Barking and District Historical Society

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2015/2016

The Society > Chairman's Reports

BARKING AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2015/16



Yet another busy year for the Society!

We had stalls at the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Fair in June, the Valence Fair in July, and the Chadwell Heath History Fair last month. I would like to thank Richard Chapman and Pat Manley for their invaluable help at these events.

Richard Chapman and I spent a good part of the summer researching St. Mary’s Church, Becontree for its heritage project.

In September I, along with other society members, joined Dagenham Library members on a hop picking trip to Scotney Farm in Kent.

I have continued to attend Essex Congress meetings at Chelmsford, but the organisation, of which the Society was a founder member, is in the process of being wound up.

I have also represented the Society at the following events:

75th anniversary celebrations of St. Patrick’s Church, Barking (July).
800th anniversary service of St. Margaret’s, Barking (July).
Launch of William Ford School’s World War I exhibition at Dagenham Parish Church (July).
St.Mary’s 80th anniversary celebrations (September).
Launch of the Hidden Heroes exhibition at the Bruce Castle Museum (October).
Barking and Dagenham 50th anniversary exhibition at Valence House (November).

Bill George, our hardworking president represented the Society at various meetings during the year. The Society website, which Bill maintains, goes from strength to strength and we are receiving numerous information requests from around  the world! We  also receive many requests for permission to use material from it.
Richard Chapman represented the Society at the official launch of the Mobile Museum at Valence House in July.

Richard Chapman has continued to organise the hugely popular coach trips and we visited the Tiptree Jam Factory and Ingatestone Hall in June, Bletchley Park in September and Kentwell Hall in December and to Duxford in March of this year; our thanks go  to Richard for all his hard work in arranging them.

We also had a visit to the RADA studios for a recording of Frank Skinner’s radio show This is History.

I would like to thank all members of the committee for their hard work undertaken during the year especially our tea team (currently June Johnson and member Iris Jameson), Nigel Harcombe for his hard work as Membership Secretary, Irene Flitcroft  for selling raffle tickets at the monthly meetings  and to Richard Chapman for keeping our financial affairs in good order.

Above all, I would like to thank our membership for its continuing support.

Membership currently stands at 52.

John Blake
Chairman


 
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