See our calendar of forthcoming events and list of forthcoming talks

Reports of previous talks

Almost seventy people attended our talk on Monday 11 November. In her very engaging presentation, Dr Caroline Withall told us about the Marine Society’s recruitment of boys, many from our local area, as apprentices to merchant ships. One of our members, Christopher Lynch has, very promptly, written a report on Caroline’s talk, which you can read here (scroll down the page).

You can also read reports of some of our other previous talks, including Dr Simon Targett’s talk last month on Richmond and Mortlake’s part in the founding of America and the launch of the British Empire.

Come with us on a Grand Tour of Kew Gardens’ lost architectural wonders on Monday 9 December

Muentz Gothic Cathedral, Kew

At our next talk, on Monday 9 December, Susanne Groom will tell us about The Lost Buildings of Kew. Susanne’s talk will be followed by our customary seasonal party.

Looking ahead to 2020

Our President, architectural historian Paul Velluet

On 13 January 2020, Paul Velluet will talk on The 800th anniversary of St Mary Magdalene’s: aspects of the history and development of Richmond’s historic parish church
On 10 February 2020 (a joint event with The Kew Society), Martin Stilwell will tell us about The industrialisation of Kew and North Richmond in the First World War
On 9 March 2020 (a joint event with the Museum of Richmond), Charles Pineles will speak about The social history of Queen’s Road, Richmond
On 20 April 2020, Stephen Bartlett will explore The early history of Kew’s Lawn Crescent
On 18 May 2020, after our Annual General Meeting, Johanna Coombes will give an illustrated talk on Artists and paintings in Richmond, Twickenham and Kew
On 14 September 2020, Simon Fowler will tell us about Richmond and town twinning
On 12 October 2020, Mark Dunton will be On the trail of Klaus Fuchs, atomic spy and will reveal a fascinating local connection with Kew
On 9 November 2020, Andrew Humphreys will tell us about Richmond’s music scene in the 1960s
On 14 December 2020, George Goodwin will explore Christmas traditions, with reference to Richmond and Kew

Now available: books on Richmond’s vicars, local street names and our 2019 annual journal

The latest addition to our online bookshop is Derek Robinson’s new book The Vicars of Richmond. The stories he has uncovered about the ministers of St Mary Magdalene, Richmond since the 16th century include two vicars ejected for their political views, another who inspired Gulliver’s Travels, and a pair of performing poodles, Mouton and Don. Published by the Museum of Richmond, copies are available from our online bookshop.

A fully revised edition of The Streets of Richmond and Kew and Richmond History 40, the 2019 issue of our annual journal, are also now available.

We are delighted to be able to reintroduce The Streets of Richmond and Kew to our publications list after a very long gap: the first edition was published in 1989 and the second in 1990. Many Society members, including the late David Blomfield, contributed to this new, third edition, which has 140 pages and includes a full colour map. Comprehensive and up to date, it describes how each of Richmond and Kew’s streets was named and their wider significance for our local area’s history.

Find out more about our 40th issue of Richmond History.

Kew Bookshop turns 30…

Melvyn Bragg with Caroline Blomfield, who co-founded Kew Bookshop, and its current owners Adam and Wendy Hewson from Hewson Books

Simon Fowler

Kew Bookshop, founded in 1989 by David and Caroline Blomfield and Tony Barnett, celebrated its 30th birthday on 11 and 12 October with a series of appearances by guest authors, including Melvyn Bragg and our very own Simon Fowler, the Society’s vice-chair.

…and we’re right up Kew Village Market’s street!

The Kew Village Market stall at Kew Village Market is now stocking our book The Streets of Richmond and Kew. The market is held on the first Sunday of every month (except January) between 10 am and 2 pm, outside Kew Gardens Station.

You can also buy copies of our books at: The Kew Bookshop; Lloyds of Kew; The Museum of Richmond; The National Archives’ bookshop; The Open Book in King Street, Richmond; Richmond Local Studies and Archive; or, using a credit card or debit card, from our online bookshop.

Resources on Richmond’s history are at your fingertips

It is sometimes suggested that the “deer leap” or “freebord“, the strip of land immediately outside Richmond Park’s wall, was designed so that if a deer managed to escape its hunters and get beyond the deer leap, it was then free from capture. That’s unlikely, says Richmond Park historian Dr Robert Wood, in an article on this website’s Resources pages about the freebord’s history. Find out more.