Hidden Histories

Working Lives of the Thames Gateway is a Stratford based project - they are running a series of events around the whole of east and south east London this summer based on work place histories - details from www.hidden –histories.org.uk . They have a list of industries where they are keen to contact people who worked there to hear their stories – one of them is our local South Metropolitan Gas Co at East Greenwich Gas Works – contact anna@ech.org.uk

They have a local meeting at Greenwich Heritage Centre with archive films from around the area. (they say they will be presented by young people from Bexley - why?? Greenwich has its own film projects for young people!). The event will be on Saturday 13th June 1.00-4.00.

other events in connection with this include:
1st June - talk at Barking and District Historical Society
4th June - Women in the workplace. Bexley Archives 7-8
8th June - talk at Havering Riverside Club
15th - talk at South Elm Women's Club
17th - talk at Chadwell Heath Historical Society
26th June - Kamal Chunchie and the Coloured Men's Institute. Old Town Hall, Stratford 6.30

Bits and pieces

Not really industry but interesting - we have a note from the Firepower Museum in Woolwich - they are looking for witnesses to the Spitfire which crashed near the Royal Arsenal on 31st July 1940. They want to know exactly where it happened and speak to anyone who maybe saw it. Mark Smith 0208 312 7120 marks@firepower.org.uk

The Greenwich Society are to hold their summer lunch party at the Shipwright's Palace in Watergate Street - a chance to see this 18th century house which was inside Deptford Dockyard and built for the staff. £20 a ticket details 020 8692 4801.


Firepower has launched a family history guide 'Is there a gunner in your family tree??' 020 8312 7134 www.firepower.org.uk/store.

We have been asked to help identify a historic steam engine restored by a chat show host on American TV (how did he restore it when he didn't know what it was). They say it is 1832. there is said to be a video of it on http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video

SLAS LAMAS

nothing in the post - but the Southwark and Lambeth newsletter always turns up.

This is to highlight Richard Buchanan's walk round Greenwich on 9th June. meet at Maze Hill Station 6.45.
The newsletter also has an article about Rotherhithe Industry by Stephen Humphrey. (Rotherhithe's not too far from Greenwich - is it?) and all very good it is too.

- and also that Lambeth Council has given a Civic Award to local historian Brian Bloice!
(I couldn't even get Greenwich Time to print an obituary to Jack Vaughan)

LAMAS Newsletter - they list 100s of local history meetings in London - but all I could find of local industrial interest is:-

Kingston on Thames Archaelogy Society. 14th May (so its too late) Alan Crocker on the Gunpowder Industry in Surrey (I know Alan Crocker and he includes Lewisham and Rotherhithe in Surrey and talk about them at length)

Blackheath Scientific Society

the society has asked me to note their next meeting on 15th May which is about the restoration of the Cutty Sark. It is at Mycenae House at 7.45.

Can any Mother help?

We've been asked to point up Greenwich's great Co-operative traditions with a note about the play '
Can Any Mother Help?' which will be showing at Greenwich Theatre on 23rd and 24th May. It is the Story of the Co-operative Correspondence Club - details www.foursighttheatre.co.uk; www.womensartsinternational.co.uk; www.breweryarts.co.uk, www.courtyard.org.uk and of course booking through www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

GLIAS NEWSLETTER

Rather belatedly (sorry)
GLIAS events -
20th May - Annual General Meeting. 6.15 at Morris Lecture Theatre, Robin Brook Centre, Bart's Hospital. followed by Michael Bailey lecture on Robert Stephenson.
6th June = Walk inWealdstone. book by emailing walks@glias.org.uk 2.30
4th July - Sue Hayton is leading a walk round Eltham - book as above.
18th July - Denis Smith (GLIAS Chair) is organising an Industrial Archaeology study day at Birkbeck College. Details 020 7631 6627 costs £40.

They also note the following which might be of interest to Greenwich people:
Historic Fire Engines Rally - 17th May - Kew Bridge Engines Trust
Royal Arsenal Guided Walk - email ianbull@btinternet.co, Walk London promotion.
Evening Walk in Historic Greenwich - Southwark and Lambeth Archaeological Society. Meet Maze Hill Station. 6.45