Next Meetings

                               September 16th. 2022   What visitors thought: a light-hearted look at Cheltenham since the 1700s

Contemporary accounts, in books, diaries and letters, are among the most illuminating sources for the history of any community, and Cheltenham – being a popular resort throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries – is no exception. This talk will look at a selection of the many visitors’ descriptions of the town from the 1700s to the early 20th century (some flattering, others far less so), against a backdrop of some of the fine collection of paintings, drawings, prints and photographs of the town in Cheltenham’s Wilson Art Gallery & Museum.

Our Speaker, Dr. Steven Blake; Historian and lecturer, specialising in the history of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and mediaeval architecture. He worked for 30 years at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum and has served on many society councils in the West Country. He obtained his PhD from Reading University and is a Fellow of the Museums Association and Society of Antiquaries.

October 21st. 2022  Armistice 1918 and After: Some Local Perspectives

This fully illustrated talk looks at the impact of the First World War Armistice and the legacy of the War in local communities. It looks at how the Armistice was celebrated, what happened when soldiers returned home and how families managed in the immediate aftermath. Emphasis is placed on individual soldiers’ and families’ stories, oral testimony and unseen photographs from the time.

Our Speaker, Stephen Barker is a Buckinghamshire base Heritage advisor. His Specialisms include the English Civil Wars and the Great War. Previously he has spoken to the Society on the Battle of Edgehill and took many memebrs on an historic battlefield tour there. More recently he shared the story of Hardit Singh Malik - The Flying Sikh from the Great War