Tring & District Local History & Museum Society Registered Gharity no. 1053276 Annual Report 2025-26 Adopted by the trustees on 13 May 2026 This is the final Annual Report for the Society as an unincorporated charity. the status it has held since 1994. As agreed by the membership, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation {CIO) has been brought into existence alongside the existing body. Everything has now been moved across, and from 18tApril 2026 the Society has operated entirely under the new format; this meeting will be asked to agree to the winding-up of the old body. Our purposes continue unaltered apart from a few procedural changes, one being that next year it will be required Ihat the Annual Report and Accounts be circulated prior to the AGM, rather than be presented at that meeting. We were distressed by the death of John Savage, who had served loyally as Membership Secretary for 14 years, and enthusiastically shared his knowledge of bygone forms of local transport. We welcomed David Armslrong to the committee, to take up John's role, and also Newsletter edilor Jess Field. We are no longer required to have individuals named as Holding Trustees, but are grateful to Stephen Hearn and Mike James who had held these positions, fortunately without having had lo put them into practice. Martin Wells is standing down from the committee, having joined it as Programme Secrelary back in 2012 and brought the benefit of his legal background to our deliberations. Sue Lipscombe has also decided to retire, after ten years of dedicated service as Secretary. In the face of much tribulation, Shelley Savage has continued to supply us with a catholic variety of speakers. Tring-schooled Jonathan Kempster gave a moving account of his work in recording oral history at the Imperial War Museum, and the tireless curiosity of Wendy Austin took us up back alleys to reveal unfamiliar aspects of this town. Martin Sirot-smith gave a vivid, costumed presentation about the Washington family, and Dr Beth Rogers provided a thought-provoking account of John Hampden and his enduring Influen on public life. Phil Wilcock described metal-detecting, explaining how our museum had inspired him to take it up, and David Saunders postulated that cursus monuments had more to do with cattle-rearing than with chariot-racing. After many years, Shelley has chosen to retire from this task and the post of Programme Secretary urgently needs to be filled, to book speakers for the 2027-8 season and beyond. We were delighted to hear that Dacorum Heritage Trust has elected Robin Herzberg as its chairman. Robin is a champion of the local history societies and will be deploying his energies in seeking a long-term solution to the Trust's (and, by extension, our) seemingly intractable storage problems. The prospect of local government reorganisation, which will see the demise of both Hertfordshire County Council and Dacorum Borough CoLsncil, is causing concern as to how the incoming Unitary Authority will approach the matter of heritage and, crucially, its funding. As the 20-year lease on the Museum neared its end, we have negotiated another lease, for 25 years, from Tring Town Council. This confirms Ihe Council's much valued support for our work. Alas, the rent has been increased, but a grant mechanism remains in place. Meanwhile, following our representations that we can only ever generate the most modest income, our rateable value has pleasingly been re-assessed, to just £1. The Museum was visited by 1,784 people, markedly fewer than in most years and a downturn after the excitement of the V&A Tring Tiles. That display, along with a profitable programme of invited group visits, was concluded with a private view event attended by
the Mayor of Dacorum and other significant figures. With two successful loans from national institutions now under our belt, we felt confident enough to begin negotiations with the British Museum, for the loan of a Roman helmet found in this area. Thanks to a grant from Tring Town Council, with funds accrued from the Community Infrastructure Levy, the Outer Gallery has been given additional loft insulation and fitted with infra-red heaters which are both effective and economic. The art works have been re- hung in order to mount the painting of Home Farm, newly restored and framed thanks to a grant from Hertfordshire Heritage Fund. Society membership numbers have been healthily maintained, and we are grateful to those who support us with additional donations and Gift Aid. The venerable yellow Quiz Sheet continued to make a significant contribution, generating over £700. We again participated in the town's Christmas Festival, attracting over 500 visitors to our display in the Victoria Hall, and conducted guided walks around the town. We have found new audiences by offering walks and talks in collaboration with Tring Library. Data for the year's website visits were regrettably lost, in the course of transfer to a different server. The Newsletter has continued to flourish, and with it the enterprising programme of work with sixth form history students at Tring School. Increasingly, students source material from the internet, and the use (and abuse) of Al in local history research and writing has become a significant concern. We hope to break new ground in exploring this Matter and generating guidelines which might be widely applicable. Keenly aware of the need to attract new talent onto the Society's goveming body, and to find eventual replacements for its more superannuated trustees, the committee has devoted much time to developing succession strategies. Under the CIO'S constitution, we no longer need to elect individuals to specific posts at the AGM, a task which will now fall to the trustee body. We are keen to integrate Society and museum activities, and a well-attended workshop session at the Nora Gra Hall yielded many positive ideas for our future conduct. It is likely that new management structures will be devised to oversee some of our existing activities, and to address our changing needs. Without its members and their ongoing support, there would be no Society and no museum. Neither could we function without the time and effort put into its activities by the officers, committee members, museum stewards, keyholders, and individual functionaries. Thanks are due to them all. Through their collective efforts we effectively discharge our charitable remit. In the process we have become a significant part of the culture of Tring, and are firmly supportive of Tring Town Council in its richly deserving bid to win the Small Town category of the UK Town of Culture contest. Tim Amsden Chaim?an
4Jb Bank Accounts Cuent SocK8ty_---- T1 Bank Accfjuiit B•lan¢¢5 Cash in hand 66.014 65.930 Tiital 8ank & Cash Acwunt Balan$ 66.178 66.133 Leasehold Muum Bulldln9 Reno¥atlon & Dlsplax_ Set Up. Costs_QAmortlsed over I4tst0 2026" ITotal original co$15 Ilm2rov8menis Irom ¢)wn fUlS durfng 317.334., --@45:327i 8uildi_ry_9rants recelved 53.685 44,934 Amoitlsatbn of ka88hold Imp_ro¥6ment8 8aL9nce carrd forward 31 March 2026 qUIment (Dep.redatsd 20¥D RBJ_ Cost brou9hl fOard 1 Ap.dl 2025 Addlllons dnlear CIS0$816 dunnAyear 13,2S8 10,856 13,258 10,258 Dap.ro¢iabtin to tlat• Balanctr lxrrfed forw)rd 31 K4Ar¢h 2028 2,402 Current Assets Merchandise & book stoc* .Renl held as de 08 3,911 4,225 72,392 77,880 Curvtnt Li•blllties 77.eeo Allocated funds: Museum devalopment & Smprovem8nt Aitglact acquiwlion fund Washin9_ton mèmorbal iurKI Remlniscence 9roup fvnd Other fvnds Gathe¢ 9.437 8b 3.321 Unmstrictad fiinds: Getheral fund Total Funds 72.392 77,660 .R. C. Hopkins FCA 'Inde -ndent Examin8fS Rern_ort on th8 Accounts I have axamlned ihe 8iiachéd Flnanaal Statements of the Sodety_ior Ihe Year Endad 31 March 2026 and resented to me forexamlnallon. confimi that IheLar8 In 8ccoidance the books. records and explanalSons L_ -rB. Johnson B.Cthm ,'Aco)unls Éxamlner
Unrestrlcted fun(IB klember5hip.. Book sales Merch8ndl¥e saPéB 3.503 2.958 872 Donatn5 &.b4ueyls Trina Town Coundl Bank nierest HMRCASft ald r8frJnd 18,563 28,208 App8819- Gal¥ry up9rad8 Ye$r book Painling rest¢Xalion Til8 demonstration Tri.ry Tiy•m Coundl. .'Hert5 Hen!89e Fund- -'Dacorurn 8wou9_h Coundl R8C8ipts and t)onation5 ,Remlni8c8nc rou 300 2.499 TOTAL RECÉIPTS 27,286 30,707 PAYMEifrs Museum runnlw ¢o$ts Museum buiklin.9_dÈvelopTnent & im Equiprnenl purdwse & maintenance Artefad awulson, dFsplay and mahtènarwx ¢xst$ 8ook publbhing G05ts or purchased for rgSW Merchandkse purchased for resale Hall hire. exhibilK)n and fiindrav6ln9_8xpen88S Speaker wenlnq costs_L?xc!thJinA hall hlre see notè 7L__ Subscdptlon$ Admlnlslralon costs B8nk snd card machha cosls Ne4slatiér costs Publiclty usls sitsrds aveni Tftjsl88,bllsll¢Y and eontenis Insurance Trainin9.& nf&fenc@ ¢o$ts Websrte hosting arKI domain name c4)$ts ctiarilatye Incorporaled Organis8tsw converskin ¢4)$ts Year book publlsNry w61B Sundry e¥.endilurg TOTAL PAYMENTS 5.523 1.927 175 32 1.429 S13 211 NEf RECÈIPTS/ 45 Total B8nkiuAi$ al 1 Apnl 2025 TOTAL CASH & BANK FUNDS AT 87.278 31 blarth"2ii26 66,178 66.133
BankActounts OJrrent Sodéty_-----.---- T+)tsl Bank Account Balances Cash in hand 66,014 65.930 Total Oank & Cash Account Balanrns 66.178 66.133 ',Leas•hold Museum Bulldlnj Renovatlon & D15pIJx.- -. Set UiCostsLAmortlsed over 14 lears to 2026L-.--_ . Total orrgin31 costs Imirov8m8nts from fiiTrYs durfjn .ar 308,583L- 317,334 - j245,32n., . 18,322 308.583 ..1245,32_ri- 18,32 44,934 BulhJSng_qrani$ re(fv8d Other Lrants rec8lYed Amorusauon oile8sèhokl impro¥omgnts Balance caTrf&J foN4ard 31 March 2026 4.3C#) Equlpinent'(D•pie¢lated 2046 R81 Cosi brou9h! fowdrd 141it12025 Addh0Th8 Dlsp_ostils durirvJ_year 13.258 13.258 PeFxe.¢i4llDn lo dale Bal&nr forwarli 31 Marc 2026 2,402 iorchandise & book stock 4,225 72.392 77.e60 Current Lljbllltles 72.392 77.860 Allocated funds: Musaum develoemenl & improvemeiit Aitefacl a.cqui8111 !uThJ Washiryton memorial frMKI Remlniscence 9roup fund 'Otherfvnds carrw forr ',Unv¢strlct¢d fvnd$: Gtrneral fuT 59,474 Total" Fu9 72,392 77,6eo R. C. Hopkins FCA Irthp_ndent Examiners ReOrt tm the A¢¢ourits '.1 hav8 examined thè aitsclied FlnanGitil 8tafrmeitS ofthe Sodoty for lh6 Yiar Én(d 31 March 2026 and .confim) thai aro In •¢¢4)rdan ! the t)ooks, re¢ord$ and 9.xpian#tlons Lresenled lo me for examinatlon. B. Johnwn B.Corn Arxounts Éxamlner
ADDfrioNAL DAlLs TO RECEIPTS AND PAYMEiifs ACCOUNT & BALANCÈ SHEET Moto Fun Speakereveniw5 Heritage walks & sp8a#thg donabont Gener41 rafftes Quiz loceipts Oth8r-Or9ank88ti Museum 11$ re TitrLTlb$ 449 249 180 709 ,156 rht and 1 Shara Mutsgum E••t CIO Convtrslon costs_ 8alanco 8rouqht foThvafd- Balanr of 9eneral admlnlslralon oxis forfth¥¥f81on to a CIO B&lan Catriad foword. Dieoruin Borou h ¢ouncil- Balance brought forward- E_ynditurtr Dtmonslralion costs 150 150 9JO" soo .Balanc8 Car1 ioThMr(i- Town Courtll Recelved for In6uktion aThi healng olG81ry EXperire D8po$li on Hgater5 for Outer 98lkry Total 8•18nc Cainéd ioward- 500 8,663 6,751 .U¥ed Rent Rates & watsr Adottlonal storaA8 IX¥Sls 3.tr)0 646 297 720 2,028 556 Telephone & Ilne 8ulldin9 insurJnce 8ulldin9_& 9.ard8n malntenanc & r8pa Health & Sa- Extlniulsher maititen8n Electrkrl. FI and Asbtrsios $8f•iieport& Flw and Intrttr alorm mainl£nan¢è and tnthIrtw. Cl8anSnA& r8lréshments 8oum b 11 ..Lott Insulation and he•tiry in Outer Galki.ry -,Up9rade 8ecudty- Addklional dooi locks .In1rL8r alatm takéover and up9rade 212 11,154 11.642 1,672 2,3e8 8.751 Display stands ..Conlaclle55 Donation Box Eqylpmnt tran•fgrrod to Flxod aB80ts 293 217 512 ,'Inlwd8r alami reialr iCAh8r_qen8r81_equlpinent maintenanc ac ul8itlon8 dl 11 i Display_M8ienals and maintÉnanr Costs of loan 8nd display of Triry.Tis Roman Parft Model Photograph5 Fuld from_3CqUlYlion fiind Resioratson of FahoUse painlin9.- 54 5,523 1.077 5,446 Other exhibdion costs- Dlnosaur weekend Hire of halks.. Speaker evanins.s iernmlscen qroui_- Fundraising expenses 1.927 703 MovernBnt nAI Ilywum dgv•lopm8nt & Improv6m•ntiund'. IBalanc8 Brouiht foTh4ard 1JA_dl 2025 Movement- ImroW8ment cn$ls- Galkry_£8,751 Gronl £8.683 b',A¢quMlon8 lund Ballqnc8 BfouLht ioTr+ard i1 2025 and Cath8d i(xwÉrd 31 Mari 202A6 ___ c IW4BhlnAton mom01 fund .B8L8nce 8rou9.ht fomard 1_WI 2025 and C•Nied fmrd 31 Marth 2026 d .'Rèmlnl•c&ncOAroupfvnd Transfers in.'- MtÉiin9_inwn¢ 'Tronsfer from Lengrgl fvind Mee!in&e¥péTKliture B81ance Carri& foThYard 31 Mgrch 2028 ,Mov•mènt on Gtrn Balan BTOU9ht lorward l Ap.rll 202 Les8_ Nel Cash Rece1pt¥lPayrnentsLforertQd .,Ajd Utit ntim ¢•¥h movgmonts and 0xpendrO..- Copitgl purGhases.'- Expenditure on bu11n9 Imp_ro¥?menl$ Annual depreclatlon of Équlpment Annval amorusatlon of Leasehold biiidSni_ Transfws to ljher Fund8.'- ITran8fer$ lo Musoum devebpm&nt & Im Tran5fe!s lo Remlntsc8nce qrouE furKI .From Museum development & improvemèitt fvnd From RemlnlscerK* 9roup furwi 'Adiusl for unsold merchandlse and book stock al p8.dod end- Increa&eilDecreasoj...._ Surplu•llDoft¢ttj lor thg g•r to dat• 3.321 40 -ji3.04PI r0mont fvjnd Tr4nsfv5 from (ithor Funds:. 12981 59,474