Tag: 2026
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Talk: The Penge Empire Theatre: Its History & Heritage – July 2026
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
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Talk: An Update on Mrs. Maple’s Fountain – June 2016
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 state today, hence the…
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Talk: Looking back 100 years to the General Strike in Penge – May 2026
Group member Martin Spence gave a talk to mark the 100th anniversary of the General Strike of 1926 and how it affected Penge.
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Talk: A School at War – April 2026
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 – including air raids, doodlebugs,…
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Talk: Archaeology at National Trust sites in London – March 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 they tell about the…
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Talk: The 1911 Festival of Empire – February 2026
Group member Andrea Clayton Vail gave a talk discussing how this massive ‘Gathering of the British Family’ was a (rose tinted) tour around the globe, a history lesson with a cast of 15,000, a forerunner to the Commonwealth Games and, despite its incredible popularity, ultimately led to a spectacular financial crisis.
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Talk: The Story of a Penge Family – January 2026
Writer and journalist Peter Gillman joined the group to give a talk about his forebears and their place in Penge history. (Photo: Charles Gillman, WW1 infantryman, born 3 Raleigh Road, Penge, 28 June 1891)
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