The next meeting of Redditch History Society will be on Monday 9th November, to be held as usual at 2pm at the Oasis Christian Centre on the corner of Plymouth Road near Redditch Bus and Train Stations.
Our speaker will be Tony Conder, one of Britain’s leading experts on canals and waterways. In 1988 he opened the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester and in 1999 became Curator of the Waterways Trust, taking the collection to national designated status.
Now retired, Tony continues to research and lecture on all aspects of the inland waterways and on the wider history of the county of Gloucestershire. Amongst many other projects, he is involved in plans to celebrate the bicentenary of Gloucester Docks in 2027 and in restoring the tall ship Kathleen and May.
Tony’s presentation will enlighten us about the working lives of the people who worked on Britain’s Waterways, concentrating on the narrow canals. It will be illustrated with pictures from people’s day to day work and their reminiscences – experiences similar to those of the boat families living on the canals around Redditch, such as Tardebigge and Alvechurch. The insights into these seemingly romantic but realistically harsh lives should be fascinating, and not to be missed.
The Redditch History Society meets from 2-4pm on the second Monday afternoon of each month. Non-members are always welcome, for a £4 entrance fee, and refreshments are available after the talk for just 50 pence per person.
