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.

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.

The 1968 Grand Winning Crew, selected to go to that year’s Mexico Games

7.30pm, Monday 18 March 2013, at Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, London W4

Siobhan Cassidy has begun researching the history of the ULBC and its boathouse in Hartington Road, Chiswick. Her illustrated talk revealed her “work in progress” and included national and Olympic strip and medals from club members.

Some members of the audience surprised Siobhan by being able to identify rowers in old photographs of the women’s team and offering their own reminiscences. She now has plenty to follow up to help tell the story of the Club!

The Hartington Road boathouse, 1950s

There is more to discover and Siobhan will welcome additional information, mementoes and souvenirs, old photographs and memories as they could play an important part in helping put the history together. Anyone who can help should contact the society by email at info@brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk – we look forward to hearing from you.

In this illustrated talk Val Bott reveals some of her recent research for an exhibition at Hogarth’s House. This has uncovered new information about the early history of The Griffin Brewery, originating with a domestic brewery in the 1660s, and The Lamb Brewery from about 1730, but will also look at the more recent history of this local industry.

It is always useful to speak to one of the staff in advance of a visit. They can advise you and since this is a specialist reference collection, they can get material ready for your visit.

Phone: 020 8994 1008
Email: localstudies-hct@laing.com

flint ficron axe

Monday, 21 January 7.30pm at The Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, London W4

This illustrated talk will look at the recent community archaeology project in Brentford and 2012 excavations on the edge of Syon Park. The talk will be given by Kathryn Creed, Archaeology Learning Programme Manager and Glynn Davies, Archaeology Collections Manager (Volunteers), Museum of London

Fourteen journals were submitted by local history societies affiliated to LAMAS and seven were shortlisted for further consideration. They were judged against the following criteria – research, readability, aims and presentation. Copies of the Society’s publications, including Journal 20, can be purchased from our book shop.

LAMAS Award certificate 2012

One of our long-standing members, Diana Willment, died in November 2012. She lived on Brentford Dock - her interest in the dock, in industrial archaeology and the river led her to become a volunteer at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum and with Thames Landscape Strategy.

She became concerned about changes taking place in Brentford and started local history research. Her first publications were two walks looking at old buildings and the industrial infrastructure that survived in the area in 1993.

She particularly chose to mark anniversaries. She wrote articles and books to celebrate the centenaries of Brentford’s Fire Station, Library, Boatman’s Institute and Brentford Bridge. She also produced a book on Sir Montagu Sharpe, on the 150th anniversary of his birth, and, in 2009, published what she saw as the definitive book about Brentford Dock, 150 years after it opened. She pursued ideas and themes assiduously, for example, assembling a list of all the public inscriptions in Brentford. She found out many little-known details about her subjects but she didn’t like to share what she’d found out until she was ready!

Most of the books she published herself, as Dandelion Publications; she covered her costs and earlier this year had had the Brentford Dock book reprinted because of its success. This is still available on our bookshop page.

Detail from Leigh’s Panorama, c 1830, of the Kew Bridge area

19 November 2012, 7.30pm, at The Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, W4

David Blomfield’s illustrated talk explores our neighbouring parish of Kew, as seen in Leigh’s Panorama. He is Chairman of the Richmond Local History Society and author of Kew Past and Story of Kew

Grove House, about 1900, from an album at Gunnersbury Park Museum

15 October 2012, 7.30pm at The Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, W4

In this talk Peter and Carolyn Hammond present a picture of life in Chiswick in the 1780s, drawn from a collection of letters written to Humphrey Morice, the owner of Grove House. This is the subject of the speakers’ forthcoming book.