Lambeth Local History Forum

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society museum is moving to new premises in 2015. For more information, please see their member’s page here.

To celebrate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, the Royal Mail has created a searchable database of all known memorials in their care. It is on this website: www.royalmailmemorials.com. The site has a very good interactive map showing the location of approximately 300 memorials. Clicking on a location brings up an image of the memorial; another click takes you to a full transcription and details. What makes this particularly valuable is the fact that many of them are in places inaccessible to the general public. For example, the one in the Camberwell Delivery Office is in the staff canteen. There are many more in our borough – do have a look.

Following the success of the inaugural Lambeth Heritage Festival last year, the Lambeth Local History Forum and Lambeth Archives are pleased to announce that that the Festival will be held again this year. It will again happen during the month of September and will culminate with the Archives Open Day on Saturday 27th September. Naturally, it is likely that many of the Festival events this year will have a World War I theme; but not all. If you have ideas for events, do get in touch with your local society: see our Members page.

The Forum has finalised this year’s walks programme. As usual, there are more than 30 heritage walks, from March to October, being held all over the borough. A leaflet version of the programme will appear in libraries in due course, but you can download an copy from our Walks page now.

The programme for September’s Heritage Festival has now been published. Paper copies will soon be available in Lambeth Libraries but an electronic copy is available immediately here: Programme.

The Lambeth Local History Forum and Lambeth Archives are delighted to announce the first ever Lambeth Heritage Festival.

This will run throughout the month of September 2013 in all parts of the borough with a rich programme of events and activities that try to pick up on all aspects of local history in the borough, both geographically (with events spread across the whole of Lambeth from West Norwood to Waterloo and between Clapham and Camberwell) and in terms of subject matter with walks, talks and other events covering a broad spread of subjects including house history, local mural artists, women’s history, Black history and national figures like William Blake as well as incorporating regular heritage events such as London Open House weekend and the Lambeth Archives Open Day.

Watch this space for more information as it becomes available.

The Lambeth Archives Open Day this year will be on Saturday 29 September from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in two venues: The Minet Library and The Michael Church, 131 Cormont Road, SW9 6TG.

This year’s theme is: What has local government ever done for us? Local councils in Lambeth and their legacy.

Come along to Lambeth Archives for its annual Archives Open Day as we take a look at the historical changes to local government in Lambeth. In this current period of austerity local government is experiencing quite unprecedented challenges and changes. So this year we are taking the long view and considering its versatility, the services that it has provided and the impact it has had and continues to have on its local people’s lives. This free event includes a series of talks on: health; housing; civic architecture; parks and open spaces; the free public library movement; Lambeth Council and community action and that ever contentious issue sewers and waste disposal. There will also be a selection films from the archives and an exhibition all reflecting the history of local government in Lambeth. Other attractions through the day include children’s activities; local societies’ stands and book stalls and refreshments.

Download the programme HERE.

Lambeth Archives and the Lambeth Local History Forum have published their latest book: Lambeth architecture 1914-1939 by Edmund Bird and Fiona Price. This follows the very successful Lambeth’s Edwardian Splendours by the same authors published in 2010. Both books are available from Lambeth Archives at £9 and £7 respectively.