Unfortunately the West of London Group has had to go into abeyance, which we hope will be temporary.
Bishopshalt School have cancelled our May meeting booking, and advised that they are no longer accepting weekend bookings,. Due to our member Ken Pearce's affiliation with the school, we enjoyed a favourable hire rate, which we are unlikely to find elsewhere in London. We have also lost four regular attendees since October due to moving or ill-health. Not everyone can attend every time, so as things now stand the Group's future viability is very uncertain. Finding live speakers is also becoming increasingly difficult.
Dave and I are now in our late 70s, and after running the Group for 24 years feel that it is time to hand over the reins to someone who can re-invent the Group and take it forward in a more modern format.
There are over 140 members around the Bucks, Berks, Mddx/London, East Hampshire and north-west Surrey areas, so a new venue with good road and rail links does not have to be as close to London. Indeed, better value is more likely elsewhere. Somewhere with wi-fi would open up many more possibilites for sessions, and give wider scope for obtaining speakers via Zoom.
The Society would welcome offers from anyone with ideas and interested in running a new look West of London Group. Our basis has always been research as members West of London cannot feasibly visit the Suffok Record Offices in a day. A new leader would be passed the Group's CD collection of parish register transcriptions, and would receive new ones as they are issued.
Dave and I would continue to attend, and I would be happy to undertake some speaker slots. We are both still actively involved in the Socieyy as trustees, and Dave continues to serve as Membership Secretary.
We have made some good friends over the years with the Group whom we hope to meet up with again at various events, and hopefully in a resurrected West of London Group in due course.
Meanwhile, we would thank all our regulars for their support over the years, and wish you all the best in your future genealogial endeavours.
KInd Regards
Joan & Dave Horton.