Branch Meetings

The Society holds monthly meetings at three branches, usually with a talk from a guest speaker. All meetings are open to all members, details are given below. If you miss a meeting you may like to hire a tape of the talk from our Tape Library.

Bromley Branch

Bromley Branch meetings are now held on the third Saturday morning of the month, in the main hall, Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS (on the corner of North St., small red block on map). There is free parking at the church, access is from College Rd. and from North St. The hall opens at 9.45am, the meeting proper starts at 10.30am, ending by 12.15pm.

The move to a Saturday morning has been well received with numbers increasing each month. If you have not yet found us, do come along and see for yourself. Guests are also very welcome.

Branch Chair - Clare Muscat, Meetings Organizer - (click to send an email).

The Bromley programme for 2013-14 is as follows:

 

Date Speaker Title 2013 19 Jan Michael Gandy The Huguenots 16 Feb Bob Ogley The history of RAF Biggin Hill 16 Mar Imogen Corrigan Pilgrimage & Travel in the Middle Ages 20 Apr Louise Taylor Adoption & fostering - 1850 to 1930 18 May Jerry Toop The National Archives - further resources identified 15 Jun Dr Ann Kneif The history of the Kentish seaside resorts until the First World War 20 Jul Geoff Hutchinson A history of smuggling in Kent & Sussex 17 Aug Rob Cottrell Watermen & Lightermen 21 Sep Mark Bateson Overview of Kent Archives 19 Oct Ian Porter Women’s employment options in Victorian & Edwardian London 16 Nov Helen Allinson A look at crime in Victorian Kent Dec No Meeting 2014 18 Jan Timothy Stopford Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Fleet Air Arm crests - their origins & history 15 Feb Peter Christian Maps on-line for the family historian 15 Mar Lee Ault The undercover story - A look at the history of underclothes Click here for meeting photos.

Dartford Branch

Meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month, at Dartford Technology College, Heath Lane, Dartford DA1 2LY. This is on the north side of Heath Lane, close to the small roundabout which intersects with Highfield Road. There is plenty of parking at the site. The meetings room is the New Auditorium. This should be open from 9.45am with the meeting proper starting at 10.30am, ending by 12.30pm.

Branch Chair - Janet Rose (Tel: 01322-384836), Meetings Organizer - Barbara Phillips.

You can view or download the branch newsletter edited by Paul Wilkins from the Newsletters page. This is also available at Dartford branch meetings.

The Dartford programme for 2013-14 is as follows:

 

Date Speaker Title 2013 12 Jan Peter Hartley "Of Princes and Palaces": The residences of Sovereigns from Queen Victoria to the present and the pattern of their year moving around those homes. 2 Feb Rod LeGear Chislehurst Caves - A History 2 Mar ** Meryl Catty & Audrey Gillett Willpower 6 Apr Dr Ann Kneif Women Wartime Workers in the Munitions Industry & Branch Annual Meeting 4 May Gerald Toop Using the National Archives (website) for family history research 1 Jun Paul Evans Royal Regiment of Artillery 6 Jul T.B.A. Royal Hospital Chelsea 3 Aug Stephen Humphrey The burial grounds of Southwark 7 Sep T.B.A. The London Fire Brigade - its history and records of its workers 5 Oct David Cufley An interactive experiment to explore links between members - Serendipity & Kismet! 2 Nov Imogen Corrigan The lives of medieval children 7 Dec Anna Flood The History of the Christmas Card 2014 4 Jan Lady Mary Teviot Baby Farming 1 Feb Andy Robertshaw WWI - finding the fallen and their family history 1 Mar Scott Belcher The Historic Dockyard, Chatham * Change of speaker;   ** Change of speaker & topic Click here for photos of the Dartford branch venue.

Sevenoaks Branch

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at the Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road, Sevenoaks, TN14 5DN (at the junction with Crampton Road). Doors open at 7.15pm, meetings start 8.00pm, ending by 9.30pm. In addition to the talks, there is a bookstall, continuing projects and all the helpful advice that you might need. We welcome new members, so please come along.

Branch Chair - Barbara Attwaters, Meetings Organizer - Chris Barnett.

You can view or download the branch newsletter edited by Bernie Wilkins from the Newsletters page. This is also available at Sevenoaks branch meetings.

The Sevenoaks programme for 2013-14 is as follows:

 

Date Speaker Title 2013 Jan No Meeting 14 Feb Clare Graham Jane Austen - Her connections with Kent 14 Mar Dave Annal Brick Walls & Lost Ancestors 11 Apr Alan Payne What's on the Cards - the History of Playing Cards & Annual Meeting 9 May Mari Alderman Protestant Nonconformity 13 Jun Jeanne Bunting Digital Access to Newspapers 11 Jul Isobel Watson A Place in the Sun - Sun Fire Insurance records Aug No Meeting 12 Sep Brian Boyden Pipe Makers 10 Oct Pat Mortlock Intrigue, Ambition & Respectability - The Owners of Ightham Mote 14 Nov Jane King The Foundling Museum 12 Dec Phil Tucker "Do These Stairs Go Up?" 2014 Jan No Meeting 13 Feb Ian Walker Old Sevenoaks - The Pavement Plaque People 13 Mar Denise Baldwin & Kathy Hardy The Life of Douglas Macmillan Click here for a photo of the Sevenoaks branch venue.

Computer Branch

The Society held Computer Branch meetings at Orpington from 2000 to 2006, but at the Society AGM in April 2006 it was announced that these would be discontinued owing to difficulties in recruiting members to the Branch committee. Since then, members of the old Computer Branch have spoken at other meetings of the Society.