Newsletter – May 2016
June 13th, 2016The May meeting was our annual social night and 65 members enjoyed a variety of wines, cheeses, patés and salads. This was followed by a presentation by Vice-Chairman, Irene Oliver entitled ‘Hagley Roads Through the Ages’ accompanied by photographs compiled by Don Freeth. We worry about the potholes in our roads today but in medieval times roads such as Brake Lane would only be passable in Summer and not at all in Winter.
About now, the media will be reminding us that it is 100 years since the start of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. It was the largest battle of World War I on the Western Front; more than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. Charles Tudor Bennett of Oldfields was a Hagley son who was killed on day 22 of this atrocious 141 day battle. There were a further 24 Hagley casualties in all other theatres of the War and the passing of time makes us forget what it must have been like for their families to deal with the loss of one and in four cases two family members.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 5th July. There will be a presentation by Tim Bridges entitled ‘Victorian Buildings of Birmingham and the Black Country’. Tim is an advsor to ‘The Victorian Society’ specialising in Secular and Church Buildings in the West Midlands. Tim is an expert in his field and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his eclectic interests. Visitors are most welcome at all our events –i see Home Page for details and contacts.