Meetings

Jon Winstanley will be looking at a range of issues, including how the council assesses demand, recent and planned schemes for highways changes in and around Newbury (including the Robin Hood roundabout); work on alternative travel options; and demand management/ co-ordination. Jon Winstanley is Service Director for Environment at West Berkshire Council.

A discussion of methods of appraisal and the contents of Conservation Area Appraisals Sue Ellis qualified at Reading University in the 1970's with a degree in History and Archaeology, and although her career before retirement was mostly based in libraries and in local authority policy departments, she maintains her deep interest in local history with […]

This talk will cover agriculture over the period from after the end of World War 1 up to the present day, with some references to local agriculture; and will therefore cover the period that most people are able to relate to. It will include references to the foundation of the industry, and a review of […]

Annual General Meeting of the Newbury Society Newbury Society chairman David Peacock reviews the past year, talking about Newbury today, some of its attractions, and the range of challenges it faces. David Peacock researches, writes and talks on the history of the Newbury area from the Stone Age to the present day. He has written […]

A History of Newbury’s Breweries, from the earliest records to the final demise of the industry in the town. A lavishly illustrated talk piecing together the fascinating and often complicated history of the descent of these businesses large and small. Phil Wood, an enthusiastic local historian, is President of the Newbury District Field Club. For […]

The Draft Newbury Town Centre Area Appraisal and Management Plan (NTCCAAMP) was issued on 12 January. West Berkshire Council has opened the consultation phase to all residents, the community at large and  stakeholders. The consultation period  closes on 23 February 2023. This provides a very limited window of opportunity in which to submit  any objections […]

A look at four characters of note from Penny's latest book - Georgian Newbury. Penny Stokes has lived in the Newbury area for 40 years, during which time she has researched, written and published on numerous places, people and events of West Berkshire. Twenty years ago she gained a MSc in English Local History from […]

The current Lord-Lieutenant will talk about what the role entails, the history of the office, how Lord-Lieutenants are appointed and his experiences in the role, the many high points and one low point. Mr Puxley was High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire from 2000 to 2001. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in […]

The Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) took over the management of West Berkshire Council's main countryside sites, including Snelsmore and Greenham commons and the Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre, at the beginning of 2014. Simon will be reviewing the way in which the management of the sites has evolved since then and highlighting some […]

An illustrated talk which will look at the life and work of some local artists, as well as the depictions of local scenes by others. It will include fine and decorative art, with the emphasis on the former. Among the artists covered will be JMW Turner, Joseph Toomer (thrice Mayor of Newbury), William Gore, Fred […]

There must be many people in West Berkshire who pass the massive granite obelisk at the top of ‘Wash Hill’ and have little or no idea of its origins, the man it was named after or even any connection with the Falkland Islands. Having become immersed in the story of the First Battle of Newbury […]