Wargrave Local History Society
Meeting programme
Wargrave Local History Society
2024 - 2025 meeting programme
Tuesday April 9th 2024
Maiwand: The Battle and the Great Game
Mike Cooper
The Maiwand Lion in Forbury Gardens, Reading commemorates a battle fought in Afghanistan in 1880. The lion is posed snarling defiance to the north – towards Russia.
Mike Cooper’s talk looks at the Battle of Maiwand against the background of Anglo-Russian rivalry in Asia – The Great Game – and the history of the lion itself
Tuesday May 14th 2024
Polehampton School - Twyford’s new library
Andrew Cardy and James Fort
The Polehampton Charity is 300 years old. Edward Polehampton left his significant wealth to the village of Twyford, a real rags to riches story. The old Boys' School there was built with money from the Trust. One of the most significant historical buildings in Twyford it is now being converted to house Twyford’s new library
June 2024
Wargrave Village Festival
June 16th - Historic Wargrave Walk - from Mill Green starting at 2:30pm
June 25th - An Evening with Simon Williams - in the Woodclyffe Hall 7:30pm for 8:00pm
Details for both events will be found in the Village Festival programme and tickets will be available on Festival ticket sales day - April 20th
Wednesday July 10th 2024
Local History Visit - Pendon Museum and Dorchester Abbey
Details of our visit will be provided separately
Tuesday September 10th 2024
Cliveden: power politics and scandal
Peter Hague
Peter will tell us about the history of this famous property. He will outline the background to some of its owners and occupants, including the rich and powerful Astor family and dish the scandal of the Profumo Affair
Tuesday October 8th 2024
Memories of Wargrave
Maureen Prince
Maureen was born and grew up in the parish of Wargrave, attending the village school and her father, Alf Beckford was the village barber. Both were active with various village organisations – Alf as a parish councillor, Maureen being village librarian. One of the history society’s longest serving members, she will share with us memories of Wargrave people and events
Tuesday November 12th 2024
Hall Place to Berkshire College of Agriculture
Janet Robertson and Simon Polley
A manor has existed on the BCA site since circa 1100. Diving into the archives, Janet and Simon will share what they know of the family that lived there for almost 200 years, show us some of their archival photographs and tell us how the site’s rich agricultural history continues today
Tuesday December 10th 2024
Christmas Party Event
Tuesday January 14th 2025
The River Thames – liquid history
Graham Horn
Graham takes us to one of the most well-known sections of the river, Windsor and Eton, and tells us tales of locks and boats, of swimmers and divers, of bridges and ferries
Tuesday February 11th 2025
The life and travels of the wife of a bridge engineer!
Julia Freeman
Julia Freeman is a ‘local’, having lived in Wargrave for 43 years
She tells us about her life as the wife of Anthony Freeman, who was the third generation of bridge builders in his family’s highly respected firm, Freeman Fox and Partners
Before joining, he had already proved his worth by working on the M5 bridge at Avonmouth, where he and Julia met; and projects in Hong Kong, Germany, North Wales and Bangkok
Tuesday March 11th 2025
Annual General Meeting