Summer events with a local history theme, June 2013

A number of Society members will be involved in talks and events during the summer:

BTG project 015Howard Simmons will be giving a talk on The Battle of Brentford on Sunday, 2 June. Howard was part of the team which worked on the interpretation of the battles of Brentford and Turnham Green in 2008, a joint project between the Battlefields Trust’s London group and this Society. His talk is part of a summer programme of talks at Syon House, which also includes Topher Martyn on 600 years of the Syon’s gardens on 16 June, and a talk about the Archaeology of Syon on 30 June. Full details available on 020 8560 0882 or www.syonpark.co.uk. All the talks start at 3pm in the House; you need to buy a House and Garden ticket to get in to hear them.

heritage guidesA number of our members are also Hounslow Heritage Guides, leading historical walks in Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth from June to October 2013. The full programme is on their web-site. On 2 June a walk on Royal Connections with Isleworth & Syon will begin at 2.30pm.

Alfred de Rothschild at Gunnersbury 1910, Rothschild Archive

Alfred de Rothschild at Gunnersbury 1910, Rothschild Archive

Vanda Foster, Curator, and Val Bott, local historian, will be speaking at 3pm on Sunday, 2 June on the history of Gunnersbury’s gardens and on Patent Elms, Pineapples and Pears, the history of local nursery gardening in the Terrace Room of the Small Mansion in Gunnersbury Park. This is part of an all-day event called Gunnersbury Park: Garden of Surprises! for The Chelsea Fringe. There will be free activities, including Heritage Tree Walks with John Wells at 11am and 2pm, starting at the Museum entrance, a garden trail and the chance to meet “The Rothschilds’ Head Gardener”. Details from 020 8825 6787 or see www.chelseafringe.com/event/gunnersbury-park-garden-of-surprises

Made in Brentford is Brentford’s Family History & Local History Day at Brentford Library, a free event from 11am to 4.30pm, with displays, publications stalls and refreshments, all with the theme of local industries. There will be talks by Vanda Foster, Gunnersbury’s Curator at 11.30 and James Marshall, Local Studies Librarian, at 12.15.

Annual General Meeting, 20 May 2013

The Society’s Annual General Meeting takes place at 7.30pm at the Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, London W4

At this meeting Journal 22 will be issued to members, the bookstall will be open and, following the business meeting, there will be short updates on current projects and recent research.

Brentford Waterways

Town Dock by August Ballin

Town Dock by August Ballin

7.30pm, Monday 15 April 2013, at the Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, London W4

Explore the Brent, the Canal and the Dock and discover their place in the history of Brentford.

This illustrated talk will be given by Janet McNamara, our Society’s Vice-Chairman and a Hounslow Heritage Guide.