Buxton Local History Society
CONTENTS
THE 1920s………………..SECTION 1
THE 1930s………………..SECTION 2
THE 1940s………………..SECTION 3
THE 1950s………………. SECTION 4
THE 1960s………………..SECTION 5
THE 1970s………………..SECTION 6
THE 1980s………………..SECTION 7
THE 1990s………………..SECTION 8
THE ”NOUGHTIES” ……SECTION 9
2010 – THE PRESENT….SECTION 10
Please note by clicking on the "SECTION" above it will take you directly to the relevant period.
BUXTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY: THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
1) THE 1920s
The idea for the Society arose from a meeting of a short-lived, local organisation known as the Buxton Literary Society. This started in 1915 and its members were young people, looking for intellectual improvement within the community. They met once a week, held debates on topical subjects and published a newspaper called “The Literary Gazette.” This was designed to entertain members. The 1921 census shows the Buxton population as being around 14,000 and women outnumbered men from the 15 -19 age group onwards. There was enough interest for the idea of a new Archaeology Society to be taken up and the proposed objectives were augmented to include Natural History. As a result, The Buxton Archaeology and Natural History Society was founded in March 1922. The only other organisation in existence addressing Archaeology in the area at the time was the Derbyshire Archaeology Society, founded in the 1870s. This was based at Derby. In an era of limited car ownership and poor roads, this perhaps seemed too far away for the active involvement of Buxton people. There was no interaction between the two organisations at that stage.
Unlike the Buxton Literary Society, the Buxton Archaeology and Natural History Society was limited to men. The latter also restricted membership numbers to 25. During the 1920s, lectures were held on subjects such as The Birds of Buxton and District, Bronze and Roman Objects and Mary Queen of Scots. Summer excursions went to places such as Arbor Low, Castle Naze and Chelmorton Church. Talks and excursions were typically led by members who were expert in fields relevant to the event’s subject matter. The talks were formal and the dress code was dinner jacket and black tie. Other rules were also defined. The venues used matched the formal style and included Hampson’s Rooms in the Quadrant and the Union Club (Old Club House). The age profile of the membership is unknown.
No other new organisations appeared on the Buxton scene during this decade with the same or overlapping interests.
2) THE 1930s
The Membership List indicates that numbers fluctuated in the first half of the decade. They plummeted from 28 to 9 in 1931 and rose steadily to 17 by 1935. We know nothing of the activities undertaken during this period.
The second half of the decade brought a step change, largely through the membership of one particular individual. This was Ernest Axon, who had recently retired from the Museum Service in Manchester and come to live in Buxton. He joined Buxton Archaeology and Natural History Society in 1936 at the age of 68. His career, and that of his father before him in the Manchester Museum Service, had given him access to an archive of over 5000 letters and documents relating to the local History of Buxton and area. He developed at least 9 series of notes on the town’s history, 5 of which were presented by him (or later in life read for him) to the Buxton Archaeology and Natural History Society. He was its Chair in 1937. Membership went up to 30 when he first joined but dropped back to 15 or 16 as the 2nd World War approached.
Apart from Ernest Axon’s contributions, other talks covered various aspects of local history e.g. “The Game Birds of Buxton”, regional history e.g., “Southwell and its Cathedral” and bio-geology e.g. “Extinct Monsters”. There were many summer excursions within the northern part of Derbyshire. There is no record of how these were led or how members reached the various destinations.
There were governance changes in the organisation. The maximum number of members was extended to 40 and honorary members were included within two sub-categories. The Honorary Members were noteworthy local citizens such as the Chairman of the Buxton Museum, who could attend meetings like any other member. A category of Honorary Corresponding Members was also designated and a local representative of ICI illustrates this sub-category. (This status was also given later for notable members of the Society who had moved away from the area.)
A £5 contribution was made to Brough Exploration Society and the Society urged Buxton Museum to make a similar contribution. There were other examples of external interaction. An Honorary Director of Excavations in the Manifold Valley was appointed within the Society. The Executive Committee (now extant) met with the Mayor of Buxton and obtained a £3 grant from the Records Committee of the Borough. Its proposed use is not clear.
3) THE 1940s
There were a few changes during the 2nd World War. Annual General Meetings were put on hold. Planned excursions were cut back to include only those which were strictly local. Talks continued and service people in Buxton of any rank were invited to participate. Given that the Society was for those who could afford evening dress, and represented a certain class, it is perhaps surprising that “other ranks” were included. There is no evidence that any servicemen attended Society activities.
Membership was generally between 20 and 26 throughout the decade, although it plummeted to 12 in 1942. It is noteworthy that in 1943 the Executive Committee decided that lady guests could be invited “when a lecture of interest to ladies was being given”: one lady guest per member only!
A wide range of talks took place. Ernest Axon continued to contribute local history talks, although now near the end of his life. During the war there were talks on local history e.g., “Lord Burlington and John Carr of York” and “John Rylands Library”. There were botanical talks e.g., “Fungi, Flowering Plants and Parasites”, social history such as “The Work of the Carpenter” and “Clocks and Timekeeping”.
After 1945, the range of talks expanded. They included talks about aspects of Egyptology, ornithology, botany, horology, traditional skills e.g., carpentry, geology/speleology and civil engineering. A minority of these appeared to have a local focus. Excursions took place to destinations across Derbyshire and the East Midlands.
The Committee reinstituted AGMs in 1946 and an invitation to attend was made to ladies as well as members. 70 people attended in total. This suggests the membership had gone up to some 35 or 40 in total. The rules were revised to allow for 6 Honorary members (whether local dignitaries or corresponding members is not clear).
Ernest Axon died in 1947.
The Committee encouraged members to bring guests to normal meetings i.e., those not deemed “to be of interest to ladies”. The guests were to be people who might later be selected for membership and were therefore men. Concerns were being expressed at this time about the number of members who were not participating actively in the Society’s programme. The Buxton Field Club had started in 1946 but was the only one overlapping with the Society’s fields of activity. Larger numbers of competing organisations in or around Buxton with overlapping interests did not start for another couple of decades. There is some evidence that there was awareness of new political institutions being established to influence developments in society’s economic and social environment. One member lobbied the Executive Committee to lend the Society’s support to the newly formed Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England. The Committee also considered affiliation to 3 archaeological bodies – a mixture of national and regional.
In 1948, the Executive Committee started to discuss whether the Society should have its own Library.
4) THE 1950s
This decade appears to have been a time of competing pressures within the Society. There was lamentation by the Executive Committee about poor attendance of members at talks and especially excursions. At the same time, the committee was feeling pressures (whether from within its own ranks or from the wider membership is unclear) to become a “doing” organisation, as opposed to a talking, listening and viewing one. Some members were eager to do “hands-on” archaeology. Others proposed making a catalogue and map of local sites and activities relevant to the Society’s interests. Another idea was to make a book about Derbyshire’s fauna to match one in existence about its flora. Yet another was recording the stained-glass windows and brasses within the Society’s (undefined) catchment area.
There were difficulties in achieving permission for archaeological digs. One research project associated with the strip systems of Chelmorton was approved and one to record local water wheels was considered. Some field-work started at Taddington. The Committee started looking at various Societies with which it might collaborate on digs but none were considered suitable.
There were conflicts within the Executive Committee in terms of how to reactivate the membership. It is clear that the founding generation of members was dying, judging by the regular references to this at Executive and general meetings. The decision was taken to seek younger members. Non-active members were to be followed up and “counselled out” of the organisation and their places filled with applicants on the waiting list. Despite the wish for new members, applications for membership were being turned down where the individual did not fit the required profile.
Plans for a Society Library went ahead during this decade and the Executive Committee authorised the purchase of certain books and maps for it. Some books were given. The Chair Mr HS Needham gave the Society “The Visitor Book for the Crescent”. There were terms attached. Members were invited to give or sell suitable books in their possession. The decision was taken not to have independent premises but to use space in the Public Library and to have a newly procured Society bookcase. There were ongoing problems in obtaining one. This was resolved by a donation from the Needham family.
The decade saw wider relationships with similar organisations elsewhere. Support was given to visits from the Cumberland and Lancashire Antiquarian Societies. Members were invited to join talks being hosted by e.g., the Museum. The Peak District Mines Historical Society was set up during this decade but there is no evidence of any interaction with it.
There is a reference at an Executive Committee meeting to “adverse comments” about the Society in the local press and a response was sent to the Editor.
Talks and excursions continued. Some talks had a local focus e.g. “The Caves of North Derbyshire” and “Buxton Water Past and Present.” Some topics related to subjects a little further afield e.g., “Cheshire Churches” and “Memories of Shropshire”. The natural history dimension was represented by “Birdsong”, “Wild Animals as Pets” (badger), “The History of the Hive” and “A Biologist’s View of Man”. The arts were represented in talks such as “Stained Glass”, “The Brontes”, “Art and Archaeology” and “Early Keyboard Composers”. Travel was entering the scene consistently as a basis for talks e.g., “Memories of Southern Spain”, “Expedition to the Himalayas”, “Persia Ancient and Modern” and “Settlements East and West of Suez”.
Excursions were numerous with occasional quiet years e.g., when there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. The list included visits to local stately homes, churches and museums. Debate occurred about the management and financing of the associated transport.
A Photographic Section was established within the Society.
In 1957 ladies put in a formal request for membership. This was described by the Executive Committee as “the age-old problem” and it was decided that ladies would continue to be permitted only as guests. (I per member.)
The society sent a representative to an Archaeology conference hosted by Sheffield University.
During the 1950s, membership levels were 30 – 40 in number.
5) THE 1960s
The 1960s saw the arrival of 3 new organisations sharing overlapping interests with the Society. They were The Trent and Peak Archaeological Society (now part of York Archaeology), Buxton Civic Association and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
The Peak District National Park had been established and the talks programme reflected this with several presentations about its work. Society members were invited to send representatives and /or interested members to the inaugural meetings of the Derbyshire Naturalists Trust. Smaller societies setting up a little further from Buxton also extended invitations to members e.g., the Peakland Society and the Melandra Society. Joint meetings were set up e.g., with Derbyshire Archaeological Society. This was sometimes for a speaker of joint interest and on other occasions to discuss overlap and “poaching” of archaeological sites the Society had been intending to excavate. The Society continued to help on occasion with societies planning visits to the area e.g., the Macclesfield Field Club and Berkshire Archaeological Society. A national archaeology convention came to Buxton and the Society offered to help. There is no record as to whether this was taken up.
There is some evidence of Society awareness of environmental issues coming under national discussion for the first time. The Society contributed to, and attended events relating to, a National Nature Week. It hosted a joint talk with Buxton Field Club and was sole host of an associated talk in the Town Hall.
The Society was asked to provide lecturers on natural history for schools. (There is no evidence this was taken up.) Somewhat related, but going beyond matters affecting the natural world, was a request to provide instructors and assessors for some sections of the newly established Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. (There is no evidence that the Society took up either of these requests.)
The Society started a campaigning side to its activities e.g., letters to the Council about lack of conservation of a letterbox near the Union Club (Old Club House), a horse trough and Turner’s Memorial. The Society participated in a Public Enquiry relating to Holm Wood. It expressed concerns about threatened old buildings and unprotected, disused mine-shafts.
The now established programmes of lectures and excursions continued. Local history talks featured e.g., “Old Buxton”, “The Royal Forest of the Peak” and “Historic Places around Bakewell”. Natural History topics were e.g. “Why Be a Bird Watcher?” and “Nature’s Highlights”. Many talks focused on members’ visits to other parts of the World e.g., “Journey into “Illyria””, “Knossos to Athens”, “A Visit to Moscow”, “Expedition to a Pothole in France”, “Return Visit to Spain” and “Walking Holiday in Iceland”. Attendance at excursions was generally reported as disappointing. Visits to Liverpool, ICI rock salt mines in Cheshire and the Burnell Observatory/Chesterfield Astronomical Society took place. Consideration was given to using motor coaches for transport. Some excursions had to be cancelled through lack of interest.
The arrival of new organisations on the scene required adjustments. There was more competition for members. Concerns arising in the 1950s continued in relation to inactive members. A “profound need for group leadership” and to “galvanise effort” in the Society was reported. There was also anxiety about its ageing population and it is noteworthy that special Presidential lectures, sometimes combined with celebration of significant birthdays e.g., 80th and 90th took place. Discussion was given to instituting junior membership. In order to make space within the numbers limit, it was reported that inactive members would need to be eased out in order to shift the balance. The 38 members at the beginning of the decade shrank to 30 at the end. A survey of members was commissioned to seek opinions about what the aims and objectives of the Society should be. Other societies which had long existed were also needing to make adjustments. The Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society dropped the Natural History elements of its activities.
Cheaper accommodation for meetings was sought.
6) THE 1970s
This was another decade with new organisations starting up with related activities. Castleton and Furnace Vale Historical Societies started and the new Buxton Festival absorbed the time of some members whose interest in the arts had become apparent in the earlier talks’ programmes.
1970 brought the “European Conservation Year” and the local Council invited the Society to nominate a representative to join its Conservation Committee. The Society agreed to cooperate with Buxton Field Club and Buxton Civic Association in conservation initiatives associated with the Year. The Society made a loss on these activities. The Crescent was under threat of dilapidation and disposal and the Society wrote to the Council saying it was willing to be involved in an attempt to save it. In order the integrate the views of a growing number of local history societies, the Derbyshire Rural District Council encouraged co-operation between them.
Nature conservancy and environmental issues continued to attract national attention. The Nature Conservancy Council was set up and some talks describing its work took place.
The new activities relating to national changes in priorities, especially relating to conservation, sat alongside the traditional activities of the Society throughout the 70s. The Society’s interest in archaeology tended to find expression in visits rather more than in talks or local digs, although these still appeared in the programme. Destinations such as Hadrian’s Wall, Fishbourne Roman Palace, the Corinium Museum at Cirencester and Cheddar Roman Villa were planned. Excursions were also planned within the area focusing primarily on history e.g., Cromford, Sudbury Hall and Castlefield. Some were cancelled, some ran with reduced numbers and losses were incurred. The earlier emphasis on aspects of natural history shifted towards topics associated with nature conservation. The interest in foreign travel continued unabated with many talks such as “Two Years in Antarctica”, “Visit to Russia”, “Arctic Norway” and “West Pakistan”. A talk was also given by 2 young people who had been on the British Schools Exploration Society’s visit to Iceland.
Social activities such as dinners, falconry evenings, musical and photography presentations were introduced but did not last.
Some sub-groups started up or continued e.g., looking at parish registers and excavation possibilities. They reported to the Committee and membership from time to time. Records of their work do not appear to have endured.
Development of the Society’s Library, located at the Museum, was put on hold pending the latter’s proposed move to the Crescent. This happened during the decade and the bookcase given by the Needham family for the Society’s Library in the Museum was sold. So was obsolete equipment.
The Executive Committee had to concern itself with problems of finance, finding cheaper accommodation, considering new approaches to managing excursions and boosting support for all activities. The concept of Honorary Membership was revisited and it was decided that 3 could be awarded at any one time to men or women prominent in archaeology and natural history. There were immediately 7 applications from women. All were accepted. Mrs Marion Spurr became the first lady to address the Society on “Stone Circles in the British Isles”. Membership numbers remained in the 30s throughout the period. New difficulties emerged in finding replacements for officers of the Society, when their terms of office (typically two years) were up. There were many extensions for further periods. It was another decade in which the deaths of members were frequently reported.
7) THE 1980s
The 1980s brought consolidation for the new national and local organisations which came on the scene in the 1970s. The new decade saw the formation of a local branch of National Trust supporters and local branches of the Women’s Institute. The former contributed speakers to the Society’s programme and the latter increased the overall demand for speakers in the area. The Women’s Institute sought speakers on all subjects relevant to this Society, amongst a range of other interests. Organisations such as the Buxton Field Club and Buxton Civic Society both competed for, and produced speakers, for the Society.
Archaeology talks experienced a boost. Specialist Archaeology organisations e.g., Manchester Archaeology Unit, the Archaeology Department of the Peak Planning Authority and Derbyshire County Council Archaeology Department were all active and talks were given about excavations they had supervised at Silverlands, Buxton, Chee Tor, Blackwell and many others. Major archaeological finds had emerged at national sites such as Sutton Hoo and were the subject of talks. Some members continued to be involved with archaeological digs on an individual basis and gave talks about them e.g., Roman Marching Camps in Mid-Wales. The statutory bodies associated with nature conservancy and planning also gave talks. Tales of travel to Antarctica, China, Everest, Iceland and Canada occurred but the overwhelming majority of speakers provided talks on local and regional history in this decade.
The Society introduced a twice-yearly Bulletin from 1986 onwards. This was to publicise the programme and work of the Society. It carried a series of articles and from time to time an Occasional Paper, the latter representing extensive study into a topic relevant to the Society’s areas of interest. These were always written by a member. Copies of the Bulletin went to all members and to the Local Library. They could also be made available to prospective speakers and membership applicants.
The 1980s saw the emergence in Buxton of several individuals who were committed to researching and writing books about the history of the town and its immediate area. Mike Langham and Colin Wells were examples (both members and later Chairmen). Work undertaken previously but not recorded formally was also written up as Occasional Papers, either by the original researchers or by those who subsequently took their work forward. Ernest Axon’s work re-emerged for example. Books came onto the market written by a variety of authors and raised the profile of Buxton. They also made life easier for later researchers.
The effort to attract new members and replace members who died or resigned, was ongoing. Losses of members also started to occur because of moves out of the area, either to take up new jobs or retire elsewhere. Prospective members still had to be proposed to the Committee for acceptance into the Society and the application process was adapted: this put greater emphasis on demonstration of a willingness and ability to contribute to the work of the Society. This could be in terms of giving talks, undertaking projects or assisting with governance. “Members evenings” were introduced, when typically 3 members would talk about smaller research projects they had been undertaking or other topics of personal interest. This was to encourage broader, active involvement. Preference for participation in summer excursions was to be given to members who had participated fully in the winter lecture programme. The balance of losses and gains during the decade kept the numbers of members in the 30s.
The Visitors Book for the Crescent, owned by the Society and held by successive Chairman was retrieved following the death of Chairman Ivor Morten. It was decided to give the book to the Museum for ongoing custody.
8) THE 1990s
Once again, the number of new organisations holding similar interests continued to grow. They included Derbyshire Family History Society and the Friends of Buxton Museum, U3A with its ecology, history and oral history sub-groups. The Society’s membership numbers remained in the 30s, the numbers attending talks continued “at a reasonable level” but numbers for excursions remained a problem. Members pulled out and wanted their money back. There was evidence of some more youthful members being recruited e.g., notes of congratulation in minutes and Bulletin of the occasional marriage and births.
Talks included updates on the work of the recently established organisations (and similar) e.g., the local National Trust and CPRE. The pre-existing patterns of talks continued, offering local archaeology subjects (digs done by others), local history topics, a smaller number of natural history titles and a large number of talks reflecting members’ holidays abroad. Some of these picked up archaeology, history and nature themes but many appear to have been more general. New technology e.g., the widening use of radio-carbon dating led to some archaeology subjects being re-presented to share the latest thinking.
Many excursions were proposed of a local or regional nature but attendance continued to be a problem.
The Bulletin enabled short articles to be submitted by members and “Members Evenings” also enabled the work to be presented orally. The Bulletin continued to print “Occasional Papers”. These were almost all on local topics.
From time to time, the Editor of the bulletin published reviews of recently published books on Buxton history. These were not necessarily by members of the Society, although the work of Mike Langham and Colin Wells featured prominently. These were private ventures, not sponsored by the Society. Both Mike and Colin took a stint of being Chairman.
The Society was 75 years old in 1997 and mounted a celebratory exhibition illustrating aspects of the town’s history. The Duke of Devonshire (Andrew Cavendish) was Patron of the Society and opened the exhibition. The items presented were all prepared by members. A wooden lectern was commissioned from a local craftsman (Terry Meneman) to mark the occasion. A former Chairman commented 24 years later, that he felt the 75th Anniversary Exhibition had been the high point of the Society’s history to date.
Preparations were made to produce a special edition of the Bulletin to mark the impending Millennium. Some twelve articles were prepared and included in it.
The Society became a member of the Friends of Buxton Museum and a donation was made to an unknown organisation concerned with a woodland project near Sheffield. The level of involvement with other organisations that were new in the 80s appears to have dropped off.
9) “THE NOUGHTIES” – 2000 TO 2009
This period was described in the minutes as being “a time of great change”. The decision was taken in the early years of the decade to include the word “Local” in the name of the Society thus “Buxton Archaeology, Local and Natural History Society”.
The range of talks does not appear to have reflected this more local focus immediately. They continued on more general themes e.g., “History of the Victorian Workhouse” and “Hunter/Gatherer versus more Complex Society”. Talks on regional and national themes also continued e.g. “The National Parks – the Next 50 Years” and “The Woodland Trust – Ancient Woodland”. There were many talks on local history, fewer on local natural history but the continuation of world-wide travel adventures by members and non-members remained prominent. The shift to significantly greater local emphasis was later given a boost from an incoming Executive Committee.
Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 caused the cancellation of excursions and the number of offerings did not recover to previous levels. After the disease, the excursions were mostly local e.g., Bamford, New Mills and Cheadle.
There were some differences in management style amongst Committee members, many of whom were strong-minded, and there were some resignations. This led to the loss of some expert knowledge relevant to the subject areas covered by the Society.
A new organisation came on the scene (Vision Buxton) and engaged with the historical heritage and future economic interests of the town and its people. There is some evidence that from around this time, an enthusiasm developed for undertaking active projects amongst various organisations occupying the same interest areas as the Society. These were designed to enhance the town, including both its heritage and natural environments. They were promoted by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Buxton Civic Association and Buxton Field Club.
By 2006, low attendances at meetings were attracting serious comment in the Executive Committee. It was decided to make all meetings “open”. The process of membership application was changed and ratification of applicant members by the Executive Committee and membership was no longer required. Restrictions on lady members appear to have disappeared completely. Attendances at meetings seemed to improve as a result of the new measures and 10-13 members plus 10 visitors became typical.
The Editor of the Bulletin found it increasingly difficult to get contributions and he decided to stand down in 2006. There were no volunteers to replace him and the bulletin was first suspended and then formally discontinued.
The major restoration of the Dome and its commissioning as part of Derby University took place during this decade. The University of Derby provided a series of lectures on the history of the building and its restoration. A team of guides was appointed to show groups of visitors around the restored building. Several members of various organisations e.g., Vision Buxton and the local branch of the National Trust diverted their attention to this activity. It is not known whether membership of the society was similarly affected.
Other organisations associated with the development of the built and natural environment of the town also started. These were primarily “doing” or “campaigning“ organisations. They included Town Team, Friends of the Pavilion Gardens (which was ultimately absorbed into the Town Team), Transition Buxton, and the Serpentine Community Garden. Buxton Local History Society continued primarily as an organisation concerned with members talks and excursions.
10) 2010 – PRESENT
This was a period when detailed plans for the Crescent and Pump Room’s restoration started to be published and many organisations associated with the history of the built environment made comments. 2017 onwards saw the setting up of the Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, designed to provide access to the Crescent for the public. This was in response to the large proportion of restoration monies received from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The profile of this new organisation was raised through talks, in many cases from national speakers, on subjects related to life in Georgian and Victorian Buxton and the evolution of spa cures. Many volunteers were sought to help host visitors to the Pump Room and to host events designed to raise funds for the proposed visitor attraction once the Crescent was completed. This may have diverted energy away from the Buxton Local History Society, although some members belonged to both organisations and/or volunteered for them.
The AGM in 2015 heralded a change of direction for the Society. No replacement was forthcoming when the Chairman was unable to continue in office through illness. The following meeting was devoted to looking at the future of the Society. Following a lively discussion, a new team of long-term members was elected to take the Society forward and others offered to help with specific tasks. ThIs group was quickly established as a more formal Committee and remains so with some minor changes. A Constitution was sought, but no document was found. With an opportunity to re-write the rules, it was decided to change the name to the Buxton Local History Society. This reflected the main emphasis of the organisation and acknowledged the existence of other more recent groups in the town, some of which had natural history in their activities. A Constitution was written for the Society and revised over the next year or so. It was ratified by the membership in February 2018. The aim of the Society was defined as follows: -
“The aim of the Society is to engage in activities that explore and explain local history. The exploration of local history may include, not exclusively, talks, visits, research and co-operation with other related organisations. The explanation of local history may include, not exclusively, talks, discussions, exhibitions, seminars and written material in newsletters, newspapers, magazines and books.”
Other changes made reflected the advance of technology. Communication by email was introduced where possible. A website was established as a means of reaching a wider audience. The result has been a steady stream of enquiries about Buxton, and, more usually, its residents. Schools, mainly past, have been a popular subject of enquiry but the most unusual was probably that from a German postgraduate writing a book about cholera. His previous book on the same subject is now in the Society’s archives following his visit to Buxton.
2020 - 2022 saw the Covid pandemic take its toll on the Society’s activities, as on those of many local organisations. Early reports of Covid cases in Buxton during February 2020 led to the AGM being cancelled on the day itself. A postponement until April was planned but the Covid pandemic turned out to be much more serious and long-lasting. During the year, all the Society’s events were progressively cancelled. The possibility of holding meetings using Zoom was considered, but it was felt that not all members would have the technology to take part. Even ‘socially distanced’ meetings would have been all but impossible in the times between lockdowns. The Treasurer, John Kingsland, kept in touch with members and entertained them with provision of a monthly quiz. This challenged participants to identify photos of local features – mainly doors and windows, but occasionally bollards and other architectural and landscape features. These were activities that could be undertaken out of doors by individual households – and were thus compliant with Covid lockdown regulations. The uncertainties were such that it was impossible to plan for the future. Committee meetings ceased.
Some local organisations continued to pursue their activities using new technologies such as Zoom, Whats App groups and Facebook. This caused a churn in memberships as some dropped out and others thrived on the new working methods. Like Buxton Local History Society, many ceased until it was possible to resume in the traditional manner. The Society’s programme did so in the autumn of 2021. The pandemic resulted in “socially-distanced” meetings and this was a necessity for some time. The existing meeting place for the Society, the Old Hall Hotel, was too small and clearly unsuitable. The Society moved its meetings to a large room below Trinity Church on Hardwick Mount. The Society’s emphasis remains on talks about local history augmented by visits to places of interest during the summer months. During spring and autumn, the Committee arranges speakers from the areas around Buxton, with winter months reserved for Buxton-based speakers, because of potential weather-related travel problems. Summer visits are often arranged to follow on from talks. Recent visits have taken members to Belper and the Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port.
In the last 12 months, the Society has been offered, and has accepted custody of a large number of year-books of the discontinued broadsheet newspaper “The High Peak News.” This has given impetus to reflection on how best to store this valuable information resource and how best to make it accessible to interested members of the public. The Society is aware that members past and present have collected valuable information resources relating to local history and that these are stored in private houses. The establishment of storage arrangements for the year-books may attract requests to house additionally these private collections.
December 2022
Source
This paper was compiled from the Society’s records, supplemented by spoken and written testimony from existing and former members.
The work was undertaken by members of the Committee in 2022. They were Trevor Gilman (the Society’s Chairman), Janet Byers and Gill Williamson.