WE  STILL NEED HELP!

STILL  WANTED

one friendly Treasurer!

THIS   IS   A  VITAL   POSITION   TO   ENABLE   THE   GROUP   TO  CONTINUE.

Bernard, our present ‘friendly Treasurer’, will have done 4 years in the post at the July AGM.   He is stepping down then.  Is there anyone out there who would put themselves forward to help us?  We are not a multi-national conglomerate – we just need someone to pay-in & pay-out what money we have!  Bernard is very willing to advise volunteers.  Your ‘friendly website assistant’  has done it for the WI for 12 years & I’m still alive!  If anyone knows of a likely candidate PLEASE encourage them to contact us via this site or the Chairman on  01562 60818.

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Stories of Stourport by Geoff Neal

This is a collection of stories that Geoff has collected over his 90 years by talking to local people.  His introduction gives a glimpse of a way of life now largely gone.

Geoff is still enthusiastic about the subject of Stourport and the surrounds and is still gaining information about his beloved area.

The book is gaining good reviews and is available to purchase for £8.

If you are interested in buying one of the books please contact Ann Taylor, Membership Secretary.  Or use the Contact Us page.

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Topics for local research

We have drawn up a list of local People, Places, Pubs & Buildings which could be suitable for individual or group research.  It is by no means definitive.  The list is now in the Members’ Area of the website which is accessible by password only.   Some have already been researched & appeared in Forest Clearing but there are plenty to chose from.

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Forest Clearing

This is the Group’s Newsletter published 3 times a year.  We are gradually inserting older editions.

9 Vol 3 Issue 3

8 Vol 3 Issue 2

7 Vol 3 Issue 1

6 Vol 2 Issue 3

Our Own Polo Shirts

We now have available a limited edition polo shirt embroidered with the Group’s name & logo at a cost of £11.98.  Anyone interested in these excellent quality shirts should contact the Chairman Norman Broadfield on 01562 60818

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Kidderminster Workhouse Records- project underway.

At the January 2012 meeting in the Corn Exchange names were taken of volunteers for a project to transcribe some of the records for the workhouse held at Kidderminster Library.   A small band of members are currently transcribing the Admission and Discharge books of Kidderminster Workhouse from 1904 onwards. These reveal a fascinating insight into the flow of people through the institution, not only from the immediate area.

First Victorian Workhouse Project – Living The Poor Life

This was undertaken by a number of our members & the results are  NOW  ONLINE  (for details see below).  The other Poor Law Unions catalogued along with Kidderminster were – Axminster – Basford – Berwick upon Tweed – Bishops Stortford – Blything – Bromsgrove – Cardiff – Clutton – Keighley – Liverpool Select Vestry – Llanfyllin – Mansfield – Mitford & Launditch – Newcastle under Lyme – Newport Pagnell – Reeth – Rye – Southampton Incorporation – Truro – Tynemouth – Wolston & Burslem.

Second Victorian Workhouse Project – Pauper Prisons Pauper Palaces – Update Jan 2013

In April 2012 we heard that the British Association for Local History (BALH) had been granted over £35,000 from Heritage Lottery Fund for stage two of the Workhouse Project.   A further eight volumes, up to the early 1870s, will be the subject of stage two.  Our publicity Officer, Gay Hill, was shortlisted for the post of Records & Research Officer.  About twenty volunteers signed up & some are now on their 2nd or 3rd allocations. Most are members of the Group.  These documents relate to the Kidderminster Workhouse up to 1874,   The project which started in June 2012 is due to finish in 2014.