Previous Meetings:
The report for January’s meeting ‘The Forgotten Spy ’- The Secret Life of Ernest Oldham by Dr Nick Barratt will be available shortly.
Next Meeting: Tuesday 24th March – Southampton: A War Winning City – Andrew Negus
We shall see how in two World Wars Soton docks and dockers helped enormously to keep Britons fed and their factories supplied with materials. At the same time, the city also coped with millionsof soldiers arriving and then even more leaving for battle. Obviously Southampton was a prime Nazi target, and paid a terrible price in deaths and damage when it was blitzed. However its mediaeval past was a great help. The docks will treble in size as Southampton responds to the changing world of sea transport. Aircraft, surprisingly, will feature a lot, as will horses, a rogue lion and of course Benny Hill.
Full details of the Spring 2026 Programme can be found here.
Latest Publication
Published in November 2024, A History of Wickham is a new edition of Bruce Tappenden’s 1996 publication updated with new information and the addition of a chapter covering Wickham’s history between 1996 and 2024. Wickham is a special place, with one of the largest surviving medieval village squares in the country, a traditional horse fair and buildings like Chesapeake Mill. Bruce’s history traces Wickham’s history from its very beginnings to todays’ rapidly growing village, putting it all in the context of national developments at the time. The new edition includes an improved index and local photos, maps and diagrams.
For details on how to obtain your copy at the price of £9 please visit the publications page.
