PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR MEETING IS ON THE SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH TO AVOID CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES: SO IT’S THIS WEEK THE 8TH DECEMBER
Our meeting this Friday 8th December will be our biennial Christmas meeting when we enjoy contributions from our membership, before diving into the conviviality of mulled wine and mince pies.
This year we have two offerings. The first will be entitled “Birmingham – More Canals Than Venice!” delivered by Roger Butler, who will reveal the unsuspected magic of Birmingham’s waterways. Roger’s career has involved inland waterways and he has decades of experience of canals, from dereliction to rehabilitation.
He is well known for his superb photographs and he has previously spoken to us eloquently about the changing face of our local canal system.
We await with anticipation his comparison of Birmingham’s Gas Street Basin with Venice’s Grand Canal…
The second item will be Friday Evenings in 135 Introductions by your chairman, who will muse indulgently, but briefly, about the job (sorry – joy!) of introducing nine meetings and three summer outings each year for fifteen years. That’s 135 preambles, and 45 visits. It’s a tale of technology, tact, transport, timing, thanks, diversity, entertainment, fun, facts and fees. I hope some longstanding members will be reminded of past triumphs and disasters, and recent joiners will see how we have got to the state we’re in now.
The committee will then revive members with the traditional mulled wine and mince pies to start our Christmas season.
Report on Friday 17th November talk, given by Dr Paul
Grigsby, about Roman Warwickshire. Dr Grigsby is a Research Fellow in the Classics and Ancient History Department of the University of Warwick, where he is part of the Warwick Classics Network. He also runs the Roman Coventry Project. Nonetheless, on Friday he began disarmingly by denying he had any specialist knowledge of Roman Warwickshire, a claim he then proceeded to demolish in a relaxed and informative discussion of Warwickshire’s place in the province of Britannia. The Fosse Way was probably a militarised zone in the first phase of the Roman conquest, with strategically placed forts like Chesterton straddling the military road. He made a strong case for Boudica’s last battle being in Warwickshire: somewhere along Watling Street? The specialist fort at The Lunt near Coventry may have been established to retrain the British tribes’ chariot horses as Roman cavalry mounts, conveniently close to the British rout.
Paul introduced us to how the wider Roman world affected our locality through an analysis of the Second Edgehill Coin Hoard, a study being undertaken by one of his PhD students. The hoard has a particularly high proportion of coins from the Roman Civil War period, and Paul detailed the attempts of 4 aspirant emperors, all but the last of whom, Vespasian, came to a sticky end. The affluent later Roman period is represented locally by the Brookhampton villa, and the even larger villa recently discovered just over the border on the Broughton Castle estate.
Paul referenced the results of local archaeological research and field work to show that the rich agricultural resources of the Feldon were exploited to serve the needs of the Roman army, administrators and the populace. In answer to a question from the floor he made the important point that the population remained mainly British, although they adopted some aspects of the Roman lifestyle. The Roman army was recruited from conquered territories so military personnel in Britannia were foreigners, but local tribal leaders remained in nominal charge, albeit under Rome-appointed governors and administrators. Several in the audience recognised their own research activities in Dr Grigsby’s descriptions, and plans have been made with him to follow up aspects of local archaeology. His claim to know nothing about Roman Warwickshire looks increasingly thin!
Forthcoming K&DLHG talks at the Village Hall.
| Date | Speaker | Title |
| 8 December | Roger Butler, David Freke | Birmingham – More Canals than Venice! Friday Evenings in 135 Introductions |
| 19 January 2024 | John Miles | Charlecote & the Lucy Family |
| 16 February | Stephen Barker | The Battle of Edgehill 1642 |
| 15 March AGM | Vanessa Morgan | Local Rogues & Villains of the 19th century |
| 19 April | Emma Bromley | The Black Book of Warwick |
Other Organisations’ Events
Tysoe Heritage Research Group. 13th December Tysoe Village Hall 7.00pm
Tysoe Heritage Research Group (THRG) presents
THE TYSOE 36
By Prof John Hunter
An illustrated presentation in Tysoe Village Hall
Wednesday December 13th at 7 pm
Exactly 150 years ago 36 villagers left Tysoe bound for New Zealand. Who were they? Why did they go? What happened on the voyage and how was their new home?
Open to all
Free admission (donations welcome)
Although this talk concentrates on emigrants from Tysoe, much of the context applies to Kineton and other
South Warwickshire villages, some of whose inhabitants emigrated to New Zealand, Canada and, Australia in the late 19th century
British Association for Local History. The Kineton Group is a Member of BALH and they run lectures
and talks which are open to our members. www.balh.org.uk for upcoming talks available virtually.
Don’t forget to check our own website at: Kineton and District Local History Group
Still an attractive Christmas gift, Peter Ashley-Smith’s vignettes of Kineton characters, places and events. Only £10.00 available at meeting
Membership.
The committee has reluctantly raised the price of Membership for 2024 to £15pa. This is the first rise in 8 years, and is required to meet the rising costs of speaker fees, hall hire, and speakers’ travel expenses, which has become a significant amount since the fuel price hikes. Visitor entrance remains at £3.00 per meeting.
If you would like to become a Member of the group, our 2024 membership year starts in January. Members renewing note that you can pay by cheque made payable to Kineton and District Local History Group, sent or delivered to:
Alec Hitchman,
The Hills Farm,
Pillerton Hersey,
WARKS, CV35 0QQ,
With our bank now charging for payments by cheque or cash, we would urge those who can to please pay by BACS to our bank business account:
name: Kineton and District Local History Group, sort code: 40-43-19;
acc. no. 71281992. Please include your full name so we can correctly attribute your payment. For queries contact Alec on alec.hitchman@btinternet.com
2023-24 KDLHG Committee
President: Dr Robert Bearman MBE
Chairman David Freke
Vice-Chairman Roger Gaunt
Secretary Vacant
Treasurer Alec Hitchman
Outings Secretary Rosemary Collier
Programme Secretary Claire Roberts
Other committee members:
Isobel Gill
Ilona Sekacz
Catherine Petrie (PR)
Pamela Redgrave (Membership)
Contact David Freke tel. 01295 670516 mob. 07876 290044 email: djfreke@gmail.com
DF 04.12.23