Meetings

The Acton History Group meets at 7.30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month from September until March in St Mary's Church Hall in Acton. (Opposite Morrisons - Entrance to the right of the tower)

Visitors welcome at all meetings. Admission £2.00

Join Acton History Group

For more information on Acton History Group and confirmation of meetings please send an e-mail to:- info@actonhistory.co.uk

Subscription: £10 per year - £15 per year (couple)

If you wish to join, send an e-mail to:- info@actonhistory.co.uk

Programme of meetings

We meet at St Mary’s Church Hall, The Mount, Acton (opposite Morrison’s) at 7.30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Meetings are free for members, and £2 for non-members.

2022

Acton History Group and Talking and Exploring brings you to Polish Heritage Days walk and talks, sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London.

A series of three free walks and a “Zoom” meeting highlighting the London connections with the three famous Polish generals (Władysław Anders, Stanisław Maczek and Stanisław Sosabowski).

Sunday, 15th May “Zoom” meeting - 7pm to 9pm - 'Make Art Not War' - the Anders Artists in the Middle East – An exploration of the influence of Anders artists on local artists alongside the influence of the local art and culture on them.

More information and free tickets can be found on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/talking-amp-exploring-25424912225

Wednesday, 18th May (13.00 - 15.00 starting at Ealing Common Station), Walk 2 - To the Polish Underground Movement Archives at Ealing Common - A tour of Ealing Common and a visit to the Polish Underground Archives, records, artifacts and stories of resistance from the war and after. Ealing Common and exploring the Polish Archives at PUMST.

More information and free tickets can be found on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/talking-amp-exploring-25424912225

Tuesday, 31st May (afternoon) Walk 3 - Acton Vale and the Polish Engineers. (Focus on General Sosabowski who worked at the CAV factory in Acton for many years.)

More information and free tickets can be found on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/talking-amp-exploring-25424912225

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2022

Wednesday 8th June 2022

AGM and talk by Kyria-Josephine Sewell about Lady Frances Pierrepoint.

Wednesday 13th July 2.30

Walk round Ealing Common - provisionally 2.30 pm at Ealing Common Station entrance. More details and booking contact actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com

Wednesday 14th September 2022

Talk by Andrew Woodyatt on the History of the Cinema in Acton and Ealing.

Wednesday 12th October 2022

Talk by Clare Gough on Pitzhanger Manor and John Soane's earlier plans in Acton.

Wednesday 9th November 2022

Talk by Anthony Smith on the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal.

Wednesday 14th December 2022

Talk by Kyria-Josephine Sewell about Lady Mary Pierrepoint.

Walks and Visits

Wednesday 11th May 12.00

Visit to Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge. More details and booking contact actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com

Wednesday 13th July 2.30

Walk round Ealing Common - provisionally 2.30 pm at Ealing Common Station entrance. More details and booking contact actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com

Ealing Talking & Exploring Group

This group also organises occasional walks of local interest. Details here.

42nd West London Local History Conference 2022

Date to be advised.

Acton History Group Publications

"CELEBRATING THE LIGHT"

THE STORY OF A GARDEN SUBURB

MILL HILL PARK, LONDON W3

The new book by NIGEL MIDDLEMISS

ISBN: 978-1-5272-5868-6

Now available price £7 including delivery in UK.

If you would like to buy a copy, please send a cheque payable to “Acton History Group” to:

Acton History Group, 30, Highlands Avenue, Acton London, W3 6EU.

Or through ebay.

Now available at the Pitshanger Bookshop. (https://www.pitshangerbooks.co.uk/)

“Tin Hats, doodle bugs and food rations”

ISBN: 978-0-9552343-0-9

Hot off the press – your chance to snaffle up a copy of this Acton History Group publication.

“Tin Hats, doodle bugs and food rations” tells the story of Acton and Acton people throughout World War 2. It’s packed full of photos, many never published before, and anecdotes, as well as well-researched historical facts. Covers the build up to war, through the blackout, bombing, evacuation, rationing, wartime production to the Victory celebrations in 1945.

Copies available by post - contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

“Waitrose - Seeking to Attain Perfection”

ISBN: 978-0-9552343-1-6

by Janet Appleyard-Hobbs

Acton History Group have been researching the different aspects of Acton’s history for many years. This booklet on Waitrose follows a very successful evening the Acton History Group organised in February 2005, featuring a talk by Janet Hobbs’s on ‘Mr Waite, Mr Rose and Mr Taylor in Acton’ and the unveiling of the plaque to mark the site of the first Waitrose shop. 'Seeking to Attain Perfection' was the motto or slogan used by the first Waitrose shop in its advertisements at Christmas 1908.

Shopping was an important part of life in Acton in 1904. It was a time of great change along the High Street. The Fire Station had not long been opened, the new Woodlands Park and Crown Street had recently been created and the group of buildings rising up Acton Hill, just opposite today’s police Station, had only just been built. So the new shop in this parade was all set to be an asset in this area of town. It was not long before more Waitrose outlets appeared in Acton, now Waitrose is a household name across the country.

Copies available by post - contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

Acton cards

Local artist Colin Bays has created a set of four cards featuring various architectural highlights of Acton. Two of them show gems of Churchfield Road: the Almshouses and The Churchfield pub. Notes about the building's history are also included on each card. Further details: blank interior, A5 folded, envelopes included. If you would like to buy these cards, contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

The Almshouses East Churchfield Road

The Churchfield (now The Station House), Churchfield Road

Old Acton Fire Station, Acton High Street

Acton Library, Acton High Street

actonhistory.co.uk has created a pair of large glossy postcards each featuring four Acton scenes in about 1905 and a similar view in 2012. Notes about the scenes are included on each card. Further details: blank back, A5 sized, envelopes included. If you would like to buy these cards, contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

Acton 1905

Acton 2012

Ealing Libraries Local History Events

The Local History Library holds many local history talks throughout the year on various topics of local interest. for details see:
Ealing Local History Centre

Back to Acton History Group