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SOLIHULL LOCAL HISTORY CIRCLEWelcome to www.solh.org.uk |
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SOLIHULL LOCAL HISTORY CIRCLEWelcome to www.solh.org.uk |
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Our evening meetings are usually held on the third
Monday of the month at the WI Hall, Warwick Road, Solihull. (Vehicle entrance
in Union Road)
Lectures start at 7.45p.m., but members meet from 7.15p.m. for tea, coffee
and a chat beforehand. Visitors Welcome:Donation £2 at the door.
Parking: Please drive up Union road as usual and Adam has kindly agreed to direct and instruct people on where to go. We hope that there will still be spaces for disabled directly behind the WI Hall.
| Date |
Speaker |
Subject |
Notes |
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Monday 15th September 2008 |
Kenneth Hughes |
Birmingham Back to Back Lives | An account of the National Trust Back to Back houses in Birmingham and of the families who lived there |
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Monday 20th October 2008 |
Andrew Lound | Titanic: The Midlands Connection | Mr Lound has spent many years researching into all aspects of the local links with this fascinating ship. This has led him to write, direct and produce a stage show entitled, ‘1912: A Titanic Odyssey’ |
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Monday 17th November 2008 |
Audrey Duggan |
Lady Luxborough And Her World | A story of a scandal and the difficulties of Henrietta St.John |
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Monday 15th December 2008 |
MEMBERS’ EVENING |
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Following the success of previous meetings we hope that this will be an opportunity for members to come forward to talk for a short while on their history projects, and for us to enjoy a social evening and a coffee and mince pie before Christmas |
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Monday 19th January 2009 |
David Patterson |
John Constable - A Warwickshire
Artist? |
An exploration of the unique patronage of one aristocratic family and its Solihull connections to the development of the career of one of Britain’s foremost artists |
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Monday 16th February 2008 |
Beryl Ellerslie | Wroxall Abbey | A brief illustrated sketch of the legends and history of Wroxall Abbey near Warwick, from its beginnings as a Benedictine priory to the present day |
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Friday 20th March 2009 |
AGM and Annual Dinner | ||
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Monday 20th April 2009 |
Simon Topman | A History Of Whistles | Mr Topman of Acme Whistles will speak on the history of whistles with an interesting and amusing slant |
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Monday 18th May 2009 |
Jean Draycott | The Restoration Of Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens | The talk will include a short history of the hall and the reasons it fell into a derelict state. An outline account will be given of the restoration programme and recent developments |
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Tuesday 16th June 1009 |
David Allen | The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal | Joint Meeting with SAG in the John Palmer Hall, Union Road |
Notes of Meetings: December 07-- January 08
Our Christmas meeting on 17 December was a memorable occasion, not only for the delicious mince pies, but because Sue Bates, one of our founders and our first Secretary 1987-95, came (from Lichfield) to talk about Sutton Coldfield. It had much in common with Solihull: an ancient Charter (1300), decay by the 18th century, before being revived by the coming of the railway (1862) which encouraged the wealthy from Birmingham to move there. Veysey, Bishop of Exeter (1519-54) provided almshouses, a school and other buildings to his birthplace. Ironically many old buildings were demolished in 1938 to make his memorial park. He persuaded Henry VIII to give Sutton Park to the town. Sue finished by describing its pools, which originally powered mills. Allan Evans, a founder member and Secretary 1995-2003, presented a video of our visit in 1999 to Tudor Grange, which was his childhood home.
On 21 January Prof. Robert Arnott told us about The Earliest Medicine in Birmingham. The first record of a hospital (in 1244) was the Priory of St Thomas (between Bull Street and Old Square). In 1286 it was given an additional 10 acres of heath in Aston, followed by more over the next 20 years reflecting Birmingham’s growing prosperity. In miserable condition in 1344, it was restored to local favour for its work in the Black Death. The Priory was dissolved in 1536. Physicians were licensed to high standards by their College in London (founded 1518); Barber Surgeons were considered inferior; and Apothecaries dispensed drugs, 1190 of which were listed in the Pharmacopoeia Londoniensis (1618). Dr John Hall (1575-1635) of Stratford had a widespread practice, which reached Birmingham. The Workhouse Infirmary opened in 1766 in Lichfield Street, being relocated in 1852 to Dudley Road where today it is the City Hospital. William Sands Cox, with his father, launched a medical school in 1825 which needed patients, so Queen’s Hospital (now the Accident) was opened in 1841. In 1765 Dr John Ash invited subscriptions for a General Hospital which eventually opened in 1779.
