How did the Underground manage during the years of the Blitz: what damage was done, how people sheltered from air raids and what uses were found for all those abandoned stations.

Thursday November 14th

The Underground at War -

Chris Green.
Not a story of the French Resistance but a look into how the Underground managed during the years of the Blitz.

Thursday January 9th 2025

My Family and Local houses - Dame Sarah Goad
 

Thursday February 13th 2025

New stories and pictures from Blechingley and the Grange - Dave McCleave
 

Thursday March 13th 2025

The Romans in Blechingley

Peter Connelly - East Surrey Museum
 

Thursday April 10th 2025

Planting Ideas - Sources for the history of gardening in Surrey.

Julian Pooley - Surrey History Centre

 

(joint meeting with Horticultural Society)

 

Thursday May 8th 2025

From D-Day to VE Day -

Daphne Constable and Bill O'Brien.

How was the final year of the war seen in the Parish magazine and in the experiences of some villagers? 

 

Thursday June 12th 2025

Upstairs, Downstairs - Victorian Life

Judith Hill

 

Thursday July 10th 2025

Godstone

Roger Packham

 

Thursday September 11th 2025

 

Lost Railways of Surrey

Bill O'Brien

 

Sun October 12th 2025

12 Noon: AGM

Subscriptions are Due!

Venue to be announced

 

Audio recordings and copies of the Parish Magazine articles for most of these talks are available – please use the Contact Us page to request copies

2024/2025 Season:

 

We are very pleased to present a complete programme for the forthcoming season - details below.

 

We hope you will agree that there is once again a good mix of subjects and speakers. 

This season we will of course be covering topics specific to Blechingley's history, including the local houses and families, the Romans in Blechingley and VE day 1945 as celebrated here in the village. There are many other subjects covered including sources for the history of gardening, Victorian life and a revised and updated edition of Dave McCleave's book on Blechingley and the Grange.

2019 - 2020

2020 - 2021

October 2021

Annual General Meeting and Visit to Local Historic House 

 

September 2021

Three Hundred Years of Prime Ministers 1721-2021

Bob Evans

 

August 2021

No meeting

 

November 2020 - July 2021 

All meetings postponed

 

Meetings are held in Blechingley Village Hall, behind Lawrences the antiques dealer, in the High Street (postcode RH1 4PA) on the second Thursday of the month at 8pm unless otherwise noted. Free Car Parking available on site.

 

You may attend any meeting as a guest for £3, but why not consider joining the society for just £8 per season

 

2021 - 2022

October 2022

Annual General Meeting and Visit to Local Historic House

 

September 2022

Anne of Cleves: Flanders Mare or Bletchingley Beloved?

- Bob Evans

 

August 2022 

No meeting

 

July 2022

Village Anecdotes - Various Speakers

 

June 2022

"Herbal Leys, Hedges and Herbivores" - Conservation Initiatives at Sandhills Farm - visit led by Chris Mighall

 

May 2022

1921: A Book, A Bell and a Memorial - Daphne Constable

 

April 2022

The Conservation Areas of Tandridge District - Bob Evans

 

March 2022

Public Art in Surrey - Bill O'Brien

 

February 2022

The Downlands Trust - Conserving Our Chalk Grassland 

- Peter Wakeham

 

January 2022

Postponed

 

December 2021

Christmas Party - postponed

 

November 2021

Merstham High Street - Chris Green

Previous seasons

 

Listed here are our more recent talks. 

2022 - 2023

2023 - 2024

October 2023

Annual General Meeting and visit to St Mary's Church

 

September 2023

Gazettes, Chronicles, Standards and Expresses - Bletchingley through old newspapers - Roger Packham  

 

August 2023

No Meeting

 

July 2023

Bletchingley Village Anecdotes (part 2) 

-Led by Richard Fowler

 

June 2023

New Towns: Past, Present and Future

- Bob Evans

 

May 2023

Brewer Street Farmhouse

- Chris French

 

April 2023

Desmond Tutu in Bletchingley

- Various Speakers

 

March 2023

The Grange (and Book Launch)

- Dave MacLeave

 

February 2023

Titsey: medieval Knights, Bishops and Bankers to the King

-Stephanie Allen

 

January 2023

Old London Bridge: 600 Years of Residence and Retail

- Chris Green

 

December 2022

Christmas Party

 

November 2022

"Biggin on the Bump" - The Story of RAF Biggin Hill

- Bob Ogley

 

October 2024

Annual General Meeting and visit to Tollsworth Manor

 

September 2024

History of Gatton Park with a nod to Capability Brown - Alan Mortlock

 

August 2024

No Meeting

 

July 2024

Martello Towers: Effective Deterrent or Romantic Folly? - Bob Evans

 

June 2024

Blechingley's Hospitals, from Isolation to the Workhouse - John Berge

 

May 2024

The Bourne Society and Its Villages
- Roger Packham

 

April 2024

Mediaeval Chaldon

- Chaldon History Group

 

March 2024

East Grinstead - Weird, Wealden and Wonderful - Bob Evans

 

February 2024

East Surrey Museum

- Peter Connelly (Curator)

 

January 2024

The Risbridgers in Blechingley

- Annie Risbridger Hind

 

December 2023

Christmas Party

 

November 2023

"Corsets and Cameras" C19th costume for dating old photographs

- Jane Lewis, Surrey History Centre

 

October 2020

Annual General Meeting - held virtually

 

April - September 2020

All meetings postponed

 

March 2020

Tales of the Caves: the Mines and Quarries between Reigate and Godstone - Peter Burgess

 

February 2020 

Fuelling The War - Bletchingley's Secret Pipeline -

Tim Whittle

 

January 2020

Merstham in Old Picture Postcards - Liz Bonsall

 

December 2019

Christmas Party at Tollsworth Manor

 

November 2019

The History of Tollsworth Manor - Gordon Gillett

Thursday December 12th 6 - 8 pm

Historical Society Christmas Party at a local house, open to members.

Carriages at 8!

Next Meeting:

 

Thursday Nov 14th at 8pm: The Underground at War

 

Chris Green, who has spoken to us in the past about Merstham and old London Bridge, turns his attention to 'The Tube'. How did the Underground manage during the years of the Blitz: what damage was done, how did people shelter from air raids and what uses were found for all those abandoned stations?

 

Programme 2024 - 2025
All Meetings are at 8pm unless otherwise noted