diary 2009-2010

09 September 2009
Handel at Church Langton
On 27 September 1759 an extraordinary event took place in the little hamlet of Church Langton. Two Hundred and Fifty years on, David Johnson will explain the circumstances which led to the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in an English parish church, the excitement and curiosity that it aroused in S.E.Leicestershire, and its significance for the musical world.

14 October
The Grey Sisters of Bradgate, Leicestershire
Lady Jane Grey, having been married at age fifteen to Lord Guilford Dudley, became the victim of a political plot and for nine days, following the death of the sickly child-king Edward VI, she was on the throne of England. Leanda de Lisle has studied the lives of the three Grey sisters and gives an insight into the world they lived within.

11 November
War Memorials of Leicestershire
On the ninety first anniversary of the end of the Great War, Denis Kenyon, the Leicestershire representative for the War Memorials Trust, will talk on local War Memorials, the Uk National Inventory of War Memorials and the Trust. With the unsure fate of Harborough’s own memorial at the Cottage Hospital (described by English Heritage as stunning), on this Remembrance Day, the topic is both pertinent and timely.

Saturday 14 November
History in and around Harborough
This is our annual one-day conference on local history and archaeology, highlighting current research. A buffet lunch will be provided.
Venue: The Council Suite, Harborough District Council Offices, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough (entrance on corner of building facing Church Square.) Ticket Only Event.

09 December
Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort arrived in England a penniless French adventurer, but was granted the earldom of Leicester and married Henry III’s sister. He became increasingly at odds with his benefactor. His transition from the king’s closest advisor to his most implacable opponent, his connections with Leicester, and the popular sainthood conferred on him after his death at Evesham, will all form part of David Balwin’s talk.

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diaries from previous years

13 January 2010
The Lost Church of Faxton
Lost villages are a well known feature of the East Midlands landscape, but the fate of Faxton ( SP 7875) near Lamport is cruel. Sixty years ago an inhabited cottage, a house and an intact church were there. The little church dedicated to St Denys had wall paintings and a fine monument, but by 1958 all had gone. Janice Morris has studied the church from records, photographs and comparisons and will tell the sad story of this lost gem.

10 February
The Origins of Place Names in Leicestershire
Leicestershire being astride the Danelaw boundary as well as Watling Street has its place name origins from several very different sources, reflecting both physical features of the landscape as well as personal associations. Gareth King will explore and enlighten us about local place names.

10 March
Annual General Meeting
Please try to attend this meeting which will help us to shape the continuing future of your Society. The AGM will be followed by a talk on:

Health Services in Market Harborough
At a time when the health services in Market Harborough are the subject of much planning and restructuring. Sister Lindsey Bowles will give an account of past and future developments in the health services provided to the people of Market Harborough.

14 April
Film: The Women's Land Army (Harborough Movie Makers)
‘Tales of a Land Army Girl’ tells the story of Pat Fox’s experiences in the Women’s Land Army based at Lubenham. Through Pat’s eyes we see how women worked the land in the absence of men during the Second World War.

12 May
The Romans in Leicestershire and Rutland
Peter Liddle has worked for many years with the County Council studying all aspects of Archaeology in Leicestershire. Recently he has been responsible for Community Archaeology including organising field working groups. Evidence for life in the two counties from 0 to 500AD, with an emphasis on the Harborough District, will be reviewed.

09 June
Summer Visit - to be anounced