A Look into The Broadway History Society
The Broadway History Society was formed on the 15th June 2015 and today has over 60 members from the village and local surrounding area. People come together to celebrate Broadway's colourful past through meetings, lectures and talks, as well as a variety of other 'history' themed events, including walking tours to local historical buildings and sites.
The aims of the Society are to promote the understanding and study of the history of the village of Broadway. It provides a dedicated forum for the discussion of issues relating to Broadway's history and it functions to share knowledge of the community and local area.
Meetings are held from September to May (with an Annual General Meeting in May) and to date has had talks and lectures on 'Elgar', 'Shakespeare and the Cotswolds', 'The History of the Lifford Memorial Hall', and 'The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds'. The meetings typically take place from 7pm, on the third Monday of the month, and are open to all who are interested. Non-members are welcomed along, subject to a small fee of around £3.
Forthcoming events on the calendar to look forward to include a talk by Dennis Plant on 'The Worcester Regiment' on 12th December, a talk by Paul Harding on 'The Battle of Evesham' on 16th January, and a joint meeting with the Broadway Arts Festival on 20th March 2017 with a lecture by Juliet Heslewood on 'William Morris and the Cotswolds'.
Membership of the Broadway History Society is open to all. If you are genuinely passionate about the village, it's well worth becoming involved and meeting likeminded people. Membership is £10 for the year, or £15 for a couple. Membership Forms and a Programme of Events for 2016/17 can be obtained from Mary Smith, tel. 01386 853278. Further information can also be found on the website: www.broadwayhistorysociety.wordpress.com
If you would like to take up a more active role in the Society:
Committee Member Geoff Sanders is currently researching the Broadway censuses taken during the Victorian era to build up a picture of life in Broadway at the end of the 19th Century. Geoff will be presenting the results of his project at the Society’s AGM on 15th May 2017. Any volunteers who wish to help Geoff with this project can contact Geoff on gs.history@btinternet.com. The Society is also compiling an archive (based on a kind donation of material by the family of the late Maurice Andrews MBE) and is currently looking for a home for the archive and its associated materials (books, notes, photos, etc) so that villagers can have access to it. If you wish to help please contact Geoff Sanders.
