Newsletter
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The Mayor’s Reception
We must thank members for responding so speedily and splendidly to
the announcement of the Reception and Lecture in honour of Mayor and
Mayoress on 31 March. With nearly a month ago, more than nine tenths of
the tickets have already been sold. If by any chance you haven't got
yours as yet, please apply quickly, either to the Hon Secretary or the
Hon Treasurer, or you may be too late. There is a limit to the capacity
of the Hall, and when that limit is reached the Hon Secretary will open
a waiting list, so that any last-minute cancellations can be filled
from it.
As well as the Mayor and Mayoress, the Society will that
evening entertain the Bishop of Edmonton (who lives in the Borough),
the Rt. Rev. Alan Rogers, and Mrs. Rogers; and the Borough Librarian,
Mr. S. J. Butcher and Mrs. Butcher.
Members are asked to bring their tickets with them as these
will be exchanged at the door for name cards. No tickets will be on
sale at the door. We look forward to seeing you on 31 March at 7.00p.m.
at the Cavalier Suite , the Prince Albert, Golders Green Road.
Christine Arnott sends us this report on the Old Curiosity Shop
which she is organising for March 31st: “interesting objects of all
kinds are already coming in for the shop, but may I make a last plea
for members to search again for still more items? Anything small --
such as figurines, for foreign dolls, costume jewellery, brass or metal
objects, as well as those mentioned in last our last newsletter, will
all be welcome, provided they are in good condition. There's always
someone on the lookout for oddments.” Please telephone Christine Arnott
of Daphne Lorimer and collection will be arranged. Articles can be
brought to the Society’s next lecture (March 20th) and handed to Daphne
Lorimer.
Forthcoming Events
Our Programme Secretary, Liz Holliday, gives these advance details of the programme:
Tuesday March 20th
An illustrated lecture by Dennis Hazelgrove on the Fulham potteries.
This is an interim account of the excavations which took place last
year under the auspices of the Archaeological Section of the Fulham and
Hammersmith Historical Society. Processing of pottery finds has
continued throughout the winter, and the talk will include much
unpublished information. 8.00p.m. at St. Mary's Church House.
Saturday/Sunday April 7/8th
Another weekend at Hampstead Garden Suburb Teahouse, Northway, NW11,
working on of Brockley Hill Pottery. 10-1 and 2.30-5.30. Volunteers
welcome.
Tuesday April 10th
Please note that this lecture takes place on the second, not the
third Tuesday of the month. Dr Helen Wallis will be of a talk on “maps
as an aid to historical research”. Dr Wallis is Superintendent of the
British Museum map room, and this will be an illustrated lecture. 8
p.m. at St. Mary’s Church House.
Tuesday May 15th
The Annual General Meeting, coffee and biscuits at 8 p.m., then the
business of the evening and finally a short programme of films. An
excellent opportunity to meet and talk, to do come along.
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Summer Outings
Saturday, May 19th
A visit to Colchester to see the Roman parts of the city, including the Museum.
Saturday June 16th
A Medieval and Saxon day, visiting Tamworth and Lichfield Castle. The trip may include a call to the Wall Roman Museum.
Saturday July 14th
A visit to the recently opened at Wealden and Downland Museum At
Singleton, near Chichester -- an outstanding folk Museum of 35 acres in
a glorious setting.
Saturday September 15th
Blenhiem Palace and Woodstock, near Oxford.
LAMAS
On Saturday 31 March the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society
holds its tenth annual conference in the Livery Hall of Guildhall at
2.15 p.m. The programme includes talks on various archaeological
projects in the London area, and an account of Rescue’s survey “The
future of London's past", and displays of recent excavations and
research. Tickets costing 50p include an excellent tea; please contact
our Hon Secretary for details.
The last item of the conference -- a half-hour talk by a Dr
Waechter on his 1972 excavations at Swanscombe -- is timed to start at
5.30. Our reception for the Mayor and Mayoress begins at 7.00p.m. so
members attending both functions will have to make good time between
Guildhall and Golders Green
Mr. J. W. H. Banham
Members will be saddened to learn of the death last month of Mr Jim
Banham. Mr Banham had been a member of the Society almost since its
inception, and together with his wife had been one of our most regular
attendants at Society meetings.
Although his health prevented him taking part in more active
pursuits, he never failed to visit any dig the Society was doing and
took great interest in all our activities. As an official of the House
of Commons, he kept careful watch on any mention of architectural
matters in Parliamentary debates and saw that the Society was well
briefed with cuttings and notes from Hansard and other sources.
Mr Banham had undertaken for some time the task of sending out
the Society's material in the form of the newsletter, special notices
and other information. Unfailingly cheerful, he had addressed on our
behalf thousands of envelopes and stuck on as many stamps. We were
particularly pleased to have him with us at the Christmas party, as
delightfully gay as he always seemed. We shall miss him very much
indeed, and would offer Mrs. Banham our most sincere sympathy.
Roman Lamp
Ann Trewick sent us this note: Just recently a lamp was brought into
the Society for identification. It was found some time ago by a Mr N.
Ashdown near the Great North Way entrance to Copthall Playing Fields
(TQ 230904). Guildhall Museum suggests that the lamp is of Eastern
Mediterranean type, rather late in date 3rd or 4th century AD. It is
extremely coarse pottery and very heavy. There is an attractive design
on top, possibly of leaves, and a slight ring base beneath. It is
definitely not of British manufacture. British lamps are rare and much
more crude in design. It is interesting to note that three lamp-holders
were found at Brockley Hill; possibly at least one of them was
manufactured there.
The Society will always be pleased to help in identifying
objects found in the district. Please contact the Hon Secretary in the
first instance, giving as much detail as possible concerning the
location and circumstances of the find.
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More on Milestones
Following Ted Sammes notes on milestones in newsletter 22, you may
be interested to know that, like Ted, the Council for British
Archaeology is troubled by the rapid disappearance of these interesting
relics from our roads -- particularly now with measurement in
kilometres in the offing.
CBA has therefore drawn up a Milestone Code of Practice, for the use of archaeologists, which goes like this:
1. Stones or posts marking mileages on highways, being important
indications of historic development, should be retained on their
original sites wherever possible.
2. Age or materials used do not afford a criterion for selection; all types of posts are of equal importance.
3. If a post has been moved because of highway widening, it
should be reset at the same distance point but father back from the
centre of the road.
4. If a diversion or bypass is built affecting the main highway
at a milestone point, the post should be retained on the original
alignment.
5. In cases of extensive redevelopment at the side of the road
and affecting the position of a milepost, the milepost should be
retained and included in the new design.
6. If, however, there is a compelling reason to remove our
milepost (risk of vandalism, complete redevelopment obliterating the
highway), it should be offered to a local museum or other location for
safe custody, but not destroyed.
7. All ancient mileposts should be surveyed and written up and
photographic records made; scheduling under the Ancient Monuments Acts
should be sought.
8. Future substitution of kilometres or other linear measurements for miles will not be a valid reason to remove mileposts.
Bookbox
It has been decided that the Society should start to form its own
library for the use of members. In the initial stages the "Library"
will consist simply of a bookbox containing books, pamphlets, and other
publications which may be borrowed by members and read at home. A start
has already been made in assembling the nucleus of the collection,
which will consist mainly of books and journals concerning archaeology,
history (particularly local history), special interests such as
pottery, coin collecting, geology, etc., and transactions of other
societies.
The first books have already been donated by members, and a
small exhibition of this material will be on display at the next
lecture on 20 March. The Society is unable to purchase more than a very
small number of books and must rely on the generosity of members to
build up a collection. All members of therefore asked to donate books
of their own which they may no longer require, to obtain inexpensive
copies from second-hand bookshops (in good condition, please) or to
send small sums to the treasurer for the express purpose of expanding
the library. Books will be available for loan at Society meetings or by
arrangement with the Society Librarian.
The Society is now anxious to find a member who will act as
Librarian. He or she will be responsible for the efficient running of
the Library, with the support of the Research Committee.
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He will take charge of the bookbox itself (at present a medium
sized suitcase), bring it to meetings of the Society and deal with
acquisitions, borrowing facilities, simple indexing, etc. If the idea
is successful and the library increases in size, alternative
arrangements may have to be made. In the meantime the Secretary would
welcome offers of help and of books. The newsletter will publish each
month a list of new acquisitions and a note regarding library
facilities.
Books received to date:
Sir Mortimer Wheeler
| - Archaeology from the Earth
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Gordon Childe
| -What happened in History
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G. C. Vaillant
| - The Aztecs of Mexico
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Liam de Paor
| - Archaeology, an illustrated introduction
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Eileen Power
| - Medieval people
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Graham Clark & Stuart Piggot
| - Prehistoric Societies
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Glyn Daniel
| - The Megalith builders of Western Europe
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Sonia Cole
| - The Neolithic Revolution
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Jack Gould
| - Discovering the Birmingham Road
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W. E. Le Gros Clark
| - History of Primates
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A. S. Romer
| - Man and vertebrates Vol II
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Seaby
| - British Copper Coins
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Seaby
| - Standard Catalogue of British coins 1970
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Some transactions of the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society
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Report on Brockley Hill Excavations, 1947
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Preliminary excavations at Verulamium 1930
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Some journals of the British Archaeological Association
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Some reports of the Council for British Archaeology
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Roman Britain in 1971 (Reprint of Britannia Vol III 1972)
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Ancient Monuments, Vol I, Northern England
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February Lecture
Daphne Lorimer provides this report of the Society's February lecture.
“On Tuesday 20 February, the Society had the great privilege of
Mr R. J. Mercer describe his excavations at Carn Brae, near Redruth,
Cornwall. After a brief survey of the development of the Neolithic in
Southern Britain, Mr Mercer went on to describe the history of
investigations at Carn Brae from those of William Barbour, 1720-1760,
to the present day. Carn Brae was thought at first to consist simply of
an Iron Age hill-fort but vast quantities of flint instruments and
pottery subsequently thought to be Neolithic had been found.
Excavations this year on the rampart gateway of the hill-fort proved
the site to have been built but never occupied – the response to a
threat which never materialised. Away from the hill-fort, a system of
Neolithic fields – a rudimentary form of agriculture – was a new and
interesting discovery. The Neolithic settlement itself proved to
consist of rudimentary wattle lean-to structures within a massive stone
wall. Settlement sites of the Neolithic era are rare and are sited in
areas of poor soil by today’s standard, but all that the primitive
stone tools were capable of working. The lecture was illustrated by
many magnificent slides. It was a fascinating and instructive evening.”
New Members
The Newsletter wishes to extend a warm welcome to the following new
members from all over the Borough and beyond it, who have joined the
Society in the last 3 months: Mrs Alison, Finchley; Miss Rosalind
Berwald, Stanmore; Miss Stella Colwell, Hendon; Mr & Mrs Croll,
Fortis Green; Miss Rosalind Elliston, Garden Suburb; Miss Hilary
Fawcett, Cricklewood; Miss Yolande Fermaud, Finchley; Miss Farncesca
Flessati, Finchley; Miss Mary Garside, North Finchley; Miss Joan
Gaynair, Hampstead; Mrs Jennifer Harding, Finchley; Miss J. Innes,
Cricklewood; Miss Mary Macalaster, Woking; Miss Merle Mindel, Golders
Green; Miss Jean Nairn, Temple Fortune; Miss Helen O’Brien, Bushey;
Miss Nancy Sato, Hendon; Miss M. L. Searle, Finchley; Miss J. A. Weeks,
Highgate; and Mr A. C. Willmore, Colindale.