Local History 2 Photos 2019
19th Dec 2019
“Put Your Best Face Forward” - A Talk by Jane Glennie
Click here to see our review of the talk
21st Nov 2019
The Story of Southwick - from the Foundation of the Priory to the Reformation
Click here to see our review of Southwick
17th Oct 2019
Tour of Boxgrove Priory
Click here to see our review of Boxgrove Priory
19th Sept 2019
Chichester Walls Walk and Quiz
There is always something new to learn or find in Chichester and our walk of the Walls provided us with many surprises. Our thanks to Libby Midgley who worked hard devising the quiz which made us look in detail at the history of the city. We finished our circuit in The Fountain where tea and cakes were very welcome and Sheila Marsh earned a prize!
15th Aug 2019
Visit to Bursledon Windmill
On a glorious sunny afternoon 25 of us had a fascinating tour of Bursledon Windmill and its grounds. Our guide was a mine of information about the history of the site and the technicalities of milling which kept us all interested. We then enjoyed tea and superb cakes in the ancient barn adjoining the windmill.
18th July 2019
Guided tour of Fort Nelson
Our guide, Rachel, gave us an excellent in-depth guided tour of Fort Nelson. The Fort is one of five defensive forts built on the summit of Portsdown Hill during the 1860's and was in constant use until after World War II. The walk along the tunnels especially provided a good insight in to what it would have been like to work there.
20th June 2019
Talk and Steam Train ride on the Watercress Line
We all enjoyed an informative and amusing talk by Dr Becky Peacock about the Watercress Line from it's inception in 1865 to the present day. Afterwards an excited group boarded the train at Alresford for a return ride to Medstead. Nostalgia and a cream tea made for a perfect afternoon!.
www.watercressline.co.uk
16th May 2019
A Walk around Historic Portsmouth with Andrew Negus
We all enjoyed a meander around Old Portsmouth with our very excellent guide Andrew Negus. Having had a couple of talks from Andrew in the past we were able to link those to actual buildings and streets that give Portsmouth so much of it's history. We still have much more to learn about the city and will look forward to the next time.
18th April 2019
Tour of RAF Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
Home to an impressive display of historic aircraft, the RAF Military Aviation Museum at Tangmere has a unique collection of aviation memorabilia stretching from the First World War through to the Cold War. Amongst the many attractions are numerous interactive displays, aircraft cockpits and simulators for visitors to experience.
Our thanks to our two excellent guides Richard and Len for making our afternoon even more interesting
21st March 2019
Guided Tour of Royal Victoria Chapel and Country Park
We all enjoyed our visit to the Royal Victoria Chapel which stands on the edge of Southampton Water. It is an iconic landmark with its impressive tower rising 150ft to an elegant dome cupola. The Royal Victoria Hospital was opened in 1863 and served the British military for over a century, stretching for a quarter of a mile along the shoreline. As the British Army's first purpose built hospital, the Royal Victoria was a unique and ambitious project and the biggest hospital in the British Empire. All that remains of the hospital is the chapel, which acts as museum/heritage centre providing a history of the hospital.
21st February 2019
Waterlooville Past, Present and Future
Talk by Mary Reed
Our thanks to Mary for giving us an insight into how Waterlooville came about and it's growth through the ages. In the early part of the 19th century it was nothing more than a small settlement in the Forest of Bere, which went by the name of Waterloo. However with the arrival of the first pub "The Heroes of Waterloo" the area began to expand and so did the name, to Waterlooville. The area steadily grew over time and continues to grow with industry, commerce and residents. Future plans for further development up to around 20300's are in the pipeline.
See www.iwaterlooville.co.uk for further information.
17th January 2019
The Jumieges Abbey and Queen Emma of Hayling
Talk by Mo Richardson and Grace Willcox
Our thanks to Mo Richardson and Grace Willcox for their research and talk on some of the ancient history from Hayling Island. The Jumieges Abbey (Hayling Priory) was gifted to the monks by Queen Emma, wife of King Cnut and mother of Edward the Confessor. It was a very large abbey in it's heyday with some 900 monks and 1,500 lay preachers. Sadly, although well documented throughout the early years in history, there is no trace of where it was situated on the island.
