The First meeting of 2005

For its first meeting of the 2005 season, on Tuesday 11th January, the Foxearth & District Local History Society gave a very warm welcome to the well-known Sudbury Author and Historian Edith Freeman. The title of her talk was 'Researching Local History', and Edith gave us a detailed account of the way she had approached the subject. She stressed the importance of experiencing history directly by visiting old sites and houses, by talking to people and sometimes simply by standing and staring; "Feeling history through one's feet" was how she described her walking adventures, and many of her visits to houses were adventurous as she showed by humorously recounting episodes of being stranded in lofts and cellars, and getting lost in the wilds of Essex and Suffolk. Edith also explained the vital task of studying documents to get at evidence from the past, but this was invariably immensely rewarding and old maps, particularly those produced showing fields, rivers, railways, and settlements were a rich source of information.

Society Chairman Alan Fitch thanked Edith on behalf of an appreciative audience of 20 members for her fascinating and entertaining contribution. Alan also reported that Mrs Joyce Potter had offered her services as Secretary of the society and on behalf of the committee and members he thanked her for this. It was encouraging to note that sales of Richard Morris's book on the history of the Foxearth Brewery were proceeding well, and that the Website was attracting a large and growing number of visits and enquiries.

Next months meeting, on February 8th at 8pm, will be a talk by Anthony Wheeler on "Village Names": Anthony is no stranger to the society and this promises to be an enjoyable evening Ken Nice