Programme 2011-2012

We have now finalised our programme for 2011/2012 and hope we have produced an imaginative and varied series of meetings and events that will be of interest to a wide range of people. The general meetings will be held bi-monthly and in addition there will be an AGM plus Quiz and a summer outing. The dates and subjects are as follows.

25^th November 2011. Meet the Guide Dog. This is an exciting year for Guide Dogs, as they celebrate the 80^th anniversary of guide dog partnerships. An evening with a guest speaker/dog handler and, of course, a guide dog. The speaker will give an insight into the formation of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and show how Guide Dogs have grown and developed over the years. This should be of equal interest to both dog lovers and local historians.

At 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall

‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’

Throughout history man and dog have enjoyed a special and unique relationship of trust and work.  A wooden plaque dating back to the Middle Ages depicts a dog leading a blind man with a leash.

Fast forwarding to today, 2011 is an exciting year for Guide Dogs.  We’re celebrating 80 years of extraordinary partnerships between our guide dogs and their owners.

In this session we will outline the history and heritage of the Guide Dog Association from 1931 todate.

From those early days, Guide Dogs have progressed to now having over 4,000 working partnerships, 1,000 staff and 10,000 volunteers,

In this talk we will outline key milestones in the history of Guide Dogs and describe the working life of a modern Guide Dog.  We will also relay interesting facts and figures surrounding the Guide Dog Association and outline other services the Association provides.

27^th January 2012. Welford and Weston in the New Century (the 20^th). In Welford and Weston in the early years of the 20^th century, the increased pace of change at national level was being reflected locally. We will use material from the local archive and other contemporary sources to present a picture of Welford and Weston one hundred years ago.

30^th March 2012. Welford and Weston and the River. An illustrated talk on the importance of the River Avon for the villages of Welford and Weston up until the Great War 1914.

20^th April 2012. AGM plus Quiz. With Fish and Chip Supper.

27^th June 2012. Summer Outing. Guided tour of Chastleton House, a rare gem of a Jacobean country house, owned by the same family for nearly 400 years.

All the meetings will be held Memorial Hall, Welford on Avon, starting at 7.30 pm.

The Welford & Weston Local History Society

www.welfordandweston.org.uk

Meeting on September 30^th

at 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall

Letters from the Front

In these days of Twitter, Facebook and email, receiving a personal letter is getting to be  a rarity, but nonetheless something we all look forward to. Imagine what it was like a hundred years ago, long before personal computers had been invented. Almost all communication was by letter, with the postage stamps then costing one old penny for a letter, and a half penny for post cards.

 Last year your local history society was fortunate to be given a large collection of family history by Mrs. Susan Buggins, whose family lived in Virginia Cottage (opposite The Bell on the High Street).  Some of this collection consists of letters - many in their original envelopes. Mrs. Matthews, who was Mrs. Buggins’s maternal grandmother, bought Virginia Cottage in 1910, and fortunately for us she kept many personal letters that were sent to her.

 Her son ‘Jim’, enlisted in 1915, and was called up for active service in ‘The Great War’ in January 1917. From then until his eventual death at the Front in August 1917, he wrote frequently to his mother. Mrs Matthews cherished this correspondence and about 50 cards and letters survive to this day, many in their original envelopes.

 These letters are a poignant reminder of family life in Welford at the time, and also the realities of life and death on the front line.

 The format for the evening is that attendees will be given the envelopes and invited to read. Don’t worry, Jim’s handwriting was very good and is easy to read. And if you don’t want to read you can of course just listen. I think you might find the evening a moving experience.

For more information about the Local History Society please contact any of the following:- Brad Plimmer 750716,    Paul King    750123,  Bob Brown 07860115165,

Tom Seeley    751477,  or Paul Young  750832