A treasure trove of history
Hopefully you will have already visited Spelthorne Museum in Staines, but if not you are missing a treat! Next time you are in Staines, ome and find us, just through Staines library.
My Mad Magna Carta Weekend!
As many of you will know from my last article, June saw several commemorations locally of the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta. My experience of the celebrations began on the evening of Friday 12th, with a reception at Bisham Abbey for Charter Bearers who had been nominated to carry a copy of Magna Carta in the River Relay from Hurley to Runnymede over the weekend.
Goodbye to the ‘Ship’
As I write this article, the old Ship Hotel, (more recently called Harrison’s) is being demolished to make way for a block of flats. It’s a sad end for another of our old hostelries, in this case dating back at least 300 years.
The PIM Board Works, Sunbury
The photograph of the PIM works at Sunbury Cross dates from just over a century ago, and shows the factory originally established in the late 19th century by Frederick Walton, inventor of Linoleum floor covering.
Shepperton from the air c1930
This fascinating 1930s postcard of the Church Square area shows how much has changed in the intervening 80 years or so.
Shepperton High Street c1950s
On the face of it this 1950s postcard of Shepperton War Memorial doesn’t look a lot different to the present day, but closer inspection reveals quite a few changes.
Remembrance in Shepperton
I recently went to see the installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ at the Tower of London, which will see 888,246 ceramic poppies planted in the Tower’s moat, each poppy representing a British military fatality during the war.
Decoy and Deception at the Studios
The craftsmen and women at Shepperton Studios are famous for their ability to create scenery and models for film and TV, during World War Two however, their predecessors put these same skills to a more vital use.
A Busy Month For Heritage!
September always seems to be a busy month for heritage in our area, so this month I thought I would highlight several events and anniversaries.
2014 sees the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Thames Valley Railway, the original rather grandiose name for the branch line from Strawberry Hill to Shepperton.
The Centenary of the First World War
The First World War began for this country on August 4th 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany, for invading neutral Belgium. As in many other communities all over the country, the war had a profound effect on our local towns and villages.
Gilbert and Sullivan and D’Oyly Carte Island
Gilbert and Sullivan are of course best known for the series of comic light operas which bear their names, but the man whose knowledge of the music business brought them together and made the partnership work (not always an easy task) was Richard D’Oyly Carte
St. Nicholas Church 400th Anniversary
St. Nicholas Church, Shepperton, this year celebrates the 400th anniversary of the present building being consecrated.
Shepperton Woman
No, not another term for ‘ladies who lunch’ or perhaps more recently, those for whom waders or wellies are the latest ‘look’. The Shepperton woman in question is the oldest known inhabitant of the area, who lived here 5,500 years ago.