I hope the disjointed start to the last member’s meeting did not spoil your evening too much. It was most unfortunate that it took me so long to introduce the guest speaker as it was the best attended meeting (70, including guests) I can remember.

Membership now stands at 68 (including the six who joined in March) and is fast approaching the highest total since BHS was launched 14 years ago - so we must be doing something right!!!!

An early reminder of your next meeting - 15 April - Eric Jenkins ‘Unfamiliar Tales of Brixworth’. You might recall that Eric was one of our guest speakers last year with his talk entitled ‘The Workhouse’.

Another reminder:- the meeting on 17 June is a visit to 78 Derngate. The Lamport Hall alternative on your programme will have to wait until next year.

I’ve just received details of the following Lamport Hall Summer Term Courses that some of you might be interested in:
12/13 May - Exploring English Local History (1 day repeat on 15 May).
19/20 May - Exploring Architectural History (1 day repeat 22 May).
Please contact me, or Lamport Hall direct on www.lamporthall.co.uk
if your would like to know more.

My last reminder tonight - The Friends of All Saints’ Heritage Centre, in Church Street, opens for the first time in 2004 this Sat & Sun 2pm - 5pm. A new BHS exhibition will be on view, including the material researched by members Les Hawkins, Pauline Kirton and Sue Mallard on the ‘Brixworth Ironstone Industry’. Please do pop along to have a look, have a cup of tea and chat with BHS stewards Deni Willis (Sat) and Audrey & Les Hawkins (Sun).

Best wishes
John

The next member’s meeting is on 18 March when our guest speaker, Ruth Thomas will present her talk ‘Coaching, Canals and Railways in Northamptonshire’. Ruth has given Brixworth History Society members several talks in the past and is an excellent speaker. I hope she will attract as large an audience as our two speakers did last month when the turnout was one of the best I’ve seen for a long time.

Our membership secretary, Sue Mallard, tells me there are already over fifty members for 2004 with six joining for the first time.

Committee members Les Hawkins, Pauline Kirton and Sue Mallard have collected enough material on the history of the Brixworth Ironstone Industry to ask the society’s archivist, Mandy Dawkins, how best to exhibit it in The Heritage Centre. It is hoped the presentation will be on view soon after the Centre opens to the public on 3 April.

In addition to the visit to Normandy in July we are now going ahead with a day trip on Saturday June 26 to Bury St Edmunds. further details will be available at our next meeting but places on the coach are being booked quickly.