlights and some successes, touched with a little sadness
at the loss of some members of the Society who have died.
Most if not all the activities of the society have been ably
reported in the Newsletter throughout the course of last year
by members and need not to be repeated again here.
Our President and your executive committee
with other members of the History Society, namely our Museum
Manager and his team, our Curator, the Friends of the Museum
and their Chairman as well as our Stewards have all worked
tirelessly on your behalf to ensure the smooth running of the
business of the History Society and the Museum.
The current Newsletter Editor has done
valuable work in keeping the Newsletter on the road. At the
beginning 2006 we had no Editor the prospect of loosing this
vital organ of communication with the membership looked very
much on the cards. My predecessor as Chairman together with
our Hon Secretary managed to hold things together. Through
his contacts our editor has served us well with that all
important ingredient, publicity, vital to the success of any
local history society and/or museum.
Finally we have the Editor of the Proceedings
and all those members who submitted contributions to last
year’s bumper Diamond Jubilee publication to make it a
success. Last but not least we have our member who runs and
manages our website and provides a public face of our History
Society and museum.
I have deliberately refrained from naming you
all individually as we should by now all know who you are and
the roles you play in contributing to the success of our
History Society.
I would like to extend my personal thanks to
our Hon Secretary for her help and support through this last
year and to you all for your contribution and commitment to
the success of the Society during 2006.
I consider myself fortunate to follow in the
footsteps of a long line of Chairmen, and to serve on the
Executive Committee with my colleagues. My predecessor who
had last year served for ten years in this post may well have
retired as Chairman but he has since been actively involved
with other matters at the museum and serving on the committee
for Mole Valley Heritage Weekend as well as on Surrey
Archaeological Society sub committees. If I needed any
examples for good role models I would have plenty to draw on
from within our History Society, and long may it continue.
Having said all that and truly pondered our
future as a History Society I must express a little
disappointment at the lack of new volunteers coming forward
to take up the vacant positions highlighted in the February
Newsletter. My view is that the strength and weakness, and in
fact the health of our Society and the Museum, are very much
dependant on the sum of its parts and we need to be able to
fill these posts as a matter of urgency.
Without a membership and the support of you
our volunteers the Society would not exist, therefore the
fact that it does surely means that the work of this Society
will only be diminished if we fail to find further support
plus a fresh intake of new members and willing volunteers.
Without this infusion it puts an added burden on those
already carrying out their offices and others who are active
on your behalf. I for one do not want to see the prophetic
comments of Stephen Fortescue at the Dallaway Lecture
of 2006 come true : -
“Research must be continued and be published, and so
must the collection or reconstruction of artefacts for the
benefit of future generations. Otherwise, the Society will
become merely a social club with a monthly dose of local
history”
Now is the time to redouble our efforts to
attract new and (relatively) younger members to our History
Society, involve them, and tap into their interests as well
as our own. The proposition will no doubt involve some change
and adaptability in order to attract new members.
Graham Evans our Museum
Curator and member of the executive committee attended his
last AGM. It presented an opportunity for us the members to
say farewell and wish him good luck with his move down to
Sussex. Graham informed us that he would be opening a Tea
Room and invited us to drop in if we were passing. Graham was
Curator of our Museum artefacts for some six years during
which time the Museum has undergone a number of changes under
the successful management of Alan Pooley with the assistance
from the Chairman and Friends of Leatherhead Museum. Graham
participated in the team effort bringing success, growth and
reputation of the museum, especially in the quality of its
displays.
In recognition of his service to the History
Society and museum Graham was presented a signed card from
the Executive Committee together with a cheque and a bottle
for which he gratefully thanked us all
The President of the History Society
Linda Heath our President stood down at this
year’s AGM after many years of service to the History
Society both as President and as Chairman of the Executive
Committee and in many other capacities. Linda will continue
with some of her many interests both in and outside the
History Society and the Museum, and will be making a
presentation at the Heritage Open Days at the Letherhead
Institute on the 6th- 9th September.
Linda’s departure at this years' AGM
afforded an opportunity for us all to thank her whole
heartedly for her work on our behalf. In acknowledgement of
her contribution to the History Society a presentation was
made by Gordon Knowles the new incoming President. Gordon
presented a signed card from the Executive Committee on
behalf of the membership, together with a photo of a garden
table for her patio terrace, purchased in lieu of a cheque
together with a colourful bouquet of flowers. Linda
graciously thanked everyone present for their kind thoughts
and best wishes and the membership applauded in response.
The last act of the outgoing President was to
draw the 60th Annual General Meeting to a close.
The New President
On behalf of the Executive Committee the
Chairman welcomed Gordon Knowles as the new President of the
Leatherhead & District Local History Society.
Leatherhead Aviation Services
Following the annual general meeting our
former chairman Peter Tarplee gave an excellent illustrated
talk on the full and eventful life of William George
Chapman who among many other things operated the
Leatherhead Aviation Services at Byhurst Farm, Maldon Rushett
for a time. He spoke of the plane whose propeller is now on
display in the Leatherhead Museum. An interesting life of a
man who flew by the seat of his pants so to speak.
I hope Peter will consider publishing his
research or submit it to the Editor of the Proceedings.
David Hartley,
History Society Chairman
[A full account of Peter’s lecture will appear in
the next editionof the Society's newsletter]
====
Feb/March 2007
Contents list of Vol 6 No.10 of the
Proceedings added
Report of January talk by Lucy Quinnell on Rowhurst added
2007 Programme updated
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Dear Members, Welcome to another full and
interesting year, with a full programme of lectures and
visits organised for the year ahead by our Lectures Committee
comprising, Fred Meynen, Linda Heath, Derek Renn, Goff Powell
and John Wettern. They are responsible for planning and
organising the events throughout the year on your behalf. I
hope you will continue to support them in their efforts. I am
sure this committee would welcome your suggestions on topics
of interest or speakers for a forthcoming programme next
year. If you have a suggestion please contact Fred Meynen on
the phone number given on the inside cover of the Newsletter.
He will look forward to receiving your comments.
Attendance has been good during last year,
thanks to your support, and increased numbers of members and
visitors have attended the talks at the Leatherhead
Institute. This has been due to good advance publicity in the
local press. You may like to speak to your friends and invite
them to join you at some of the events planned for this year.
The Leatherhead Museum and Heritage
Centre Trust Just a brief note in support of the
Trustees of Leatherhead Museum who are launching an appeal for
funds to provide for the long term maintenance of Hampton
Cottage, a Grade 2 Listed Building, the home of the
Leatherhead Museum. John Morris, the Hon. Treasurer and a
Museum Trustee has written elsewhere in this Newsletter
outlining the case for this appeal. The Executive Committee
of the History Society supports the aims and objectives of
the Trustees in launching this appeal, and would encourage
all members to support this effort.
The President of the History Society
It is with some sadness that I have to report that Linda
Heath our President has decided to give up the Presidency of
our society at in April. Linda is a dynamic, busy lady who
has many commitments, both public and personal to which she
would like to devote more time.
Linda has served the Society very well over
the years both as President and as Chairman and in many other
capacities. She has assured me that she will try to continue
her many interests in the Society and the Museum. I wish her
well and thank her personally for her support and for the
time and commitment she has given to the Society over the
years.
The Executive Committee has nominated Gordon
Knowles to be our next President of the History Society, and
we hope the membership will endorse our recommendation at the
Annual General Meeting.
The Museum Curator Graham Evans
our Museum Curator and member of the Executive Committee has
written to the committee to confirm that he will be standing
down at the next AGM. Graham will be making some changes in
his life with a move down to Sussex during the course of this
year. Graham has been our Museum Curator for some five to six
years during which time the Museum has undergone a number of
changes and has grown in reputation and in the quality of its
displays and presentations. He has also been personally
responsible for producing the many posters for the Museum and
the History Society announcing forthcoming lectures and
events. We all wish him well in his new beginning in Sussex,
and thank him for his commitment and time given to the Museum
as Curator. Graham, if you have any time on your hands,
Sussex Archaeological Society could provide you with a useful
outlet. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are
getting on.
Election of Members & Positions
Vacant Finally I would like to address you all and
make an appeal for members to come forward as volunteers, or
allow themselves to be nominated to fill the following
important vacancies : ?
Museum Curator, Newsletter Editor, Publicity Officer.
In the case of Newsletter Editor and
Publicity Officer posts, John Wettern has been very helpful
in preparing a job description and terms of reference. He
would, I am sure, be supportive in assisting any prospective
candidates in settling into these posts. [Yes indeed ! Ed.]
All these are voluntary, honorary positions,
and anyone who is interested and is able to give some time
for these activities should contact me or the Hon. Secretary
before the Annual General Meeting.
====
November 2006
Report of the Dallaway Lecture in
October added.
AEROPLANE PROPELLERS
Lately my interests with the Society seem to
have centred round aeroplane propellers. Firstly, we received
in the museum a propeller donated by Mr Finch of Bookham.
This was found under a bench in Luff’s garage in
Kingston Road, Leatherhead. It had belonged to Leatherhead
Aviation Services which was operated by Mr William Chapman
who was Luff’s predecessor at the garage at 268,
Kingston Road. The aviation company operated from an
aerodrome at Byhurst Farm at Malden Rushett and carried out
quite a lot of joy riding trips as well as charter work.
Research on this has turned up quite a lot of information,
particularly from Mr Chapman’s grandson and from the
Croydon Airport Society as well as a number of interesting
contemporary press cuttings. I am hoping that a more complete
account may appear in the Proceedings.
Having found out all I could about the
Leatherhead Aviation Services my attention was drawn to a
recent article in The Leatherhead Advertiser about the
building firm Presland Brothers which stated that as well as
operating a breeze block making plant they made aeroplane
propellers during World War I. More interestingly, they were
said to have made the propellers for the Vickers Vimy in
which Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop flight across
the Atlantic in 1919. We have been trying to verify this but,
so far, have found no proof (except the newspaper article).
The original Vimy plane is on display in the
Science Museum but its propellers are replacements as the
original ones were damaged when the plane landed in Ireland.
Correspondence has taken place with the appropriate curator
but they have no details of suppliers of parts for the
original plane. One of the original propellers is in
Brooklands Museum and this was examined by Doug Hollingsworth
but none of the markings give us details of the maker.
Preslands operated from 14, St Johns Road and ‘The
Withies’, Garlands Road until at least 1931 and I shall
be very pleased if anyone can provide any information about
this company – particularly their propeller making
activities. Mr Orliffe Wilfred Presland, one of the two
Presland brothers, lived at ‘Travelon’, Ottways
Lane, Ashtead.
Incidentally, the markings on Mr
Chapman’s propeller, which is on display in our museum,
show that it was made by Betjemann & Sons who were
cabinet makers in Pentonville Road, and were part of the
family of the poet and journalist Sir John Betjeman.
Peter Tarplee
====
October 2006
Report of September's talk on Roman Surrey
added.
====
August 2006
Appreciation of the late David Heath LVO
Appreciation of Geoff
BarkwayDFM
Statement by the new chairman of the Society, David
Hartley
Report on National
Archaeology Week 2006 at the Leatherhead Museum
Review of a new book from the Society THE INNS AND
PUBLIC HOUSES OF LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT by Goff Powell.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR RECORDS SECRETARY
Should the records of the Society be more
accessible in this age of the computer?
The simple answer is YES - but to achieve
that aim your help is needed and a computerised index is the
first goal.
Those members who look after the records need
assistance with the compilation of a new detailed index and
its transfer to an ACCESS database. Specialised knowledge is
not required; only a desire to help and a willingness to
learn a few simple rules of procedure. There is a lot of
straightforward work to be done which needs a lot of hands to
do it. Please let me know if you can help; our records
managers cannot do it all on their own!
Brian Godfrey, Records Secretary (01372 454654)
====
to 25 Feb 2006 update of both the History
Society and Museum pages. Contents of Procedings Vol 6, no 9,
2005 added. Appreciation of the late David Bruce
21 Jul 2005 Report of May's talk on George
and Abraham Dixon added: pages have also been added on
National Archaeology Week
24 Feb 2005 Report of January's talk on the
History of the Claremont Estate added: Appreciation of JC Stuttard, Editor of
our annual Proceedings since 1990, who died on 23rd January
2005. Programme updated. Plans for Leatherhead Museum's 25th Anniversary.
Member Gordon Knowles' book Surrey and the Motor added to the
Publications page.
13 Jan 2005 Report of December 2004's
Christmas Miscellany added.
7 Jan 2005 Report of November talk on
Papermaking in the Tillingbourne Valley (The Other Damnable
Invention) added
19 Nov Report of October talk on The History
of Croydon Airport added - see Programme
17 Oct Report of 17 September talk on Old
London Bridge added - see Programme
25 Jul Report of May (Lambeth Palace) meeting
added; images added to Museum pages on pottery and the new
'Museum open' sign
19 May Reports of the March (Plateau Group)
and April (AGM and update on the Census Project) meetings are
added - see Programme
1 April Leatherhead Museum opens for 2004
31 Mar Derek Renn's report of the February
Meeting in the Leatherhead Advertiser is added. The Museum
opens on 1 April.
14 Mar All the General Indexes of the
Proceedings of the Society are now accessible on the website
- see Proceedings - apart from the years 1997-2006 which is
not yet published. All may be searched - see Search
23 Feb All the Contents pages from the
Proceedings of the Society are now accessible on the website
- see Proceedings - and may be searched - see Search
20 Feb For Derek Renn's report on the January
talk by Dr Nigel Barker - see Programme
The Society's 2004 Lecture season commenced
on 16th January 2004 - see Programme
Leatherhead Museum closed on 13th December
2003 and will reopen 1st April. Friends of the Museum AGM is
Monday, 26th April : the time 7.30 for 8.0 p.m. Apart from
the official business there will be a talk on Local
Reminiscences and some refreshments. A chance to ask awkward
questions (we had some good ones last year), also to meet
some of our fellow members. Friends, please do come along.
2003's Museum Exhibitions The exhibition
'Leatherhead and its Titanic Connection' [which told the
story of a local family who were aboard - who they were, why
they sailed, the sinking and the aftermath] was a very
difficult exhibition to follow and enquiries are still coming
in - in fact we have had to print an adapted form of the
exhibition in booklet form (available from the Museum or when
closed, Corbetts in the Swan Centre). The exhibition was due
to be changed in August but due to the popularity it ran on
until the close of Heritage Weekend, the latter part of
September, an extra 6 weeks!
Please see the Museum's pages for news
of a 16 page A4 ‘souvenir’ containing
replicas of many of the documents that were on
display. As a preface there is an article describing
the fateful voyage of the Titanic and telling the
story of the Collyer family.
|
scale model of R.M.S. Titanic which was on display at
Leatherhead Museum.
|
With only a couple of months left to the end
of the season, I assembled an exhibition on the origins of
Leatherhead's name - a frequently asked question as most
stewards will know - and also about the one time unconnected
leather industry that there was here.
"Who Put The Leather in Leatherhead" as it was
named, apart from the town's name origin, told the story of
three different trades that existed here up until the mid
1920's, the tanner, the harness & collar maker and the
retailer. Chitty's Tannery, The Old Leather House (both of
which have now unfortunately disappeared) and the building of
The Approach, by a Mr. Smith, Boot & Shoe retailer were
of special note. A small section of the display went on show
at Chertsey. A 're-vamped' form is hoped to be displayed at
the S.A.S. Symposium in Ashtead in February.
For those interested, The Origins of Leatherhead's Name will
be available as a leaflet from the Museum shortly.
Graham Evans, Feb 2004
The Society's 2003 AGM took place on 25th
April 2003.
Thursday,
3rd April 2003 marked the re-opening of Leatherhead
Museum in Church Street after a programme of
refurbishment during the winter months. Opening hours
were on Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm to 4pm and
Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
New illuminated show cases enabled
visitors to see an even greater variety of historic
objects.
These included an enhanced World War 2 section and a
display of products from famous industries including
Ronson and Goblin. Full sized figures in uniform add
a touch of realism : these include an air raid warden
and a bandsman.
A new display - including a scale
model of the liner - explained Leatherhead's
connection to the TITANIC disaster (see above).
Old favourites to be seen included
the Victorian kitchen, the Roman villa model and the
well in the garden - now illuminated. A tempting
array of books, postcards and souvenirs was on sale
at the museum shop.
Strenuous efforts were made by The
Friends of Leatherhead Museum to boost the number of
visitors in 2003. Their efforts were assisted by the
appearance of a new colour leaflet depicting some of
the objects on display. A contribution towards the
cost of this was received from Mole Valley District
Council.
|
 |
Visits from local schools are expected. Teachers
interested in arranging such a trip are invited to ring or
email the museum.
FRIENDS OF MUSEUM ANNUAL MEETING
A report of the 2003 Annual Meeting can be seen at Friends AGM
21ST BIRTHDAY OF THE LEATHERHEAD MUSEUM
6th October 2001 marked the Museum's 21st Anniversary.
Celebrations in the town included an enactment of a Victorian
schoolroom by children from a local school and rides on a
Victorian horse bus.
NEED FOR MORE STEWARDS
The Friends of Leatherhead Museum are responsible for
providing volunteers to act as stewards, on duty during
opening hours. They are urgently seeking further
volunteers. Anyone interested should phone us or send us an
email. It only involves three hours once a month.
Please contact John Wettern
CENSUS STUDIES FOR LEATHERHEAD
Society members with home computers are currently
collaborating to record information taken from the Census
returns of 1851 to 1891.
The analysed results will yield valuable information about
life in the Town during the 19th Century. Non-members wishing
to participate will be welcome.