Talks, Walks &c
Lewisham Local History Society monthly talks are held at St Dunstan’s Jubilee Pavilion, Canadian Avenue, SE6 4SW). We begin at 7:30pm, but we ask you to arrive by 7:15pm.
Visitors are welcome - a donation of minimum £1 is invited. Free off-street parking is available near the Pavilion building. We are near bus-stops of several routes.
Useful Hint for PC/Laptop users: Press Ctrl+ to make the map bigger, Ctrl– to make it smaller, Ctrl 0 (zero) to reset it to normal size. Press Ctrl+ (up to 4 times) to make our Web pages fill the screen. Pressing Function key F11 (on many Laptops, “fn” key AND F11) removes “clutter” at the top of the screen.
Smartphone users: Hold the phone horizontally to read longer lines; to make text larger, press (gently!) on the screen with two fingers AND spread those fingers apart.
For members arriving by car: enter via Canadian Avenue. There is a turning (opposite the Town Hall parking area) that leads to a wide path that follows the edge of the Ground. You can drive to the building (about 300 yards), which is named the Jubilee Pavilion. Parking is less than 100 yards away (see map).Pedestrians can also enter this way; this will avoid using the iron steps. It is a longer walk (but it depends on where you live).
Members arriving by train or bus: on the map above, the point where Doggett Road meets Catford Road is important; there is a gate on the opposite (South) side of the road that gives access to a staircase down to the Jubilee Ground. Cross the road at a pedestrian crossing (there is one near Nelgarde Road).
Alternatively you can use the foot-tunnel. Find the mini-roundabout in front of the entrance door to Catford Bridge Station (in Doggett Road). On the wall of the Station there is a left-pointing arrow that reads “Catford Road Southside”. It is labelled ‘Tunnel’ on the map above. Go through the tunnel, turn left and go up the slope, and at the top you will find the gate that was mentioned earlier. Go through the gate, down the stairs, and the Clubhouse is less than 100 yards to the right.
There is another foot-tunnel that starts at the Adenmore Road exit from Catford Bridge Station, but it is not the one for you. It takes you to the Halfords/Wickes Industrial area.
Important information: We have been informed that, in order to get through the gates to the Jubilee Ground that keep the site secure, it may sometimes be necessary to PRESS a BUTTON on the gate to make it open and let you through, whether you are entering or leaving. This applies to both the Canadian Avenue entrance and the Catford Bridge entrance.
Bus: Routes 124, 171, 185, 284, 75, 181, 202 (westbound) stop within yards of the gate. Eastbound (and coming from the railway stations) you will need to cross the road which is not easy at this point. Routes 160, 320 and 336 terminate nearby.
Staff (and ourselves) will direct you to the ground-floor room we are using. Talks will start at 7:30pm, but we ask you to arrive by 7:15pm. There are male and female Toilets nearby.
The Talks Programme for the current year starts here, followed by the Archives of previous years’ Talks back to 2010.
Talks Programme for 2023
January
LLHS Meeting this month! Thursday 26 January 7:15 for 7:30pm.Thursday 26th January 2023: Our first Talk for 2023 is "Children, be bright and beautiful", and is given by Carol Harris.
The struggle of a local school board to enforce the new laws making elementary education compulsory, and Benjamin Waugh, the dedicated local inspector who went on to found the NSPCC.
February
Thursday 23 February 2023: In the lead up to International Women's
Day, a talk by Julie Robinson, local historian. Sex, suffrage and
secrets: the hidden life of Florence Gadesden.
Florence Gadesden's career as one of the great headmistresses of
Blackheath High School for Girls is known locally. But there are
other hitherto unknown aspects of her life which have long been
hidden from public view: her contribution to women's suffrage and
her family secrets.
The talk reveals Florence Gadesden's contribution to the British
Women's Suffrage campaign (1866-1928) and sheds light on the
circumstances of her family background, previously shrouded in
secrecy, even shame and scandal, for the first time.
March
Thursday 30th March 2023: A short Annual General Meeting will be held before our talk: Please arrive at 7:15pm for 7:30pm. Click here to view AGM info:
TALK: Luke Agbaimoni will give a Talk on his "Lewisham Lens" project photographing art and architecture in our borough.
April
TALK Thursday 27 April 2023: Mary Evans Picture Library Blackheath: the Head of Content, Tom Gillmor, introduces us to the fascinating story of this locally based resource of international renown and how it grew out of one couple's collecting passion for illustrated books, magazines and ephemera. See VISIT, June & July.
May
MAY EVENT: Nunhead Cemetery Open Day Saturday 20 May 2023
TALK: Thursday 25 May 2023: An exploration of Lewisham's little rivers
with Paul de Zylva of the Quaggy Waterways Action Group.
June
EVENT: Hilly Fields Fayre Saturday 24 June 2023
HELP NEEDED: A car or van owner to carry a gazebo, tables/chairs and some display stock to the site. Get in touch with the Programme Secretary if you can help:
tamsin_bacchus@hotmail.com or 020 7635 9421
VISIT: Thursday 29 June 2023: No talk (our normal venue is unavailable). A summer evening visit to the Mary Evans Picture Library in Blackheath (repeated 13 July if you miss it).
For either date, Get in touch with the Programme Secretary to book a place.
July
EVENT: Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries Open Day Sunday 9 July
VISIT:Thursday 13 July 2023 Mary Evans Picture Library (Blackheath) Evening Visit.
EVENT: Doggett's Coat and Badge (Rowing race 2023) Wednesday 19 July
The race will be run at 11:30am from London Bridge to Cadogan Pier in Chelsea.
Results: see News Links.
TALK + VISIT: Thursday 27 July 2023: A presentation from Pam and Mark Bathurst of The
Medway Queen Preservation Society, to be followed in
August by a trip to Gillingham to visit this iconic paddle
steamer, a veteran of Dunkirk.
August
LLHS trip to the Medway Queen paddle steamer on Saturday 12 August 2023.
Timetable and Travel arrangements: see News Links
No Monthly Meeting (Summer Break).
September
TALK: Thursday 28 September 2023: An evening celebrating Ken White, local historian, archaeologist, author, photographer, who would have been 100 this month. Come to watch various recorded interviews collated by Mike Keogh of QWAG and share your memories of this remarkable man.
October
TALK: Thursday 26 October 2023: A History of Sainsburys and its Stores in Lewisham Borough, with Allison Foster of the Sainsburys Archive in the Museum of London (Docklands). The remarkable couple, John and Mary Ann, set up shop in Drury Lane in 1869. A then-and-now look at the stores that opened in our Borough over the following century.
November
TALK: Thursday 30 November 2023: Black historical presence in Lewisham from the 16th Century. Insights into the ordinary lives of some of the Africans who lived or worked in Lewisham and Deptford for centuries before the Windrush era. Talk by archivist and educator Steve Martin.
December
TALK: Thursday 14 December 2023 (tbc) Christmas Social and "Show & Tell". Members of the Society are invited to bring along a book, a picture, an object to talk about and share their enthusiasm. Plus a second-hand bookstall and our LLHS merchandise for some extra Christmas shopping.
To contribute contact Tamsin through the email on the
website or phone 020 7635 9421 and leave a message.
All arrangements are subject to unforeseen contingencies. Check this website for updates.
Guests welcome to all Talks, but a small donation is appreciated.
Other monthly talks are in the pipeline or yet to be commissioned – please contact the Programme Secretary with any ideas or recommendations.
Talks Programme Archive for 2022 - see above for Current Year.
Talks are restarting in April 2022.
April
Sunday 24 April 2022: Telegraph Hill Centre Charity Book Sale 12 noon to 4pm. There will be a Stall in the "Break Out Room". Telegraph Hill Centre, Kitto Road, SE14 5TY (on the 343 and 484 bus routes).Thursday 28 April 2022: Talk: People's History and Everyday Heroism in South London: Goldsmiths Historian Dr John Price will speak about the concept of “People’s History” and discuss his approach to studying the past through examples of historical heroic self-sacrifice.
May
Thursday 19 May 2022 until Saturday 21 May 2022
The "In Living Memory Project" is creating a People's History of Post-War Lewisham as part of the London Borough of Culture year, and will be running a Pop-Up Shop at Unit 17 in Lewisham Shopping Centre. Opening times: 10am until 4pm.
The initiative will include a scanning facility for the public to share any photographs, documents or objects relating to the post-war history of Lewisham, and an Oral History Booth where people can share their memories.
If you have any photographs, documents or objects relating to the post-war history of Lewisham, bring them along; we can scan or photograph them.
Thursday 26 May 2022:
Talk: The Wood that Built London. Author Chris Schüler will talk about his researches into the Great North Wood that once stretched from West Norwood to the Thames. Copies of his book will also be available to purchase.
June
Saturday 25 June 2022: Hilly Fields Fayre 11am to 5pmNo LLHS Talk this month.
July
Sunday 10 July 2022: Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery Open Day. Entrance Ivy Road.
Saturday 16 July 2022: People’s Day, Mountsfield Park
Thursday 28 July 2022:
Talk: Mike Brown – one of our regular speakers and always both entertaining and interesting will talk on a subject to be confirmed (possibly Evacuees).
August
No Meeting (Summer Break)
September
Thursday 29 September 2022: Talk: Thankfull Sturdee, May Day and Jack in the Green.Known for his images of 19th Century Deptford, Thankfull Sturdee was also one of the earliest press photographers. Sarah Crofts, whose recent book brings together Thankfull’s photographs and new research, will talk about his life and work and some of the places photographed.
October
Thursday 27 October 2022: We have unfortunately had to postpone Tom Gillmor's Talk about the Mary Evans Picture Library Blackheath until next year.
Instead we will be showing Helen Addio's film about "Mr. Pink" of the Windrush Generation, his wonderful painted house and the philosophy behind it. Also, Tom Morgan will say a few words about the Mary Evans Picture Library Blackheath.
November
Thursday 24 November 2022: Talk: Members’ Evening “Show & Tell”
Members of the Society are invited to bring along a book, a picture,
an object to talk about and share their enthusiasm. All welcome to participate. Contact Tamsin by email on the website or phone 020 7635 9421 and leave a message.
December
Christmas Break 2022. No meeting.
Talks Programme Archive for 2021
January 2021 – no Talks took place (so no Archive), due to the Covid pandemic.
Talks Programme Archive for 2020
January
Friday 24th January 2020:
Lewisham Local History Society in a new venue!
Come to our inaugural talk with Crofton Park local historians Mike Brown and Carol Harris (subject tba). See Map above or check Newsletter No. 216 for details of how to find our new meeting place (St Dunstan’s Jubilee Pavilion, Canadian Avenue, SE6 4SW).
February
Friday 28 February 2020:St Dunstan’s College Archivist Andrew Johnstone
Andrew welcomes us to the school, its history and some of the famous
(and infamous) alumni.
For THIS MONTH only: the Talk will be held in the
High Victorian surroundings of St Dunstan’s College Main Building, Stanstead Road,
SE6 4TY – a treat not to be missed. It’s a 200-yard walk from Catford Station. No need to cross the road!
March
Friday 27 March 2020: Cancelled due to CovidSociety AGM (starting promptly at 7.30pm)
With Barbara Gray – Mayoress of Lewisham (tbc)
April
Friday 24 April 2020: Cancelled due to CovidThankfull Sturdee, May Day and Jack in the Green:
Known for his images of 19th Century Deptford, Thankfull
Sturdee was also one of the earliest press photographers.
Sarah Crofts, whose recent book brings together Thankfull's photographs
and new research, will talk about his life and work and some of the places
photographed.
May
Friday 29 May 2020: Cancelled due to CovidBlack historical presence in Lewisham from the 16th Century:
Insights into the ordinary lives of some of the Africans who lived or worked in Lewisham
and Deptford for centuries before the Windrush era.
with archivist and educator, Steve Martin.
June
Friday 26 June 2020: Cancelled due to CovidChildren, be bright and beautiful: The struggle of
a local school board to enforce the new laws making elementary
education compulsory, and Benjamin Waugh, the dedicated local inspector
who went on to found the NSPCC.
with Carol Harris regular LLHS speaker (details tbc).
July
Friday 31 July 2020: Cancelled due to CovidMary Evans Picture Library, Blackheath: Head of Content, Tom Gillmor, introduces us to the fascinating story of this locally based resource of international renown and how it grew out of one couple’s collecting passion for illustrated books, magazines and ephemera. To be followed by an evening group visit on a date to be arranged in August.
The programme for the remainder of 2020 was Cancelled due to Covid. Below – Talks Programme Archive for 2019
January
Friday 25th January 2019:
What we’ll do for two shillings
A Talk by Carol Harris local historian and regular speaker at LLHS
evenings.
The industry, shops and business around the Brockley Road 1880-1930.
February
Friday 22 February 2019:
The blitz on Crofton Park
with Mike Brown local historian, speaker and collector
extraordinaire.
An in-depth look at the effects of bombing and the V1 and V2 attacks in WW2.
March
Friday 29 March 2019:
Society AGM (starting promptly at 7.30pm), followed by:
A presentation from Voluntary Action Lewisham (VAL) on 50 years of
community action in Lewisham and their creation of an exhibition and book
celebrating this.
April
Friday 26 April 2019:
Some of Lewisham’s Chosen Few:
An introduction to thirty of the Illustrious Deceased who are buried in the
Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries
with Mike Guilfoyle, Vice-chair of "Friends of Brockley and Ladywell
Cemeteries" (FOBLC).
Guided tour of the Cemeteries 12th May 2019 (see below).
May
Sunday 12th May 2019:
National Cemeteries Week tour Sunday 12th May 2:30pm & 4:30pm
(in conjunction with Lewisham Local History Society)
Meet at the Ladywell cemetery gates at 2:30pm
Saturday May 18th 2019:
Conference - The Medieval Port of London – see Local Events.
Friday 31 May 2019:
Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham.
A talk by Colin Gale of BETHLEM Museum of the Mind.
June
Friday 28 June 2019:
Grove Park in the Great War.
Grove Park historian John King will outline what happened to the
district in the Great War, when over 250,000 troops were mobilised there, and its legacy.
July
Sunday 7th July 2019
Friends of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries OPEN DAY
See LOCAL EVENTS for details of this FREE Event
Friday 26 July 2019:
Leaves from Literary Lewisham Part 1.
Malcolm Bacchus of the Telegraph Hill Society.
A fully illustrated and often surprising exploration of some of the writers and poets
connected with our Borough.
August
No evening meeting.
Proposed Bethlem Museum Visit: Friday 9th August 2019.
We meet at 11am at the Entrance to the Museum.
September
Friday 27 September 2019:
Women’s Suffrage Movement in Lewisham
Our local contribution to the cause and the often untold story of campaigners from the
working classes.
With Jill Mountford, NHS campaigner and and manager of Besson Street
Community Garden.
October
Friday 25 October 2019:
A Talk about Stanstead Lodge
November
Friday 29 November 2019:
Leaves from Literary Lewisham Part 2.
Malcolm Bacchus on some of the expected and unexpected literary figures
who lived, worked or scandalously died in Lewisham.
December
Friday 13 December 2019:
Christmas "Show and Tell"
Bring along an interesting artefact, picture or just some information to this friendly
social gathering.
Advance notice to Tamsin on 020 7635 9421 or tamsin_bacchus@hotmail.com would be
appreciated but is not essential.
Below – Talks Programme Archive for 2018
January
Friday 26th January 2018:
The Real Dad’s Army
A Talk by Mike Brown
The work of the Home Guard in WW2, in particular local Home Guard units.
February
Friday 23th February 2018:
Law and Order in Crofton Park 100+ years ago
A Talk by Carol Harris.
The fate of three young pigeon stealers and troubles coming to a head for Mr
J. T. Noakes, the brewer.
March
No meeting – extra meeting next month (April 2018)April
Friday 6th April 2018:
Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm followed by:
The Mayor of Lewisham
We hope to be hearing from Sir Steve Bullock, on some of the more
entertaining aspects of his years in office and the history of the Mayoral Chains.
Friday 27th April 2018:
St Mary’s Church Lewisham
A Talk by Julian Watson
The history of this fascinating church and parish in the heart of historic Lewisham.
Copies of Julian’s revised and re-issued book will be on sale.
St. Mary’s Church, Lewisham.
May
Friday 18th May 2018:
Book Launch with Sabrestorm Publishing
"Dear Old Blighty" – Author Mike Brown talks about the
experience of civilians in 1914-1918 and the effect of the war on every level of society
Click here for details.
Friday 25th May 2018:
The Restoration of the Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College
Chris Richards – To be followed up by a tour up the scaffolding to get
close and personal to the work being done.
June
Saturday 16th June 2018:
Visit to the Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College. We are invited to climb
up the scaffolding to near ceiling-height, and to view the conservation work in progress
at close range.
Tour starts at 3pm. Final details to be announced shortly.
Friday 29th June 2018 (morning event)
Ceremony to mark the recent restoration of the headstone on the grave of Leland Duncan,
the Lewisham historian, at 11:30am, Hither Green Cemetery.
Click here for full details.
Friday 29th June 2018 (evening event)
A screening of “Archibald Cameron Corbett: The Man and The Houses”
with Peter Ranken of the Corbett Society and Ben Honeybone,
director and producer.
July
Saturday 07 July 2018:
Lewisham Peoples Day, Mountsfield Park, SE6 1AN
12noon - 8pm. Lewisham Local History Society will be there!
Thursday 19th July 2018: (afternoon event).
A second Visit to the Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College. We
are invited to climb the stairs to near ceiling-height, where we can view the conservation
work in progress at close range. Tour starts at 1:20pm. We meet at the Painted Hall.
Friday 27th July 2018: (evening event).
Croydon Airport: the golden era of air travel
John King
To be followed by a trip to this historic gem with listed buildings and award-winning
micro museum.
August
Sunday 5th August 2018Visit to Croydon Airport
We meet at 11:30am, Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ
There is a car park (off-road) in front of the Terminal Building.
By Rail/Bus: From East Croydon station, take a 119 bus to the Colonnades (16 mins).
Bus Only: the 119 bus starts at Bromley North - 54 mins to the Colonnades.
Cross the road to Croydon Airport.
FOOD: Fast food in the Colonnades, or the Imperial Restaurant in the Terminal Building.
• There is no evening Meeting this month.
September
Friday 28th September 2018:
Deptford’s Royal Victoria Yard and the Victualling of the Navy
with Susan Littledale
An account of England’s main depot for feeding the Navy: its origins, its history and its
rich industrial heritage.
October
Friday 26th October 2018:
The unexpected presence and position of Africans in Tudor Society
(Part of Black History Month)
Speaker: Tanya Prendergast.
Click here for more
information.
November
Friday 30th November 2018:
Malcolm Bacchus continues to share a journey down the New Cross Road
December
Friday 14th December 2018:
Members’ Evening: ‘Show and Tell’
For our last meeting before Christmas, members are invited to bring along
any item, picture, book or artefact and share their enthusiasm or curiosity. Please get in
touch with Tamsin on 020 7635 9421, or to email her Click here
Talks Programme Archive for 2017
January
Friday 27th January 2017
Royal Fans: History and Owners
Illustrated talk with Mary Kitson
An introduction to The Fan Museum and the history of fans – illustrated by
objects that commemorate and celebrate members of European royal families, as well as some
royal fan owners.
Fan Museum Trip Friday 17 February – Guided Tour and Cream Tea.
February
Friday 17th February 2017
Fan Museum Trip Guided Tour and Cream Tea
Details to be announced.
Friday 24th February 2017
Above your head, below your feet
A Talk by Sue Hayton.
A fascinating and well illustrated exploration of street furniture in
South East London. You’ll never walk urban streets the same way again.
March
Friday 31st March 2017
Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm** followed by:
Modern Nature — Living on the Edge
Creekside Education Trust at a time of rapid transformation along the banks of
Deptford Creek. Dynamic forces at work are changing the nature of Deptford in some
surprising ways.
Talk by Nick Bertrand.
** Venue: Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, Lewisham, SE13 6BT at
7.30pm
Creekside Trip On Friday 21 April A Walk with Tea in the Centre.
April
Friday 21 April 2017
Creekside Walk
We meet up by Deptford Bridge DLR station at 2pm for a walk led by Beryl ending up
at the Creekside Centre at 3.30 for tea and biscuits. We will be shown around the Centre,
with its collections and the wildflowers.
Cost: £5, which may be paid in advance at Friday’s meeting or on the day. Numbers to be
confirmed a week in advance, so we can let Creekside know. To book your place, please get
in touch with Tamsin on 020 7635 9421, or Click here to email her
Friday 28th April 2017
All you ever wanted to know about “The Lieutenancy” in 45 minutes
A Talk by Colonel Jane Davis OBE QVRM TD DL RGN.
The Lieutenancy has its origins with Henry VIII, so is centuries old and is a great
example of the ceremonial heritage of the United Kingdom that has evolved and survived to
remain part of the fabric of our society.
Sunday 30 April 2017
Bluebell Walk in Beckenham Place Park
Organised by the Friends of Beckenham Place Park
Meet in the Mansion Car Park at 2:00pm. Timing is everything for this Walk so,
with a bit of luck, bluebells will be blooming, but they could be going over. Nick
Bertrand will be leading, and bluebells or not it will be an interesting and
informative Walk.
Walks last about 1-2 hours, but you can join or leave at any time. You are advised to wear stout walking shoes. Walkers are individually responsible for their own safety during our events. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
May
Saturday 20 May 2017 to Sunday 28 May 2017
Hither Green Festival 2017
Organised by the Hither Green Community Association (HGCA)
A week-long series of Events in and around Hither Green which celebrate the area
and the marvellous people and businesses we have here. It kicks off at noon on Saturday
20th with the Family Fayre at the Clocktower Piazza in the Meridian South Estate.
The complete Programme of Events is now available (FREE) in local Libraries and in many
shops.
Click here to Visit our Website
Friday 26th May 2017
A better class than they look: the Crofton Park Story
An expert exposition on the industrial power-houses of a past era of which
barely a trace remain.
Historian and local resident, Carol Harris, on how this rural
hamlet became a suburb of London including the changing face of education, Brockley
Smells and that disastrous canal.
June
Saturday 3rd June 2017
Crofton Park History Walk
Led by Carol Harris
We meet at 2pm at Crofton Park Library
FREE!
Sunday 11th June 2017
Catford Walk
A Walk with Tim Gluckman
We meet at 3pm at Catford Bridge (Adenmore Road exit)
FREE! Details from Tim on 07758 458 088
Sunday 25th June 2017
Lewisham Armed Forces Day Annual Service
Garden of Remembrance, Allerford Road SE6 3DD
Starts at 3pm, Allerton Road (Bromley Road end)
Friday 30th June 2017
Gaseous Goings On
A Talk by Mary Mills
Dr Mary Mills, of the Greenwich Industrial History Society, has written
extensively on
industry in London and shares some of her wide knowledge of London‘s early gas
industry and scandalous happenings in Greenwich.
July
Monday 03 July 2017
Lively Minds for the over-50s
Meeting at Forest Hill Library or nearby Louise House.
On the first working Monday of every month at 10:30am.
Saturday 08 July 2017
Lewisham Peoples Day, Mountsfield Park, SE6 1AN
12noon - 8pm. Lewisham Local History Society will be there!
Friday 28th July 2017
Sydenham Hill — the late 19th Century
Ian McInnes
A boundary of the Dulwich Estate runs along Sydenham Hill. This talk will review the
impact of Crystal Palace on the Estate‘s development in the area, and discuss these grand houses and their wealthy occupants.
August
• There is no evening Meeting this month.
September
Friday 29th September 2017
Abraham Colfe: Lewisham’s Benefactor & Protector
with Julian Watson
Colfe’s unique legacy: education, almshouses, a ‘public library’ , saving Sydenham’s woods
from enclosure and, as Curate and Vicar (1604-1657), the care of the souls and bodies of Lewisham’s people in turbulent times.
October
Friday 27th October 2017
The ‘Lenox’: a celebration of a unique heritage
Julian Kingston
400 warships were built in the Deptford Royal Dockyard, covered in layers of
concrete for generations and soon to be re-buried under towers of glass and steel. But an
inspired group of local people are campaigning to build a replica of just one of these
ships. This will be their story so far.
November
Friday 24th November 2017
Penguins, not Polar Bears
Sandra Margolies
The three journeys of Captain William Colbeck (1871-1930) to Antarctica at the start of
the Heroic Age of Exploration, told by his granddaughter.
December
Friday 8th December 2017
Members’ Evening: ‘Show and Tell’
For our last meeting before Christmas, members are invited to bring along
any item, picture, book or artefact and share their enthusiasm or curiosity. Please get in
touch with Tamsin on 020 7635 9421, or to email her Click here
January
Friday 29th January 2016
Severndroog Castle
Illustrated talk with Margaret Taylor.
A local architectural gem saved from destruction. “London’s greatest folly”
now open again to the public.
There are plans for a springtime visit — details to be confirmed later.
February
Friday 26th February 2016
Tolls, trains and canals
A Talk by Malcolm Bacchus of the Telegraph Hill Society.
A presentation on how transport links grew up alongside the urban
development that replaced market gardens in the northern part of the borough.
March
Friday 18th March 2016
Annual General Meeting* followed by:
A presentation about some of the interesting artefacts held in storage.
by Steve Grindlay of the Museum Team.
* Venue: Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, Lewisham, SE13 6BT at
7.30pm
Thursday 31st March 2016
BBC2 filming in Stratford.
See Home Page.
April
Friday 29th April 2016
Introduction to All Saints Cemetery, Nunhead
A well-illustrated explanation of the Victorian cemetery movement; with the
history of Nunhead cemetery, its buildings, memorials, ‘notables’, flora and fauna, and
Friends’ Group.
A Talk by Jeff Hart of FONC.
May
Saturday 21th May 2016
Prefab Event - 70th anniversary
See Home Page for description and booking details.
Saturday 21th May 2016
Downham at 90
An Exhibition at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Catford of written
material, photos, maps and memories to celebrate 90 years of Downham and St. Johns Church.
FREE, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, until 28th May 2016 (except 21st May).
1920s Cabaret Evening
Saturday 21st May 7pm at the Church, tickets £10 including Buffet.
Featuring local choirs and singers.
Reminiscence afternoon tea Sunday 22 May, 4pm. Suggested donation £5.
More
info: Fr. Thomas 07460 257 103
Friday 27th May 2016
Windmills of Kentish London (and the men who built them)
An expert exposition on the industrial power-houses of a past era of which
barely a trace remain.
A Talk by Robert Cumming, historian and author.
• Signed copies of his book will be available to purchase at a discount - as
well as our usual bookstall.
June
Friday 24th June 2016
The Rise and Fall of Robert Cocking, (1776-1837)
A Talk by Anthony Cross,
Exploring the life of Robert Cocking whose grave is found in Old St Margaret’s,
Lee. An enthusiastic amateur and would-be aeronaut, Cocking’s obsession with parachutes
ended tragically when the one he designed plummeted to earth over Burnt Ash Hill in July
1837.
July
Saturday 09 July 2016
Lewisham Peoples Day, Mountsfield Park, SE6 1AN
12noon - 8pm. Lewisham Local History Society will be there!
Friday 29th July 2016
The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park (an urban marsh home
to freshwater wildlife)
Joanne Smith, Site Warden.
The history of this fascinating area - from marsh and agriculture, to heavy
industry, and back to marsh - with a brief spotlight on natural flood defences.
• This talk will be followed up by a visit to the park on 08 August.
August
Monday 08 August 2016
The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park Walk
Joanne Smith, Site Warden.
The promised visit to the park following July’s talk.
Timing: We are a pre-booked group, and we will meet at 10am at Albion Way and
travel as a group. The 108 bus from Molesworth Street (near train station) runs every
8-12 minutes, and takes 24 minutes to get to the Millennium Village bus-stop (also
known as Oval Square bus stop).
Tea/coffee will be available, but we suggest you bring a packed lunch.
To book your place, please phone Tamsin Bacchus on 020 7635 9421, or to email her
Click
here
; we need to know the total number in the group.
How to get there (if you intend to travel separately):
The entrance is located on the Thames Path, not far from the O2 Dome.
By Tube: North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line.
To find the Thames Path, make your way to the Emirates Cable Car terminal (the
cars are visible
above you).
Walk a few hundred yards to the right - your Guide will be waiting at the Ecology
Park entrance.
The BEST way to get there is By bus:
Buses 108, 129, 132, 161, 188, 422, 472, 486 stop at Millennium Village bus-stop,
(also known as Oval Square bus stop). Find the Pura Café.
The Ecology Park is close by it, on the Thames Path.
See
Ecology Park Website for details.
• There is no evening Meeting this month.
September
Friday 23th September 2016 12 noon until 5pm
The Moving Prefab Museum and Archive
The Prefab Museum with the Friends of the Island History Trust.
St. John’s Community Centre, Glengall Grove, London E14 3NE.
Book your FREE ticket via Facebook, Eventbrite, or our website.
Guided Walk 12 noon. Talk at 1:15pm. Tea party/ exhibition 2:15pm.
See Prefab Museum
Website for booking details.
Friday 30th September 2016
The Downham Estate - the area, history, development and residents
Seen in the context of the London County Council’s interwar housing programme.
with Jane Hearn of the Prefab Museum.
October
Friday 28th October 2016
The Thames Discovery Programme
When the tide goes out, the River Thames becomes the longest archaeological site
in London. Find
out about the many discoveries made on the Thames Foreshore, with Eliott
Wragg
of the Museum of London Archaeology.
November
Sunday 13th November 2016
Walking tour of prefabs in Brockley and Nunhead
Discover post-war prefabs in Brockley and Nunhead, led by Prefab Museum’s
team Elisabeth Blanchet and Jane Hearn on Sunday 13th November 2016.
Meet 10.30 am at Brockley station, by the ticket office.
Walk lasts under 2 hours. Finish at the Waverley Arms.
Cost £5. Please use Paypal to pay
elisabethblanchet@hotmail.com
Friday 25th November 2016
Come to the pictures with me
Pam Hudson
Pam Hudson spent her early years in New Cross, from the late 1930s until 2001 when
she moved to Beckenham. She went to Haberdashers’ Askes school as a girl and later worked
there for 29 years. She was a member of the Telegraph Hill Society for about 20 years.
In her Talk, Pam remembers her cinema-going from an early age until the 1950s.
December
Friday 16th December 2016
Christmas on the Home Front in World War Two
The War started in September 1939. When Christmas 1939 arrived, it was in the period which
became known as the ‘phoney war’ or ‘sitzkrieg’, a rather surreal time when the war was
regarded as something of a novelty. As other Christmases came and went, the war with its
dangers, shortages and privations soon ceased to be a source of fun. Christmas itself
became an annual remembrance of the pre-war world. People worked very hard to celebrate
the festival in spite of rationing and the absence of family members.
Using a host of artefacts and original sources, Mike Brown will look at how the nation
strove to have a traditional Yuletide in spite of all these problems.
Mike Brown (Christmas Special)
January
Friday 30th January 2015
The Mid Kent Line to Beckenham, Hayes, Addiscombe and Sanderstead
Peter Leigh
February
Friday 27th February 2015
George England, Robert Fairlie and the Hatcham Iron Works
Doug Hills & Graham Hood
March
Friday 27th March 2015
Annual General Meeting* followed by
Members’ Show and Tell
All are invited to bring along a book, picture or other item that interests
them, and speak briefly about it for a maximum of five minutes.
To take part, please contact Tamsin Bacchus to give us details of "what" and
"why".
* Venue: Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, Lewisham, SE13 6BT at
7.30pm
April
Friday 24th April 2015
Ernest Shackleton
Michael Smith
May
Friday 29th May 2015
Beckenham Place and its Park
Malvin and Maggie Mitchell
June
Friday 26th June 2015
Pioneers of Photography
Roger Mead
July
Saturday 11 July 2015
Lewisham Peoples Day, Mountsfield Park, SE6 1AN
12noon - 8pm. Lewisham Local History Society will be there!
Thursday 23th July 2015 at 7:30pm
Broadway Stories A Talk at the Broadway Studio Theatre
Join raconteur Chris Hare and the Broadway Theatre’s General Manager, Martin
Costello, for a hilarious evening of anecdotes about the Broadway’s varied past - about
stars from Morecambe & Wise and Tommy Cooper to Roy Orbison, the Temptations and Maya
Angelou, and many acts that have graced Catford’s Broadway Theatre.
Presented by Lewisham Youth Theatre in association with LLHS as part of a
week of events celebrating the history of Catford.
Tickets are free, but space is limited. To reserve tickets, please visit:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/lewishamyouththeatre, or
call 020 8690 3428.
More events: visit www.lewishamyouththeatre.com
Friday 31st July 2015
Seaside Sauce
Alan Payne
August
No Meeting
September
Thursday 17th September 2015
Film Show at 7:30 - Catford Constitutional Club, SE6 4SP
Two films will be shown:
‘A Place for Us’ - the battle to save Catford’s prefab Excalibur Estate.
‘A House in Bayswater’ - the last days of a West London lodging-house.
Friday 25th September 2015
A former Lewisham schoolboy reflects on 50 years ago
His Eminence the Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury
October
Friday 30th October 2015
Members "Show and Tell"
All are invited to bring along a book, picture or other item that interests
them, and speak briefly about it for a maximum of five minutes.
To take part, please contact Tamsin Bacchus (see "Officers" page) to give us
details of "what" and "why".
November
Friday 27th November 2015
Dr W G Grace, the Great Cricketer
Ian Bevan
December
Thursday 3rd December 2015
Medals and their Meanings
William Spencer, Principal Military Specialist at The National Archives
Lewisham Local History & Archives Centre, 2nd floor, Lewisham Library, SE13, 4-6pm
• Learn how to identify different types of medals • Find out where you can get military records • Explore all the resources of Lewisham Archives • Get tips on using Ancestry.com and more.
Friday 11th December 2015
An Edwardian Magic Lantern Show
Frank Paine
January
Saturday 18th January 2014
Tour of the Excalibur pre-fab Estate
Elisabeth Blanchet
Friday 31st January 2014
Britain’s Post-war pre-fabs
Elisabeth Blanchet
February
Thursday 13th February 2014
Exhibition of pre-fab photographs, Torridon Road Library
At 4pm, Elisabeth Blanchet will give an introductory Talk. Tea and cakes will
be provided. The exhibition lasts from Tuesday 11th to Saturday 21st of February. See Torridon Road Library Website for details.
Friday 14th February 2014
Meeting of the Management Committee of the Society
7.30 pm at Lewisham Town Hall, Catford.
Saturday 15th February 2014
A repeat of the Tour of the Excalibur pre-fab Estate.
See January 18th 2014 (above) for details of the time and meeting-place.
Friday 28th February 2014
The South London Botanical Institute: Introducing People to Plants
for over 100 years
Roy Vickery
Click here to visit the SLBI Website.
March
Saturday 8th March 2014
The Prefab Museum Launch Party
17 Meliot Road, Excalibur Estate, 1.30pm until 6 pm.
Museum will be open Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays until April 1 2014.
Saturday 15th March 2014
A repeat of the Tour of the Excalibur pre-fab Estate.
See January 18th 2014 (above) for details of the time and meeting-place.
Saturday 22th March 2014 until Thursday 27th March
Every Picture Tells a Story
An exhibition of the photographs of Chris Schwarz.
Various Venues in Lewisham and Deptford. Click
here for details.
Friday 28th March 2014
Annual General Meeting* followed by
Mr Lewisham : Les Stannard and his work in the Borough
Doris and Doug Smith
*Alternative venue: Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford at 7.30pm
Saturday 29th March 2014
The Prefab Museum - a Talk
English Heritage expert Julian Holder, architect Ian Abley and photographer
Elisabeth Blanchet.
17 Meliot Road, Excalibur Estate, 2 until 4pm.
Followed by a tea party. Please book your place for the talk:
elisabethblanchet@hotmail.com
April
Sunday 6th April 2014
Crossness Engines Trust Steaming Day
Combined with Local History Fair (with Bexley Civic Society)
Saturday 19th April 2014
A repeat of the Tour of the Excalibur pre-fab Estate.
See January 18th 2014 (above) for details of the time and meeting-place.
Friday 25th April 2014
The history of the Elephant and Castle
Stephen Humphrey
May
Saturday 10th May 2014
A repeat of the Tour of the Excalibur pre-fab Estate.
See January 18th 2014 (above) for details of the time and meeting-place.
Friday 30th May 2014
Biscuits, Chocolate and Jam – the food industry in Bermondsey
Jennie Howells
June
Saturday 7th June 2014
Summer walk along the Wandle
LLHS members and friends are invited to join a Walk along a well-maintained,
level path following the lower part of the River Wandle from Morden Hall Park to where it
joins the River Thames at Wandsworth.
The Wandle has a rich industrial history, which we will explore. The 5½-mile Walk will
take about 2 hours, with a break for lunch at one of the many pubs or cafés.
For full details including maps and travel arrangements, Click
here.
For a “ taster” of highlights of the walk in Wandsworth, Click here.
Friday 17th June 2014
History of the Crystal Palace
Ian Bevan
July
Saturday 12th July 2014
Visit to the Cinema Museum, Kennington
For full details, Click here.
Saturday 12th July 2014
Lewisham People’s Day
12 noon8pm Mountsfield Park SE6
Come and meet the Lewisham Local History Society! Bookstall, etc.
Friday 25th July 2014
Doomed From The Start – The story of the decline and fall of the
Zeppelin raiders
Gordon Dennington
August
No Meeting
September
Friday 26th September 2014
From Shillibeer to Borismaster: The Story of the London Bus
John Wagstaff
October
Friday 31st October 2014
Mr Guy’s Hospital and the Caribbean
Jane Bowden-Dan
November
Friday 28th November 2014
The History of Women in Parliament
Oonagh Gay
December
Friday 12th December 2014
London’s Shops: the World’s Emporium revisited
Susan Jenkinson
Wednesday 17th December 2014
PREFAB HOMES book launch
Islington Town Hall, 8pm.
Please RSVP to elisabethblanchet@hotmail.com as the number of places is limited!
January
Friday 25th January 2013
BURNDEPT, the Wireless Wonder of South East London
David Shaw
Founded in Blackheath in 1922, this company became one of the largest wireless makers in the world. The talk looks at the rise and fall of this once great manufacturer whilst also revealing how wireless for the masses changed British society forever.
February
Friday 22nd February 2013
Slideshow on Southwark, London’s most historic Borough
John Beasley
March
Friday 22rd March 2013
Annual General Meeting* followed by
Grove Park in the Great War
John King
*Alternative venue: Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford
April
Friday 26th April 2013
My Post-War Years in Lewisham
Gordon Dennington
May
Friday, 3rd May 2013
Meeting of the Management Committee of the Society, 7.30 pm at Lewisham Town
Hall, Catford.
Nunhead Cemetary Annual Open Day
11am-5pm. Free Tours, music, plant stalls, refreshments.
Friday 24th May 2013
Memories of a Mayor of Lambeth
Rudey Daley
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this Talk did not take place.
David Eley kindly gave an impromptu talk about London Trams.
June
Friday 28th June 2013
A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body. Victorian philanthropy in Forest
Hill and Sydenham
Steve Grindlay
July
Saturday 13th July 2013
Lewisham People’s Day
12 noon 8pm Mountsfield Park SE6
Come and meet the Lewisham Local History Society! Bookstall, etc.
Sunday 21st July 2013
Appreciating The Ravensbourne
Gordon Dennington
Friday 26th July 2013
Ugly Monsters in our Midst
Alan Payne
August
No Meeting
September
Friday 27th September 2013
The Road to the Abbey
Jennie Howells
October
Wednesday 16th October 2013, 10am - 12 noon
Free Forum Seminar
in the Broadway Theatre, SE13 4RU
Lewisham Pensioners Forum - What does being a Trustee of a registered Charity mean?
(Ring 020 8690 7869 to register).
Sunday 20th October 2013, 11am - 3pm
Big Book Sale
Saville Centre, 436 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6LJ
A Lewisham Pensioners Forum Fundraiser - Books from 50p! Café with tea, cake etc.
Friday 25th October 2013
History of Hither Green
Ben Honeybone
November
Friday 29th November 2013
The Changing Face of Greenwich
Julian Watson.
December
Friday 13th December 2013
Gladstone - our MP, the PM
Doctor Alex Windscheffel
January
Friday 27th January 2012
London before London
Jon Cotton.
Jon will speak on early man in the London area.
February
Friday 24th February 2012
Christopher Marlowe
Barbara Wooding from the Marlowe Society
The Elizabethan poet, dramatist and possible spy was killed and buried in Deptford. Unless he survived to write the plays of Shakespeare!
March
Friday 30th March 2012
Annual General Meeting* followed by
(speaker to be confirmed)
*Alternative venue: Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford.
April
Friday 27th April 2012
Thomas Dinwiddy - the forgotten architect
Diana Rimel
An architect who made a major contribution to building Victorian South-East London.
May
Friday 25th May 2012
A personal experience of schooldays in WW2
Gordon Dennington
Gordon draws on his memories of growing up under the shadow of the bombers.
June
Friday 29th June 2012
Edmund Halley
Dick Chambers
England’s most famous astronomer, buried near St Margaret’s, Lee.
Of all the comets in the sky
There’s none like Comet Halley.
We see it with the naked eye
And periodically.
The first to see it was not he
But still we call it Halley
The notion that it would return
was his originally.
Royal Astronomical Society drinking song 1910.
July
Friday 26th July 2012
The Barings of Lewisham
Clara Harrow from the Baring archive
Barings Bank, founded in 1762, was the oldest Merchant bank in London until its collapse in 1993. Clara details the family’s connections with our area, including Manor House library.
August
No Meeting
September
Friday 28th September 2012
The Buildings along the New Cross Road
Malcolm Bacchus.
The Talk scheduled for this month did not take place, and Malcolm Bacchus kindly stepped in to give an "armchair walk" of buildings along the New Cross Road.
October
Friday 26th October 2012
Sir MancherJee Merwanjee Bhownagree
Councillor Mike Harris
Between 1895 and 1906 a Conservative politician of Indian Parsi heritage was Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green North East, the second Indian to be a British MP. (Black History month)
November
Friday 30th November 2012
Deptford and me
Joan Ruddock MP
A personal memoir of Deptford.
December
Friday 14th December 2012
Thomas Tyrrell’s photos and maps of Lewisham 1897.
Julian Watson
January
Friday 28th January 2011
George Barnes
David Snow
George Barnes was a pioneer in the story of aviation. Before WW1 he lived in Algernon Rd, building an aeroplane where Lewisham Police Station now is.
February
Friday 18th February 2011
The History of Grove Park*
John King
* Venue: Methodist Hall, Burnt Ash Hill, Grove Park SE12 OQD.
March
Friday 25th March 2011
Annual General Meeting* followed by
A Personal Journey through the History of Lewisham
Heidi Alexander MP
*Alternative venue: Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford
April
Friday 15th April 2011
Leland Duncan and Ireland
Julian Watson
May
Friday, 3rd May 2011
Meeting of the Management Committee of the Society, 7.30 pm at Lewisham Town
Hall, Catford.
Nunhead Cemetary Annual Open Day
11am-5pm. Free Tours, music, plant stalls, refreshments.
Friday 27th May 2011
The V1 and V2 Rockets
Frank Taylor
June
Friday 24th June 2011
The Victorian and Edwardian Sunday School
Councillor Chris Pond
July
Friday 29th July 2011
The Ashburnham Triangle
Diana Rimel
August
No Meeting
September
Friday 30th September 2011
The First London Olympics in 1908
Kevin Kelly
October
Friday 28th October 2011
The Pan African Conference of 1900
Professor David Killingray
November
Friday 25th November 2011
Topic to be confirmed
Godfrey Smith.
December
Friday 9th December 2011
The history of New Cross in the Twentieth Century
Ray Thatcher
January
Friday 29th January 2010
The 21st Century Almshouse
Madeleine Adams
The speaker, an architect, has been very involved in the restoration of the 17th Century Boone’s Chapel in Lee. In 2008 she organised an exhibition on the almshouses of today.
February
Friday 26th February 2010
Wyberton House, Lee Terrace - The Story of a Lee Mansion
Neil Rhind
March
Friday 19th March 2010
Annual General Meeting* followed by
A Political Journey in Lewisham
Jim Dowd MP
*Alternative venue: Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford
April
Friday 23rd April 2010
Naval Victualling in Deptford
Janet MacDonald
May
Friday 21st May 2010
Thankfull Sturdee and the Deptford Jack
Thankfull Sturdee was born in Deptford in 1852. A press photographer for the Daily Mirror
in later life, he also took many local photographs which are in Lewisham’s archives and
were used in the 1980 book One Man’s Deptford which was published by Lewisham Council.
June
Friday 25th June 2010
Telegraph Hill: The History of a Community
Malcolm Bacchus
July
Friday 16th July 2010
The Span Houses of South London
Tim Crocker and Charlie Mackeith
August
No Meeting
September
Friday 24th September 2010
Lal Mohun Ghose and Indian Nationalism in Deptford
Ray Thatcher
October
Friday 25th October 2010
Policing in Lewisham: Some Memories
David Michael
November
Friday 26th November 2010
The New Cross Speedway
Norman Jacobs.
December
Friday 17th December 2010
Some Pubs in Lewisham
Neil Pettigrew
End of “Talks, Walks &c” Archive (currently covers January 2010 to 2023)
