Museum News 

 

Friday 22nd May 1925: Empire Day celebration took place today. The Union Jack was saluted, national anthem 'God Bless the Prince of Wales' etc were sung and the Head Master gave an address on Empire Duties. In the afternoon holiday was given.

 

December 22nd 1925: The attendance is very poor owing to a severe snowstorm. Only 74% of the children being present.

 

Thursday 1st July 1926: School closed at the end of the afternoon for Swindon Trip Week holiday. The attendance at the afternoon session was very low owing to children being absent making preparations for an early start, many at 4am.

 

4th September 1935: A wet morning. 74 children absent. The School Attendance Officer visited the school.

 

2nd, 3rd, 4th September 1939: The school was used by local billeting officers for the reception of people (women and children) evacuated from London. On the night of September 4th, many evacuees were sent late, and it was necessary for them to sleep in the school all night to be taken to their billets in the morning.

 

5th September 1939: The school should have reassembled today after the summer holiday but, owing to the outbreak of war between Great Britain and Germany, the LEA, acting under instructions from the Board of Education, has postponed the opening.

 

Read these and other fascinating entries in the Log Book for Purton Church of England Mixed School 1925-1944, kindly on loan from St Mary's School.

 

Purton Museum is open on Saturdays from 10.00-12.30pm and the current exhibition is on Education at St Mary’s School

PURTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MEETING VENUE - PURTON METHODIST CHURCH, PLAY CLOSE
Following successful, well supported June / July events, and a break in August, the Society would like to welcome members and visitors back for the commencement of our Autumn programme as follows: 

THURSDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2022 @ 7.30 PM
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEDWORTH ROMAN VILLA SITE – DR NICK HUMPHRIS
Our presenter, Dr Nick Humphris writes:
“My talk will show what was revealed when the new West Range cover building was opened 10 years ago and the archaeology in preparation for a proposed new cover building for the North Wing. This revealed some surprising building modifications and interesting carbon dating."

THURSDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2022 @ 7.30 PM
A TOWN MOST NOTORIOUSLY DISCONTENTED: 
MARLBOROUGH AND THE CIVIL WAR – NICK BAXTER
In December 1642 a Royalist Army besieged and attacked the town of Marlborough in Wiltshire. Edward Hyde, adviser to King Charles, described Marlborough people as "notoriously disaffected and full of malice". The Parliamentary commander, Sir James Ramsay, organised the defence of the town building earthwork defences and erecting barricades. Militia put up a spirited defence but could not withstand the Royalist onslaught. Marlborough was plundered and pillaged. Houses were burnt and the cheese taken from the market. Some 120 prisoners were tied together in twos and led through the snow to captivity in Oxford castle. John Francklyn, the Marlborough Member of Parliament died. The Royalist sacking of Marlborough was amongst the most appalling events of the English Civil War.

THURSDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2022 AT 7.30 PM
RINGSBURY CAMP AND THE IRON AGE - KEITH ALLSOP
Ringsbury Camp was built in the Iron Age, about 2,600 years ago.  It took an incredible amount of effort to build but what was it used for?  This talk looks at the Iron Age, the role of hillforts and looks at Ringsbury Camp and some other local hillforts (there’s more than you think).  Ringsbury Camp has never been excavated, but it has been ploughed in the past so the archaeology will be badly damaged, and I will be taking what we know about other hillforts and applying it to Ringsbury.

FRIDAY 2ND DECEMBER 2022 AT 7.30 PM
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL IN THE SILVER THREADS HALL
Full details to follow

Visitors always welcome

Janet and Tony Neate
email: tjneate57@gmail.com