South Solihull u3a Local History Group 1
Coordinators: Joan Taylor or Tony Taylor
When: Monthly
Where: Various (presentations by members and visits to places of interest)
When: Monthly
Where: Various (presentations by members and visits to places of interest)
INTRODUCTION
We have 32 enthusiastic and friendly members who visit a variety of places of interest in the area, each organised by one of our members. The monthly activities include visits in our locality and occasional talks, with an annual group meal held each January. The days of the week on which we organise events vary.
We have 32 enthusiastic and friendly members who visit a variety of places of interest in the area, each organised by one of our members. The monthly activities include visits in our locality and occasional talks, with an annual group meal held each January. The days of the week on which we organise events vary.
ACHIEVEMNETS TO DATE
Once a year, we try to get together with Local History Group 2 to undertake a visit further afield. In the past we had a very enjoyable and informative day at Bletchley Park. In 2020 we planned a joint group visit to Arbury Hall and Maxstoke Castle which were unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. Annually we plan a programme of events and different members volunteer to organise each one (this has proved to be a very successful system since the group was established). We use public transport, whenever possible, or car share on other occasions. Prior to the Covid pandemic, in 2019, the group experienced several excellent guided tours. These included: Electric Theatre in Birmingham; St Mary’s Church and Old Court House in Warwick; Harvington Hall; Edgbaston Cricket Club and the Birmingham & Midland Institute. We enjoyed a talk on ‘Warwickshire and the Holbeche Family’ by Laurence Ince. Our events frequently incorporate tea and cake which prove popular with our members!
Once a year, we try to get together with Local History Group 2 to undertake a visit further afield. In the past we had a very enjoyable and informative day at Bletchley Park. In 2020 we planned a joint group visit to Arbury Hall and Maxstoke Castle which were unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. Annually we plan a programme of events and different members volunteer to organise each one (this has proved to be a very successful system since the group was established). We use public transport, whenever possible, or car share on other occasions. Prior to the Covid pandemic, in 2019, the group experienced several excellent guided tours. These included: Electric Theatre in Birmingham; St Mary’s Church and Old Court House in Warwick; Harvington Hall; Edgbaston Cricket Club and the Birmingham & Midland Institute. We enjoyed a talk on ‘Warwickshire and the Holbeche Family’ by Laurence Ince. Our events frequently incorporate tea and cake which prove popular with our members!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
THURSDAY 8th DECEMBER
Event: Festive Members Meeting - picture quiz and planning discussion for our 2024 spring and summer programme of trips.
(This event is only open to members of LH1)
Venue: St Swithin's House, Barston B92 0JU
Date: Friday December 8th
Time: 2pm
Cost: No charge this time but tea/coffee and cake provided.
Accessibility: There is a ramp into the building and a ground floor toilet. There is a step down for anyone going into the kitchen.
Transport: By Car
Parking: There is a car park at the front of St Swithin's House
LH1 Members please contact Joan & Tony Taylor by November 30th if you would like to attend this talk: tony.joan.taylor@gmail.com
Event: Festive Members Meeting - picture quiz and planning discussion for our 2024 spring and summer programme of trips.
(This event is only open to members of LH1)
Venue: St Swithin's House, Barston B92 0JU
Date: Friday December 8th
Time: 2pm
Cost: No charge this time but tea/coffee and cake provided.
Accessibility: There is a ramp into the building and a ground floor toilet. There is a step down for anyone going into the kitchen.
Transport: By Car
Parking: There is a car park at the front of St Swithin's House
LH1 Members please contact Joan & Tony Taylor by November 30th if you would like to attend this talk: tony.joan.taylor@gmail.com
THOUGHTS FOR FUTURE EVENTS
The members of our group never run out of ideas for new places to visit, events to attend and talks to listen to. Future ideas include
Maxstoke Castle
Arbury Hall
Birmingham Oratory
Lord Leycester Hospital
Backstage tour of the Hippodrome
Walking Tour of Birmingham
A tour of medieval Coventry
Nuneaton Museum and Church
Bus trip to visit Herbert Art Gallery exhibition during year of culture
Aston Hall at Christmas
Kenilworth Walk to include Abbey Fields
Severn Valley Railway
PAST EVENTS
THURSDAY 5th OCTOBER - ST MARY'S CHURCH
Visit with a talk: Robert Dudley's Warwickshire by Tim Clark (Church Historian of St Mary's)
Visit with a talk: Robert Dudley's Warwickshire by Tim Clark (Church Historian of St Mary's)
29th JUNE 2023 - NEEDLE MUSEUM
A group of 11 visited the Forge Mill Needle Museum for a guided tour. This museum is an unusual and fascinating place to visit, illustrating the rich heritage of the needle and fishing tackle industries. Models and recreated scenes provided a vivid illustration of how needles were once made, and how Redditch once produced 90% of the world’s needles.
Our morning started with tea, coffee and very large helpings of cake at the on-site café, then our tour guide picked us up to guide us round the site. She was excellent and she vividly explained the amazing complexity of turning coils of steel into individual needles. We also learnt how the metal dust had a serious impact on the employees’ health – the men employed to grind the sharp points on the needle were very well paid compared to other employees, but most died of lung disease at a very young age. Women and children were also involved, at home, in the process of spitting which removed the excess metal from around the needle eye. Along with many mills in the 19th century it was a very harsh environment.
Thank you to Pam and Dave Hunter for organising this excellent visit.
Our morning started with tea, coffee and very large helpings of cake at the on-site café, then our tour guide picked us up to guide us round the site. She was excellent and she vividly explained the amazing complexity of turning coils of steel into individual needles. We also learnt how the metal dust had a serious impact on the employees’ health – the men employed to grind the sharp points on the needle were very well paid compared to other employees, but most died of lung disease at a very young age. Women and children were also involved, at home, in the process of spitting which removed the excess metal from around the needle eye. Along with many mills in the 19th century it was a very harsh environment.
Thank you to Pam and Dave Hunter for organising this excellent visit.
19th MAY 2023 - LADY BYRON
19 of us were treated to a fascinating talk about Lady Byron from one of our members, Marjorie Stubbs.
The talk was held in the upper room at Knowle Library where Marjorie had put together the Knowle Society display about Lady Byron’s life. Marjorie had done extensive research over many years on Lady Byron and she displayed a deep and enthusiastic knowledge of Anne Isabella’s life. Interestingly, Marjorie lived in Seaham, Northumberland, where Lady Byron was brought up. When Marjorie moved to Solihull, she found that there was a link to Lady Byron here as well.
Following Marjorie’s talk, the group enjoyed tea, coffee and cake whilst looking round the exhibition; Marjorie was able to answer any questions.
Many thanks to Marjorie for this excellent talk and exhibition and to Knowle Library who welcomed our group, organised the upper room and provided the hot drinks.
The talk was held in the upper room at Knowle Library where Marjorie had put together the Knowle Society display about Lady Byron’s life. Marjorie had done extensive research over many years on Lady Byron and she displayed a deep and enthusiastic knowledge of Anne Isabella’s life. Interestingly, Marjorie lived in Seaham, Northumberland, where Lady Byron was brought up. When Marjorie moved to Solihull, she found that there was a link to Lady Byron here as well.
Following Marjorie’s talk, the group enjoyed tea, coffee and cake whilst looking round the exhibition; Marjorie was able to answer any questions.
Many thanks to Marjorie for this excellent talk and exhibition and to Knowle Library who welcomed our group, organised the upper room and provided the hot drinks.
17th APRIL 2023 - St PETER'S, WOOTTON WAWEN
18 of us visited the Saxon Church of St Peter’s in Wootton Wawen.
Shirley, our guide for the morning, started the tour by taking us around the outside of the Church while explaining the history of this fascinating building. St Peter’s is notable for having the most pronounced Anglo-Saxon work in the county; it is the oldest church in Warwickshire, although much of the present fabric is later.
This was followed by an in depth guided tour of the inside of the Church, highlighting it’s links to the Harewell family.
Following the morning tour, the group adjourned for lunch at The View; most welcome on this cold and windy day.
Many thanks to Jane and John Bennet for organising this really enjoyable visit which enlightened us on a building that most of us have passed many times on our way to Stratford.
Shirley, our guide for the morning, started the tour by taking us around the outside of the Church while explaining the history of this fascinating building. St Peter’s is notable for having the most pronounced Anglo-Saxon work in the county; it is the oldest church in Warwickshire, although much of the present fabric is later.
This was followed by an in depth guided tour of the inside of the Church, highlighting it’s links to the Harewell family.
Following the morning tour, the group adjourned for lunch at The View; most welcome on this cold and windy day.
Many thanks to Jane and John Bennet for organising this really enjoyable visit which enlightened us on a building that most of us have passed many times on our way to Stratford.
3rd FEBRUARY 2022 - TALK BY LAURENCE INCE
Henwood Mill
On a cold February morning, 19 of us gathered at St Swithin’s House in Barston to hear Laurence give us an illustrated talk on ‘The Monastic Sites of Warwickshire’. He covered the history of many monastic sites, of particular to the interest to the group was Henwood Mill which is close to Catherine de Barnes. The current mill is on an ancient site where there had previously been a watermill belonging to Henwood Priory in the 1400s. Tales of ghostly sightings of nuns have been reported over the centuries!
As usual, we completed our morning with tea, coffee and cake.
Many thanks to Linda Maxfield for arranging Laurence to give us this enlightening talk, booking St Swithin’s and organising the refreshments.
As usual, we completed our morning with tea, coffee and cake.
Many thanks to Linda Maxfield for arranging Laurence to give us this enlightening talk, booking St Swithin’s and organising the refreshments.
13th DECEMBER 2022 - MUSEUM OF LOCAL CURIOSITY
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13 members of the group met together to plan for 2023 and hold our Festive Meeting in St. Swithin’s House at Barston. In the first hour, following the format of the Radio 4 programme The Museum of Curiosity, eight members suggested entries to our local virtual museum. The attached document are a few notes that we made during the morning: apologies for any mistakes or inaccuracies.
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25th MAY 2022 - THE ROUNDHOUSE IN BIRMINGHAM
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15 members of the LH1 group caught the train into Birmingham and, after being suitably refreshed at a coffee shop, made our way to the Roundhouse for a guided tour.
The start of the tour took us outside the Roundhouse and on to the canal towpath where our guide explained the development of the canals in Birmingham and how important they were for the growth of the city. Returning into the Roundhouse, as the unforecast drizzle began to fall, we learnt about the role of the Roundhouse in providing stabling for the horses working the canal, housing for the many tradesmen who were needed to keep the horses healthy and cared and all the other labourers needed to keep the canal system and its environs in working order. The trip was followed by an excellent lunch at the The Distillery pub next door before returning to Snow Hill to catch the train home. This was a really fascinating and educational trip which was excellently organised by Elizabeth and David Orton - thanks to them for their hard work in providing the group with such a great day out. |
JULY 2022 - LEAMINGTON SPA
Some members of our Local History Group One recently enjoyed a visit to Leamington Spa. We were lucky to visit All Saints Church on the day that the Quilt of Hope which has been travelling around the local churches arrived. This was very impressive.
We also went to the Pump Rooms Museum and Art gallery and saw their temporary display Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries as well as lots of fascinating facts and displays in the museum about the history of this interesting town.
After lunch we explored the Jephson gardens which were still looking beautiful in spite of the extreme weather and we visited the Leamington studio artists in the East Lodge.
Finally we rounded off our busy day with tea and pancakes in the recently opened Ukrainian café back in the church!
We also went to the Pump Rooms Museum and Art gallery and saw their temporary display Modern Pre-Raphaelite Visionaries as well as lots of fascinating facts and displays in the museum about the history of this interesting town.
After lunch we explored the Jephson gardens which were still looking beautiful in spite of the extreme weather and we visited the Leamington studio artists in the East Lodge.
Finally we rounded off our busy day with tea and pancakes in the recently opened Ukrainian café back in the church!
30th MARCH 2022 - POLSWORTH ABBEY
At one of our Zoom Meetings during lockdown, Jenny mentioned that we should try to visit the north of Warwickshire once things opened up. So, on a not so sunny afternoon, we travelled by car-share to Polesworth Abbey.
One of our group commented that it is "a hidden gem". We were met by another gem, Fr. Philip, who had been amazingly helpful during the setting up of the visit and gave up his entire afternoon to chat to us about the history of Polesworth, the Abbey and Shakespeare even got a mention.
One of our group commented that it is "a hidden gem". We were met by another gem, Fr. Philip, who had been amazingly helpful during the setting up of the visit and gave up his entire afternoon to chat to us about the history of Polesworth, the Abbey and Shakespeare even got a mention.
We met in the refectory for tea and coffee during which time Fr. Philip talked us through the itinerary for the afternoon.
Some of our group had already participated in lunch at a local hostelry! We then walked out into the sensory garden which was the cloister area of the Abbey many years ago and listened to tales of Viking attacks on the Saxon villagers, re-enacted annually in September (Covid permitting).
A light shower hastened us inside to the Abbey Church where Fr. Philip gave us an introductory talk, after which he joined small groups, and answered questions, as we wandered around the fascinating Abbey, many listening to the free commentary available on VIS-BOX.
Some of our group had already participated in lunch at a local hostelry! We then walked out into the sensory garden which was the cloister area of the Abbey many years ago and listened to tales of Viking attacks on the Saxon villagers, re-enacted annually in September (Covid permitting).
A light shower hastened us inside to the Abbey Church where Fr. Philip gave us an introductory talk, after which he joined small groups, and answered questions, as we wandered around the fascinating Abbey, many listening to the free commentary available on VIS-BOX.
An hour and half later found us back in the Refectory enjoying tea, coffee and cake while Fr. Philip enthralled us with more history and his repertoire of jokes.
All in all, a lovely afternoon with a special man in a very special place!
All in all, a lovely afternoon with a special man in a very special place!
JANUARY 2022
We started 2022 with our annual meal at the Wilson Arms, kindly organised by Jenny, where 16 members had an enjoyable lunch.
We started 2022 with our annual meal at the Wilson Arms, kindly organised by Jenny, where 16 members had an enjoyable lunch.
8th DECEMBER 2021: Meeting Together and Flourishing!
On December 8th, after a 22-month break, the group returned to St Swithin’s in Barston for an afternoon of tea, coffee, cake and individual reminiscences from our younger days; these ranged from the very local, Solihull, to the much more distant, Algeria.
On December 8th, after a 22-month break, the group returned to St Swithin’s in Barston for an afternoon of tea, coffee, cake and individual reminiscences from our younger days; these ranged from the very local, Solihull, to the much more distant, Algeria.
SEPTEMBER 2021
September 2021 saw 8 members of Local History Group 1 meet at Hatton Lock Café, ‘face to face’ for the first time in 18 months for coffee, chat and planning for the future. What a joy it was to see each other!
September 2021 saw 8 members of Local History Group 1 meet at Hatton Lock Café, ‘face to face’ for the first time in 18 months for coffee, chat and planning for the future. What a joy it was to see each other!
NOVEMBER 2021
In May 2021 Linda had given an excellent Zoom presentation on Elmdon Park, so the group decided it was worth a visit. In early November Linda led us on a guided walk around Elmdon Park and later in the month we gathered for morning coffee before viewing the Elmdon exhibition at the Core in Solihull.
In May 2021 Linda had given an excellent Zoom presentation on Elmdon Park, so the group decided it was worth a visit. In early November Linda led us on a guided walk around Elmdon Park and later in the month we gathered for morning coffee before viewing the Elmdon exhibition at the Core in Solihull.
MAY 2020 - JUNE 2021 - ZOOM MEETINGS
May 2020 saw the advent of our first Zoom meeting. With trepidation, as it this was new technology for most of us, 19 members came online for a virtual coffee and “Chat about V. E. Day”. Everyone was delighted to see others in the group and there were many reminiscences of V.E. day celebrations both past and present. Building on the success of this first Zoom, we had monthly online meetings from May 2020 through to June 2021.
We know that the u3a is a ‘learning organisation’ and this is definitely the case for our group. All of us learning how to access Zoom (using both video, audio and mute); many members researching and giving monthly talks on local places or local historical characters; several members produced PowerPoints or shared photographs on screen (sometimes with musical accompaniment); we enjoyed quizzes and shared personal memories and experiences. With an average attendance of 20 members (26 on two occasions) the group flourished.
To give a flavour of the Zoom member’s talks we enjoyed - they ranged from places such as: Berry Hall; Malvern Park; Solihull Workhouse; Maxstoke and Elmdon to local historical characters such as: Muntz and Bird families; Ernest Wilson; Lady Byron; Joseph Chamberlain and Horace Brueton. We shared You Tube videos of Knowle in the 60s and many photographs provided by one of our members.
The group was presented with a Virtual walk round Ilmington to replace the planned tour in August 2020 and treated to a talk on Halkidiki (not quite local history) by one of our members who was on a prolonged visit to family in Greece. We listened to extracts for The Edwardian Lady and much more. In fact, we had an amazing time over the 12-month period.
We know that the u3a is a ‘learning organisation’ and this is definitely the case for our group. All of us learning how to access Zoom (using both video, audio and mute); many members researching and giving monthly talks on local places or local historical characters; several members produced PowerPoints or shared photographs on screen (sometimes with musical accompaniment); we enjoyed quizzes and shared personal memories and experiences. With an average attendance of 20 members (26 on two occasions) the group flourished.
To give a flavour of the Zoom member’s talks we enjoyed - they ranged from places such as: Berry Hall; Malvern Park; Solihull Workhouse; Maxstoke and Elmdon to local historical characters such as: Muntz and Bird families; Ernest Wilson; Lady Byron; Joseph Chamberlain and Horace Brueton. We shared You Tube videos of Knowle in the 60s and many photographs provided by one of our members.
The group was presented with a Virtual walk round Ilmington to replace the planned tour in August 2020 and treated to a talk on Halkidiki (not quite local history) by one of our members who was on a prolonged visit to family in Greece. We listened to extracts for The Edwardian Lady and much more. In fact, we had an amazing time over the 12-month period.
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FEBRUARY 2020.
Our last event pre-Covid lockdown was in February 2020 at St Swithin’s House in Barston. The group have used this venue many times for outside speakers but on this occasion, we tried something different – two members researched famous people from the Midlands, George Elliott and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, and gave a presentation over tea, coffee and cake. This was a departure from previous years and went down well. “We must do something like this again” we said, little did we know what was on the horizon due to the pandemic and lockdown.
With the shock of lockdown, we had to cancel many visits which had already been organised, such as Maxstoke Castle, Lord Leycester Hospital, Asbury Hall and Kidderminster Carpet Museum. Our lovely group were disappointed not to be meeting.
Our last event pre-Covid lockdown was in February 2020 at St Swithin’s House in Barston. The group have used this venue many times for outside speakers but on this occasion, we tried something different – two members researched famous people from the Midlands, George Elliott and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, and gave a presentation over tea, coffee and cake. This was a departure from previous years and went down well. “We must do something like this again” we said, little did we know what was on the horizon due to the pandemic and lockdown.
With the shock of lockdown, we had to cancel many visits which had already been organised, such as Maxstoke Castle, Lord Leycester Hospital, Asbury Hall and Kidderminster Carpet Museum. Our lovely group were disappointed not to be meeting.
JANUARY 2020.
Visit to an incineration plant used by Solihull waste disposal.
Visit to an incineration plant used by Solihull waste disposal.
