The Bricket Wood Society
In June 1977 a small group of like-minded villagers got together and formed The Bricket Wood Society with the aim of researching and recording all aspects of local life, flora and fauna from past and present times. With the help of Lionel Munby, Staff Tutor at the University of Cambridge Board of Extra Mural Studies and Author, who ran a six month course on local history for the group, the Society was put on a sound footing.
Over the past 30 years a large number of items have been collected and logged, creating a village archive which has been maintained and cross-referenced to all the various aspects of Bricket Wood from early times, through the coming of the railway and subsequent development, to the present day. A photographic record of many of the changes that have taken place in this time, has also been maintained.
Several publications have been produced, including 'Bricket Wood in Old Picture postcards' and 'The Bricket Wood Trail', a guide to walks and points of interest. Also, two extensive works published are 'All My Worldly Goods' Volumes 1 & 2, an insight into family life from wills and inventories, covering Bricket Wood and Park Street. Mugs, tea towels and placemats, depicting scenes of the fairground in Lye Lane and the railway in the early part of the last century when Bricket Wood was a day out in the country for many people, are also produced, along with a quarterly newsletter which includes, not only the activities of the Society but also items of local interest and photographs recording the diversity of the Common as well as changes in the Village.
Four open meetings are held each year with both members and non-members welcome, to which a guest speaker is invited covering a topic of interest in the area where possible.
An annual outing and social evenings are arranged and various fetes attended where a stand, usually with a themed display, is set up for the sale of merchandise and to promote the Society.
Laurie Hart
BWRA and Bricket Wood Society