20 January 2025
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING to approve a new constitution to support an application for charitable status for the Society followed by
Chiswick High Road in 1863 An illustrated talk by James Wisdom. He will use the remarkable earliest photograph of Turnham Green with paintings and other sources to uncover what we can find out about the life of this busy and important part of Chiswick
17 February 2025
Brentford High Street
Janet McNamara and David Shailes are both long-standing Brentford residents. They will present a broad sweep of the history of Brentford, sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge in this illustrated talk. Janet is our Vice-Chair and leads walks for Hounslow Heritage Guides while David is one of our committee members.
17 March 2025
Photographing the heritage of Brentford and Chiswick
Brentford-based photographer Peter Hughes has undertaken a number of commissions linked to our local heritage and community. In his illustrated presentation he will show images from these and other assignments, talk about how this work integrates with the heritage sector and what is involved in producing photographs that are worthy of the subject matter.
14 April 2025 – NB not the usual 3rd Monday but the 2nd to avoid clashing with Easter!
High Status Servants at Chiswick House
Val Bott has been studying the wills of local people in the 18th century. A small group of senior staff who helped to manage Chiswick House were sufficiently well-off to write wills. This illustrated talk will show how these documents reveal their property, their bequests and their friendships.
19 May 2025
Annual General Meeting
The business meeting will review the year and receive the financial report. It will be followed by an illustrated talk (details to be announced). Journal 34 will be published that evening and distributed to all paid up members.
Also . . .
Sanderson’s Archive visits
Following Caitlin Stracey’s talk in November, she has agreed to host tours of newly-restored Voysey House and the company archive for B&CLHS members next spring. Dates have still to be agreed; members will be sent booking details nearer the time.
15 September 7.30pm
The Ronalds of Brentford and beyond
Using 20 years’ research, David Shailes will tell the story of this important horticultural family from the 1750s when Scot Hugh Ronalds Snr established a Brentford nursery, up to the death of Robert Ronalds in 1880. David’s sources include an archive in Canada and a descendant in Australia. Ronalds family members also include the inventor of the electric telegraph, the author of a definitive book on fly fishing and a famous chemist. At St Lawrence’s the family tomb has been restored and a new road has been named for them.
20 October 2025
Turner’s greatest work of art: preparing Sandycombe to receive his paintings
J M W Turner lived in Brentford in his youth and built Sandycombe Lodge in Twickenham for himself, acting as architect. Marking the 250th year of the artist’s birth, Ricky Pound will describe his unusual role as house director there, making it the only place in the world where Turner’s paintings were displayed in his own house. He will highlight practical logistical problems such as security and environment and look at the work of art historians and curators on subsequent exhibitions
17 November 2025
The Griffin Brewery
As a film-maker, David Rust worked with B&CLHS members some years ago on the Brewery’s history and the process of brewing, including oral histories and information from the then staff team. At the time it was published on DVD. Now he manages The Chiswick Pier Trust, based a stone’s throw away from the Brewery site. His illustrated talk will include excerpts from the film.
15 December 2025
The Scott Brothers, pineapples and possibly Chiswick’s first garden centre!
The Chiswick Nursery stretched from the High Road to the Bath Road along the east side of Turnham Green Terrace, from at least the 1750s. Val Bott, who runs nurserygardeners.com, will use James Scott’s lavish trade card to show the range of plants, equipment and services he offered and will also tell his brother’s story, from working as a senior Chiswick House gardener to setting up a pineapple nursery of his own.
