Patsy Hendren (1889-1962) in about 1924

Patsy Hendren: A Different Kind of English Hero

7.30pm, 19 October 2026, Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, W4

Our speaker is Jeremy Lonsdale whose recent biography of Hendren celebrates one of the great sporting personalities of the 20th century. Born in Turnham Green, educated in Acton and living for much of his life in Ealing, between the Wars Hendren was not only a famous Middlesex and England cricketer but also a Brentford FC footballer. He is one of the greatest run-scorers in cricket history, and was also inducted into Brentford’s Hall of Fame in 2015. A prolific sportsman until his retirement from top-class cricket at the age of 48, he also did much to support fundraising for church and hospital causes in west London, using his fame and popular personality to good effect.

Jeremy’s book will be on sale on the night.

All are welcome and admission is free, though donations from non-members are welcome.

7.30pm, 21 September 2026, Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place W4 2EL

David Griffiths and Martin Kelly have recently published Coastal Motor Boats – Thornycroft and the Origins of Fast Attack Craft. In this illustrated talk they will present new information that has emerged from their research about the Thornycroft Chiswick connection, and also about the Thames boatyards (at Platt’s Eyot, at Thomas Bunn in Teddington and at Maynard’s in Chiswick) that were involved in production of the revolutionary, high speed, torpedo-carrying, Coastal Motor Boat during the Great War.

They will reveal John Thornycroft’s use of ground-breaking research methods to design the boats, and David’s experience of managing a team to build a replica Coastal Motor Boat! Copies of the book will be on sale at the meeting.

Please note: copyright issues mean we can’t post the PowerPoint images on this website. But the book is terrific and can be purchased at the reduced price of £30.00  from Pen and Sword here 

The Society’s annual wreath, commemorating those who died in the V2 which fell on Staveley Road, will be laid tomorrow evening, the anniversary of the date on which the rocket hit Chiswick in 1944.

The wreath will be placed at 6.44pm, the time it exploded. The memorial was unveiled in 2004 on the 60th anniversary, a joint project of the Society and the Battlefields Trust London Chapter. It is in Staveley Road near its junction with Burlington Lane

Local resident Derek Cowie came to the event for the first time and we asked him to lay the wreath (right).