We are sorry that the HALH Spring Meeting & AGM 2020, due to take place on Saturday 9 May, had to be cancelled because of the current pandemic. We had hoped to combine it with the annual HALH Symposium in November but, in the event, this was not possible. We were particularly sorry to miss the Lionel Munby lecture which was to be given by Dr John Baker on the subject of 'Place-names and the early administrative structure of Hertfordshire'. However, John has promised to keep the date for next year's Spring Meeting.
AGM
Voting papers were posted to members at the end of September 2020. The following resolutions were passed by return of ballot forms by the end of October:
1. To accept the AGM minutes of the 2019 meeting
2. To accept the Annual Report and Accounts
3. To agree the Election of Officers with Helen Hofton as Chairman
4. To agree the election of the Members of the Executive Committee
Election of Officers
(a) President: Dorothy Abel Smith
(b) Vice-Presidents: Kate Thompson, Susan Flood,
Nicholas Maddex, Linda Gilley
(c) Chairman: Helen Hofton
(d) Vice-Chairman: Alan Ruston
(e) Hon. Treasurer: Chris Brimblecombe
(f) Membership Secretary: Mike Smith
(g) Hon. Editors: Ruth Jeavons, Philip Sheail
Members of Executive Committee:
Chris Brimblecombe, John Cox, Linda Gilley, Helen Hofton, Ruth Jeavons, Dr Kris Lockyear, Nicholas Maddex, Anne Rowe, Dr Elaine Saunders, Philip Sheail, Dr Mike Smith, Dr Alan Thomson, Sheila White,
Chris Bennett (HALS), Julie Gregson (HALS)
For now the committee continues working together via email and video meetings.
It is hoped that the next HALH Spring Meeting will take place on Saturday 15 May 2021 at Bramfield. However, if that turns out not to be possible, we will hold the meeting via Zoom with email/postal voting.
Report on the 2019 Spring Meeting
The 2019 Spring Meeting took place on Saturday 18 May at Pirton. This year we marked the legacy of Lionel Munby, who died in 2009 at the age of 90. Lionel was one of a generation of local historians who enjoyed sharing the knowledge and skills gained in their academic life with those interested in exploring and recording the story of their own communities.
After an introduction to Pirton and its history by Helen Hofton, we enjoyed a series of short presentations from some of the societies inspired by Lionel to research and record the history of their own towns and villages. Potters Bar & District Historical Society was an exception - formed after an idea by the local council to mount a local history exhibition.
Mike Neighbour discussed the need to ensure that our community websites and data associated with them are not lost or made obsolete as technology moves on. You can read his presentation here.
Hertfordshire’s landscape historian Anne Rowe gave a presentation about her latest book, published by the University of Hertfordshire Press, 'Tudor and Early Stuart Parks of Hertfordshire'.
Heather's Falvey introduced the newly published 2nd edition of Lionel Munby's 'Population Statistics', published by the Hertfordshire Record Society.
Following the AGM, David Short gave this year's Lionel Munby memorial lecture, ‘The Middling Sorts’ – the people who were mentioned in the overseer’s accounts but who were not ‘the poor'.
A buffet lunch was provided by the HALH committee and members enjoyed a visit to St Mary's church and a short walk led by Helen Hofton.
Place House Hall, Ware - venue for the HALH Spring Meeting in 2017
Mike Quinn [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons