All Events

Those who are fortunate enough to have collections of old family photographs must often wonder where their ancestors were in such pictures, particularly if they were taken outside a studio. This talk will show how it is often possible not only to find information about studio photographers but also to pinpoint the locations of family photographs using a variety of online resources.

Goring-on-Thames (Goring) is a village on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire.  Across the river is the smaller Berkshire village of Streatley, often seen as a twin village.  They are linked by Goring and Streatley Bridge and its adjacent lock and weir. A regatta is held here annually. It is at the intersection of The […]

Informal discussion group, facilitated by Chad Hanna and Gillian Stevens. Topics are chosen by the group on a monthly basis. End time varies. Free to attend, but pre-booking required. 

This is the second of three talks in the Industry and Archaeology Talks Series. The other talks take place on 11th July and 12th September. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price.  Metal-detectorist James Mather will begin by talking about metal detecting and some of his more interesting local finds. The main focus of his talk will however be his discovery in 2015 of the Watlington Viking Hoard. Comprising about 200 coins (some of them fragmentary), 7 items of jewellery and 15 ingots (bars of silver), the find is not particularly large. However, it is hugely significant and has been described authoritatively as one that has changed history. This hoard is now on permanent display in The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. In addition, James will bring along a selection of finds and some high quality replicas of silver items from the Watlington Hoard.

This special interest discussion group is aimed at those wanting to get the most out of their DNA results. It is facilitated by international DNA expert, Debbie Kennett. Sessions are held quarterly, but there is no obligation to attend on a regular basis. First time attendees are always welcomed. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and to gain and share ideas for how you can used your results to solve questions and break down brick walls.

Yet to visit The Centre for Heritage and Family History and would like to know what’s available there and how it can help your family history research? This tour will introduce you to the facilities of the Centre and also those within the adjoining Local Studies Library. It is free to attend, however pre-booking is required as numbers are limited. If you are inspired to get going, the Research Centre will be open today from 11am to 3pm.

This is the second of three talks in the Summer Potpourri Talks Series. The other talks take place on 25th July and 26th September. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price.  This talk describes two traditional Wokingham and Berkshire industries and how they changed over time, together with an overview of how their products were used. Church bells were cast in Wokingham between the mid 1300s and the early 1600s. The foundry is long gone but some of the bells cast there are still in use and the bellfounding methods used today can be traced back to the way mediaeval founders worked. Brick making thrived in Wokingham during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with some works producing millions of bricks per year. The brickworks too are long gone but they left their mark.

Informal discussion group, facilitated by Chad Hanna and Gillian Stevens. Topics are chosen by the group on a monthly basis. End time varies. Free to attend, but pre-booking required.