NB VENUE CHANGE!
Our September meeting on Friday 16th will be at the METHODIST HALL Southam Road Kineton, usual time 7.30pm.
Our first talk after the summer break will begiven by Norman Hyde entitled Tennis the Leamington Way: the oldest tennis club in the world and it’s importance to Leamington over 170 years.
Norman will describe how the club has been a significant venue both locally and nationally and how some of its members played an important part in the expansion of the town, the club and town’s role in the establishment and growth of lawn tennis and more
Norman has been a member at the court club for more than 35 years and was its captain for ten years from the late 1990s. He has recently published the history of the club, and he is also known as the motorcyclist who broke the World Sidecar Land Speed Record in 1972 – a man after my own heart!
^Former club member Alfred Lyttelton. former MP for Warwick and Leamington and the first man to play cricket and football for England.”
Remember the venue has been changed to the Methodist Hall, but refreshments will be available as usual after the talk, courtesy of Ilona.
KDLHG SUMMER OUTINGS.
Our last summer visit was an afternoon in Chipping Norton on Friday August 12th led in lively fashion by Sean Callery, a Blue Badge Guide. Ten members attended, down from the expected numbers, as illness and the excessive heat (remember that?) understandably kept some members away. In the event we were able to take advantage of the shade of buildings and trees to stay tolerably comfortable. Sean showed us the lower parts of the town, not touched by the main road we have all navigated, explaining how settlement moved uphill leaving the earlier settlement as a series of humps in a field adjacent to the church. The town was a centre for the medieval Cotswold wool trade and the magnificent church of St Mary the Virgin is a result of the prosperity that wool brought.
It has a rare medieval octagonal porch, with roof bosses depicting grotesques including a lamb savaging/hugging? a wolf – medieval humour or an allegorical reversal of the social order? A modern feature of the church is a deteriorating 19th century side-chapel devoted to the Dawkins family – yes, the ancestors of that Dawkins, the famous atheist – apparently the condition of the chapel is the subject of debate between the family and the church authorities.
In the churchyard are many early gravestones, including a splendid rococo headstone of 1763 commemorating Phillis the wife of John Humphreys, Rat Catcher – he must have been a character of some consequence to have been able to afford such a memorial.
A little up the hill from the church are the elegant Almshouses – “The Work and Gift of HENRY CORNISH 1640” – which still fulfil their original function. A redundant chimney ensures a pleasing symmetry.
Just outside the town is Bliss Tweed Mill, with its distinctive domed chimney-base – the plunger – a landmark for miles around. The owners built themselves imposing houses opposite one another within sight of the factory, houses between which the workers must have passed twice a day. Only the gate pillars survive of the largest mansion – look on my works ye mighty etc.!
Our thanks to Isobel for arranging such a stimulating and informative visit, which brought to life a town often unjustly considered an impediment to travel.
A round-up of our Summer visits: We have been lucky with the weather this year, with all our visits blessed with sunny dry conditions, once possibly too hot, but we must always have a little complaint. Our guides have been expert founts of information, ranging in date from a deep analysis of iron age and Roman territorial concerns around Ilmington, via the surprising vistas from Pittern Hill, to the Victorian primary school in Chipping Norton which became a recording studio for Status Quo, Duran Duran, Radio Head and Gerry Raffery among others, and is now a Dental Practice.,
At Ilmington, forsaking the archaeological heights of Windmill Hill, we visited the site of the medieval manor house to viewed a lake, which appears ancient and is surrounded by promising-looking humps and bumps. It turns out to have been excavated in the 1970s and the bumps are the spoil heaps.
The church is a treasure trove of architectural features and memorials, perhaps the most poignant is in the churchyard – a fallen headstone dated 1714 which features a skull and crossed bones with an arrow piercing the skull. Did the unfortunate Mary Snow, who died “in her prime”, succumb to some sort of head injury or brain disease? It’s rare for such details about cause of death to be even hinted at on 18th century memorials.
Our visit to Pittern Hill was on another hot evening, and our guide Brian Lewis was unable to complete the tour, but not before expounding expertly on the development of this little-known area so close to Kineton. The views from the ridge are wide ranging. The Listed barn at Longbourne Farm (previously Pittern Hill Farm) has a chequered history, ably researched by Brian. It still retains its historic character as a rather grand statement representing the flowering of agricultural confidence and prosperity in the early to mid-nineteenth century, cruelly cut down by the rural depression which lasted until the 20th century.
The party was quite informal, and near the end a splinter group became engaged in lengthy discussions with a local resident with a remarkable history ….
Our afternoon visit to Chipping Norton was an attempt to widen the appeal to members who might be less willing to come out in evenings, particularly if the weather is less benign than this season’s. In the event, ironically, the weather proved to be too extreme for some potential attendees, albeit not in the usual wet and windy fashion. As with many of our visits to “familiar” locations, Chipping Norton turned out to have surprising and fascinating stories to tell, and our Blue Badge Guide, Sean Callery, has other local villages in his repertoire, so we may see more of him in the future. I am always on the lookout for interesting graffiti in churches and St Mary’s did not disappoint – it contains the only medieval spiral graffiti I have seen in more than 100 local churches I’ve visited. It’s inscribed on the frame of a door, and is probably a charm to trap the devil,.
Isobel, Rosemary and DF put together a varied and stimulating summer of outings, and we look forward to see what 2023 will bring.
The 2022-23 Programme
Please note that Rosemary Collier and Roy Smart have swapped their October and November dates, the table below is correct
| Date | Speaker | Topic | |
| 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 | A Potted History of the National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne | |
| 9 December | Richard Churchley | ‘Christmas Songs Through the Ages’ the Middle Ages to the 1940s | |
| 20 Jan 2023 | Beat Kümin | ‘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 | ||
Community Archive Project update
As you will know we have been pursuing a project to construct a space in the village hall to house our archives, and those of other village organisations who my wish to store their own archives there. With the blessing of the Village Hall Association we obtained planning permission in 2019 for an extension to the mezzanine behind the stage. Covid intervened and the planning permission 3-year timetable to start the project was up on September 3rd 2022 (covid restrictions meant little could be done for much of that time). To avoid the hassle and expense of having to re-apply for planning we completed the first stage of the project – the insertion of a new firedoor – in time to beat the deadline (and the car park works).
Our thanks to the Village Hall Association and to KADS whose members cleared the clutter from the backstage space.
Other Societies’ Events.
Warwickshire Local History Society
Lighthorne History Society Friday 23 Sept, The Czech Army in south Warwickshire in WW II, by John Berkeley, Lighthorne Village Hall, 8 pm. In World War II 4000 Czech army volunteers escaped Czechoslovakia and formed the Czech Free Army in Britain. Units of their field artillery were trained and quartered in Moreton Hall, Moreton Paddox, Walton Hall and Kineton.
Long Itchington History Group. Wednesday 14th September “Southam “Bobbies” 100 years of Southam Police. LindaDoyle, Village Community Centre,7.30 pm. £3.00
Wellesbourne & Walton Local History Group Wednesday 26th October 2022 at 7:30 pm The Mediaeval Wall Paintings in the Guild Chapel Stratford” Talk by Pamela Devine and Janet Hall
All are welcome –Wellesbourne Village Hall. Entry for non-members £3. Contact Charlie and Peggy Gilbert on 01789 841805 or Email treblig99@outlook.com
Or see their website: sites.google.com/site/wellesbournelocalhistory/
Leamington History Group . Monday, 26th September Sir William Lyons and Jaguar Cars, talk by Tony Merrygold (Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust). at 7.30 pm at the Oddfellows Hall, New Street. Refreshments will be available after the meeting.
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures and talks which are open to our members. Check their website www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Gresham College has series of history talks available digitally, here is the next 3 months’ programme
HISTORY LECTURES BY MONTH AT GRESHAM COLLEGE – includes the short link for print:
September
Weds 14, 6pm Progresses: Royal Courts on the Move in Tudor and Stuart England Professor Simon Thurley; David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/royal-progresses
Weds 21, 6pm, Gods of Prehistoric Britain Professor Ronald Hutton, David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/prehistoric-gods
Tues 27, 6pm, War and Peace in Europe from Hitler to Putin Professor Richard J Evans, David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/hitler-putin
October
Thurs 6, 6pm, Tuberculosis: A Cultural History Professor Joanna Bourke, Barnard’s Inn Hall/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/tb-history
Weds 12, 6pm, The Lost Cities and Amazing Heritage of Kenya, Robin Walker, David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/kenya-cities
Mon 17, 6pm, Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution, Sudhir Hazareesingh, David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/toussaint-louverture
Tues 18, 6pm Britain’s Foreign Policy in a Fast-Changing World, Peter Ricketts, Mercers’ Hall/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/britains-fp
Thurs 20, 6pm The Politics of Fabric and Fashion in Africa 1960-Today Christine Checinska David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later, gres.hm/africa-fashion
November
Tues 1, 6pm, Partition of British India, 75 Years On Kavita Puri, David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/india-partition
Mon 7, 6pm The Trials of Alexei Navalny Thomas Grant QC Barnard’s Inn Hall, Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/navalny-trials
Tues 8, 6pm, Why did Europe’s Economies Diverge from Asia? Professor Martin Daunton, Barnard’s Inn Hall, Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/diverge-asia
Thurs 10, 6pm, Polio: A Cultural History, Professor Joanna Bourke Barnards’ Inn Hall, Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/polio-history
Weds 16, 6pm The Irish Question and the Ulster Question Then and Now, Professor Vernon Bogdanor David Game College, Aldgate/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/irish-ulster
Weds 23, 6pm Lives in Limbo: Jewish Refugess in Portugal, 1940-45 Professor Marion Kaplan, Barnard’s Inn Hall/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/refugees-portugal
December
Mon 5, 6pm London’s Air: The 70th Anniversary of the Great London Smog Visiting Professor Ian Mudway, Barnard’s Inn Hall/ Online/ Watch later gres.hm/londons-air (this is an Environmental Health Professor, not strictly History, but should be of interest to local societies)
Tues 6, 1pm, The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Religion, Violence and Peacebuilding by Professor Jolyon Mitchell, Barnard’s Inn Hall/ Online/ Watch later gres.hm/israel-palestine
Weds 7, 6pm, Paganism in Roman Britain, Professor Ronald Hutton, David Game College/ Online/ Watch Later gres.hm/paganism-roman
Don’t forget to check our own website at:
Kineton and District Local History Group (kinetonhistory.co.uk)
Membership. 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, For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com You can also join at any talk.
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group,
sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment.
2022-23 KDLHG Committee
President: Dr Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman David Freke
Vice-Chairman Roger Gaunt
Secretary Ilona Sekacz
Treasurer Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary vacant
Programme Secretary Claire Roberts
Other committee members
Rosemary Collier
Isobel Gill
George Lokuciejewski
Catherine Petrie (PR)
Pamela Redgrave (Membership)
Committee News. The committee met on September 9th. A short report will appear in the October Newsletter
Date of next Committee meeting: 28th November via Zoom 7.00pm,
Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
NB change of email address
DF 13.09.22