COMMUNITY HERITAGE PROJECT PROPOSED FOR NEEDHAM & BROCKDISH

When I moved to a beautiful 17th century cottage here in Needham last year, I was immediately fascinated to find out as much as I could about my predecessors who had lived in the property. As someone who has been involved in a lot of local history projects and had a number of books published on the subject, I wasn’t expecting to make much progress, given how small this settlement is. However, within a year I’d uncovered more than enough fascinating information to be invited to give a presentation at Needham Village Hall in October 2017 on the history of the village through to the Victorian period and reveal stories about the owners and occupants of my house going back as far as 1690. 

My talk, which contained historical material loaned by Sue Simmons, Pam Cossey, Delwyn Snaith and Pauline Spinlove, was very well attended by local residents past and present, some of whom brought along their own family photos, documents and artefacts. After I’d finished my presentation and we were all enjoying refreshments served by Diane Clarke, I was asked unanimously to come back and give a follow-up talk. There was also a great deal of enthusiasm for setting up a Community Heritage Project leading to the publication of a new book and six people volunteered to become actively involved in the research. 

I’ve recently met with the organisers of the new Waveney Valley Heritage Centre which is opening in Spring 2018 in what was Brockdish School who would like to offer us their practical support and extensive experience in raising grant money to get this initiative off the ground. I have agreed that it would make a lot of sense for us to work together with other local history enthusiasts in neighbouring Brockdish on a joint Heritage Project. Baroness Elaine Murphy, who recently wrote and published a book on her home, the Grange in Brockdish, has agreed to become patron for the new project.

I will be giving my next talk on Needham History 1800-1953 (followed by refreshments) at St Peter’s Church, Needham on Sunday 4th Feb 2.30pm. We’ll be announcing the first meeting for local volunteers who wish to get involved in the Needham & Brockdish Heritage Project – no experience necessary, just some spare time. We’ll arrange a public exhibition and talk on the historical material uncovered, followed by the launch of a website dedicated to Brockdish and Needham’s past, and finally produce a book on the history of the two settlements. 

If you can’t attend in February but wish to get involved, then please email me on  stephenjp@talktalk.net

                      Stephen Poulter


r