GRINGLEY HISTORY CLUB
AGM MINUTES: 15 January 2025
Community Centre
PRESENT
Committee: Mike Garrett, Pamela Hamer, Kathy McIlroy, Brian Hansen, Adrian Griffiths, Sue O’Horan, Sharon Keeble.
Members: Joan Soulsby, Ian Soulsby, Tim, Brian, Gill, Mick, John
Apologies: Roy Evans
Reports
The meeting heard reports from Mike Garrett (Chairman), Pamela Hamer (Secretary), Sue O’Horan (Treasurer),
Review of Last Year’s Minutes
Mike Garrett opened the meeting by providing a review of 2024. His report is attached to these Minutes.
Secretary’s Report
Pamela Hamer’s detailed report is attached to these Minutes.
Treasurer’s Report
Sue O’Horan gave her detailed report which is attached to these Minutes. (She noted that fixed costs, i.e. website costs and insurance accounted for half the Club’s expenditure. A small increase in membership costs has been introduced to improve the margin here. There have been no adverse comments regarding this increase and membership has increased.)
Election of Officers
All the officers were prepared to stand for another year and as no-one else came forward the current officers were re-elected by those present.
Chairman: Mike Garrett was re-elected Chairman
Secretary: Pamela Hamer was re-elected as Secretary
Treasurer: Sue O’Horan was re-elected as Treasurer
AOB
Community Centre 10th Anniversary
Adrian, in his capacity as Chairman of the CC, noted that this year will be the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Community Centre. Plans are in the process of being drawn up for a celebration. Adrian asked if the History Club would participate by providing a table of books etc and display boards. This was agreed. Adrian said that more information regarding this event would be available after a CC meeting on 16 January.
Club Meetings
Mike had spoken to Adam at the Blue Bell regarding informal Club meetings. Adam has offered the History Club use of the upper room at the pub for Club nights. These would now be on Thursday evenings rather than Monday evenings. (The pub is now closed on Mondays). The meetings will be in February/April/June.
VE Day
Kathy noted that the Parish Council had plans to light the Beacon this year and arrange a street party. There would be a Council meeting next week so more details would be available following this.
Bridle Path
After many years of perseverance Kathy has succeeded in her work on re-establishing access to the Bridle Path. Kathy has offered a provisional celebratory walk of the path on 28 February – tbc.
Sk
27.1.25
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2024
We had a full programme of events. In January following our AGM, Adrian Griffiths gave us the second part of his history of the city of Coventry. In March we welcomed back Bryan Gladstone who told us the story of his mother, who was born in Lancashire and married a US serviceman. In May, Martin Rowley’s talk on the Sheffield Gang Wars opened our eyes to a different world of greed and violence in the city in the 1920’s.
In October we were treated to the amazing story of Hotels in the Sky, a lost way of travelling in airships, by Mike Ogden. Our November talk was Answering the Call, a review by Mike Garrett about Roses and Marshall’s, including their activities during WW2.
Informal club nights were held in in the Blue Bell February, April and June.
On Friday 7 June we hosted a presentation as part of the village commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of D Day. Fifty-Three people heard about the preparations for D Day and the events following the landings. Proceeds from a collection and bar takings totalled £225, which was donated to SSAFA, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, and will be used to support veterans and their families in north Notts.
In July, 20 members went on our trip to Sheffield. We started at the Manor Lodge, home for many years of Mary Queen of Scots, then to the Kelham Island Industrial Museum, finishing with a conducted tour of Sheffield Cathedral, the oldest building in the city.
Our evening trip in August was a tour of Bawtry. Led by our very informative and entertaining guide Steve Kimber, our group of 20 learned about the town’s history, including the Romans, the medieval port, stagecoach and rail activities and the RAF presence at Bawtry Hall.
We ended the year with our Christmas Social and Membership night at the Blue Bell with Fizz and Nibbles. Adam very kindly opened the Blue Bell for us and we had a busy, successful evening with club memberships renewed and new members joining.
On the 24th November, the Inspectorate confirmed the order to reinstate the historic bridle path along the bank of the river Idle. Although subject to possible final objection, this is a great result, restoring an ancient local by-way after 10 years of research and difficult negotiation by Kathy McIlroy.
In conclusion, 2024 was a successful year for our club. Such a programme of activities can only be achieved by the commitment of our committee, and I would like to thank the committee for their efforts.
We have a full programme of speaker events, trips, club nights and other activities for 2025. Our committee are keen to be involved in all aspects of history in Gringley, local areas and further afield. Please contact us if you have any areas of interest.
Mike Garrett. 6 Jan 2025.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Talks were generally well attended by both members and visitors.
- January: Godiva’s Heritage - The Rise & Decline of Industries in Coventry Members 15 – Visitors 2. Total 17
- March: My Mother was a G.I. Bride: Members 20 - Visitors 3. Total 23
- May: Sheffield Gang Wars: Members 30 – Visitors 18. Total 48
- June: D Day: Members and Visitors Total 53
- October: Hotels in the Sky: Members 25 – Visitors 2. Total 27
- November: Answering the Call: Members 22 - Visitors 17 (3 of which joined for 2025). Total: 49
Over the 6 talks the average attendance was 36
The secretary thanked Mike and Sharon for putting together the programme.
In 2024 we had 53 members, the same as the previous year.
At the Social and Membership night in December, members who attended joined for 2025. So far this year we have 37 members, of which 34 are previous members and three new members.
Pamela Hamer (Secretary)
TREASURER’S REPORT
As treasurer, I am pleased to report that last year the History club made a small surplus of £18.78.
You may remember that last year we split the accounts into two parts - CAPITAL and CLUB funds.
Last year our only Capital expense was £10 for the printing of some Pubs booklets.
We did however sell a good number of those and other books, meaning the CAPITAL account grew by £126.33.
The Club fund which accounts for day to day running ended up spending more than last year due to price increases on our fixed costs ie. the website and also the cost of running more meetings, with more paid to speakers. As a result, the Club fund ended with a shortfall of £107.55 for the year.
We continue to look for ways to reduce our expenditure and to raise extra income and have already made some changes.
The membership fee structure has changed for 24-25 and now everyone pays £10 per person.
A small increase of £5 for a couple and no change for a single member. (£60 so far extra this yr)
We are carefully managing the cost of speakers for our evening meetings.
Visitors to evening meetings now pay £4 (was £3)
We now charge £1 for a tea/coffee and biscuit at meetings (was free) ( £11 already this yr)
Brian H has very successfully started offering a bar service at our evening meetings and the profit is already making a difference. ( £105 went to charity ly and £15.50 so far this yr)
We are confident that these changes will ensure that the Club fund will not fall into deficit in future and that the Capital account will be preserved for future projects or investment in materials.
As I previously stated, the club overall did make a surplus of £18.78 last financial year.
Mike has outlined all the events, trips and meetings we and the members so enjoyed last year and to do all that in a virtually cost neutral way was a real achievement we can all be proud of.
We should also celebrate the £250 that was raised at club meetings and was donated to 2 chosen charities.
My thanks go to the committee for another successful History Club year.
Sue, Treasurer GHC. 15/01/2025.