News & Reports
October 31, 2022|News
Wickham Village Life Exhibition – A buzz of activity
508 visitors thronged the WHS Wickham Village Life Exhibition held over the first weekend of October – that worked out at one visitor a minute, with queues to get in at busy times. It has been 59 years since Wickham History Society last held an exhibition, back in 1963. This (much delayed) exhibition marked the…
Find Out More »September 30, 2022|Reports
“Roman Wickham” – Mike Hollis
The first Wickham History Society talk of the 2022-23 Programme returned to Wickham’s early history. It is becoming increasingly clear that Wickham was an important ‘industrial’ Roman settlement. This was highlighted by the recent finds from the Wykeham Vale development, behind School Road. Mike put this in context for an audience of 62 WHS members…
Find Out More »May 31, 2022|Reports
Wickham History Society: Annual Report 2021 -2022
It has been great to be able to return to face-to-face meetings and the new hybrid arrangement with Zoom meetings in January and February seems to have worked well with good attendances too. Our membership is now 94 – ten more than last year and our highest ever. 458 people have attended our meetings, again…
Find Out More »April 30, 2022|Reports
“RMS Queen Mary: From War To Retirement” – Stephen Hoadley
This was the second of two talks on the history of the Queen Mary – the first was on Zoom, so it was a real pleasure to welcome Stephen Hoadley in person to finish his excellent history of one of the world’s iconic ocean liners. Fifty-one members and visitors attended on Tuesday 26th March, including…
Find Out More »March 31, 2022|Reports
“The Rise and Fall of Emma Hamilton”- Bob France
On Tuesday 22nd March, Bob France made a welcome return for our first ‘face to face’ meeting of 2022, attend by over forty members. Bob is a volunteer guide and expert on Uppark and that is where he ‘met’ Emma. Emma Hamilton was by any standards a remarkable woman. She was victimised on the death…
Find Out More »February 28, 2022|Reports
“Highclere Castle and its Archives” – David Rymill
Perhaps ‘Downton Abbey’ sounds more familiar but Hampshire’s Highclere Castle was where much of the, officially Yorkshire-based, Downton Abbey was filmed. On Tuesday 22nd February David Rymill, archivist for the Herbert family who own Highclere, joined Wickham History Society on Zoom for a look behind the scenes at this beautiful stately home. Nearly fifty members…
Find Out More »January 31, 2022|Reports
“The Men Who Built The Cathedrals” – Imogen Corrigan
Wickham History Society’s first talk of 2022 was a virtual one. We decided to stay with Zoom for our January and February meetings to hear from speakers further afield at the time of year when many of us aren’t too keen to go out in the evenings. From her home in Kent, Imogen Corrigan joined…
Find Out More »October 31, 2021|Reports
“The East India Company: The corporation that changed the world” – Dr John McAleer
On 26th October Wickham History Society had their second guest speaker of the year: Dr John McAleer of Southampton University. Fifty members heard a fascinating account of a multi-national corporation whose power exceeded anything today’s tech giants have achieved. It all started with a rather unsuccessful spice trading mission in 1599. Queen Elizabeth I gave…
Find Out More »September 18, 2021|Reports
“Harlots, Dung and Glory: The history of Portsmouth – Part 2” – Andrew Negus
Wickham History Society’s guest speaker – our first face-to-face meeting since February 2020 – was the ever-popular Andrew Negus with his talk Harlots, Dung and Glory: The history of Portsmouth – Part 2, covering the period 1800-1870. Over forty members attended, despite heavy rain, and enjoyed another entertaining but very well-informed and researched romp through…
Find Out More »May 31, 2021|Reports
“A History of Birds” – Simon Wills
We all have our favourite stories about birds. Simon Wills returned to give a historical context to fifty three Wickham History Society members for the last meeting of the 20/21 programme year on Tuesday 25th May. As you might expect Christianity gives us many of our stories. Most of us know about the dove sent…
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