Saturday 18 May – 11.00 am
Pirton Village Hall
45 High Street, Pirton, Hitchin SG5 3PS

This year we will be marking the legacy of Lionel Munby, who died ten years ago at the age of 90. Lionel was one of a generation of local historians who enjoyed sharing the knowledge and skills gained in their academic life with those interested in exploring and recording the story of their own communities.

During the morning session we hope to have a series of short presentations from some of these societies so that we can learn more about their association with Lionel and what they’ve been doing during the intervening years.

Also as part of the morning session we will have a presentation from Hertfordshire’s landscape historian Anne Rowe about her latest book, published by the University of Hertfordshire Press, entitled Tudor and Early Stuart Parks of Hertfordshire.

The afternoon session will commence with the AGM, followed by the Lionel Munby memorial lecture. This year our speaker will be David Short, who will talk to us about ‘The Middling Sorts’ – the people who were mentioned in the overseer’s accounts but who were not ‘the poor’.

Admission is free for HALH members, £2 for visitors.

Summer Visit July 2019

This year’s HALH Summer Visit will take place on the afternoon of Monday 15 July 2019 at Woodhall Park, Watton-at-Stone, where we will be the guests of Ralph and Alexandra Abel Smith. Application form here

Battlefields Trust Annual Conference, Winchester 26-28 April

A  reminder that there is still time to book your place on the Trust’s annual conference at the University of Winchester, 26-28 April. The weekend includes an excellent programme of speakers and activities, a visit to the battlefield of Cheriton, and it’s also a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. For further information and to book a place please visit the Trust website here
We hope to see you there!

Wars of the Roses Conference, Glastonbury 1 June

You will also have seen in recent issues of the Trust magazine that on 1 June we will be collaborating with Strode College, Somerset and the Richard III Society Somerset Branch in presenting a Wars of the Roses Conference to be held at Glastonbury Town Hall. Again, there’s an excellent line up of speakers promises to me a memorable day!

Join us for a special Easter event this Bank Holiday weekend and take part in our fun family crafts, Easter trails and activities.

Come and meet the gorgeous spring Oxford Down lambs born at the Museum and explore our traditional Chilterns farm and lambing fold, where you can learn about the lambing traditions of the Victorian Chilterns.

There will also be the option to have a go at some traditional cooking on Sunday 21st and Monday 22nd.

On Saturday 20th April, we will be joined by local chocolate makers Auberge du Chocolat who will be running a special chocolate activity (additional charges apply).

Battlefields Trust event…

Saturday 18th May 2019

The Friends of the National Civil War Centre and the Battlefields Trust present a conference examining the military events of the first part of 1643

The conference will be held at the National Civil War Centre, 14 Appleton Gate, Newark, NG24 1JY on 18 May 2019. Programme and booking details here

BLH&MS talk at 8:00pm on 16 Jan 2019 in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall, Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

Art & Design in the Chilterns:
A retired University academic Dr Graham Twemlow writes and lectures on design history and decorative arts subjects. He has given talks at numerous institutes and venues including Christie’s South Kensington, the Royal Society of Arts and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Chilterns has played host to many artists and craftsmen. Graham’s talk will focus on some of the 20th century artists who either made the Chilterns their home or found inspiration here – and sometimes both.
Works by artists including E. McKnight Kauffer, as shown here

East Anglia Study Day

Saturday 2nd February 2019

The study day will be held at The Cedars Hotel, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 2AJ. Price £20.00 and includes refreshments. (life members £10.00; non-members £30.00). A buffet lunch is available for an extra £10.00.

Speakers include Harry Sidebottom (author of the Warrior of Rome novels and Fellow and Director of Studies in Ancient History at St Benets Hall, and Lecturer in Ancient History at Lincoln College), Dr Michael Jones on the fight to save Bosworth battlefield, and Geoffrey Carter ‘It’s Only A Field – Raising Community Interest in Historic Battlefields’. Please contact David Austin to book a place:

• Contact name : David Austin
• Contact email : here