We arrange two full programmes of events, covering about six months each and running from April to October/November, and then again through to March/April. The listing below covers October 2017 to April 2018, and is also available in pdf form.
The vast majority of our talks take place in the Small Hall at East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP starting at 19:45 – where this is not the case, the event listing will confirm the alternative venue, so do check. East Croydon United Reformed Church is convenient for East Croydon station, Tramlink and many buses, and there is parking available on site.
If you are not a member, you are still very welcome to attend. There is no entrance fee for our talks, but we do invite non-members to consider a small donation of £2.
OCTOBER
Saturday 7th – ECOLOGY WALK – “Farleigh Fungus Foray”.
A walk around Greatpark Wood looking for fungi and other fruits of the forest as Autumn approaches. Meet at 10.00 in the car park next to St. Mary the Virgin church, Church Road, off Farleigh Court Road, Farleigh, Warlingham, TQ372601. Leaders Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings.
Monday 9th – TALK – “Looking for Life on Mars”.
When life began on Earth 3.8 billion years ago, Mars was habitable, with surface water and a thick atmosphere. Now it is cold, dry and harsh, but it is still our closest hope for life beyond Earth. For this talk we welcome back Professor Andrew Coates from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory.
Sunday 15th – ECOLOGY WALK – “30 years on: remembering the Great Storm of 16 October 1987”.
Meet at 10.00 in Kingswood Lane, Sanderstead, at the entrance to Kings Wood, TQ354598. Led by Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings, in conjunction with Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Monday 16th – TALK – “The Wandle and the Prehistory of South-West London”.
By archaeologist Jon Cotton.
Wednesday 18th – ENTOMOLOGY – Members’ evening (Beginners’ Room).
Monday 30th – TALK – “From Mountbatten to Patten: Proconsuls and the Ending of Empire 1947-1997”.
A talk by Tony Stockwell, Emeritus Professor of Modern History, examining the role and reputations of proconsuls at empire’s end.
NOVEMBER
Saturday 4th – ECOLOGY WALK – “Croham Hurst Fungus Foray”.
Autumn colours and fungi on this walk over the ancient woodland of Croham Hurst. Meet at 10.00 at the junction of Croham Manor Road and Bankside, South Croydon, TQ335636. Leaders Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings.
Monday 13th – TALK – “Religions and Burials in Roman Sussex”.
By David Rudling, Academic Director of the Sussex School of Archaeology, exploring the evidence for various religious and burial practices throughout Roman Sussex. Whilst some of these practices are ‘mainstream Roman culture’, others may indicate continuity of aspects of local traditions from the Late Iron Age.
Wednesday 15th – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
Saturday 25th – FOCUS ON BALDWIN LATHAM.
Our annual Focus Meeting which will this year concentrate on Croydon’s famous sanitary engineer Baldwin Latham, with talks by Martin Gregory and Brian Lancaster on his career in Croydon and nationally. As usual tea will be provided, and there will be a chance to pay subscriptions for 2018. At the David Sweet Hall ECURC starting at 14.30.
Monday 27th – TALK – ‘Chaldon stone quarries’.
A talk by Peter Burgess about the history and nature of the quarries south of Chaldon which date from the medieval period.
DECEMBER
Monday 4th – CNHSS CHRISTMAS TALK – “Croydon in postcards from the past”.
John Hickman and Carole Roberts again delve into the John Gent Postcards Collection to present another seasonal tour of life and times in the borough across the 20th century.
Wednesday 20th – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
We wish our members a very Happy New Year. SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NOW DUE – if not already paid we look forward to receiving these as soon as possible please via the Membership Secretary as above.
JANUARY
Sunday – WALK – “Rolling Stones – Part 3”.
Addington Hills, the third primarily geological walk comparing and contrasting other hills capped by Blackheath Pebbles. Led by Paul Sowan. Meet at the tram stop at the top of Coombe Lane at 14.00.
Wednesday 10th – TALK – “The tin tabernacles of Surrey”.
A talk by Gerry Moss, a retired university chemistry lecturer who has been involved with the archaeology and local history of Surrey for many years. Tin Tabernacles were first constructed in the 1850s with a peak in the 1880s and 1890s. The current total found in historic Surrey is about 260 and modern Surrey still has five used as churches.
Wednesday 17th – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
Monday 29th – TALK – “The Reign of King Edward VII, with philatelic and picture references of his coronation”.
A talk by David Milsted, Trustee of the Whitehorse Youth Centre and Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society.
FEBRUARY
Monday 5th – TALK – “The Living Wandle”.
Rebecca Watts will talk about the River Wandle, what has been taking place there through the work of the Living Wandle Landscape Partnership over the past few years and the River’s future.
Sunday 18th – ECOLOGY WALK – “Winter trees in Threehalfpenny Wood”.
Meet at 10.00 at the junction of Woodland Way and Copse Avenue, TQ378649. Led by Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings, in conjunction with Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Wednesday 21st – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
Monday 26th – TALK – “Camden Town: Dreams of Another London”.
By Tom Bolton, author of the recent book of the same name. Camden Town sprang up in fields at the edge of London with the railways, and was soon a teeming mixture of dirt and poverty, factories and warehouses, outcasts and exiles, artists and writers, all sharing a few streets. The talk will examine significant buildings, surviving and vanished, to reconstruct Camden’s past and consider its present.
MARCH
Monday 5th – TALK – “The birdlife of Beddington farmlands since the 1960s”.
A talk by Derek Coleman, about the fluctuations of the birds using the farmlands taking into account the changes following the demise of the drying of sludge. Derek will also give an update on the Energy Recovery Facility and the future of the farmlands.
Wednesday 21st – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
Monday 26th – TALK – “Owen Manning, William Bray and the writing of Surrey County History, 1760-1832”.
A talk by Julian Pooley, Public Services and Engagement Manager at Surrey History Centre.
APRIL
Sunday 8th – ECOLOGY WALK – “Spring in Banstead Wood”.
Meet at 14.00 in the Holly Lane car park, TQ273582. Leaders Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings, in conjunction with Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Wednesday 11th – TALK – “The Green Belt”.
A talk by Graham Lomas about the rise in population and economic growth making the green belt vulnerable and about the problem of reconciling the competing claims of living space and conservation. Graham produced the first comprehensive map of the green belt.
Wednesday 18th – ENTOMOLOGY MEMBERS’ EVENING – (Beginners Room, ECURC).
Thursday 19th – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
Followed, after refreshments, by the Presidential Address given by John Hickman. At the David Sweet Hall ECURC starting at 19.45.
Monday 30th – TALK – “Sword Hilts”.
A talk by Tony Tucker on the surviving ceremonial sword hilts, their design, their history and the coats of arms displayed upon them, based on his latest book for Friends of City Churches.
CROYDON NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY 