Events
All meeting are in-person, starting at At 7.30 pm, at our usual venue:
St.Mary’s Parish Church Hall Neasden Ln, London NW10 2TS.
For more free guided walks in Willesden and Brent, visit www.brent-heritage.co.uk
The recordings of some of the online talks are available in the Archive section of the website.
June
Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Please join us for a review of the previous year, future plans, and support the work of the society. If you’d like to take part in the committee, please let us know.
The meeting will start at 7.30 pm, at our usual venue: St.Mary’s Parish Church Hall Neasden Ln, London NW10 2TS.
July
Wednesday, 17 July 2024
11.30 am – 2.00 pm
A lunch to celebrate the anniversary of Willesden Local History Society. It will take place at Roundwood Park Cafe. We will offer everyone a free drink, please buy your own food from the cafe’s menu.
September
Cost to be confirmed.
October
Wednesday, 16 October 2024
November
Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Archaeology, myths and legends. A talk by Signe Hoffos
December
Past events
April
Wednesday, 17th April
3pm
Visit to Paddington Old Cemetery
The walk will be conducted by a member of the Friends of Paddington Old Cemetery. Meet at the entrance at 3 pm.
May
Wednesday, 15th May 2024
The Mercenary River, talk by Nick Nigham.
His new book of the same name tells the story of London’s water supply through the centuries, covering technological break-throughs, innovations and scandals, and finally asking whether today’s 21st century water companies are an improvement on their Victorian predecessors.
June
Wednesday, 19 June 2024
AGM.
Details to follow.
January
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Update from the Archives
Presentation by Colin Chester, of Brent Archives, informing us of the past and future projects. There will be plenty of time for questions, including about how members of the public can access the fantastic historical resources in the Archive to further their research
February
Tuesday, 20 February 2024
Visit to the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton Town, (118-120 Gunnersbury Lane W3 9QB). Our guide Tom Cavanagh will take us round the Art and Poster Store to see the rich design heritage of London Transport, the grand selection of posters and rarely-seen original artworks. The tour begins at 1.00 p.m., and will last for around 2.5 hours. Free for WLHS members. Visitors, £5.00. Numbers are limited, so please book early. Contact Margaret Pratt at [email protected], or phone 07938 562625. The Depot is close to Acton Town Station, (Piccadilly and District Line.)
March
Wednesday, 20th March 2024
Brent Women of Renown by Angela Payne and Amanda Epe of the Cricklewood Town Team, who will describe their project, including showing us the film, which was recently screened at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn.
January
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Update from the Archives
Presentation by Colin Chester, of Brent Archives, informing us of the past and future projects. There will be plenty of time for questions, including about how members of the public can access the fantastic historical resources in the Archive to further their research
February
Tuesday, 20 February 2024
Visit to the London Transport Museum Depot at Acton Town, (118-120 Gunnersbury Lane W3 9QB). Our guide Tom Cavanagh will take us round the Art and Poster Store to see the rich design heritage of London Transport, the grand selection of posters and rarely-seen original artworks. The tour begins at 1.00 p.m., and will last for around 2.5 hours. Free for WLHS members. Visitors, £5.00. Numbers are limited, so please book early. Contact Margaret Pratt at [email protected], or phone 07938 562625. The Depot is close to Acton Town Station, (Piccadilly and District Line.)
March
Wednesday, 20th March 2024
Brent Women of Renown by Angela Payne and Amanda Epe of the Cricklewood Town Team, who will describe their project, including showing us the film, which was recently screened at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn.
September
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
The Oxford Street of North West London by Adrian Hindle-Briscall.
Soon after Kilburn High Road was built up it became a major shopping destination. Competing in value and range, it rivalled Oxford Street for fifty years, with drapers and department stores as large as many in the West End, most now completely forgotten. Let’s visit the Kilburn of a hundred years ago and more and learn what brought shoppers in their millions to a North London suburb.
October
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Willesden’s Post-war Prefab Homes by Philip Grant.
Even while the Second World War was still in progress, the Government was planning ahead for ‘temporary factory-made bungalows’ to ease the housing shortage. Willesden Council was quick off the mark to take up the offer of these “prefabs”, and hundreds of local families lived in one (some for longer than the ten years they were meant to last!).
November
Monday, 13th November 2023
A visit to St. Gabriel’s Church, Walm Lane, to explore the lovely Victorian Church, learn about its history and the impact it has in the local community.
December
Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Christmas part at St.Mary’s Parish Centre
We will meet at our usual venue, St.Mary’s Parish Church Hall, at 7.30 pm for an evening of festive food, quiz and entertainment.
March
Harlesden Green in the 1870s by Margaret Pratt
Wednesday, 15 March 2023
The talk is based on the life and times of the Beeson family, whose famous hardware shop in Harlesden High Street will be remembered by some local residents. This talk was inspired by a series of lantern lectures in the 1930s, given by Amos Beeson in his old age. He was recollecting his childhood in Harlesden Green, when it was a small village, before it became the busy London suburb we know today. Amos and his 3 brothers became important figures, running their shoeing forge, ironmongers and wheelwrights businesses in Harlesden High Street during the early years of the 20th century.
April
John Passmore Edwards’ Festival. Dissenter’s Chapel at Kensal Green Cemetery.
Saturday, 22 April, 11 am
To mark bicentenary of birth of the philanthropist John Passmore Edwards, WLHS will take part in the celebration of his life at Kensal Green Cemetery. The event will feature the laying of the wreath by his grave, a tour of philanthropists buried at the cemetery, presentations about Passmore Edwards and his work, an exhibition and refreshments
May
Grunwick Strike 1976 – 78 by Christine Coates
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
The story of a group of mainly Asian women working in a small film processing company in Willesden, who took strike action against their poor pay and conditions. They won support from tens of thousands of other people, made dramatic headlines and brought daily scenes of emotion and violence to our TV screens
December
Christmas event
Postponed to 25th January 2023
Due to the adverse weather conditions, we decided to postpone our Christmas party. We are looking at an event in a pub in January – more details to follow
January
The History of Chess in Brent by Anthony Fulton
Wednesday, 18 January 2023
The History of Chess in Brent by Anthony Fulton. Willesden and Brent Chess Club’s Archivist and General Secretary explores the history of chess in the borough. His journey takes the reader from the late nineteenth century through to the present day. For those interested in the history of the borough or chess, he unearths some surprising gems
February
The Willesden Trunk Murders by Dick Weindling
Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Amazingly, there were two murders where the bodies were hidden in trunks in our area. In March 1904 George Crossman left a body in a tin trunk in Kensal Rise. Then in January the following year, Arthur Devereux tried the same method to dispose of a body in Harlesden. Dick will tell the gruesome stories of both these unusual events.
June
Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Join us for the overview of the past year and support the work of the WLHS Committee.
July
Visit to the Tin Tabernacle in Kilburn
Wednesday, 19th July 2023
Meet at 6 pm at The Tin Tabernacle, 12-16 Cambridge Ave, North Maida Vale, London NW6 5BA
The Tin Tabernacle (Cambridge Hall) is a Grade II listed building in South Kilburn. Constructed in corrugated iron in 1863 as the St James’s
Episcopalian church, it was taken on by the Sea Cadets after the Second WorldWar and named the Training Ship Bicester.
The Sea Cadets continue to look after the Hall, though they are no longer able to hold their activities there. The site is owned by Notting
Hill Genesis Housing Association, which is currently working on conservation and the future of the building together with various local and historic organisations.
We will visit the building to see the history displays and learn more about its history and the plans for the future.
Exploring Kensal Green and Kensal Rise. Part 1. Kensal Green
Wednesday, 20 January 2021, 7.30 pm.
Harry Brown and Margaret Pratt offer a description of the history to be found on a journey from St. John’s Church, travelling in a westerly direction along the Harrow Road, to Wrottesley Road.
Recording is available in the Archive
Exploring Kensal Green and Kensal Rise. Part 2. Kensal Rise
Wednesday, 17 February 2021, 7.30 pm.
Harry Brown and Margaret Pratt offer a description of the history to be found on a journey beginning at St. John’s Church, travelling north along Kilburn Lane and Chamberlayne Road.
Recording is available in the Archive
The Supergrass.
Wednesday, 17th March 2021, 7.30 pm
Historian Dick Weindling presents an illustrated online talk about Britain’s first Supergrass and the Wembley Robbery Squad. Bertie Smalls gave evidence about 22 bank raids in North West London during the 1970s, which resulted in long prison sentences for 32 of his fellow criminals.
Recording is available in the Archive
July
Guided tour of the Willesden Jewish Cemetery.
Sunday, 25 July 2021, 2.30 p.m.
Guided walk for the members of the WLHS. We will look at the rich history and customs of this prestigious burial place for Victorian Jews, which is still in use today.
The cemetery was opened in 1873 on former sheep grazing land that was bought by the United Synagogue, a union of five Jewish congregations in the City of London. The cemetery was its first joint project. A place of great tranquillity, the cemetery charts the development of London’s Jewish community over 150 years.
The graves and memorials are rich in social history.
The cemetery is the last resting place of Jews from all walks of life, and is still in use today, following orthodox Jewish custom.
Meet at the entrance to the cemetery at 2.30 pm. Free for the WLHS members, non-members are asked for donation to the Willesden Jewish Cemetery of £5 (payable at the event).
September
Ladbroke Grove Canal Walk.
Saturday, 4 September 2021, 2 pm.
In April we produce a leaflet for a self-guided walk, as it was not possible to do this in person. We home that this time we will be able to lead the actual walk, looking at the site of the now demolished Victorian Gas Holders, the history of the local area, as well as the wild life which can be seen there.
Meet on the Canal bridge at Ladbroke Grove. The walk should take about 1 hour. Free for the WLHS members, we ask non-members for a donation of £3, payable on the day.
September
St Paul’s Church Kilburn Sq, Kilburn Polytechnic & Grammar School.
15 September 2021, 7.30 pm, online
Alan Hovell will share his local knowledge on these subjects, including Dr Bonavia Hunt – linking all 3 institutions. Family recollections of Kilburn education & churches of the Hovells and Griffiths.
Members will receive an invitation link and reminders by email. If you are not a member, please buy tickets here.
October
The General Strike in the 1920s.
Chris Coates.
20 October 2021, 7.30 pm online
The General Strike, a nation-wide workers’ protest against low wages and poor working conditions, was called by the T.U.C. and began on 3rd May, 1926. Chris will describe how our area was affected during the 9 days of strike action.
Members will receive an invitation link and reminders by email. If you are not a member, please buy tickets here.
November
Gladstone Park – a Garden History.
Antonia Couling
17 November 2021, 7.30 pm online
Landscape designer Antonia Couling looks at the gardens at Dollis Hill House in Gladstone Park from the point of view of garden and landscape history. The park came into existence in 1900, when the District Council bought the land from the Finch family and the District Council Surveyor Oliver Claude Robson planned it out, making the best of its “original and natural beauty”.
Members will receive an invitation link and reminders by email. If you are not a member, please buy tickets here.
December
Christmas event.
15 December.
Christmas get together at the Mason’s Arms pub. This is for members only, and the members will receive details by email.
I’m a Firestarter – the amazing story of Leopold Harris. Dick Weindling.
March 2022
In July 1933 the trial of Leopold Harris who lived in Mapesbury Road Brondesbury, was a newspaper sensation. Harris was a major fire insurance assessor, but he was also the leader of a gang who set fires for the owners of commercial properties and took a portion of the insurance money. Dick will talk about how he was finally tracked down by the remarkable skills of William Crocker working for the insurance companies
Recording is available in the Archive
Postcards of Old Willesden
Presentation by Irina Porter – our first Face to Face meeting since Lockdown!
Wednesday, 18th May 2022, 7.30 pm at St.Mary’s Parish Centre, Neasden
Postcards were the ‘mass communications media’ at the turn of the 20th century. We look at the history of the postcard, its key figures and their connections to Willesden, and how the postcard mania left us a visual record of what Willesden was like all those years ago.
Recording is available in the Archive
Roundwood Park to Willesden Bus Garage
Guided walk by Irina Porter
Wednesday, 20 July 2022, 6 pm.
After a short exploration of this first municipal park in Willesden, we will stroll down Robson Avenue and Pound Lane, revealing the secrets behind the street names and the places of historic interest – past and present. Meet at entrance to the Roundwood Park Café.
More local history walks: www.brent-heritage.co.uk
September
Willesden Junction Station. Michael Woods
21 September 2022
Michael Woods, professional railwayman and amateur historian, will present his illustrated history of Willesden Junction and its web of local lines and stations.
October
By The Cut of Their Cloth. Camion Caballero and Warren Reilly
19 October 2022
Camion Caballero and Warren Reilly will pass on their research into the Brent’s rich multiracial and mixed race history.
November
The Black Madonna. Signe Hoffos
16 November 2022
The origins of the Black Madonna are variously ascribed to The Song of Solomon, the goddess Isis and centuries of incense and candle smoke. In the hinterlands of medieval London, the Black Virgin of Willesden was a popular pilgrimage site until the iconoclasm of the English Reformation. But the memory lived on, and modern Willesden now has two Black Madonnas, as WHLS member Signe Hoffos will explain in this illustrated talk.
