Wandsworth Heritage Festival Launch Event Saturday 24 May

WANDSWORTH HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Saturday 24 May to Sunday 8 June

LAUNCH EVENT SATURDAY 24 MAY

This year’s Wandsworth Heritage Festival will open on Saturday 24 May with a day event at the Wandsworth Town Library at the top of Garratt Lane, showcasing the work of the local amenity and history societies and the enthusiasm of several individuals talking about their interests and their local links.

10.30am. Opening

Stalls: local history and amenity group; free information stall; second hand history book stall.

Displays, including one on John Archer, Battersea’s black mayor 1913/14.

These will be open all day up to 4.30pm.

11am. One Way Road - Dead End Town
Suzanne Simmons will outline the history of the Wandsworth Town Centre One Way System which she studied for her MSc.

11.40am.  River Wandle Walk

Shirley Passmore (Wandsworth Society) will lead a walk from the beginning of the Causeway to Feathers Wharf. Taking in the history of adjoining sites in the Wandle Delta, we will also look at the listed II* Wentworth House in Dormay Street. We shall cross the Causeway Bridge over Bell Lane Creek and walk along the temporary riverside walk to the Thames. Duration: 45mins – 1 hour. Meet outside The Armoury pub (formerly The Crane) 14 Armoury Way SW18 1EZ. More information from: svpassmore@waitrose.com.

12 noon. The Wandsworth and Battersea Battalions in the First World War.

Talk by Paul McCue, historian of Wandsworth servicemen.

1.30pm    Municipal Dreams

Talk about the Totterdown Fields and Latchmere Estates – some of the finest early council housing in the country – and the Aspen House Open Air School – pioneering education from the LCC. John Boughton is an historian.  His blog Municipal Dreams is a celebration of the reforming efforts of local government.

2.20pm    Honouring John Archer and Other Black People Through Plaques

Jak Beula, chair and founder of the Nubian Jak Community Trust, will talk about one of the UK's most recognised independent plaque schemes. The Trust has plaques honouring people as diverse as Bob Marley and Malcolm X to Claudia Jones and Frederick Douglass.  It mounted the plaque to John Archer (Battersea’s Black Mayor 1913/14) in Battersea Park Rd in 2010.

3.10pm    Exploring Battersea Pubs

A Battersea resident for 29 years and local history enthusiast Claire McConville will present information from her research about the history of Battersea’s pubs She has ‘Battersea Pubs’ page on her website:  www.claires-rosleaancestry.co.uk.

AIM OF THE DAY

The aim of the day is to introduce residents, especially newer ones, to the rich history of all the different districts of the Borough: Balham, Battersea, Earlsfield, Nine Elms, Putney, Roehampton, Southfields, Tooting, West Hill, Wandsworth Town and parts of Wimbledon, and the districts of Clapham and Streatham which were part of Wandsworth until the mid-1960s.

Further details and to request stall or display space for your local history project contact Sean Creighton at sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com  

Details updated 22 April - additional talks highlighted in purple.