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 2023- April 2024, and is also available in pdf form. The event listing will confirm the time and venue.
Our talks take place at East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP. East Croydon United Reformed Church is convenient for East Croydon station, Tramlink and many buses. Parking available on site is very limited.
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 a small donation of £3.
PROGRAMME 454 OCTOBER 2023-APRIL 2024
OCTOBER
Monday 16th 19:45 – TALK – “Robert Keable, Utterly Immoral WW1 chaplain?”. Local author Simon Keable-Elliott tells the extraordinary story of the life of his grandfather: the Croydon schoolboy, African missionary, WW1 chaplain and author of the scandalous bestselling war novel – Simon Called Peter – who ended his days in Tahiti married to an island princess. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Thursday 26th 14:00 – ECOLOGY WALK – “Green spaces in Shirley”, with autumn fruits and fungi. Meet at 14:00 at the junction of Shirley Church Road and Spring Park Road, TQ358653. Led by Jane McLauchlin and Nicola Hunt.
NOVEMBER
Wednesday 8th 19:45 – TALK – “CWGC Architecture and Conservation”, by Christine Goodair of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This presentation will introduce some of the most iconic memorials and cemeteries the CWGC cares for across the world, before revealing how the very best architectural minds of the time influenced their design. It will give an understanding of the ongoing challenges CWGC faces to care for its sites and the work its teams have undertaken to ensure they are protected and continue to make a lasting impact on present and future generations. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Saturday 25th 14:30 – FOCUS – our annual Focus meeting which will this year concentrate on some favourite subjects of our late Director and former President Paul Sowan. There will be talks from Jon Grant and Ron Williams on Jolliffe and Banks of Merstham, and from Phil Marshall from Subterranea Britannica. Refreshments will be provided, and there will be a chance to pay subscriptions for 2024. Place: THE DAVID SWEET HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Monday 27th 19:45 – TALK – “The Great Equatorial”, by Tony Roberts, Chairman of the Croydon Astronomical Society. In professional astronomy the bigger the telescope the better! We will hear the story of the 28-inch refractor at Greenwich (and elsewhere). Still the seventh largest refractor in the world and the largest in the United Kingdom, it is justifiably called “The Great Refractor”. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
DECEMBER
Monday 11th 19:45 – CHRISTMAS TALK – “A 1950s Croydon childhood: a bit of sociology mixed with a bit of nostalgia”, by Peter Saunders, author of Croydon Boy: growing up in post-war Britain. Peter Saunders was born in Croydon’s Old Town (near where the flyover now stands) in 1950. The family later moved to a maisonette in New Addington, then to Waddon, and eventually to Shirley. In 1957, Prime Minister Harold MacMillan told the British people: ‘Let us be frank about it, most of our people have never had it so good’. And he was right. The fifties was a period of growing affluence. Peter’s family bought their own home in a cul-de-sac near Duppas Hill; they owned a 12-inch black-and-white television (which only received one channel); and his Dad was the proud possessor of a 1936 Morris, which he tenderly wrapped in a cover every night to protect it from the rain. Peter grew up to become a sociology professor at Sussex University. In this talk, he uses his experiences of his Croydon childhood in the 1950s to reflect on some of the changes (for better and for worse) that have taken place since then in the way we live, work and bring up our children. The talk will be illustrated by photographs from the period, and there will be plenty of time for discussion. Place: THE DAVID SWEET HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
JANUARY 2024
Saturday 6th 14:30 – TALK – “A Gallop through the History of Carriage Driving”, by Antonia Gallop. Antonia has been around horses all her life, firstly earning a living training and producing for commercial theatre, weddings, TV and film work to now enjoying showing them in their antique vehicles at national level. Carriage driving connects people from all walks of life, from Dukes to dustmen and Antonia has been fortunate to spend time with both and share a love of history and a passion for horse power. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Wednesday 17th 19:45 – ZOOM TALK – “Planting for bees”. Rosi Rollings will be discussing which bees are at risk and her research into the plants they need for survival. BOOKING REQUIRED: members will be sent a link to register. Visitors please email cnhss.info@gmail.com with subject ZOOM BEES VISITOR by Tuesday 16 January.
FEBRUARY
Monday 5th 19:45 – ZOOM TALK – “Mills of the River Wandle”, by Mick Taylor of the Wandle Industrial Museum. Mills on the river Wandle have existed since Roman times. In its heyday, when it was described as the hardest working river for its size in the world, it had over 65 mills. This talk explores the industries of those mills and the people involved. BOOKING REQUIRED: members will be sent a link to register. Visitors please email cnhss.info@gmail.com with subject ZOOM WANDLE VISITOR by Sunday 4 February.
Wednesday 21st 19:45 – ZOOM TALK – “A Lost Elysium? The impact of motoring on English landscapes in the inter-war years”. The car was arguably the greatest agent of change in the twentieth century, and John Minnis looks at the social and physical changes it brought about in England between the wars. The requirements of the motorist – filling stations, road improvements, and repair and servicing facilities – are explored. The changes produced outrage and dismay amongst conservationists and preservationists, but features which appalled and repelled, such as cast-iron enamelled advertising signs, are now collectable and fetch high prices. The presentation explores new road-building, ribbon development, the problem of parking and its solutions, and the social impact of increasing mobility among at least some classes. BOOKING REQUIRED: members will be sent a link to register. Visitors please email cnhss.info@gmail.com with subject ZOOM ELYSIUM VISITOR by Tuesday 20 February.
Sunday 25th 10:00 – ECOLOGY WALK – “Winter trees and a historic landscape in Hamsey Green”. Meet at 10:00 at the junction of Tithepit Shaw Lane and Wentworth Way, Hamsey Green, TQ346595. Led by Jane McLauchlin and Malcolm Jennings.
MARCH
Saturday 9th 14:30 – TALK – “Wilks, his Wilderness and its journey through to today”. Lucy James, Manager of MHA The Wilderness will talk about the Reverend Wilks and his legacy, the creation of The Wilderness, the forgotten years, and the reformed garden we see today. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Monday 25th 19:45 – TALK – “Merton Priory – the Latest Chapter”. John Hawks, Vice Chair of Merton Priory Trust and Curator of the Chapter House, describes the 900-year-old remains, their history, and the unusual museum built around them. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
APRIL
Easter Monday 1st 14:00 – ECOLOGY WALK – “Spring flowers and scenery at The Lawns, part of the Great North Wood in Upper Norwood”. Meet at 14:00 at the junction of Beulah Hill and Spa Hill, TQ328700. Led by Jane McLauchlin and Nicola Hunt.
Wednesday 10th 19:45 – TALK – “Mapping Urban Geology: building stones in London and beyond on London Pavement Geology”. This talk by Dr Ruth Siddall will present the London Pavement Geology app and website, created by Dave Wallis, Ruth Siddall and website developers Livetech. It will demonstrate how this platform is increasingly becoming an archive of the UK’s building stones and other out-of-situ geological objects. The platform has been used by Historic England and other organisations as well as local groups recording local building stone information. We hope that crowdsourcing will enable this site to continue to grow and that it will be a resource for anyone with an interest in geology or building stones. Place: THE SMALL HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
Thursday 25th 19:45 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. Followed by the Presidential address. Place: THE DAVID SWEET HALL, EAST CROYDON UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, 86 ADDISCOMBE GROVE, CROYDON CR0 5LP.
CROYDON NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY 