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
Cu￿ent SocK8ty_----
T￿1 Bank Accfjuiit B•lan¢¢5
Cash in hand
66.014
65.930
Tiital 8ank & Cash Acwunt Balan￿$
66.178
66.133
Leasehold Mu￿um Bulldln9 Reno¥atlon & Dlsplax_
Set Up. Costs_QAmortlsed over I4￿tst0 2026"
ITotal original co$15
Ilm2rov8menis Irom ¢)wn fU￿lS durfng
317.334.,
--@45:327i
8uildi_ry_9rants recelved
53.685
44,934
Amoitlsatbn of ka88hold Imp_ro¥6ment8
8aL9nce carr￿d forward 31 March 2026
qUI￿￿ment (Dep.redatsd 20¥D RBJ_
Cost brou9hl fO￿ard 1 Ap.dl 2025
Addlllons d￿n￿lear
CIS￿0$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
Donat￿n5 &.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 awuls￿on, 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
Ne*4slatiér costs
Publiclty usls
si*tsrds aveni
Tftjsl88,￿￿bl￿l￿s￿ll¢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
Addh￿0Th8
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 for￿r￿
',Unv¢strlct¢d fvnd$:
Gtrneral fuT
59,474
Total" Fu￿9
72,392
77,6eo
R. C. Hopkins FCA
Irthp_ndent Examiners Re￿Ort tm the A¢¢ourits
'.1 hav8 examined thè aitsclied FlnanGitil 8tafrmeitS ofthe Sodoty for lh6 Yiar Én(*d 31 March 2026 and
.confim) thai aro In •¢¢4)rdan￿ ￿!￿ the t)ooks, re¢ord$ and 9.xpian#tlons Lresenled lo me for examinatlon.
B. Johnwn B.Corn
Arxounts Éxamlner

ADDfrioNAL D￿AlLs TO RECEIPTS AND PAYMEiifs ACCOUNT & BALANCÈ SHEET
Moto
Fun
Speakereveniw5
Heritage walks & sp8a#thg donabont
Gener41 rafftes
Quiz loceipts
Oth8r-_Or9ank88ti Museum ￿1￿1$ 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 Car￿1 ioThMr(i-
Town Courtll
Recelved for In6uktion aThi healng olG81￿ry
EXper￿￿ire 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
Electrkr*l. FI￿ and Asbtrsios $8f•iieport&
Flw and Intrt￿tr alorm mainl£nan¢è and tnthIrtw￿._
Cl8anSnA& r8lréshments
8oum b 11
..Lott Insulation and he•tiry in Outer Galki.ry_
-,Up9rade 8ecudty- Addklional dooi locks
.In1rL￿8r alatm takéover and up9rade
212
11,154
11.642
1,672
2,3e8
8.751
Display stands
..Conlaclle55 Donation Box
Eqylpm*nt tran•fgrrod to Flxod aB80ts
293
217
512
,'Inlwd8r alami reialr
iCAh8r_qen8r81_equlpinent maintenanc*
ac
ul8itlon8 dl 11
i Display_M8ienals and maintÉnanr
Costs of loan 8nd display of Triry.Ti*s
Roman Parft Model Photograph5 Fu￿l￿d from_3CqUlYlion fiind
Resioratson of Fa￿hoUse painlin9.-
54
5,523
1.077
5,446
Other exhibdion costs- Dlnosaur weekend
Hire of halks.. Speaker evanins.s
iernmlscen￿ qroui_-
Fundraising expenses
1.927
703
MovernBnt
nAI
Ilywum dgv•lopm8nt & Improv6m•ntiund'.
IBalanc8 Brouiht foTh4ard 1JA_dl 2025
Movement- Im￿roW8ment cn$ls- Galkry_£8,751 Gronl £8.683
b',A¢qu*Mlon8 lund
Ballqnc8 BfouLht ioTr+ard i￿1 2025 and Cath8d i(xwÉrd 31 Mari* 202A6 ___
c IW4BhlnAton mom0￿1 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¥lPayrnentsLfor￿ertQd
.,Ajd Utit￿ ntim ¢•¥h movgmonts and 0xpend￿rO..-
Copitgl purGhases.'-
Expenditure on bu1￿1n9 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
r0￿mont fvjnd
Tr4nsfv5 from (ithor Funds:.
12981
59,474