Previous Meetings

Previous Committee Meetings' Notes

Summary of Committee Meeting held on 19^th July 2023

Following the usual preliminaries, the meeting turned to a discussion of our 50^th anniversary next year. One popular option was a celebration tea and a number of local places with historic links have been contacted and an assessment made of access, parking and facilities. One site will be looked at in more detail with a view to coming to a firm decision.

The publications officer regretfully advised the committee that he would be standing down with immediate effect. David Ferguson volunteered to take over the position and it was agreed that John would continue to provide any help needed to make his task a success. Both members were thanked for their contributions.

The membership secretary reported that there were currently 171 subscriptions of which more than 50 were couples. She had now completed the work necessary to update the list and removed the few people who no longer paid subscriptions or were deceased.

Mike confirmed that the programme for the rest of the year was on the website and a one-off licence would be obtained for the Zoom meeting in August. He asked that he be given some help with organising events outside of the monthly meetings. This had happened with a walk round Beckenham and to St. George’s church and was much appreciated. A planned visit to Croydon Airport was proving popular but a small contribution from the Society might be needed (in fact it wasn’t). He was looking into other visits but he felt other people should be involved.

There was then some discussion on how speakers should be rewarded. Some are happy to speak free if, for example, they can promote their new book. Others ask for a fee or a contribution to charity. It was agreed that we would continue to meet each speaker’s requirements as they arise and not implement a one-size fits all.

Members’ Evening was scheduled for July rather than September this year and there was some discussion on which was best without any decision being reached. It was agreed that the January 2024 meeting should be on Zoom.

Christine repeated that she felt her time as magazine editor would have to be reduced and how to replace her role would have to be addressed.

The next meeting will be on Thursday 28^th September 2023.

Summary of Committee Meeting held on 10^th May 2023

After welcoming the attendees, the previous minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman without further comment.

(Note, some recent meetings have not been recorded here but nothing major has gone unreported!)

The Society’s costs were reviewed, particularly in the light of upward cost pressures. Whilst it was agreed, based on the Treasurer’s update on finance, that no rises in subscriptions were required beyond the ending of concessions already carried out, the meeting fee should be raised to £1 (£2 for visitors) but this would be inclusive of tea and coffee. This would be introduced in September.

The Chairman commented that the Society had had a good year and thanked the Committee for their support and hard work. Although unable to attend, the Vice Chairman had written to suggest BBLHS should be added to the list of societies in the Local Historian which was agreed.

Membership numbers, at over 170, were satisfactory and it was agreed that a new category, Hon. Life Membership should be offered to those who had served the Society through their research or other assistance over a significant period. Some possible candidates were discussed. The programmed co-ordinator confirmed the proposed outing to Croydon Airport would take place on Saturday 12^th August and he would look into possible visits to Scadbury and elsewhere in the Borough.

The magazine editor invited suggestions for possible themes for Bromleag next year to mark our 50^th anniversary. She also confirmed that it was her intention to retire from the role in the fairly near future, possibly the end of 2024. Identifying a successor would have to be addressed more urgently. With the reduced involvement of the Publications officer, another committee member said he would take over the bookstall. With all CDs now sold (subject to confirmation from the Publications officer), the publicity officer suggested that the Bromley Record should now be put on-line, which was agreed.

The Library representative gave an update on staffing changes in the Local Archives section but it was hoped current vacancies were now being filled. He said that the Library would be delighted to receive more pictures of residential properties around the Borough, especially if taken in the 1950s, to add to their resources.

How to mark the 50^th anniversary was further discussed and a number of ideas put forward. The Chairman undertook to follow up on these suggestions and make further enquires.

Under AOB, the need to revise the Society’s Constitution was again raised. It had fallen into abeyance during Covid and there was some doubt over what was the correct version. The Chairman will attempt to resolve this.

The next meeting would be held on Wednesday 19^th July 2023.

Summary of Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 17th May 2022

Following apologies for absence of the vice Chairman who was unwell, the Chairman welcomed new members to the Committee.

He then commented on the success of the AGM which over 90 people attended, the speaker having encouraged extra support. He added that she was continuing her research and it was hoped a further presentation might be possible in the future. However, there was some discussion on the format of the AGM and it was agreed this would be further considered for next year.

Elaine advised that she now had 166 potential and confirmed members on the mailing list. She was also reviewing other local societies with whom there was a reciprocal exchange of information and/or magazines.

Mike then confirmed that the program was complete for the year and some speakers who had withdrawn during the pandemic would be available in the future. The planned outings were reviewed and further arrangements to advertise them agreed.

It was reported by Christine that our long-standing magazine printer had failed and she was looking for suitable replacements. Some recommendations were made and it was agreed she should use her judgement as to the best available. A long standing member had made a generous donation of books to the Society.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 23rd August and any Members with items they wish to raise should contact any Committee member ahead of that date.

Summary of Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 22nd February 2022

The Chairman welcomed those present and reported on apologies for absence (2). The minutes for the previous meeting were approved and signed.

He then reviewed the new meeting hall and felt it had been welcomed by those attending, in surprisingly large numbers considering the circumstances. There was some discussion about the seating arrangements but it was decided to leave arrangements as they were for the present. He advised that he was submitting Bromleag to the LAMAS local history publications awards for 2022. He would also contact Bromley Arts Council regarding adding BBLHS to their diary.

As the Programme Secretary was isolating discussion was limited. Mike’s efforts to provide a programme for the year were applauded and his suggestions for summer visits reviewed and some further suggestions made which included both new places and a return to some we had not visited for many years. Members would be asked for their suggestions.

Elaine was welcomed back to the committee in her new role as membership secretary. She has been working hard to update the lists and to identify people who may still be registered but are not, for various reasons, any longer paid up members. It was agreed those concerned (excluding those entitled to free membership) should be contacted and, after a period of no response, should be removed from the members’ list with consequent savings in Bromleag printing and distribution costs. There may also be a need to update other Society’s contact details.

The treasurer confirmed that the Society was financially heathy and Max reported that he had now sold out of Bromley Record CDs and the money raised returned to the bequest fund.

The magazine editor advised that she had plenty of material for this year but planned to return to the 32 page issues. She will arrange re-printing of our publicity leaflets to reflect our new meeting place and would be representing BBLHS at the next on-line KAS meeting.

Max reported on the number of visits to the website which averaged over 1000 per month and on the number of members who had viewed on-line meetings later on YouTube. These are only accessible to members. He has also uploaded new photos of Farnborough Hospital to coincide with an article in Bromleag and will add a selection of paintings by Patricia Knowlden, the originals are now with a West Wickham society.

The library representative reported that there were several volunteers from the Society now at work in the archives but given the scale of things to be done, more would be welcome and it was agreed this opportunity would be brought to the attention of members. It was expected that some of the bequest money would be used for this work but so far this had not happened. However, Simon is undertaking the scanning of more street directories and would welcome financial assistance in the new financial year.

Some changes were being made to archive procedures to improve access to documents but restrictions were also being introduced to the department because of anti-social behaviour by a small group of school children. It was hoped this would only be temporary.

Under AOB, arrangements for the AGM were discussed and Elaine will contact the Mayor’s office to invite him to attend. The chairman will try and resolve an issue with a member of the committee who has not attended recent meetings which may require some change of roles. The need to attract younger member and deputies for some key roles was discussed. Christine confirmed she had met with the late Tony Allnutt’s widow and recovered various items of historical interest and some items have been transferred to Bromley archives.

Because this meeting had been postponed from last month but with the need to finalise arrangements for the AGM, the committee will meet again on Monday 21st March. Any members who would like to raise an issue should contact any committee member before that date.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 19th October 2021

Although on-line committee meetings had continued through the pandemic, this was the first opportunity to actually meet up. This followed, what the Chairman David, considered a successful first meeting at our new venue at St. George’s church hall in Bickley. Members had been able to spread out and enjoy tea and coffee at tables, served from within the hall. It is currently booked to the end of the year but we expect to continue through 2022.

It was confirmed that all our meeting equipment had been retrieved from the old hall. It was agreed that Max would purchase a lectern and light for use by speakers. However, it was deemed impractical to record meetings, based on our own and others experience. It was also noted that the number of people watching the recordings had dropped off over the months and some speakers did not want their talks recorded anyway.

It was agreed that Committee members would provide the talks for the December meeting and Mike advised he had firmed up the programme for the first quarter of 2022.

Pam raised the question of members who had not paid subscriptions for some time but her figures for paid-up members and the email list held by Max did not seem to tie up. In Tony’s absence it was not possible to resolve this situation and it was agreed the three of them should ensure there was one correct list. It had implications for the number of magazines printed and mailed. Christine confirmed she had plenty of material for the present but she would discuss distribution arrangements with Elaine to see if they could be improved.

With the recent increase in Legacy money, there was further discussion on how some of might be spent. Previous efforts, such as a history writing competition, had not been supported. Simon suggested liaising with the Bromley Education Department to see if this could be revived. He also suggested contacting the Town Centre Management teams in Bromley, Beckenham and Orpington regarding the erection of blue plaques. Possible names to commemorate would be discussed at the next meeting.

It was noted that, with the move to a new meeting place, our publicity leaflets needed to be updated. Christine will arrange for the printing.

Simon has arranged for Local Studies to have more street directories digitised and placed on-line. If the new contractor proves reliable, he will extend the programme. The Library has been given a large collection of material from Alan Stoyle relating to the Orpington Field Club and other organisations. He advised that material that is rarely, if ever, accessed but that the library is obliged to keep, will be moved to a new off-site storage facility. Following information abut the forthcoming closure of some local churches, enquiries are being made about any archive material that may be held so that it can be safely retained.

Christine has been given an archive of material on the March family, important sculptors and painters who lived and worked in Farnborough in the early 20th century. This will eventually be deposited in Local Studies. Michael has deposited the archive of material on Bromley solicitors Latter and Willet, given a few years ago to BBLHS, in Local Studies.

The next meeting will be on 22nd February 2022. If you have any issues you wish us to discuss, please let a committee member know.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Wednesday 24^th March 2021 (virtual)

Following approval of the previous minutes, the meeting continued with the agenda.

It was confirmed that David would take over liaison with other societies and that if any other Committee member received more groups’ publications, they would forward them to him and update the organisation concerned. After some discussion of the remaining duties of the Secretary which Elaine was giving up, David kindly agreed to replace her as Hon. Secretary. This would be for confirmation at the AGM.

Societies with whom we have contacts include BALH, LAMAS, KAS, ODAS, London Historians, Beckenham Historical Society,

Eltham Civic society; London Industrial Archaeological Society and NW Kent Family History Society.

Consideration then turned to publication of a book on Farnborough workhouse following the work done by one of our Members. Mike gave his support and suggested it would be a worthwhile use of some the legacy money. A lengthy discussion then followed on costs, possible content and size, the design and publishing activities involved and whether Print On Demand would be possible. Finally, it was agreed the author should be asked to provide an outline of her proposals and expectations, and a working group would be set up to progress the work. A Zoom meeting would be arranged for April.

Ruth advised that she had been keeping a diary and taking photographs of events related to the pandemic which she hoped would be useful for future historians. It was agreed this was an excellent idea provided the material was properly recorded and Simon offered the Library’s facilities for storage. It was decided that Members should be asked to contribute; mention of the idea would be included with the April meeting invitation.

Christine raised the subject of post-pandemic meetings which led to some discussion and possible options – back to “normal”, stay as we are, some mixture of both. One suggestion was that we hold live meetings during the summer and revert to on-line during the winter. It was agreed that no firm decision could or needed to be made at present but the matter needed much further thought.

The Chairman will liaise with the Mayor to agree final arrangements for the AGM on 6^th April and Max would send her the Zoom details. He would as usual contact the speaker to confirm their presentation Zoom ready. Pam has sent Max a copy of the audited accounts which would be emailed to Members and published on the website. They would not be included in Bromleag.

Tony reported that we currently have over 180 members and most renewals had been received together with some generous donations. The recent increase in membership, mostly via the on-line facility, meant that the print-run for the next issue of Bromleag needed to be increased which Christine will arrange. She was pleased to add that she had sufficient material for the all issues this year.

Mike confirmed he had speakers for each month up to July (when the Chairman will be talking) and he concluded that the return of face to face meetings this year was unlikely and would plan accordingly.

In addition to the book production project, Max reminded members that the Library digitisation work, currently on hold, may be able to restart next month. He reported that the website continued to attract regular visits and questions and there were over 4000 photos on the site.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Committee were distressed to hear that the Chairman had had further health problems recently and had regretfully decided that he could not continue in post after the AGM. He would not therefore be standing for re-election. The search for a replacement would need to be initiated next month.

Next meeting to be held (hopefully face to face) on July 13th. If you have any issues you wish us to discuss, please let a committee member know.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 26th January 2021 (virtual)

Following signing of the previous minutes, the Chairman confirmed that Members not on email had been sent a Christmas newsletter. He also reported that one of our founder members Leonard Smith, now 96, had moved to sheltered accommodation.

Discussion then moved to improving links with organisations similar to BBLHS. As an organisation we were members of BALH, LAMAS, KAS and London Historians. Tony recalled there had been other groups covering NW Kent/SE London but it was agreed this had become somewhat confused. David volunteered to be the named contact and to maintain copies of other society magazines. Committee members with current contact information will pass this to him. Pam would confirm with the auditor how subscription payments be recorded without revealing any personal data.

Mike confirmed he had speakers for Zoom meetings up to June but would continue to keep arrangements flexible in the light of circumstances. Ruth agreed to contact the Mayor to confirm her attendance at the AGM which would return to its normal April date. It was agreed with Mike that the work of one of our previous speakers would make an interesting publication and he will discuss with her how to progress it under BBLHS aegis.

Christine advised that she had sufficient material for Bromleag in 2021. Max confirmed that the digitisation programme at the Library had been put on hold indefinitely but hopefully we would be able to restart it in the future.

The possible return to live meetings was briefly discussed but no conclusion was possible at this time.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 24th March 2021. Any comments or suggestions from Members will be welcome.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 17th November 2020 (virtual)

With ten members of the Committee on-line, the Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. Following the last meeting it was confirmed that a new student membership would be introduced and that overseas members be asked to pay an additional £5 towards magazine postage costs. A Christmas letter to all members was planned, to be sent by email if possible and by post to the rest.

Discussion continued on a possible change of venue but with so many unknowns: when physical meetings might be possible; how many people would want to come and potential problems and benefits of some of the sites under consideration, it was agreed the matter should be set aside. It would also be necessary to give Trinity Church notice if a decision was taken.

Unlike normal, it was agreed that the 2021 programme would be kept flexible as some speakers did not want to use Zoom and it was not known when face to face meetings would be possible. Mike had the next three months lined up and others in the pipeline including a Members’ evening. It was confirmed that a reasonable speaker fee should be paid when asked for.

Christine has continued to assemble a collection of all previous BBLHS publications, including books, and had been given an interesting collection of photographs from former member Mary Moore. These will go on the website in due course. As part of the digitisation project, it is hoped a small number of members can meet up with library staff on 16th December to examine some of the material and agree where we start.

Contact will be made with the Mayor regarding the April AGM and Ruth has reissued her invitation to a summer social or possibly a Christmas 2021 one if possible.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th January 2021. Any comments or suggestions from Members will be welcome.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 8th September 2020 (virtual)

Following the usual business of apologies for absence, the only matter arising related to the late Philip Daniels' books and Tudor agreed to send a list to Committee members.

There was a full discussion of current and future subscription payment systems. It was agreed that we would retain the three options, PayPal, bank transfer and cheque. Some minor changes would be made to the on-line application forms to make this easier and clearer. It unfortunately means money may be sent to three different people and will require co-ordination between them to maintain a membership list.

It was agreed that with the resumption of normal production of the magazine, an October newsletter would not be necessary but, given the situation, it was pointless to attempt again to interest schools in a local history competition. Mike has agreed Zoom on-line talks to cover October to December and will look for more speakers for 2021. Some suggestions for possible presentations and a Members’ Evening were made. On-line meetings would be recorded and uploaded to YouTube for viewing by Members at their leisure.

Simon provided an update on access to the Library and Archives. He asked if anyone had a date for when the bandstand was opened in Bromley Library Gardens.

A couple of unusual enquiries were discussed. Tony had been able to locate a Bromley descendent of a man who managed a diamond mine in Austria before WW1, for an Austrian researcher, and Christine had assisted an Australian enquirer regarding basket making in St. Mary Cray who could possibly provide us with a talk next year.

A formal letter of thanks would be sent to the Mayor for her efficient chairing of the on-line AGM.

The next on-line Committee meeting would be on Tuesday 17th November. Any comments from Members about the AGM or any other issues will be welcome.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Wednesday18th August 2020 (virtual)

Following the last meeting, it was confirmed that donations could be made on line using PayPal. After some discussion, it was decided that subscription renewals be requested as usual in January. It was agreed that a basic Zoom subscription should be purchased as there seemed no likelihood of resuming live meetings this year.

The new mayor (Hanna Gray) would be asked to chair our AGM on September 1st. She was thought to be keen to carry out her ceremonial functions despite the current situation. The previous mayor and long-term member Nicholas Bennett would be invited to become a Vice-President. Members would be asked if they wanted to contribute an item to the AGM as it would normally have been Members’ Evening. A trial run of the AGM would be arranged beforehand.

With hopefully a successful AGM, Zoom meetings will continue monthly with speakers agreed for October to January 2021 but later speakers had yet to be arranged. An additional news letter will be produced in October.

The continued use of Trinity church hall was discussed again. Whilst it has advantages, its limited size has become a bit of a problem and use of the large hall would mean a later start. Return to our previous venue, the Methodist church hall, was considered and the facilities and (relatively high) costs would be reviewed by Elaine before reporting back. A firm decision will probably need to await clarity on when live meetings can resume and people are prepared to attend.

The next on-line Committee meeting would be on Tuesday 8th September. Any comments from Members about the AGM or any other issues will be welcome.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Wednesday 22nd July 2020 (virtual)

At our first full on-line Committee meeting, most members successfully joined in.

Max updated the Committee on the work he had been doing on the website including provision of an on-line membership application/renewal form. This had required a new PayPal account to be set up which, in order to achieve the benefits of charity status, had proved somewhat challenging. However, early results suggested the new system was proving popular. A number of improvements to welcome new members were suggested.

The main discussion centred around the possibility of resuming meetings in the large hall at the current venue or moving to another hall. Although this remained an option for the future, it was agreed to hold on-line meetings at least until the end of 2020. It is planned to trial the Zoom system with the belated AGM on September 1st. Meetings will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube afterwards for those members unable to join the meetings.

A number of schemes to spend some more of the legacy money through local schools not having been welcomed as was hoped so it was suggested that we approach the library again to see what other historical documents might usefully be digitised and this is in hand.

Tudor was congratulated on his new book which is now being edited. Tony had received a letter from the family of the late Philip Daniels (of ENBRO) offering his book collection. It was agreed we should take them and Tudor volunteered to store them for the immediate future.

A further Zoom meeting will be held in August to confirm arrangements for the AGM.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 16th September 2019

This meeting followed the Members’ Evening and the Chairman thanked everyone who had helped make it a success. He then confirmed that details of our History Essay Competition had been sent to local schools. After some discussion on the “Notable People of Bromley” project, it was agreed to keep the number to 50; Ruth undertook to curate the list. A review of our Constitution would be undertaken and any changes required presented at the AGM.

The Vice Chairman advised members on proposed development of the Civic Centre site and it was agreed to circulate the details as widely as possible.

There was some discussion on how the Society could involve its members in a more social way and it was agreed to split the December meeting, when the Chairman was the speaker, into two with a break for mince pies, hot drink and a chat. Based on this experience, we would consider doing it again in the future.

The programme for 2020 was reasonably settled and Tudor agreed to lead a walk round High Elms during the year. An extra visit this year, organised by David, to Morden College at Blackheath would take place on 24th September. It was confirmed that the planned “Bromley Discovery Day” in October had been postponed until next year.

At Christine’s suggestion, it was agreed to dispense with the separate programme card since forthcoming meetings were included in Bromleag and on the web site. It was decided to reduce the print run of the magazine and the number of free copies sent to the Central Library. It was also agreed to reduce stocks of old copies of the special issue booklets, holding a small stock in reserve and giving the rest away. They are all available on CD.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 21st January. Any member wishing to attend as a guest or who has an issue they would like the Committee to discuss should let the Chairman or Secretary know before that date.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 9th July 2019

The meeting opened with news that BBLHS had been acknowledged as helping with a recent Channel 4 housing programme set in Bromley. Less positively the Chairman advised that industrial action at the Central Library meant there was no archive service. The demise of the Kent History Federation was also confirmed. It was further reported that disturbing proposals for building on Civic Centre land had been circulating and the Civic Society were closely involved.

The Membership Secretary and Treasurer, however, were able to confirm the continued strength of the Society both in the number of members and the financial situation. Future activities were discussed and David advised he was organising a visit to Mordern College at Blackheath which the Committee welcomed. Mike M confirmed arrangements for the September Members’ Evening and that he already had some volunteers. He was also congratulated on having most of the 2020 programme mapped out and, with the new Mayor of Bromley being a member of the Society, it was hoped the AGM could be made a bit special. External visits for next year were then discussed.

Also under discussion was further use of the legacy money and it was suggested that a history essay prize for senior pupils could be organised to encourage interest in local history at schools. It might also provide material for Christine who always required more articles for Bromleag. The “50 Notable People of Bromley” project will be taken over by Ruth.

Adrian was congratulated on his newly published book, with a second volume to follow in the Autumn. Other activities with publications, book sales and maintenance of the website continue from week to week. Max reported on the planned Bromley Discovery Day in October but whether it would actually take place now was uncertain. As an alternative, we had an invitation to an open day at High Elms the same weekend which might be worth pursuing.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 17th September. Any member wishing to attend as a guest or who has an issue they would like the Committee to discuss should let the Chairman or Secretary know before that date.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 19th March 2019

In the absence of a number of Committee members, discussion was mainly restricted to the arrangements for the AGM in April. It was agreed that Dr. Thomas would be formally proposed as a member and Max would give a short report on the recent members’ survey. It was confirmed the Mayor had been invited. Draft accounts were circulated which raised no major issues. It was agreed that the Chairman should make a safety announcement before the start of meetings regarding fire exits etc.

Elaine advised that the Kent History Federation was unable to continue and was expected to fold shortly (in fact this occurred on 3rd June). Our own membership continues to hold up, exact numbers to be confirmed. Financially there were no problems and we still had a substantial amount in the Legacy Fund. The web site is proving increasingly popular.

A problem had arisen with payment for the visit to Charterhouse. A small number had confirmed their attendance, which had then been paid in advance, but they did not in fact arrive and had not paid. The meeting organiser had been in touch with them and a resolution would be agreed if possible. It was decided that, in future, where pre-payment was required, money would have to be collected from members in advance. With the agreement of the Chairman, a portable voice amplifier has been purchased for use on walks and at events.

It was suggested and accepted that the Members’ Evening should have a “show and tell” theme. It is hoped this will include some archaeological finds from Keston. No-one had come forward to work on “Bromley Famous” so Ruth volunteered to help once her present commitments were complete. Some help for the Bromleag editor was also discussed as we are heavily dependant on Christine’s efforts at present. It was planned to put a BBLHS flyer in the next issue of Bromleag to encourage new members.

The practicability of using USB sticks instead of CDs for digital publications was confirmed and lies with John to progress.

The next Committee meeting will be on Tuesday 9th July. Any member who wishes to raise an issue, please contact a Committee member before that date.

Summary of Committee meeting held on Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Following approval of the previous minutes, the Chairman advised that a member had volunteered to join the Committee and this would be confirmed at the AGM in April. He also reminded those members who were attending the Mayor’s charity quiz to attend (subsequent note, the BBLHS team came 18th out of 24). More seriously he reported on the difficulties being experienced by the Kent History Federation and its future existence.

The Membership Secretary confirmed that most subscriptions had been renewed but a reminder would be issued in the next meeting advice email. The Treasurer updated the organisation’s financial position which remains strong.

The Secretary advised that she was holding a collection of items from an old member and it was agreed that the September Members’ Evening would be a good opportunity to show them off. A proposed second visit to the Stone House was proving difficult to arrange but a visit to Morden College may be easier to organise. The March visit to the Charterhouse was confirmed as was the walk round Westminster in April. The planned walk around Plaistow in July was in some doubt.

The Editor is continuing her work on a list of notable people from Bromley and the Chairman will ask for volunteers to help with research.

A new membership leaflet would be printed for use in sales, at events and elsewhere. A selection of USB stick samples were circulated and the practicality of using them for books etc. rather than CDs was confirmed.

The Publicity Officer circulated a draft copy of the upcoming on-line survey and explained how a simple voice amplifier could be used on walks and at events. It was agreed one should be purchased.

The next Committee meeting will be on Tuesday 19th March to finalise arrangements for the AGM.

Summary of Committee meeting held on 11th November 2018

Matters arising

It was agreed to leave membership rates unchanged for the forthcoming year.

Routine Reports

Chairman

Concern was expressed over the increasing age and in some cases health of committee members and the need for new candidates. As a temporary measure Elaine offered to take on the role of Minutes Secretary.

Membership Secretary

Tony is updating our membership list and has removed names of those who have lost contact but he confirmed we have added new members this year.

Secretary

Elaine reported Kent History Federation continues to publish magazines and it was agreed to continue membership as this also offered some commercial advantage to us. A founder member of BBLHS has donated some artefacts found at the Warbank Roman excavations in Keston. It was agreed we hold these for time being and possibly show them at the September meeting when it is proposed to concentrate on tangible items from Members’ archives.

Programme Coordinator

Mike confirmed further visits to be organised for 2019 which will be published shortly. He also suggested adoption of a more structured process for attracting members to the committee and this was agreed.

Editor

Christine continues compiling our list of’ Notable people of Bromley’ and volunteers will be sought to help collate and possibly research each name. It might also be possible to use the collection for a future publication.

Publication Officer

John reported on book sates . He has multiple copies of old Bromleags and suggested offering them free to members for distribution to friends and relatives who might be interested. This raised the question of our membership leaflet and it was agreed to print new copies for inclusion in all our gifted items. The relative cost of providing electronic copies on memory sticks rather than disks will be examined. It was confirmed that there were sufficient stocks of our current publications for sale on eBay.

Publicity & Website

Max reported that work on our new more professional website meant it was ready to go live by the end of the month. All relevant material from the old website has been retained including the digitised back copies of Bromleag, photo essays and much more has been and will be added. He and Brin were thanked for the work they had been doing.

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 22nd Jan 2019

Summary of Committee meeting held on 11th September 2018

Matters arising

• Our safeguarding policy has been updated.

• Michael reported on his talk to Scotts Park Primary School (approx. 60 children).

• Elaine continues to offer coffee and greet new members but would always appreciate help.

• Elaine, Christine and Tudor selected visuals from our archive; 11 were professionally produced for our display boards and used at Keston Countryside Day and ‘BIG O’, Priory Gardens.

• John has cleared all old stock of general history books to create room in the book store for books focused on Bromley and neighbourhood.

• After discussion changes to subscriptions will be proposed at our 2019 AGM. It was suggested that we then abandon collecting entry fees to monthly meetings and consider a small subsidy towards the costs of visits.

•TD has had no response yet from V22 Group at The Priory regarding a store for our archives. He hopes to meet them at their open day Sat 22nd Sept

Routine Reports

Chairman

Hazel Jackson of London Parks and Gardens Trust has provisionally agreed to give a talk in June 2019 on Langley Park and the Burrell family.

Membership Secretary

Tony is updating our membership list and has removed names of those who have lost contact but he confirmed we have added new members this year. He will pass the updated list to Max.

Tony has received a range of ‘archive’ materials:

• Archaeology books have been donated to ODAS with their thanks;

• ‘Ephemera’ will be passed to a suitable owner or if possible sold.

• The hand operated calculating machine will, for the present, be added to our archives.

After receiving news of the first death in Bromley as a result of bombing in the 2nd World War, his subsequent research suggested the information was open to considerable doubt.

Vice Chairman

Michael reminded us of the nature/status of history teaching in schools currently and pointed out the problems confronting anyone invited to speak at school venues.

He updated us on the development proposals along the High St and at Bromley North.

Secretary

Elaine has circulated details of committee members and asked that we check for errors and omissions.

Treasurer

Pam reported on our financial health.

Programme Coordinator

Mike confirmed 9 of the 11 month programme for 2019; subsequent discussion confirmed speakers for the remaining two months.

He will suggest 3/4 visits in 2019 and ask Max and Christine to publicise the venues with provisional dates requesting those who wish to attend inform him asap. Hopefully this will reduce the guesswork in calculating likely numbers when booking visits.

Some members are still seeking someone to offer a lift to our monthly meetings. Further efforts to be considered.

Editor

We are all reminded to encourage new contributors to our magazine.

Christine continues working on compiling our list of notable people of Bromley. Please remember if you are putting forward a suggestion everyone included should have made a contribution to society in some way.

Geoff Copus has left a large archive that the family may consider donating to Bromley who are asking for volunteers to help with catalogue work. David has expressed an interest.

Publication Officer

John is applying stricter criteria to selection of new stock for our bookshop.

We have many back copies of Bromleag and suggested we offer them to libraries and other venues with our flyer included in each one. It was thought we have only 30 or so flyers so we need to print new copies. They require updating including any changes to subscriptions which puts off the final decision until the AGM 2019.

Anyone with back copies let John know how many they are storing.

John has old DVD’s of our publications (books 1 – 10). It was suggested we produce updated versions on a memory stick that are easier to store and sell.

Publicity & Website

Max emailed that he is hoping to update our website by the end of the year. All trial work will aim to ensure there are no glitches. The aim is to make our site more modern and user friendly.

Past and Future Events

Keston Countryside Day Sunday 24th June and ‘Big O’ in Priory Gardens, Orpington , Saturday 7th July. Thanks to everyone who helped on these occasions.

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 27th Nov. 2018

Summary of Committee meeting on 14th May 2018

At a meeting held on 14th May 2018 the Chairman welcomed new Committee member Ruth Bennett. The first item for discussion was the impact of the new General Data Protection Regulation. A revised membership form was discussed and members asked to provide any comments or suggestions as soon as possible. Tony confirmed he was currently reviewing the Membership list to ensure old names were removed.

In response to a request, Michael Rawcliffe bravely agreed to speak to 80 Year six children at Scotts Park school while Elaine was thanked for organising the Mayor’s attendance at our AGM. It was agreed that an additional Family Membership category should be introduced as one step to encourage younger people to join the Society.

The organisation of meetings was discussed again and it was agreed try a more welcoming approach. The option might be taken to have a mid-session coffee break. Max undertook to look into getting a new Society sign to replace the present broken one. Also raised again was the question of a suitable Society store and the Chairman undertook to try and contact the organisation now running the Priory in Orpington which has now started to let space. Michael Marriott confirmed he had a full programme to the end of the year but would welcome suggestions for 2019.

The need for an up to date picture display for showing at events was discussed and it was agreed a small number of Committee members would meet the following weeks to select appropriate photographs and make them suitable for exhibition. If possible this they should be available for Keston Countryside Day or, if not, for the Big O festival in Orpington in July. Ruth revealed she was heavily involved in organising events to mark 50 years since the death of Richmal Crompton..

The magazine editor asked Committee members to encourage new contributors and said she was continuing to compile a list of “Bromley Famous” which she will circulate for comment. There was some discussion of the parameters to be used and it was agreed that social contribution rather than notoriety should be the guideline.

Because of the physical effort of moving large numbers of books about each month, John has decided to get rid of his existing stock after the July meeting and apply stricter criteria in selecting replacements. He also wanted an updated figure on supplies of our own publications held by various members of the Committee.

Next meeting to be held on Tuesday 11th September. If any Members have issues they would like to raise, or would like to attend the meeting, please let a Committee member know in advance.

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