The 800^th anniversary of St Peters Church dominated the year. As part of their celebrations the Society organised three excellent and popular talks in the church, including by Julian Hunt and Christopher Green. May also saw the installation of a short 10 minute film about the heritage of St Peter’s, assembled and  organised with great skill by James Moir. This was played on a loop in the south transept, and the church found this, and the Society’s large pop-up banners, so popular that it requested the film remain all year.

For future historians to enjoy, a separate video was made recording some of the “once-in-history” 800^th celebratory events during 2022, and we thank retired local filmmaker Barney Greenwood for his skilled production. It is now available to view here.

BLH&MS talk on Wed 18 Jan 2023 at 8pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

This month it’s “Grand Junction Canal – later Grand Union Canal” by Julian Hunt.
The canal at Berkhamsted…

Society books are now available in the local books section at the Way Inn book shop at the rear of the Post Office.

BLH&MS talk on Wed 21 Dec 2022 at 8pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door. As this is the Christmas meeting, there will be free wine and nibbles.

This month it’s ‘Poles Apart: Polish radio experts who worked in Gade Valley during WW2’, by Roger Yapp.

BLH&MS talk on Wed 16 Nov 2022 at 8pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

Trent Park Home of the Secret Listeners by Helen Fry.

With prizes including Premium FindMyPast & 1921 census subscriptions, click here for a National Archives / BALH competition, looking for “local history stories that capture the imagination and show what local history is all about”.

Historical Graffiti at 7pm by Susan Holmes

Historical graffiti and inscriptions in St Peters Church:
St Peter’s is fortunate to have a rich & fascinating collection of medieval and later inscriptions. Learn the history of these once acceptable graffiti, & how many were carefully executed.

Heraldry in St Peter’s Church at 8pm by John Abbott

The talk will include a general introduction to Heraldry with descriptions and examples of coats of arms displayed in stained glass windows, memorial tablets and hatchments, with a discussion of links to local Berkhamsted families.

BLH&MS talk on Wed 19 Oct 2022 at 8pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall Berkhamsted. Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

Winston Churchill’s Toy Shop by Gordon Rogers. Gordon writes: “Only ten years ago did I learn that the premises from which, as a schoolboy, I nicked a couple of Blacker bombard anti-tank missiles and a box of L-delay fuzes was ‘Winston Churchill’s Toyshop’, the UK’s premier weapons experimental station in WW2”.

BLH&MS talk on Wed 21 Sep 2022 at 8pm in the Wellcome Great Hall, Town Hall Berkhamsted.
Visitors are always welcome @ £3 at the door.

Amersham-on-the-Hill Architecture. From the heyday of the ‘Arts & Crafts’ period, on to ‘Metroland’ and Modernism – and the significance of local architect J.H. Kennard, by Chris Collier and Alison Bailey.