LANGPORT & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 1179718
Trustees’ Report to Members 2021-2022
Membership
At the end of August 2022 we had 52 members (in 2020 we had 60).
Strategic plan 2019-20
At our AGM on 4 October 2021, members approved a strategic plan for 2021-22. Progress towards the objectives during the year was as follows:
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a. Install an information board about Bagehot in All Saints’ Churchyard (Designed; being manufactured)
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b. Renew the gravel and tidy up the Bagehot grave (done)
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c. Continue to research into Langport Carnivals (no progress)
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d. Continue to transcribe the burial records for Langport Cemetery (records for 1881-1931 are now on the website)
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e. Pursue ways to get the Langport & Somerton Herald digitised (digitised and added to the British Newspaper Archive in Jan 2022)
Future Bagehot Action
Walter Bagehot’s briefcase was sent for conservation to the Spiral Path company in Westover. Sadly, the business closed after the death of the owner, so we are still looking for a reputable conservator to undertake the work.
An archive of the proceedings of the Bagehot Memorial Fund Steering Committee has been created and will be offered to the Somerset Heritage Centre.
Talks venue
We re-started our talks programme in October 2021 with our AGM at Hurds Hill, and continued to meet there in November and December (for the Christmas Social). However, hire costs were relatively high, and the capacity was limited, so we moved our venue to the Langport & Huish Sports & Social Club in January 2022.
Trustees discussed a suggestion that we should change our talks from evenings to afternoons in winter, but it was decided to leave the talks in the evenings, but to trial some additional afternoon meetings in the coming year.
Visits
We were finally able to make our visit to the Mary Rose in Portsmouth on 18 May, which everyone enjoyed.
Guided local history walks
We have conducted a number of guided walks around Langport for interested groups.
Publications
During this period 9 e-newsletters were sent to members to keep them up to date with local history developments. Those few members not on email were sent a printed copy. Level Talk was produced as usual, appearing in February 2022.
Thanks
I am very grateful to the Officers and Committee (Trustees) of the Society for all their efforts and support, and to you, our members, for your understanding.
Feedback
Feedback of any kind from members, or indeed anyone else, is very welcome.
Janet Seaton, Chair. September 2022
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