West London Group - SFHS - Suffolk Family History Society

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Introduction

We are a friendly group that meets three times a year, to provide an opportunity for local people with Suffolk ancestral interests to get together, do some research and exchange experiences.

We also have an opportunity to help represent the society at the local family history fairs held at Woking (pictured), Bracknell and Central London.

Meetings

The West of London Group meetings are held on Saturdays, 2-5pm, at:

Bishopshalt School
Royal Lane
Hillingdon
UB8 3RF

All members and their guests are welcome, also anyone who is not yet a member but would like to consider joining.

Various books, and a good selection of Suffolk parish registers, the IGI, and other research material on CD and microfiche is available.

You are welcome to bring your own laptop to save possibly waiting to use ours.

Our speakers subjects cover a wide range of interesting interests.

The school entrance is located on Royal Lane a short distance from Hillingdon Hospital to the south, and the A4020 from Uxbridge to the north. When through the gate, follow the path round to the left, past a 1960s building, to a Victorian building with a bay window at the far end where there is plenty of free parking. Our meetings are held in the ground floor bay window room - along the corridor on the right.

Links

Hillingdon Family History - Another family history society that meets regularly in Hillingdon at the Baptist Church, Hercies Road. A fully equipped Research room is available some Fridays and Saturdays

Contact

Mrs. Joan F. Horton
26 The Crescent, Slough, SL1 2LQ
01753 537673
or by Email: westlondon@suffolkfhs.org.uk

Last Modified on 28/05/2023 by Joe Bridgwater-Rowe

News

The West of London Group needs a new home, a new leader and a new look!

Posted by Joan Horton on Tue, 28th Mar 2023

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.