NEWSLETTER 5th December 2018
The forthcoming K&DLHG meeting is on 14th December (NB the second Friday of December, to avoid clashes with other Christmas activities). As well as the traditional mince pies and mulled wine, this is the year for our biennial Christmas Treats when a few members of the group and/or friends give us the benefit of their experiences in short presentations. These are invariably entertaining, the emphasis being on personal enthusiasms and experiences. This year we have three long-standing members sharing the spotlight: George Lokuciejewski describing his early years in the area; Peter Waters with reminiscences of his family business and the strange things customers say; and Bob Briggs whose presentation will throw a whole new light on the concept of multiple personality …….
We look forward to seeing you on the 14th to share our festive Christmas treats
Report on 16 November talk. Our member Brian Morgan gave us a well researched talk on The History of Moreton Hall at 
Moreton Morrell. The Hall has already featured in a number of our evenings, most recently in John Berkeley’s description of its requisition by a unit of the Czechoslovak Field Artillery in WWII. Brian’s position as a long serving member of staff at the Agricultural College, which now occupies the Hall and its estate, has given him an insider’s view of its development, and he has been writing the official history. The Hall was built by an American businessman, Charles Tuller Garland in 1906, one of several American owned houses in the area – namely Ashorne House and the short lived Moreton Paddox. Moreton Hall was luxurious, with silver door-furniture, marble bathrooms, and large oak panelled rooms. The female servants lived in the attics, the male servants in the basement. The gardens around the house included a rose garden, a cascade and pond, a tea house, a sunken garden and extensive walks. A polo ground occupied part of the estate and international polo stars played there. The estate supported a working farm, and after being sold in 1939 and then requisitioned by the military in WWII, it became an agricultural college. In the audience were past and present members of staff, as well as ex-students, and they contributed anecdotes and reminiscences during the questions session. Brian Lewis remembered the marble bathroom; and the billiard room’s later function as the student bar seemed to hold fond memories too. The recent diversification as a conference and wedding venue may have saved some of the college assets from the 
disastrous 2008 fire, which gutted most of the Hall. Many college functions, including the library, had by then been dispersed to other estate buildings. The exterior has been restored and plans are afoot to reconstruct the interior over the next few years. Brian Lewis gave Brian (Morgan) our thanks for illuminating the history of a building and institution on our doorstep, and which has influenced so many of our members’ subsequent careers.
Other Societies’ events
Warwick Market Square Museum, Thursday 29th November 5.00pm – 9.00pm Victorian Evening and Craft Fair
Warwick Market Square Museum. Thursday 6th December 1.00pm – 1.30pm Show and Tell: Roman Coins from the South Warwickshire Hoard, (these are from our local hoard)
Banbury Historical Society, Thursday 13th December, 7.30, Banbury Museum. Carol Anderson FSA Tranks, Slitters, and Fourchettes, the rise and fall of glove making in West Oxford.
Banbury Historical Society, Thursday January 10th 2019 Banbury Museum 7.30, Dr Rowena Archer The Rise and Rise of Alice Chaucer (d. 1475)
Portcullis History, Friday 11th 2019 Hatton Village Hall, 10.00am – 2.30pm Dr John Hunt Edward I and his Welsh Castles
KDLHG Committee Matters. There has been no committee meeting since the last newsletter.
The next committee meeting is at 7.30pm on February 11th 2019, in the Library at the Village Hall.
Our treasurer Richard Hurley is leaving the committee at the next AGM in March 2019, so we have an urgent requirement to find a new treasurer. Please seriously consider this if you or someone you know would be able to take this on.
DF 05.12. 2018