Minutes of the AGM are available to members only.
The meeting was followed by a talk on ‘Addlestone Historical Society - The First 25 years’ by Jocelyn Barker.
Beryl McKenzie began the Addlestone Historical Society ( AHS) in August 1984, after encouragement from Paul Larkin formerly the curator of Chertsey Museum. The Inaugural Meeting, held on 11 September 1984, included a collection during the meeting which raised a sum of £22.78. Paul Larkin designed the Society’s Logo and Victor Spink contributed with his artwork of the ‘Crouch Oak’. The Society meets at Addlestone Community Centre and has a Social Gathering every December. It brings together any local history and archaelology in the town and surrounding area. Various members have researched projects of interest of the town i.e. Addlestone’s Public Houses and the Plessey site. An Archaeological site is under investigation in Victory Park, with the possibility of a kiln being discovered.
The Society was represented at the Woking Leisure Centre Exhibition Displays and one of their members was preparing to produce a book on Local War Memorials. The Crouch Oak Tree, probably dating from the 14 century yet not within the old boundaries of Windsor Great Park as has often been suggested, was vandalized a few years ago and fortunately survived the appalling attack. A book was published by Pamela Brush and is now out of print. A branch from this tree was removed or broken by the wind; this branch was analysed and it and was dated to be around 1670. A slice of this branch is on display in the Chertsey Museum and the other half is displayed as a feature at the meeting of their Society. The tree is due to be fenced in sometime in order to protect it.
The AHS meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, except August.
Stephanie M. Hunt [8th April 2011]
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