Welcome to 2021

Welcome to 2021. Our plans for 2021 have already been altered due to Covid-19, an update of our programme is given later. For all the latest events and news please keep checking in regularly to the website, www.thatchamhistoricalsociety.org.uk.

From the chair

Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year! I hope that you have had a good Christmas and New Year, as far as was possible. The last year has certainly been historic and started as we normally would, an AGM followed by our first and only face-to-face speaker meeting of the year with Mr Brown talking about the history of the Brown family.

Although we were aware of Covid-19 at the time I don’t think any of us expected what was to come. We saw all events cancelled and the society made its own history with our very first online talks which have included a History of Thatcham pubs; a brief history of Thatcham; and the historic buildings of Thatcham.

The society was able to manage limited guided tour(s) around St Mary’s Church during Thatcham Festival and we hope to be able to deliver similar in the future and do plan on creating a audio / video version too.

Sadly, we have seen members pass away and our condolences and thoughts go out to their families and friends.

I would like to end by saying a huge thank you to the members that continue to support the society and to the committee who have worked hard behind the scenes.

AGM 2021

For the first time in our history we held our AGM online. The committee was re-elected as-is. In light of recent events the committee has decided to cancel all face-to-face meetings until after the summer. We know that many of you were looking forward to face-to-face meetings resuming but we must ensure we everyone is safe. This has meant a change to the programme that was sent out, an updated programme is shown below:

  • 22nd February, Newbury: Then and Now, Nick Young
  • 29th March, Newbury and Thatcham, an historical comparison, Nick Young
  • 26th April, RAF Welford (TBC), Alan Bovingdon
  • 24th May, Healthcare in Thatcham & District (TBC), Nick Young
  • 28th June, The last days of Charles I, Alan Turton
  • 27th September, Dunkirk, a miracle of deliverance, Sue Ellis
  • 18th October, The Long Term Impact of the First World War, Professor Gary Sheffield
  • 29th November, History of Cold Ash, Tony Higgott

All talks up to the summer are online. A decision will be made over the summer about the remainder of the year, if we can meet safely face-to-face or if those talks will also go online.