The Bathford Society
All talks take place in the Parish Hall, Church Street, Bathford, at 8.00pm and coffee is available from 7.30pm. Visitors and new members are welcome. £3.00 charge for non-members at the door.
Date |
Talk |
| 29th September 2025 | "Bathford and World War I" by Peter MartinWe know from research by David Howells and Steve Mackerness where residents of Bathford who died in WW1 were buried but have not known where they died. Now we have a reasonable assumption as to where they were killed. We did this by looking at the date of their death and their burial place, and researching the battles and other relevant events, there is an amazing range, from the battle fields of France, the fight against the Ottoman Empire led by Lawrence of Arabia, the Egyptian revolt of 1922, to a sinking off Italy and the terrible destruction, not in battle, of HMS Bulwark. To put this in context, there will be the briefest resume of the course of WWI. We will also, as far as possible, describe the locations and backgrounds of the 100 or so men who enlisted and returned. |
| 27th October 2025 | "Ukraine - What is happening locally and in Ukraine" by Zhenya ShkilZhenya Shkil is Ukrainian and has lived in Bathford for the last nine years, from before the start of the war. She has worked in Bath and North-East Somerset helping Ukrainian refugees to settle and helping the Council with its friendship agreement with Oleksandriya, a pretty city in central Ukraine. The purpose of the Agreement is to show solidarity; but has also included raising funds to supply generators and ambulances and other equipment. Zhenya will talk about how local refugees are managing their lives over here and with their families and friends back in Ukraine. She will talk about her charity work and about how those who so wish can get involved; discuss her understanding of the current situation in Ukraine in this fourth year of the war; and what she thinks Ukraine would like from the peace and how the country might be rebuilt. |
| 24th November 2025 | AGM (very short), followed by eats, drinks and chats! |
| 26th January 2026 | "Bathford School, then and now" by Becky Hayter, Headteacher Bathford Church SchoolThere has been a primary school in Bathford for a very long time, the earliest record is 1788 and its history has been documented by David Howells and Steve Mackerness of this Society. In this talk, we have asked the current Head, Becky Hayter, to review the history and compare what happened then with what happens today. For example, the school log shows that around potato harvest time, children suddenly absented themselves, leading to a "small attendance". There were regular problems with illness. School attendance became compulsory in 1880 up to the age of 10 and in 1899 up to the age of 12 so educational standards in much of the population will have been low. The school seems to have been regularly inspected. Becky will contrast the history with current lived experience at the school and look ahead to the next steps. |
| 23rd February 2026 | "National Trust and Avon Conservation Area" presented by Joanna Rolfe, Project Manager with Sarah Dann, Lead Ranger for the National Trust and Ken Tatem for Avondale Nature ReserveBathampton Meadows is owned by the National Trust; and Bathampton Meadows Nature Reserve alongside the dual carriageway is owned by the Highways Agency and managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust. Both are deeply involved in nature conservation and have ambitious plans for the future. The Nature Reserve is conservation in its strictest sense. It is reserved for nature and is not open to the public. Its priority is to provide flood plain, and it is managed as wetland grassland. In contrast, Bathampton Meadows has many visitors but relatively low biodiversity. The National Trust aims to develop the site by improving public access, boosting biodiversity and continuing to engage the local communities around it. Both will describe the present situation and plans for the future. |
| 30th March 2026 | "Bathford Mill serves the world. Interesting artefacts from down the hill" presented by Andy Nash, Managing Director, PortalsBathford Mill was recorded in the Domesday book and has moved on from grinding corn to become one of the few very high security paper manufacturers in the world. Today, its full client list remains a closely guarded secret, but over the years it has produced many interesting watermarks and images that can be shown to the general public. In this talk, the speaker will explain some of the history of watermark design and manufacture, demonstrate some of the secure features of a passport book and show examples of the exotic watermarks that have been generated at Portals in recent decades. History will unfold before our eyes! |
| 27th April 2026 | "Guiding in Bathford" by Jenny PrallThe Scout and Guide movement is deeply embedded in our culture and many in our audience will have personal experience of those organisations. However, although the movement is currently flourishing in adjacent areas, at the moment, in Bathford only the Brownies are active. In the past, in Bathford, most sections except the very youngest, were in full swing. In tonights talk, a former local Guide leader will talk about the activities, expeditions and fun that were enjoyed by both leaders and led; and the greater freedom that was once available. She will describe how the movement has successfully adapted to changes in society - numbers are significantly increasing year on year. What is the future in Bathford? |