Group member Dr Chris O’Shaughnessy gave a talk that traces the early days of the theatre through its successful years in the 1920s, 30s and 40s to its sad end in the 50s

Our meeting featured an update on the campaign to refurbish Mrs Maple’s Fountain in Penge Recreation Ground. Mrs Maple was married to the local MP, Sir John Blundell Maple, and she donated the drinking fountain in the late 1880s, soon after the Recreation Ground was opened. However it’s in a sorry… Read more: Talk: An Update on Mrs. Maple’s Fountain – June 2016

Group member Martin Spence gave a talk to mark the 100th anniversary of the General Strike of 1926 and how it affected Penge.

A talk by group memeber Graham Reeves about St John’s Primary School during the 2nd World War. Drawing on research for his forthcoming book “A School for Penge Revisited”, Graham will spoke about how the children and staff of St John’s dealt with the challenges of the 2nd world war –… Read more: Talk: A School at War – April 2026

We were treated to a fascinating evening with Nathalie Cohen, archaeologist with the National Trust, as she took us beneath the surface of some of London’s most treasured historic sites. Nathalie shared what archaeological investigations at National Trust properties across the capital have revealed — from unexpected discoveries to the stories… Read more: Talk: Archaeology at National Trust sites in London – March 2026