The Hadleigh SocietyMay 2010
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Contents

Hadleigh Show, Saturday 15th May

Next Meeting: Hugh James Rose, Dean of Hadleigh

Hadleigh Society Honorary Presidents

The Hadleigh Society AGM, 2010

Nomination Form 

Notes on Agenda Items

Noel Turner Award 2009

Churchmen of Hadleigh

Hadleigh and Flying, 20th January  2

Hadleigh Show, Saturday 15th May

If this gets to you in time, we hope you will visit our stand at the May Show.

Next Meeting: Hugh James Rose, Dean of Hadleigh

At 8pm on Wednesday 19th May in Hadleigh Old Town Hall the Reverend Paul Hamlet will give a talk about one of the most noteworthy Deans of Hadleigh, who played a leading role in the 19th Century Church of England. It is free to members of the Society; for others there is a charge of £2.

Hadleigh Society Honorary Presidents

Since its inauguration the Hadleigh Society has had just two Presidents. The first was W.A.B. Jones, the renowned chronicler of Hadleigh’s history who died in 1990. In 1991 we appointed Canon John Griffin as President. He had been the Society’s first chairman and continued to be a prominent figure in our proceedings right up to his death in 2006.

John Bloomfield is stepping down as Chairman this year, having held the post for the past five years, and previously in the 1990s. Not only has he led the Society in tackling some of its most important issues but he has also given at least 11 of our talks, the most recent of which is reported on page 7.  All of which leads to an AGM proposal to appoint John as our third President, as noted on page 5.  

The Hadleigh Society AGM, 2010

NOTICE OF THE 28th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 28th Annual General Meeting of The Hadleigh Society is to be held in Hadleigh Old Town Hall on Monday 21st June 2010 at 8 p.m. and all members are invited to attend

AGENDA

1.   Apologies for absence

2.   Minutes of the 27th Annual General Meeting

3.   Treasurer’s Report

4.   History Group Report

5.   Planning Report

6.   Society Representation on Other Bodies

7.   Chair’s Review

8.   Affiliation to Civic Voice

9.   Increase in Subscription

10. Amendment to the Constitution

11. Election of Officers and Executive Committee Members

Cheese and wine to be served with other refreshments

The 2009 AGM Minutes can be found on our website at http://www.hadsoc.org.uk/AGM/agm_2009.htm.  Copies will be available at the Meeting, together with the Annual Accounts.

Your Committee Needs You

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Executive Committee and would like to talk about what is involved then please phone the Honorary Secretary, Steve Sherwood, on 827498, or any other committee member.

Notes on Agenda Items

9: Membership Fees

As intimated at the 2009 AGM, to ensure that we can continue to engage high quality speakers, regardless of the fees charged, it is necessary to have an increase in members’ subscriptions as below:

Full rate: Individual member £12, couple at same address £20

Concessions: Individual member £8, couple at same address £12

Life Members: Individual member £120, couple at same address £200

Visitors at meetings: £3

These to take effect for new memberships and renewals from 1st July 2010

If the meeting decides to affiliate to Civic Voice  (to be discussed under Item 8) then our Subscriptions will need to reflect their fees of £1.50/member and the following rates will be needed:

Full rate: Individual member £13.50, couple at same address £23

Concessions: Individual member £9.50, couple at same address £15

Life Members: Individual member £135, couple at same address £230

Visitors at meetings: £3

These to take effect for new memberships and renewals from 1st July 2010

10: Amendment to Constitution

It can sometimes be difficult to find key people for the Executive Committee and the Constitution occasionally makes it even more so. The rule that a person should only occupy a post for 5 years is generally a good one but we would like to make it slightly less rigid whilst retaining the protection of being able to move people on. 

The Executive Committee proposes that the present clause:

any officer who has served in any one office for a period of five consecutive years shall not be so eligible in respect of that office for a period of at least one year

should be amended to

any officer who has served in any one office for a period of five consecutive years shall not be so eligible in respect of that office for a period of at least one year unless no other candidate is proposed for that office

11: Election of President

In recognition of his extraordinary service to the society, ever since its founding in 1982, the Executive Committee proposes that the Society appoints John Bloomfield as President.  The Constitution requires that he be elected at the AGM and we hope you will support us in making this appointment.

Noel Turner Award 2009

Two nominations were made in 2009, and the Committee decided that both should be given an Award.  Presentations were made at the December 2009 meeting.

The Flying Chariot, Benton Street

To Morgan Lear for the new garden wall and sensitive improvements to the setting of The Flying Chariot in Benton Street.

Roger Kennell commented on the quality of the brickwork and the use of an unusual variant of English Garden Wall bond, with a quarter brick lap on the stretcher courses.

Hadleigh Guildhall

To Jane Haylock, on behalf of Friends of Hadleigh Guildhall for the two major projects that they accomplished.

In 1995 the redesign and layout of the garden, officially opened in 1997 and in 2002 the refurbishment of the ‘Top Room’, on the second floor of the Market House.  This included installation of a spiral staircase to provide access, and the repair and re-assembly of the Medieval screen, now on permanent loan from John Bloomfield who rescued it from 50 High Street, Hadleigh.

Churchmen of Hadleigh

 Two study days will be held at St Mary's Church Hadleigh, Suffolk.

Each study day will consist of three lectures, lunch and guided tours.

Saturday 26th June 2010 - 9.30 to 4.30

William Pykenham
(1425-1497)

Ecclesiastic and builder

Roger Kennell

Nicholas Shaxton
(1485-1556)

Bishop and curate

Dr A Springall

Thomas Goad
(1576-1638)

Delegate and church decorator

Sue Andrews

Saturday 31st July 2010 - 9.30 to 4.30             

David Wilkins
(1685-1745)

Orientalist and historian

Sue Andrews

Hugh Rose
(1795-1838)

Academic & conference convenor

Rev'd Paul Hamlet

Henry Knox
(1807-1869)

Diarist and church restorer

Hadleigh Society

Admission including lunch: £25 for one day or £40 for both days.

If you would like further details and a booking form, please send SAE to
Sue Andrews, 17 Manor Road, Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 7BG.

All profits to The Friends of St Mary's Church Hadleigh.

Hadleigh and Flying, 20th January

Squadron Leader John Bloomfield began his talk by showing several photographs of German Zeppelin airships.  These were partly the reason for the establishment of Hadleigh Airfield during the first World War.  It was used as an operating base for the Royal Flying Corps, who often flew to Hornchurch in Essex or Eastleigh near Southampton, to shoot down the Zeppelins.  The airfield was established on council-owned farmland between Pond Hall and Hintlesham.  The aircraft used by the Corps were usually Sopwith Camels.  The Camel’s cockpit was very basic with no throttle, only an on/off power switch.  They had no lights, so pilots would have to carry a torch when flying at night!

At the end of the First World War, Hadleigh continued to operate as a civilian air base.  At that time there were only seven main civilian routes over Great Britain, Hounslow to Hadleigh being one of them.  Private flying became very popular and in 1926 the Suffolk (and Eastern Counties) Aeroplane Club, based at Hadleigh, was formed.  Lady Bailey of Leeds Castle in Kent agreed to become President and would often fly into Hadleigh for a meeting of the Club.  Several aircraft were purchased by the Club, and an Easter Air Display was organised in 1928.

The Club was so successful it was asked to run the newly-established Ipswich Airport in 1930.  So on 26th June that year, the Hadleigh hangar and clubhouse were moved to Ipswich, and the Club no longer operated from Hadleigh.  Although Ipswich Airport was recently demolished there is still evidence today of Hadleigh Airfield.  Along the road to Hintlesham, you can still see two wooden chalet bungalows together with ‘Boundary Garage’ which were part of the airfield complex.

The second part of the talk concerned Hadleigh’s very own famous aviator, Oswald Gayford.   Gayford was particularly interested in long range flying and was involved in several distance record attempts.  In 1933 he achieved the world record for flying non-stop from Cranwell in England to South Africa.   He and his co-pilot took 57 hours and covered a distance of 5400 miles.  They existed on chicken sandwiches and some cake!  Gayford received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Hadleigh, and was driven through the town in an open-top car to wave to the cheering crowds.

If flying had continued at Hadleigh, what developments might have happened?  Hounslow Airfield became Heathrow International Airport, so who knows...........Hadleigh might have become another Stansted!!