Thursley History Society: AGM report for 2024-25

David Young
Jan 11
5 min read

Updated: Jan 12

The report was delivered by Sally Scheffers, Chairman, at the beginning of the THS meeting on 20th November 2025 where Paul McCue gave a talk on 'Secret Surrey in World War 2".

Thursley History Society AGM

A week after the Horticultural Society held its AGM in the Village Hall the History Society followed suit on Thursday, 20^th November, 2025.

We started with a quick introduction of the Committee. I took over as Chairman in July last year and am learning more and more about our village and the surrounding areas.

Jackie Rickenberg writes a monthly page in the Parish Magazine for the History Society and these are always both fascinating and entertaining. Jackie spends a great deal of time thoroughly researching her chosen subject matter. Done quietly, the rest of us are always in for a treat to read her articles which are always written with a great love of her subjects. Jackie has been inspired recently by the wartime letters of Sukey Langdale’s father, David Man, writing home from India and Ceylon at the end of the war.

David Young is our Secretary and Webmaster, and he spends hours of his time uploading our digital archive and Jackie’s articles onto the website making sure the entries are correct, adding information to existing entries and monitoring the traffic to our website. David told the meeting that our website is incredibly popular in Singapore! David can see which entries are the most popular and how many new visitors the site is attracting.

Peter Rickenberg is our long-standing Treasurer and reported on our modest balance and how, as a Society, we have contributed to the new AV system in the Village Hall as well as the proposed updated AV system to be installed in the Church very soon. Peter also project managed the Village Hall system in May ‘24 which was greatly appreciated.

Alie Hanbury heads up “The Archive Angels” comprising of Alie, Sue Ranson and Sukey Langdale. Our hardworking trio are sorting and rearranging the physical collection of papers, photographs, pictures and objects. Alie told the meeting that they are now reaching the point where they will be fine-tuning the collection which will then be re-catalogued. Alie said that the back of this immense task has now been broken but again many hours have been dedicated to this.

Chris McClements, our computer wizard was unable to make the AGM, but his help has been invaluable in scanning material for both the website and for last May’s exhibition.

Simon Treadwell is our liaison with the Church and in charge of the Church noticeboard. We are trying to keep it updated regularly so do take a look. Simon and the Church came to the Society’s rescue last year in providing a home for the archive and we are very grateful.

The committee said goodbye to John Luff who secured a Parish Council grant for the A3 scanner. Also to Tim Walsh who had been the archivist for many years and started the long and laborious task of digitising our archive. Not only does this make the archive more accessible but is also an essential means of protecting and safeguarding all the information we hold. Finally, our previous Chairman, Leon Flavell, who took over from Anthony Langdale and encouraged with his love and enthusiasm of all history. A big thank you to past and present committee members.

May 2024: a busy month with the Village Hall AV system and the start of the move of the archive from Bowlhead Green to the Dame School. Our much-missed friend, Hilary Barr, spent hours clearing and cleaning the Dame School prior to the move.

June 2024: the launch party for our new website. Constructed by the hugely talented Helena Traill who charged us a very small fee for all her professional work and has constantly provided back up help to David who then had the task of adding the content.

November 2024: a group of us travelled to Southsea to the D-Day Experience. And it was terrific. The museum is fascinating and the tapestry poignant and heartfelt. We ended with fish and chips in the sunshine.

February 2025: a talk in the Church about the Church and Churchyard presented by Marion O’Brien and Amanda Flint-Roberts. Marion guided us around the oldest building in the village. The tiny chancel would have been the original Saxon Church with the priest living in a loft above. Marion talked lovingly about the Church that she and Michael have worshipped in for the last sixty years. Amanda then took us to the graves and described the work that she, Mike and Guy Singer have done to uncover and decipher graves and to learn more about our departed villagers. Joan Pearl Wolfe the young victim of “The Wigwam Murder” lay in an unmarked grave but thanks to Amanda, Mike and Guy her family came to Thursley

in September 2023 to have a blessing on her new gravestone. That was just one of Amanda’s recollections and we were all captivated by Marion and Amanda’s knowledge.

May 2025: the History Society was a major part of Thursley’s VE & VJ 80^th commemorations. Our contribution was a two day exhibition, “Victory Euphoria”, featuring

friends, family and neighbours’ recollections of World War II. There was such a range of global experiences. Many contributors said how much they enjoyed learning more about their family members and felt that the stories needed to be passed down. The exhibition can now be viewed on the website.

August 2025: A walk to the Atlantic Wall on Hankley and a talk by Paul McCue on the story behind the crumbling concrete remains. And what an incredible story involving a deceptively clever French painter and decorator and a stupidly deceptive German General. Despite the August heat wave there was a very large and appreciative audience who then enjoyed Sarah Grillo’s tea and cake.

November 2025: After the AGM another talk from Paul McCue from Secret World War 2 describing the clandestine warfare on our doorstep here in Thursley. David has written a resume of this riveting illustrated talk which can be found on the website.

2026: It is the centenary of the first British Grand Prix at Brooklands in Weybridge. The committee plan to concentrate on all things to do with transport. Hopefully, a film about the building of the Hindhead Tunnel; a visit to Brooklands Museum; a visit to a local private car collection; an exhibition including the changes to the A3, the old Toll House and Turnpike, the Thursley bridge, the tunnel, the old road through the village. And the Bugatti of Emley Farm.