NEW YEAR, NEWSLETTER, 18th January 2022
Happy New Year! Or at least a better one.
Our next talk this Friday 21st January is by George Derbyshire whose topic is the Arts and Crafts movement in the Cotswolds. He calls his talk “Cockneys in Arcadia”, and he will describe the influx of dedicated craftspeople into the area in the late 19th century and early 20th century. They were seeking a simpler, more “authentic” aesthetic and lifestyle and, undeniably, also a cheaper one. For a while the Cotswolds and Chipping Campden in particular became an artistic avante garde outpost.
Many of you will remember our trip to Chipping Campden a few years ago, and our visit to the Court Barn Museum, where the jewellers’ workshops are preserved, and are still operated by individual craftsmen.
George Derbyshire moved to Moreton-in-Marsh about 8 years ago after a career in business. Finding time on his hands, he became a volunteer at Court Barn Museum, and as well as giving talks, he leads Arts and Crafts walks for the museum in Chipping Campden and Broadway.
At present there are no mandatory covid-related restrictions on the use of the village hall, so we expect to present a normal evening. However, we advise that masks be worn, and that the hand washing facilities be used. Seats will be spaced, although not at the previous 2m distance. Please wrap up warmly as the hall will be ventilated.
Report on Christmas Treats. The Christmas meeting on Friday 10th December was our biennial opportunity to hear short pieces by our members before consuming mulled wine or soft drinks and mince pies. Our thanks to Ilona for providing these, and Jackie and Mark for help in serving them. This year we had three contrasting contributions.
Sue Hammon’s title was “The Mystery of Khiva” which we soon learnt is not an exotic fruit, but a key town in Uzbekistan on the ancient Silk Road. The “mystery” in Sue’s title is nothing less than how this obscure location played a role in laying the foundations of modern mathematics. It was (probably) the birthplace of the 9th century Persian mathematician al-Khwarizmi. He developed and published the system of “Arabic” numerals we still use, replacing the cumbersome Roman numbering system. The logic of the way the simple strokes of our numbers were derived from increasing the number of angles they exhibited is a model of that elegance so essential for mathematical theory. Sue explained how this may have grown from the need to make the multicultural mercantile business of the Silk Road more efficient, and universal. There is a statue of him in Khiva, as yet unmolested, and his other memorial, better known though not generally realised, is the word “algebra”, which is derived from “al jabr” – part of the title of his thousand-year old book.
Brian Morgan took up the challenge which was issued at the start of the pandemic, and has been keeping a journal to record the last extraordinary 20 months. He called his talk “The Ramblings of an Old Man During the Pandemic”. Brian recounted the effects which the pandemic has had on his family and the community, through its lockdowns and restrictions. He described the difficulties organising care for elderly relatives, the problems and advantages of working from home, the steep learning curve related to remote meetings via Zoom, and the joys/frustrations of shopping on line. Much of his account raised familiar issues for he audience. The continuing pandemic means that his memoir also continues. Just as contemporary accounts of historic events are the essential evidence for historians, so will diaries and memoirs like Brian’s, recording this bizarre period, be valued by future commentators and analysts.
Anitra Hall entertained and teased us with her piece entitled “What’s in a Name?” This was a cradle-to-grave scamper through her family’s history and their names. Unfortunately, I was so engrossed by her performance that I took no notes, so I only have my recollections to draw on for this review! However, I do sympathise with her irritation at the mistake many people make when using her first name (with me it’s my surname). She recounted how her mother was captivated by Anitra’s Dance from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, and how that personal connection is embodied in her name. Anitra delivered her thoughts with her usual quirky aplomb, her query regarding our audience’s own experiences with names drew some interesting responses.
Our thanks to all three members for sharing their experiences and enlightening us, each in their own way giving an insight into the way the past impacts on the present.
Membership. Given the way the problems and restrictions of the last 2 years have affected our activities we hope that you still value what the Group has to offer. If you are, or would like to become, a Member of the group, your 2022 subscription is due (still £10pa!). Our Treasurer Alec Hitchman awaits! You can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to Alec Hitchman, The Hills Farm, Pillerton Hersey, WARKS, CV35 0QQ, or by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please be sure to include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment!
Or you can join at a talk.
Programme:
2022-3
| Jan 21 | George Derbyshire: | Arts and Crafts in the Cotswolds |
| Feb 18 : | James Ranahan | The Photographer’s Gaze: Viewing Warwickshire Since 1839 |
| Mar 18 | AGM | |
| 22 April | Alan Benjamin | ‘The History and Music of Morris Dancing’ with instrumental accompaniment. |
| 20 May | Anne Langley | ‘Early allotments in Warwickshire’ a major institution of Victorian village life |
| 16 September | Norman Hyde | ‘Tennis the Leamington Way.’ the oldest tennis club in the world and its importance to Leamington over 170 years. |
| 21 October | Roy Smart | ‘David Beatty – The Last Naval Hero’ fame and celebrity following the Battle of Jutland, the greatest naval battle in history. |
| 18 November | Rosemary Collier | The History of the Royal Horticultural Research Institute, Wellesbourne |
| 9 December | Richard Churchley | ‘Christmas Songs Through the Ages’ the Middle Ages to the 1940s |
| 20 Jan 2023 | Beat Kumin | ‘For a Good Cause – Church Ales and Early Modern Drinking Culture.’ |
| 17 Feb 2023 | David Fry | The Silk Ribbon Industry of Coventry’ |
| 17 March 2023 | AGM |
Official covid advice and regulations may change for better or worse in the coming months, so we will be assessing the programme one meeting at a time and we will confirm each event when we are reasonably confident that we can run it.
The Community Archive Project: an appeal for Ideas. As many of you will know the Group has been trying to raise funds to construct a room in the Village hall to house village archives, in order to preserve them and make them available for consultation by the community. This has been an ambition of the group for more than two decades, and we are now closer to achieving it than ever before. We have a costed scheme, planning permission, and the support of the Village hall Trustees, and many village organisations and groups. The costs are such that we will need more than our own resources to complete this project. Our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been turned down on the grounds that the project did not include sufficient community activities, despite being aimed at preserving and enhancing access to the heritage of the village. We intend to submit a new application soon which will meet this HLF requirement in terms that will chime with their aims.
We would welcome your views on what sort of outreach or community activities could be promoted within the remit, and using the resources, of a community archive. Your committee is looking at this matter now with a view to submitting a new application in February, so please let us know your suggestions for us to consider. Email me at frekedj@globalnet.co.uk or talk to a committee member at our meetings.
Other Society Events
Warwickshire Local History Society
K&DLHG is affiliated to WLHS and our members are entitled to join their meetings.
The next WLHG talk via Zoom is:
Tuesday 15th February, 7.30pm. Dr Andrew Watkins, Late Medieval Towns in Arden.
Check the Warwickshire Local History Society website for up-to-date lists. https://www.warwickshirehistory.org.uk
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is also a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members.
Their next, talk available virtually is:
Thursday 27th January 7.00pm Pnm Smith and Julie Miller: Non-conformity from the 17th to 19th centuries. Virtual talk, visit www.balh.org.uk for details
Lapworth Local History Group:
Tuesday 25th January: 7.45pm, Joe Harvey: Mapping the Tunnels of Warwick
Lapworth Village Hall (may be via Zoom, contact: www.lapworth history.co.ukfor details)
Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society.
Tuesday 1st February. 7.30pm. Prof Felix Schmid The First London to Birmingham Railway.
Edgbaston Park Hotel, Birmingham. Tickets bookable from BWAS website: bwas-online.co.uk
Warwickshire in WWII
The link below takes you to a fascinating article about WWII in the locality, keep going to the end to read about PoW Camp 31 at Ettington.
Don’t forget to check our own website at:
Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)
KDLHG Committee
President: Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman David Freke
Vice-Chairman Roger Gaunt
Secretary Ilona Sekacz
Treasurer Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary Isobel Gill
Programme Secretary Claire Roberts
Other committee members
Rosemary Collier
George Lokuciejewski
Catherine Petrie
Pamela Redgrave
Peter Waters
Committee News. The committee met via Zoom on 17th January. Alec outlined the continuing satisfactory state of our finances but reported that the transfer of access to our PayPal account to him from Ted was still a problem. Roger, Alec and Lucie are attempting to resolve this and will make arrangement to meet. HSBC has started making a “handling charge” for paying in funds, Alec to investigate. The 2022-23 talks programme was confirmed. Arrangements were discussed for streaming or recording talks so that remote, housebound or safeguarding members can participate: DF to investigate. Suggestions for the Summer Outings were discussed; David and Rosemary to pursue contacts for several suggested venues. The Programme Card will be available to members at the January talk. The HLF had turned down our bid for the community archive on the grounds of insufficient outreach activities. The membership to be asked to suggest ways of meeting this requirement. . David Beaumont has commented that the Group’s yahoo email account receives quantities of spam, scammers and adverts, and he asked if it would be better to switch provider? The consensus was that all providers have the same propensity to deliver rubbish, and our sympathies are with David in dealing with this stuff but it is unlikely to improve by switching. Roger reported that the number of visitors to the web site took a dip since the last meeting, although one hit was from Germany, a first.
Date of next Committee meeting: 14th March via Zoom (tbc) 7.00pm,
DF 18.01. 22
Contact: David Freke tel: 07876 290044