April 2006
Forthcoming TADS meetings
Tadley and District History Society (Meetings are at 8.00 pm in St Paul's Church Hall, The Green, Tadley, on the third Wednesday of each month).
19 April 2006 - Eye Surgery, afloat in Bangladesh by Dr Lynette Moss & Dr David Moss.
What's on - local events
Basingstoke Archaeological and Historical Society. (Meetings are at 7:30 pm in Church Cottage, Church Square, Basingstoke on the second Thursday of each month).
11 May 2006 - Terry Hunt's Basingstoke by Bruce Howard of the Hampshire Record Office. (Terry Hunt produced local postcards before the First World War)
Milestones Museum
On Your Bike - a special collection showing the development of the bicycle from the hobby horse to the modern day.
The Faces of Thornycroft (from 1 January) - The life and times of the company's Basingstoke workforce in a new photographic exhibition.
Riveting Stories (from 1 January) - An exhibition capturing memories of Vosper Thornycroft shipbuilders from Woolston, Southampton.
Willis Museum Open Monday to Friday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, Saturday 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
18 March to 29 April 2006 - Hidden House History. All across the country people have found items of clothing, buttons, bottles and a number of other objects deliberately hidden in walls, under floorboards and in chimneys. See the objects that were once hidden, displayed in recreations of the places that they were found as well as reproductions of the objects in their original condition. This exhibition looks at what people hide in the fabric of their houses and why.
Friends of the Willis Museum Meetings at 7.30pm in the museum.
20 April 2006 - The Ancient Sacred Sites of Wessex by Peter Knight
18 May 2006 - The Cockleshell Heroes - Training in Southsea by Madeline Selby
Hampshire Record Office (Sussex Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8TH, tel: 01962 846154). Last Thursday Lectures 1.15 - 1.45 pm (admission free, but donations welcome).
27 April 2006 - Looking For Lost Houses: Some Hampshire Examples.
25 May 2006 - Letters from camp: Hampshire voices from the Crimea by David Rymill.
40th Anniversary of St Paul's Church, Tadley
29-30 April & 1 May 2006 - an exhibition in St Paul's Church and Hall.
Discover Hampshire
Discover Hampshire is a guide to 160 great days out in Hampshire and contains some discount vouchers. It is available by e-mailing: hampshire@responseuk.co.uk or telephoning 0800 093 8930.
The Mikron Theatre Company
The popular waterway based company are returning to the area in June with shows at 7.30 pm on the 23 June at the Abbey Ruins, Reading and at 8pm on the 24 & 25 June at the Rowbarge Inn, Woolhampton. Their website is WWW.mikron.org.uk
Last Month's TADS Meeting 15 March 2006
Unfortunately due to ill health, Sue Ealding was unable to give her lecture and dance demonstration on 'Middle Eastern Dance' as programmed. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her in the 2007 Tads programme. By the way this was about only the third programme change in 21 years!
As an alternative, our stalwart chairman, Bob Brown, was hastily able to show Derek Wren's tape/slide show produced in 1964 for the Workers Educational (WEA). It chronicles Basingstoke from its earliest days at the axis of life in this part of Southern England when the ancient Harrow Way and Calleva (Silchester) Roman tracks were major routes to Winchester, Chichester, etc. The story led us up to the 1960s when Basingstoke was deemed to be suitable for London overspill development in a massive way.
Sons of Basingstoke, the late John Arlott and the late Mr Willis of museum fame, gave the commentary, along with historian Derek Wren.
The film poses many questions, leaving us, the viewers, to ponder whether the 1960s changes were for good or ill.
It was certainly a very interesting potted history of Basingstoke.
Thanks Bob.
Rosemary Bond
Membership
Membership Fees for 2006 are now overdue. The Treasurer will be sending a reminder to those who have not yet paid.
History in the Making
Tadley, April 2006
There is now a post box in the Sainsbury's store. It is located in the exit passage way and collection times are 6.00 pm Monday - Friday and 10.30 am Saturday. No collection on Sunday; [Sunday collections are made from Giles Road, Mulfords Hill and Bishopswood Post Offices and Tadley Sorting Office].
Death of well known Tadley resident
TADS was sorry to learn of the death on 2 April of Jimmy Williams. Jimmy was a fairground showman and an expert in the restoration and painting of fairground equipment. Although not a member of TADS he was very co-operative with the society and some time ago members were invited to look at his fairground equipment, including the 1896 gallopers, which is housed in the large green 'hanger' at his home on Mulfords Hill. The funeral was at Brimpton Parish Church on Tuesday 11 April and was attended by showmen and women from all over the country. (For more information on the Williams family see Around Tadley - Fact and Fable, pages 134-5).