News

Historical drawing and current photograph of one of London’s soup kitchens. Credit: Phil Carstairs LAMAS has been offering a research fund since 2005 to assist individual members, and also affiliated societies, to undertake research projects furthering our knowledge of London’s history and archaeology.  Here is a summary of the research projects and recipients that were successful this year: London soup kitchens during the long nineteenth century, 1790-1914, Phil Carstairs  Soup kitchens were a vital resource for London’s poor during times of high food prices and high unemployment.  Despite their prevalence and their importance to the poor’s survival, they are often poorly documented and little studied.  The project will identify those soup kitchens operating in north and east London during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and locate these on Layers of London (a digital mapping service).  A small sample (there will have been several hundred soup kitchens operating in this area if not more) will be subject to more detailed architectural/archaeological survey and study using evidence from the surviving buildings and documentary sources (where these survive).  It is estimated that between 20 and 40 buildings that housed soup kitchens still survive in this area; the project has so far identified 15 buildings that once housed soup kitchens surviving.  The majority of these survivors are former religious mission buildings although three buildings used by charities that were not affiliated to a particular church or religion have so far been identified.  Given the limited and self-serving nature of most of the documents left by the charities and missions, understanding the buildings and how they operated and where they were located in the landscape is vital to understanding what they were actually like and how they were experienced by the poor. The outcome will hopefully show how the local communities that made up north and east London responded to hunger and poverty and how missions acted differently to charities.  It will result in a publication in LAMAS Transactions and contribute to a book I am currently writing on nineteenth century soup kitchens. Phil Carstairs will be conducting the research. Phil is an archaeologist and historian specialising in the post-medieval period with a particular interest in buildings. Wish You Were Here: Local and Community Histories through Picture Postcards and Postcard Messages, John Price The overall objective of this project is to digitise an extraordinary and extensive collection of picture postcards, and the written messages they contain, and to make the entire collection freely available online for researchers to use. The Ken White Postcard Collection is comprised of 7,000 postcards. However, unlike many postcard collections, 4,200 (60%) of them have been posted and contain written messages. Ken White (1923-2012) was a prolific local historian, author, geographer, and environmentalist who donated many collections, including these postcards, to the Lewisham Local History Society. An initial audit reveals that most of the written postcards date from between 1870 and 1960 and, more often than not, they were posted to addresses in Greater London.  The postcard images are very broad and varied, but they include: British local and national landscapes and buildings; contemporary illustrations, cartoons, and sketches; messages relating to occasions such as birthdays and Christmas; and religious and cultural images and iconography. However, it is the messages and information on the reverse of the cards that make them significant and interesting, particularly for historians and researchers. Collections of written postcards on this scale, outside the hands of commercial or private collectors, are very rare and unusual. The plan is to digitise all 7,000 postcards front and back. The collection is held by the Museum of Everyday Life, which is an online archive and museum that engages with the archive collection of the Lewisham Local History Society. The project will be managed by Dr John Price, the Director of the Museum of Everyday Life, and the work will be undertaken by the experienced team at the museum. Mr. Herbert William Brittan, his family and home, and their place in the local community, Adam Markiewicz This research will provide an in-depth historical case study of the Brittan family at 20 Thurlby Road, West Norwood. It will include research on Mr. H.W. Brittan, who was an important local historical figure, and demonstrate the influence of him and his family to the history of the local area and community.  It will also cover broader themes of social history, women’s history, and architectural history. Most significantly this project will take a people’s history approach utilising a unique set of sources in order to fully contextualise their lives and experiences and what that can tell us of historical importance. Mr. Herbert William Brittan was described in the local press in 1949 as ‘The man who has done more for Norwood than any other living citizen’.  What is immediately evident from preliminary research is that Mr. H. W. Brittan was a remarkable individual of multifaceted historical interest, who at the time was well-known in his community and even seen as somewhat of a local hero. Therefore, one objective of this project will be to compose a biography of Mr. H.W. Brittan, as he has thus far received no attention in research. Preliminary research of just one of the Brittan daughters presents a fascinating case study of 20th-century women’s history, given the fact at the time of her studying at the London Medical School for Women there would have been less than 300 individuals enrolled. Therefore, a further objective of the project is to better illustrate Ruth Brittan’s biography, those of her mother and her sisters, and the Brittan family unit as a whole as they represent an interesting microcosm of several intersections of 20th-century local and social history. Given the house they lived in was of Mr. Brittan’s own design, research into the architecture of the house may also be of historical interest depending on sources available. This project will promote the study of local history in the Greater London area primarily as a local history case study of the Norwood area. Adam Markiewicz, freelance historian will be conducting the research. The Supply Reserve Depot and its place in the community of First World War Deptford, Jude Pretoria This project proposes to research the overlooked impact of the Supply Reserve Depot (SRD), Deptford. Based in Deptford on the site of the former Foreign Cattle Market, nowadays the dormant Convoys Wharf, the SRD operated from the 1910s and was especially impactful during the First World War, where it functioned as the principal Army depot for reserve supplies of all kinds to be accumulated. This material ranged from foodstuffs of all sorts (sugar, flower, bacon, etc.), to rations, to tobacco and cigarettes, and even to the Princess Mary Gift Tins distributed to all fighting soldiers for Christmas 1914. To manage all this material the depot possessed a vast network of infrastructure with many yards, goods sheds, light railway tracks, and concrete landing stages that stretched from the shorefront into the river proper. By virtue of its size, strategic importance, and employment of both military and civilian personnel, the SRD was an impactful part of Deptford and London’s landscape during the First World War. Its staff ranged from Army Service Corps personnel from across the country, to an increasingly large contingent of Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps labourers, to local civilian labourers and workers of various kinds. Thus, the SRD was a space familiar to both locals and non-locals alike. This brought further problems: much theft of government property occurred, and nearly every week Greenwich Police Court heard such cases. These were reported nearly non-stop in local newspapers for the duration of the war. Officers of the SRD from The Tatler, 25 August 1915. The SRD survived the war and continued to operate in the interwar period as well as the Second World War, however it seems to have had a diminishing role as the intricacies of logistics developed over time. Despite standing in the lineage of well-known river-side industries that occupied this site in Deptford and despite its clear impact on the local community, the SRD has nonetheless thus far not been academically studied and written about. This project proposes to make use of the Research Fund to rebalance this, and bring light to this unique building, its social impact, and the physical remnants it leaves behind. Jude Pretoria will be conducting this research. Jude is a recent History graduate set on pursuing a career in heritage studies. Many projects involving a LAMAS research grant have been published in Transactions. A list of past recipients can be found here https://www.lamas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Round_up-2005_2023.pdf.  We will announce when the fund is open for applications later this year.

Homebase, Manor Road, Richmond: The scheme refused by LB Richmond but approved by the Mayor of London. Image: Applicant’s planning application. Here are two perspectives on the impact of tall buildings on London’s heritage, summarising presentations given at an open meeting of LAMAS’s Historic Buildings and Conservation Committee (HBCC). The views are those of the authors, not necessarily those of HBCC. The view from Richmond – by John Ricketts It has been ten years now since New London Architecture, the independent membership organisation for London’s built environment sector, produced their landmark survey of the tall buildings (436) that were in the pipeline for London in 2015. The issue of the impact of such buildings on their surrounding streetscapes and heritage remains highly pertinent across the capital. What is the definition of a tall building? Actually, it remains undefined in national policy (the NPPF https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework–2), and definitions in Local Plans (LPs) vary. The London Plan (Policy D9) states that “tall buildings should only be developed in locations that are identified as suitable” in boroughs’ LPs, a stipulation which itself was inserted on the direction of the Secretary of State. An example in the London Borough of Richmond (the Homebase, Manor Road site) illustrates the Mayor of London riding roughshod over the Borough’s plans to restrict tall buildings to appropriate areas. The Borough’s Local Plan (in draft stage at that time but in force since October this year) stated that tall buildings – now defined by the Borough as seven storeys or over – should be restricted to Tall Building Zones (TBZs) as defined in the LP. The Homebase site is in a TBZ which the LP specifies as suitable for heights of up to eight storeys, to respect the small scale of the surrounding area and heritage assets. In May 2024, and in the face of considerable local opposition, the Mayor finally approved an application for a dense array of buildings of up to 11 storeys on the Homebase site, on the grounds that other requirements of the London Plan, specifically the need for more residential units, trumped the Borough’s tall building restrictions. The application had been refused by the Borough in 2019 on the grounds inter alia of the adverse visual impact of the tall buildings. Requests by local campaigners for the Secretary of State to call the application in, particularly in light of his direction that “tall buildings should only be developed in locations that are identified as suitable” in Local Plans, were refused with no reason given, despite the fact that a similarly large scale scheme nearby (the Tesco and Homebase sites in Syon Lane, Hounslow) was called in by the Secretary of State. The application is now being superseded by a new scheme reconfigured in the light of financial viability concerns given the economic climate, but the maximum building height is still 10 storeys, 25% above the limit stipulated in the Local Plan. What price local democracy? The view from the City – by John Schofield Computer image of two skyscrapers which have obtained consent: 99 Bishopsgate (left) and 55 Bishopsgate (right). The view looks east along Wormwood Street.Image: RSHP Architects. There are two areas in the City where tall buildings are allowed and encouraged: the first in Bishopsgate and Cornhill, the second a smaller area around Holborn. Tall buildings in the City are defined as those which reach above 75m above Ordnance Datum or sea level; so that is not 75m above ground level where the building is. Gracechurch Street is at about 17m above Ordnance Datum. The general grouping of the cluster is a bit of a mess. It is not Chicago, which in many ways is a model of how tall buildings can be accommodated, and indeed enhance a skyline. The City Cluster of tall buildings around Bishopsgate is straining at its boundaries and pushing out. The Corporation in its own policy paper says ‘important views of St Paul’s Cathedral must be protected and enhanced’ – but the now consented tower at 99 Bishopsgate (on the left in the photo) removes precious space from around the cathedral’s dome when viewed from the west. Objectors (Historic England and the Surveyor of the Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s successor) say the new building will cause significant harm to the heritage significance of a Grade I listed building, the Cathedral. The developer has not produced any detailed views of how the building would stand behind St Paul’s, which is probably significant and certainly rings alarm bells. The building at 99 Bishopsgate will be 236m high; the Shard is 303m. The design itself is quite good. There is a lot of public space to be set up around its base. But there are no heritage benefits. It might be acceptable on another site; here, it is just in the wrong place. 55 Bishopsgate, the block’s neighbour to the south (on the right in the photo), was already consented, over the objections of Historic England, the Cathedral and others. These blocks are intrusions. They disrupt with their scale and siting. And tall buildings are sprouting outside the areas allocated for them: for instance in Whitechapel.  In the case of tall buildings, we are contending not only with developers or the owners of sites, but with planners. We have to criticise and influence the planners. Tall buildings may be necessary for the future of the City of London, as they bring jobs and taxes, but they have to do more in respecting the previous built heritage around them. Our economic future and our history need not be at odds. What can LAMAS do? We need to make sure tall buildings are a positive contribution to the townscape and not a negative one. We can read carefully the views of bodies like St Paul’s and Historic England when they object and possibly add our support to their objections. We need to consider strategic views of the City skyline and its major monuments. This article first appeared in the January 2026 LAMAS Newsletter. If this article stirs any indignation and wish to contribute to the work by LAMAS in conservation all over London, consider becoming a member of the Historic Buildings and Conservation Committee – see further details on this web page: https://www.lamas.org.uk/historic-buildings-committee/ You need only to cover your borough. The work is very interesting and worthwhile.

Below is a list of meetings, talks and events held by LAMAS affiliated local history and archaeology societies across Greater London in the next quarter. Readers are advised to check with local societies if planning to attend lectures. Please check society websites to ensure events are running and for any changes to programme listings. Acton History Group Meetings are held on the second Wednesday in the month at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Parish Church Hall, Acton. Free for members, £2 for non-members. Contact email: actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com website: www.actonhistory.co.uk 10 June 2026 – AGM followed by 40th Anniversary Meeting 9 September 2026 – Portraits of Acton Notables (Part One), Anthony Smith Barnes and Mortlake History Society Meetings are held from September to April on Thursdays at St Mary’s Parish Church, Barnes, at 8pm unless otherwise stated below. The meetings are free for members (£5 for visitors). For further details please contact the Hon. Secretary on 020 8878 3756 or visit us at www.barnes-history.org.uk 17 September 2026 – Prince George and Master Frederick – royal friends and secret brothers, Rosalind Freeborn Barnet Museum and Local History Society All meetings are held in St John the Baptist Church, Wood Street, Barnet at 3pm (unless otherwise stated) on Mondays (opposite the Museum). Lectures are free for members (£2 for visitors). Contact Barnet Museum, 31 Wood Street, Barnet EN5 4BE (020 8440 8066) or visit: www.barnetmuseum.co.uk for more information. 8 June 2026 – The Holiday Camps: Summer Holiday Memories, John Lynch 13 July 2026 – History of Allotments, Kate Harwood 14 September 2026 – 1953 The Year of the Floods, Terence Atkins Bexley Archaeological Group Talks are held at Bexley-Sidcup Conservative Club, 19 Station Road, Sidcup, DA15 7EB. Please arrive by 8pm for an 8.15pm start. For further information, please contact Clare Lodge: Principal Field Officer and Public Relations Coordinator – pr@bag.org.uk or visit our website www.bag.org.uk. Non-members also welcome £5. Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society The Society holds hybrid talks at the Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, W4 2EL and via Zoom. All talks are on the 3rd Monday of the month and begin at 7.30pm. Non-members are welcome and details of the talks will be available on the Society’s website at https://brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk 30 May 2026 – 2.30pm at Hogarth’s House (NB this is a Saturday) AGM Bromley Borough Local History Society The Society meets once a month from September to July, usually on the first Tuesday of the month. Meetings are held at 7.45pm in the Church Hall, St George’s Church in Bickley Park Road, BR1 2BE. Non-members £2.00 contribution please. The Society’s website is: www.bblhs.org.uk 2 June 2026 – The History of Elmstead Woods Station and its Garden, Ros Goodall 7 July 2026 – The Crystal Palace – 1851 to 1936, Philip Emery 4 August 2026 – via Zoom only Looking at Maps, Mal Mitchell 1 September 2026 – Members Evening – Show and Tell Camden History Society The Society normally holds meetings at 7.30pm on the 3rd Thursday of each month, except August. Non-members welcome at “in-person” events (£2); Zoom talks are for CHS members only – some of which are recorded and can be watched by anyone via links on the website. For further information visit: www.camdenhistorysociety.org. Non-members are invited to join the Society. 11 June 2026 – Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre, Holborn Library Student London: 200 years of student life in the capital, Georgina Brewis and Sam Blaxland 23 July 2026 – Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre, Holborn Library The Artist Richard Dadd, Miranda Miller 24 September 2026 – Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre, Holborn Library AGM followed by How Napoleon made London the world capital of trade and finance, Jerry White Camden New Town History Group Camden New Town is north of Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden. Meetings of this group of local residents are generally held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Irish Centre in Camden Square from 7pm. email: maillist@camdennewtown.info; website: www.camdennewtown.info Chadwell Heath Historical Society Meetings are held at 7.30pm from September to June. All meetings are held at the Baptist Church Hall, High Road, Chadwell Heath, RM6 6PP, a short walk from the Chadwell Heath Elizabeth Line station. Visitors welcome £3 pp. Enquiries: 020 8597 7210; email: chadwellheathhistsoc@hotmail.com & www.facebook.com/chhistorical 19 May 2026 – Wartime Havering, Ellen Owen 16 June 2026 – AGM followed by Plague Houses and Pandemics, Alison Wall 15 September 2026 – The Peculiar People, Mark Ripper City of London Archaeological Society (COLAS) Lectures are normally on the third Friday in every month and currently are via Zoom only, prior booking is required. Contact via the website www.colas.org.uk; email: colas_outreach@yahoo.co.uk for booking information about 5 days before lecture. There is no charge for registering for a Zoom lecture. 12 June 2026 (NB this is the 2nd Friday of the month) – The Massive Melsonby Iron Age Hoard: from Bits of Bits to Wheel and Wagons, Dr Sophia Adams, British Museum 17 July 2026 – Imperial Suburbia: New Excavations on The Highway, Shadwell. Harry Platts, Pre-Construct Archaeology Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society The Society holds a number of live events on a variety of topics at various locations and Zoom talks from October to April each year. Details can be found on their website at https://cnhss.co.uk/ The following live talks take place in the Small Hall at East Croydon United Reformed Church, 86 Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, CR0 5LP from 7.45pm unless otherwise stated. Non-members are welcome – we invite a small donation of £3. Zoom talks for non-members require booking by emailing cnhss.info@gmail.com at least 24 hours before the lecture quoting the reference/s shown below. 30 May 2026 – 2.30pm – The history of and campaign for South Norwood Country Park, Janet Ambrose 22 June 2026 – Inn names: signposts to a local past, Dr Trevor James. Zoom Ref: ZOOM INNS VISITOR Edmonton Hundred Historical Society Meetings are held at Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane, Enfield EN2 0AJ, usually on the 3rd Wednesday of every month (except August) – occasional joint meetings with other societies may be on different days. The Eltham Society Unless otherwise stated, all meetings take place at 7.00pm (for a 7.30pm start) at the Woodcroft Club, Eltham High Street. Non-members £5.00 including refreshments. Email: contact@theelthamsociety.org.uk website: www.theelthamsociety.org.uk 4 June 2026 – Historic Greenwich, Ian Bevan 2 July 2026 – Sir Ernest Shackleton and his Polar Explorations, Simon Brindley 23 September 2026 – Andy Goldsworthy – A man and his art, Frank Woodgate Enfield Archaeological Society Meetings are either held at Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane, Enfield EN2 0AJ (doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start) or online via Zoom (indicated below) – the link will be available on the society website www.enfarchsoc.org the day before. Check the website for upcoming event details. Visitors welcome – £1.50. 12 June 2026 – Robert Cowie on Lundenwic The Finchley Society We hold eight meetings a year, on the last Thursday of January, February, March, April, June, September, October and November. Meetings are held at 7.30pm at Avenue House (Stephens House and Gardens) 27 East End Road, Finchley N3 3QE. Non-members welcome for a donation of £2.00. For more information see our website at https://www.finchleysociety.org.uk 24 September 2026 – The Finchley Society Planning Committee will give a presentation on local planning matters Friends of Bruce Castle Museum and Park Friends of Bruce Castle Evening talks usually take place on the last Wednesday of the month, 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Munch and Listen talks are usually on the last Monday of the month, 12.00pm for 12.15pm start. Talks are free and open to all (tea/coffee is available for a small charge). Please see website for details: https://www.brucecastle.org/whats-on/talks Talks are generally a hybrid combination of actual and virtual, via Zoom link. Both actual and virtual attendance should be booked in advance unless otherwise stated. Details of the programme are available from the website: https://www.brucecastle.org/whats-on/talks or phone Bruce Castle Museum (020 8489 4250). Bruce Castle Museum, Lordship Lane, Tottenham, N17 8NU. Car park on site. (SATNAV for car park N17 7AA entrance on Church Lane). Keep up to date by linking to the Friends Facebook page. All sorts of events and activities on-going. The Friends of Hackney Archives The Friends are based at Hackney Archives, Dalston Square, London E8 3BQ and put on at least three events per year for people with an interest in Hackney’s and London’s history. These include talks, visits and walks, and provide an opportunity to meet members of the Friends and others who share an interest in the history of Hackney. Please see our website for further information, including Events and How to Join, and access to publications of Hackney’s history: www.hackneyhistory.orgEmail us: hackneyhistory@gmail.com The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery For information about the activities of Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, email: fokgc@hotmail.com website: www.kensalgreen.co.uk All events require booking via the website. Ticket prices vary according to the event but all income helps the Friends to restore monuments, study the cemetery and attract visitors to Kensal Green. The following Special Events are bookable online: 20 June 2026 – 10.30am Talk and Guided Walk (buffet lunch included) St. Helena to Kensal Green Exploring Napoleon’s Final Chapter, John Haines, David Symington, Irina Porter 15 August 2026 – 10.30am Talk and Guided Walk (buffet lunch included) The Angels of Kensal Green, Emma Liggins, Irina Porter 20 September 2026 – 2.00pm Guided Walk The Days of Giants: Joseph Locke and his generation of railway pioneers, John Haines Friern Barnet & District Local History Society Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month (no meetings in July and August) at The North Middlesex Golf Club, The Manor House, Friern Barnet Lane, Whetstone N20 0NL, starting at 7.45pm for 8.00pm. Non-members are welcome (£2). Refreshments are available. Email: friern-barnethistory@hotmail.co.uk : website: www.friern-barnethistory.org.uk For further details contact Patricia Berguer on 020 8368 8314. 24 June 2026 – 20th Century Trent Park, Sue Elliott 23 September 2026 – A History of St Mary’s Church, Hendon, Revd Julie Gittoes The Hackney Society The Society organises a wide range of walks, talks and guided tours during the year – details and tickets can be found on their Eventbrite page. 23 May – walk from Springfield House, E5 Discover the Springs of Springfield Park and other Geology, Diana Clements A full programme of events can be found on the website below: Hackney History Festival Hayes & Harlington Local History Society Most meetings are held at Botwell Green Library, Leisure Centre, East Avenue, Hayes UB3 3HW on the third Tuesday of the month. Times vary according to the season. Non-members are welcome. Further information from Mr Robin Brown, 107 Wentworth Crescent, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1NP (020 8848 7959). Email: hayescanal@hotmail.co.uk 26 May 2026 – 2pm for a 2.15pm start TBA, Frankie Pugh, History Teacher Future dates (all 2pm for a 2.15pm start): 15 September 2026, 20 October, 17 November – Presentations to be confirmed: The Park Royal Agricultural Show by Anthony Smith poet, urban rambler; Rediscovering a part of west London by Joanna Dudzinska urban explorer, Ealing Walking and Exploring; More postcards of west London by Paul Lang Hendon & District Archaeological Society Lectures are held on Tuesdays in the Drawing Room, Avenue House, 17 East End Road, Finchley, N3 3QE, and start promptly at 8.00 pm, with coffee / tea afterwards (cash only). Non-members admission: £2. Buses 13, 125, 143, 326 & 460 pass nearby, and Finchley Central station (Northern Line) is a 5-10 minute walk away. For further information see the website: www.hadas.org.uk 9 June 2026 AGM (at 7.30pm) followed by – The Parish Scavenger’s Tale, Jacqui Pearce, HADAS President Hounslow and District History Society Meetings held in person are at the McCrea Hall, Hounslow United Reform Church (114 Hanworth Road, Hounslow, on the corner of Chapel Road, TW3 1UF) on the last Tuesday of the month or on Zoom (see below) and commence at 7.30.pm. Non-members visiting are invited to pay £2.00 at the door. Non-members who wish to be added to the society’s Zoom log-in list for a particular talk should contact James Marshall at ajmarshall54@gmail.com Leyton and Leytonstone Historical Society Meetings are generally on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.45pm in St John’s Church Hall, off High Road Leytonstone (between the new Aldi and the church), E11 1HH. Free to members, non-members pay £2.00. Doors open 7.15pm (refreshments available for a small donation). For more information see the website at :-http://www.leytonhistorysociety.org.uk/events.html or contact Maureen Measure – email measure@btinternet.com 29 May 2026 – 6.30pm starting at St Mary’s Church in Overton Drive (approx. 2.5 hours) Wanstead Historical Walking Tour Tony Warren 17 June 2026 – The New Layout of the Vestry House Museum, Sorrell Hersherg and Claire Mead 15 July 2026 – The Leyton that Used to Be, Gary Lewis 16 September 2026 – Walthamstow Town Hall, Joanna Moncrieff London Natural History Society The LNHS Virtual Natural History Talk series will take place fortnightly at 7.00pm. All of the talks are free to everyone and they are recorded and uploaded to the LNHS YouTube channel afterwards. Booking is essential at:-https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/london-natural-history-society-30790245484 For a full range of Natural History talks see the website above Merton Historical Society Meetings are held monthly from October until April at 2.30pm on Saturday afternoons at St James’ Church Hall, Martin Way, Merton. For further information please contact the Honorary Secretary, Mrs Rosemary Turner, 27 Burley Close, London SW16 4QQ, mhs@mertonhistoricalsociety.org.uk or www.mertonhistoricalsociety.org.uk During the summer the Society arranges a series of workshops for members and visitors to share current interests and research, to exchange ideas and to seek help and advice. These are held at Wandle Industrial Museum, Mitcham on the following Fridays, 2.30-4.30pm: 22 May 2026, 3 July 2026, 14 August 2026, 25 September 2026 The Norwood Society Local history talks are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7.30pm at the Upper Norwood Library, Westow Hill SE19 1TJ. Entry is free, but a donation of £3 towards the cost of tea and homemade cakes would be much appreciated. Booking can be made in advance via Eventbrite. For all enquiries, please contact Ruth Hibberd at: membership@norwoodsociety.co.uk or visit the website: www.norwoodsociety.co.uk 5 August 2026 – Walk 7.00pm – 8.30pm and 8 August 2026 11.00am – 12.30pm Fox Hill, Upper Norwood, Stephen Oxford 16 August 2026 – Walk 2.00pm – 4.00pm Beulah Hill, Stephen Oxford Orpington and District Archaeological Society Meetings are held in Christ Church (United Reformed), Tudor Way, Petts Wood, BR5 1LH on the first Wednesday of each month (except August and January when the talks are online via Zoom) from 8.00pm unless stated differently below. Non-members are welcome to attend (£3 donation) but please check the website at : www.odas.org.uk before attending in case of last-minute changes. For further information please contact Michael Meekums or Janet Clayton (020 8302 1572). 3 June 2026 – Excavations in Kent, Rebecca Haslam, Project Manager, AOC Archaeology Group 1 July 2026 – Vikings in Kent, Andy Ward, Curator, Kent Archaeological Society 19 July 2026 (Sunday11.00am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 4.00pm) Odas is opening the site of the Romano-British Bathhouse in Bellefield Road, St Mary Cray. For details see www.odas.org.uk 5 August 2026 – via Zoom. Links can be obtained from Odaszoom@btinternet.com from July. A donation of £3 is requested. Bartmann goes Global – Project update, Jacqui Pearce, Senior Pottery Specialist, MOLA 2 September 2026 – The Witch Bottle Phenomenon, Dr Nigel Jeffries, Principal Specialist and Manager leading MOLA’s ceramics team 12-13 September 2026 (Saturday and Sunday 2.00pm – 5.00pm). Scadbury Moated Manor Open Weekend. See www.odas.org.uk for details. Pinner Local History Society All meetings start at 8.00pm. Main meetings take place in the Village Hall, Pinner. Visitors are welcome for a donation of £3. For further information please contact: Emma Jessop, emmajplhs@outlook.com  Website: www.pinnerlhs.org.uk 4 June 2026 – Pinner’s Roads to London and the Pinner Turnpike, Thamar MacIver Richmond Archaeological Society Talks are held at the Richmond Library Annexe, Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, usually on the second Friday in the month. Doors open 7.30 for 8.00pm start. Some lectures will be via Zoom (indicated below) and internet connections and the Zoom setup can be checked from 7.45pm before the start. Members will be emailed by the treasurer and membership secretary, Stephen Alexander (alexander.stephen@gmail.com) in advance with the talk and link, if Zoom. Non-members are welcome and should email him before each lecture. For information on how to join the online lectures please visit the website: www.richmondarchaeology.org.uk or email: richmond.archaeology@gmail.com Richmond Local History Society Meetings are held on Mondays, if possible, at Duke Street Church, Richmond, TW9 1DH at 8.00pm. The venue is 5 minutes from Richmond Station and there is parking on Richmond Green Visitors £5.00. All talks are live streamed via Zoom – see website for joining details. For further information email: membership@richmondhistory.org.uk website: http://www.richmondhistory.org.uk 14 September 2026 – The 250th Anniversary of Richmond Bridge, Mark Lucas Rotherhithe & Bermondsey Local History Society The series of lectures below will take place at the Norwegian Church, 12 Albion Street, SE16 7LN and begin at 7.30pm. Booking is not required unless stated below. For more information please visit the website: www.rbhistory.org.uk 30 September 2026 – AGM followed by A Selection of old London films Ruislip, Northwood and Eastcote Local History Society Meetings will be held on usually the third Tuesday of each month at 8.00pm at St Martins Church Hall, High Street, Ruislip. Visitors are welcome (£3 admission). For further information about the activities of the Society and updates about our plans for meetings please contact the Membership Secretary (membership@rnelhs.uk) or visit our website www.RNELHS.org.uk 15 September 2026 – The Founders of Northwood, Brian Greenan, Local Historian, toastmaster/speaker Southgate District Civic Voice We are a civic society in the western half of the London Borough of Enfield, which covers Southgate, Southgate Green, Cockfosters, New Southgate, Oakwood, Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill. Open Meetings are normally held twice a year in the Walker Lower Hall, 7 The Green, Southgate, N14 7EG. Non-members are welcome (£5 admission including booking fee). Please visit the website for information on how to register for events. For further information visit our website: www.southgatedistrictcivicvoice.org or email us on info@southgatedistrictcivicvoice.org Southwark & Lambeth Archaeological Society Lectures are held monthly on the second Tuesday at 7.30pm at the Housing Cooperative, 106 The Cut SE1, (direct entrance from the raised walkway), almost opposite the Old Vic. Visitors are welcome but are asked to contribute £1 towards expenses. For further details please contact Richard Buchanan, 79 Ashridge Crescent, Shooter’s Hill, London SE18 3EA : email: RichardJBuchanan@aol.com For enquiries please call 020 8764 8314. Spelthorne Archaeology and Local History Group Talks start at 8.00pm. Members free, non-members welcome (£3 admission). For further details please contact Nick Pollard (01932 564585): Email curator@spelthornemuseum.org.uk : website www.spelthornemuseum.org.uk For further details and venue please check our website. 3 September 2026 – Venue: Staines Methodist Church (NB 7.30pm start) Death on the Thames, Jane Sidell The Thorney Island Society The Society organises talks and visits to places of interest in the Westminster area throughout the year. Non-members welcome although some visits are for members only. Booking essential. See website at https://thethorneyislandsociety.org.uk/ttis/index.php for details of how to book or email info@thethorneyislandsociety.org.uk Borough of Twickenham Local History Society Lectures are held at St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Twickenham, at 8.00pm on the first Monday of each month from October to May. Guests are welcome (£4.00). For further information please visit our website: www.botlhs.co.uk Uxbridge Local History and Archive Society All meetings take place at Christ Church, Redford Way (off Belmont Road), Uxbridge, UB8 1SZ, starting at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated below. For further information please contact Mr K.R. Pearce, 29 Norton Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2PT. Website: www.eddiethecomputer.co.uk/history Walthamstow Historical Society Talks take place on Thursdays in St Saviour’s Church, Markhouse Road, Walthamstow E17 8EP (15 mins walk from St James Street Station). Doors open at 7.15pm for a 7.45pm start. Visitors welcome (£2). Zoom links will be sent out before the meeting – non-members wishing to attend please email: whsmembershipsec@gmail.com Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/walthamstowhs/events Wandsworth Historical Society Meetings held either via Zoom or at the Friends’ Meeting House, Wandsworth High Street (opposite Town Hall) on the last Friday of the month at 8.00pm until 9.15pm – as  indicated  below.  Bookings  for  Zoom  talks  can  be  made  by  emailing: whsevents@wandsworthhistory.org.uk. Booking not required for live talks and all are free of charge. For more information visit the website: www.wandsworthhistory.org.uk 26 June 2026 – AGM plus Wandsworth Prison: a history of 175 years of public service, Stewart McLaughlin, Curator of Wandsworth Prison Museum 31 July 2026 – TBA 25 September 2026 – Members’ Evening The Whitechapel Society The Society was originally set up to study the murders of Jack the Ripper, but its remit has widened to cover all aspects of late Victorian and Early Edwardian East End social history. The Society holds meetings every 2 months at the Crutched Friar pub, 39-41 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2AE. Doors open 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.  Non-members £5.00. Full details can be found on our website www.whitechapelsociety.com and our Facebook page “The Whitechapel Society 1888”. 6 June 2026 – The Assassination of Queen Victoria (almost), Trevor Spinage 8 August 2026 – The Dark and Dingy Underworld of the Victorian Slums, Bethan Watts Willesden Local History Society The Society meets on Wednesdays from September to June at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Parish Centre, which is in Neasden Lane adjacent to the churchyard. Non-members welcome. For further information please contact the Secretary, Margaret Pratt, 51 West Ella Road, London NW10 9PT (020 8965 7230). Website: www.willesden-local-history.co.uk 17 June 2026 – AGM

LAMAS 60th History Conference: An Intelligent Interest – Learning and Education in London. Book tickets: https://www.lamas.org.uk/product/lamas-60th-history-conference/   Programme and Registration Details: Saturday 21st November 2026, 10.30-17.30, Wilberforce Room, Docklands Museum of London, E14 4AL. Doors open at 10.30am with an opportunity to browse local history displays and stalls by societies. The conference itself will begin at 11.00am and finish around 5.30pm. We have assembled a fantastic programme of speakers covering a wide and varied range of topics: ‘Publicly funded education in endowed London secondary schools leading up to the First World War and its role in facilitating social mobility’ (Dr Andrew Whittaker) ‘Life Opportunities provided through secondary education in Tower Hamlets between the Wars’ (Robert Kemp) Keynote: ‘The Social Wreckage in our Streets: The Deptford Ragged School and its surrounding neighbourhood’ (Dr John Price) ‘Designing Pinnock’s Catechisms, 1812-1828, a popular schoolbook and juvenile encyclopaedia’ (Margaret Lock) ‘Educating Pinner: The History of Pinner National Schools’ (Pinner Local History Society) ‘Learning to Resist: Black Supplementary Schools in London’ (Jo Large) ‘The London housewife at the turn of the twentieth century; learning from everyday life, familial connections, and the Electrical Association for Women’ (Lucy Wood) The LAMAS Publications Awards for 2025 will be presented at the Conference. Societies and organisations requiring a free exhibition table should e-mail Oliver Harris via history@lamas.org.uk before 1 November, with the name of the society and a contact address, email, or telephone number. For societies booking exhibition tables,access to the Museum on the day will be available from 9.00am. In order to support societies with exhibiting at the conference, we are able to provide one free admission ticket for your society, so that the organiser of your exhibition does not have to pay. If you would like to receive a free ticket along with your table booking, please e-mail John Price via history@lamas.org.uk to arrange that. Lunch time refreshments may be bought from the Museum’s cafés and bar or from the many local establishments around Docklands. Afternoon refreshments (included in the ticket price) will be provided in the museum. Tickets are available to purchase via the LAMAS website. https://www.lamas.org.uk/product/lamas-60th-history-conference/ Ticket prices: As you will be aware, the cost of living and the price of most things has risen sharply in recent years, and this is reflected in the ever-increasing costs for staging the conference. Although LAMAS can absorb some of these increases, we have been left with no option but to raise ticket prices. We strongly believe that the full-day conference, with seven presentations, exhibition stalls, and afternoon refreshments represents excellent value for money. Early-bird tickets (purchased online before 1 November 2026) = £17.50  Standard tickets (purchased online after 1 November 2026) = £20.00  Last-minute tickets (purchased in person on the day, subject to availability, cash only) = £25.00 Book your tickets here: https://www.lamas.org.uk/product/lamas-60th-history-conference/  

View of a medieval wall from the City of London LAMAS Responds to City of London’s New Heritage Supplementary Planning Document The City of London recently circulated a document for consultation titled Celebrating Heritage SPD (Supplementary Planning Document). Their intention is that this document will support the policies of the City Plan 2040.  As such, it is an important paper. A link to the document is here: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/assets/Services-Environment/heritage-spd.pdf In a spirit of constructive debate, we criticise it as follows: • LAMAS supports the principle of an SPD on the protection and enhancement of heritage assets. However, as drafted it could be mistaken for policy, and there should be an explanation of how it would fit with existing legislation, policy and guidance   • It introduces new terms, ‘traits’, ‘tiers’ and ‘themes’ which are confusing and are not defined. The terminology used should be consistent with national policy and guidance. A new term ‘deference’ is used, which is not defined and therefore open to interpretation  • It implies that harm to a heritage asset is acceptable which is contrary to the policy to safeguard the City’s heritage  • It should recognise that archaeological heritage assets exist both below and above ground, such as the City Wall  • The importance of interpretation, signage, and marking out historic features should be strengthened  In our detailed response we stressed a number of important points.  See our full letter below: Heritage SPD consultation LAMASDownload Finally, we note that in common with SAVE, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/save-britains-heritage_save-has-called-for-changes-to-the-city-activity-7452313380037484544-9V9t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAF8-pQBWp9AFoUtPDWPLVJd7hAc450DSDU LAMAS agrees that the One Undershaft case study is controversial, in that it is not in keeping with St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.  As stated above, we are also concerned about the introduction of a new term, “deference”.  

Liverpool Street Station development proposal images (credit: SAVE, based on planning documents) On Monday 13 April the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) wrote to Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, to request him to refuse the planning applications for Liverpool Street Station using powers under article 6 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008. In addition, under article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the criteria to be considered when deciding whether to call in an application are: 1. The development would have a significant impact on the implementation of the London Plan 2. The development would have significant effects that are likely to affect more than one London borough 3. There are sound planning reasons for intervention We firmly believe that these three criteria apply in the case of these planning applications. For more information and context on the damaging Liverpool Street proposals please see our previous posts: https://www.lamas.org.uk/february-update-liverpool-street-station-redevelopment/ https://www.lamas.org.uk/lamas-objects-to-revised-liverpool-street-station-proposal/ https://www.lamas.org.uk/lamas-opposes-revised-version-of-liverpool-street-station-development-2025/ To read the full letter, including the detailed rationale for our position, please see below and at the bottom of our advocacy letters page: https://www.lamas.org.uk/advocacy-letter/ Liverpool-Street-LAMAS-Letter-to-MayorDownload Our letter mirrors those written by other heritage organisations that are members of LISSCA (Liverpool Street Station Campaign). We also encourage our members and supporters to write to the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, urging him to refuse the Network Rail scheme for Liverpool Street Station.  The Mayor is expected to make a decision within weeks so Act Now! Email: mayor@london.gov.uk quoting planning application: 25/00494/FULEIA. 

LAMAS needs a new editor of our lively Newsletter as the current editor, Jane Wheeler, is standing down. We want a lively person with journalistic flair to produce this newsletter three times a year, starting in the summer of 2026. The post is unpaid but you get to be at the centre of London’s archaeology and history and you will provide an essential service to all London’s archaeologists and local historians both amateur and professional. For all recent issues of the newsletter, see the newsletter page on this site. Please make enquiries of the Secretary Karen Thomas secretary@lamas.org.uk or the President John Schofield president@lamas.org.uk.

YW029155V LAMAS 2026 History Conference: An Intelligent Interest: Learning and Education in London – 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀! Deadline Monday 13th April.The theme of this one-day conference on 21 November 2026 is the history of learning and education in London. We are seeking proposals from local historians, academics, postgraduate students, and anyone with a scholarly interest in the history of London for engaging and accessible talks or presentations of around 20-25 minutes.The theme is intentionally broad to allow for wide and varied interpretations of the idea. We are interested in any topic relating to learning and education in any period of London’s history. This covers schools, colleges, and universities, children and adults, organisations and institutions, formal education, and learning more generally.The LAMAS Local History Conference attracts a keen ‘general interest’ audience as well as many members of local history societies from across London and its surrounding counties who have more specialised interests.𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄:Presentations on any aspect of education and learning in London’s history are welcomed. Themes might include:·        Formal education through schools, colleges, and universities·        Learning more broadly, i.e. through friends, family, community, and everyday life·        Education and learning for children and adults, men and women, and across all social classes·        Education through work, or through technical or adult organisations and institutions·        Schools and schooling, both before and after the Education Acts·        The role of public libraries in education and learning·        Practicalities / limitations of learning and education, including books, textbooks, writing materials, places and spaces·        Materiality of learning and education, including buildings, locations, equipment, clothing, and objects·        Politics of education and learning, including movements, ideas, campaigns, acts, and laws·        Education and learning in historical popular culture, including literature, theatre, film, and music𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆@𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀.𝗼𝗿𝗴.𝘂𝗸The closing date for proposals is Monday 13 April 2026. Speakers will be selected and contacted by the end of May 2026.

In addition to the PDF copies of many LAMAS  publications  – all the  back issues of the Society’s Transactions and Special Papers are available from the Society’s website. Copies of the same Transactions articles (but  not other  contents such as book reviews) are also  available as part of an online searchable data base hosted by the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). The link below takes you to the library page – if you look for LAMAS under ‘Organisations’, there  is a link to the all the articles  published in LAMAS Transactions  from 1860 until  2021. This database of  articles can be searched by key words such as ‘Westminster Abbey’, or author names.  This service is provided by the Society to promote greater public awareness of its publications and the heritage of Greater London, as well as fulfilling   the Society’s public outreach and open access policies concerning  its  publications. In addition, the ADS website hosts a lot of  other material  including   back issues of the London  Archaeologist and many Greater London  ‘grey literature’ archaeological reports deposited by various organisations including  AOC Archaeology Ltd, MOLA  and Surrey County Council Archaeological Unit.