Meetings
Wickham History Society holds meetings at 7.30 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Our programme includes a variety of guest speakers who cover both local history and wider history topics. We also organise visits to places of interest in the Summer.
The annual charge for Membership is £10pp. Guests are welcome to attend meetings for £3pp.
To join the Wickham History Society, please contact the Secretary.
AUTUMN 2024 PROGRAMME
24th September 2024 – Geoff Phillpotts
The manor of Wickham
The second of two talks by Geoff charting the development of Wickham manor, this talk covers the the period from beginning of the 18th century until the late 1900s. Hear how the Rashleigh and Garnier families influenced and shaped our village. Discover how key events and decisions made hundreds of years ago shaped the Wickham of today.
22nd October 2024 – Brenda Margetts
Lost Souls – a WW1 Family Story
Originally created for Remembrance Day, Brenda’s fascinating story is both tragic and inspirational. We will hear tales of war and sacrifices, courage, fear, sadness, determination and love.
26th November 2024 – Jeremy Prescott
Op Overlord – Preparing for the D Day Landings
This presentation commemorates the 80th Anniversary in 2024 of Op Overlord: the context and time leading up to the invasion, senior commanders of all nations involved, deception of the invasion, rehearsals, logistics (Mulberry Harbour, Pluto pipe), the invasion and its aftermath.
10th December 2024 – A theatrical presentation by Jane Glennie
Ministering Angel
Meet Nursing Superintendent Shaw, good friend and colleague of Florence Nightingale and discover why she left Netley Hospital in disgrace.
Please note this meeting is the SECOND Tuesday of the month.
SPRING 2025 PROGRAMME
28th January – Imogen Corrigan – via Zoom
‘Put that light out!’: The Searchlight Girls of WW2
One of the best-kept secrets of British military history is that of the 93rd (Searchlight) Regiment Royal Artillery. Very few people realise that this was an all-female regiment and that this is the only time, so far, that women have been deployed on active duty as a regiment in the world. They operated in small groups across the country, helping to keep the population safe from attack by enemy aircraft. They had other important functions, one of which was to help bring home battered aeroplanes with wounded men on board. They worked around the clock and overcame local opposition. Their story is unsung but extremely moving.
18th February – Dr Nick Barratt – via Zoom
1216 and all that – the real story of the Magna Carta
In this talk, Nick explores the background to one of the most important documents in British history – but how much do we know about the contents of Magna Carta, and how successful was it in addressing longstanding issues between the crown and its leading magnates? Although we now see Magna Carta as the cornerstone of justice, that was not the most pressing concern that the rebel barons sought to tackle.
Please note this meeting is the THIRD Tuesday of the month.
25th March – Dave Allport
Kings Theatre Portsmouth Then and Now
The history of this fine Edwardian Theatre including its restoration and the famous names who have appeared through its first hundred years.
22nd April – Andrew Negus
Southampton: Gateway to the Empire
Hear how Southampton returned to being a great port and left its foppish ‘Spa – Days’ behind it. Many interesting characters will feature, including 2 kings (one being the king of the Pixies), Jane Austen, and a very courageous woman. For good measure we have cannibals, a lion tamer, and, sadly, the Titanic disaster.
27th May – AGM followed by
Alan Wallbank & Martin Rogers
The Meon Valley Railway Remembered
In 2019 Alan Wallbank approached Wickham History Society, among others, for anyone locally with memories and information about the Meon Valley Railway (MVR) to share for a short film he was making. The resulting half hour film is a fascinating mixture of memories and photos of the MVR. Martin Rogers will follow Alan’s film with a short talk about Wickham and the MVR.
Please note: Programme subject to change depending on availability of speakers.
