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ALHA is the umbrella group for local history and archaeology societies in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

We help member societies by compiling an annual list of recommended speakers, and by publicising societies’ activities through our newsletter and website. We organise a local history study day each year, and our AGM is accompanied by a lecture with a distinguished speaker.

Each year we publish 3-4 compact but authoritative books on aspects of Avon local history, and each summer we organise a series of walks.

We have strong links with the Regional History Centre at the University of the West of England, and with the libraries, archives, museums and other organisations in our area.

We offer both Society and individual membership, and further details can be found here..

Click on About Us for how to contact ALHA

Click on Publications for information about our publishing programme, and how you can contribute to the written history of our area.

Click on Events for details of the meetings, walks and other activities organised by our member societies.

Click on Groups for links to our member societies, and details of what they do and how you can contact them.

Click on Archive for back copies of ALHA publications “Quest” and “Avon Past”.

News and Forthcoming Events

End of September Newsletter now available

The end of September Newsletter is now available, and can be downloaded here.

Previous Newsletters, and monthly updates, are all available for download in the Archive section of the website.

Diary of Events

The ALHA Diary of Events now appears in a different format. The three website pages showing the diary by date, society and speaker have been replaced by three downloadable pdf files. The files can be easily downloaded and printed, but unfortunately no longer include a clickable hyperlink to the website of the organising society. The three new files are:

Events arranged by date

Events arranged by name of society

Events arranged by name of speaker

Click on the file you want.

If your group is a member of ALHA and you would like to see events listed, please send them to the webmaster.

Three New Books Published by ALHA

Each title costs £3.50 (plus 65p for p & p). Click for an order form. You can also order and pay online from GENfair.

The Butlers and the Coal-Tar Distillery at

Crew’s Hole

by Brian Vincent and Raymond Holland

The Crew’s Hole coal-tar distillery was set up by Brunel in 1843 with young William Butler as manager. It became a family firm and remained so to 1970, while the Butlers became an important Bristol family. Here is their story.

Brian Vincent, PhD, Dsc, FRSC is emeritus professor and senior research fellow in chemistry at the University of Bristol. To date he has published more than 300 original research papers, review articles and books including ALHA titles (no.18) The Herapaths of Bristol and (no.21) Chemistry in Bristol into the Early Twentieth Century.

Raymond Holland, B.Sc., Vincent’s long-time colleague, was himself chief chemist and later production manager and deputy works manager at the Butler firm. Sadly, Raymond died in January 2018; this book is dedicated to his memory.

ALHA No.29

The Surgeons and the Bristol

School of Artists, by Michael Whitfield

The cover pictures show portraits of John King as Surgeon with a skull, and as artist with sketch pad and brush. For he, like several other surgeons, was also a prolific artist, one of what has been called the Bristol School as it flourished in the period 1800 – 1840. Here Michael Whitfield (author of many other ALHA booklets) tells their story.

This book is shorter than our usual volumes, but it contains a dozen fine re-productions of the work discussed, on paper which does justice to their quality. So we believe that it is still very good value for money, even at the full price.

ALHA No 28

Taking the pledge: the Temperance

Movement in Bristol, 1830 – 1914,

by Alan Clarke

This picture of the Bedminster Temperance Hall and Free Library, built in 1853, well brings out the strong religious tone and affiliations of the temperance movement in Bristol.

Here Alan Clarke gives a fully documented account of the movement and the opposition to it – not only from the drinks industry. Although never quite achieving its aims, at the level of individual conviction or of national legislation, it spread temperance hotels and coffee houses all over the townscape – and remnants are still to be seen today.

ALHA No 30

Out of Print ALHA Publications

Because our print runs are short, ALHA publications can become unavailable quite quickly. Some of our publications are already out of print, while stocks of others are very limited. Others which were formerly unavailable have recently been reprinted. If you wish to order copies, please bear this in mind. Full details of availability can be seen on our Publications page and on the order form.

Getting About - 2019 Local History Day

If you were unable to get to the Local History Day, were unable to hear or see some of the talks, or just want to refresh your memory, the text of four of the five talks can be downloaded here.

UWE and “M” Shed - Autumn Seminar Programme

The next seminar in the 2019 will be on Wednesday 9 October when the speaker will be Stephen Darrow Stacey. Steve Stacey rose from kicking a ball in the gas-lit streets of post-war Bristol to running out in the top flight of league football. Often the only black face in the team, he was the first African-American to grace the professional English game. Steve attended Fairfield Grammar School and although his first love was Bristol Rovers, it was Bristol City scouts who spotted him playing for the likes of Highridge United and Sneyd Park.

After a career in the English and Australian leagues, Steve set about searching for his roots. The journey took him to Kemper County (Mississippi) and to the discovery that his descendants came from the Balanta and Fula peoples of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa.

This special Regional History Centre event is for Black Histiory Month. Steve will answer questions put to him by current students from his old school. The Seminar starts at 6 p.m.

The November seminar will be on Thursday 21 November when the speaker will be Louise Rutland-Epton. Her title is “By Pity and By Terror? - A contrary view of workhouses”. Details of the series of seminars can be found here.

The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society

“The origins of Britain's wine supply in the early Roman period” is the title of the talk which will be given at the next BGAS meeting by Dr Graham Barton. The talk is at 7.45 on Monday 28 October at the Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral. Detals of the future BGAS programme can be found at www.bgas.org.uk.

Recent Work in Welsh Landscape History

A one-day conference organised by the Cambrian Archaeological Association and the Society for Landscape Studies will be held at the University of Cardiff (note change of venue) on Saturday 19 October. Click for further details and a booking form.

Coach Trips with Bristol & Avon Family Histiory Society

On Thursday 26 March, there will be a coach to Kew for The National Archives and/or Kew Gardens. On Thursday 21 May, there will be a coach trip to Leicester to visit three Richard III sites. Each trip will cost £20. Further details are available here.

Searchlights over South Gloucestershire

‘Searchlights Over South Gloucestershire’ is a Twitter story created by Adrian Harris, Brassworks Theatre and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It is a dramatic interpretation of real-life experiences gathered from oral histories, letters and diaries of people living in the area and during the Second World War and retold on twitter. It can be found on Twitter at @searchlights_sg and on the website at www.brassworkstheatre.com/searchlights_sg

If you use Twitter, please follow the story and share and spread the word amongst friends and colleagues. Also, have a look at the web site.

Grants

ALHA offers grants to assist local history research, publications, events, conservation and other projects which accord with its charitable objectives. The Committee has wide discretion over the kind of work to be assisted and the terms of the assistance. Recent grants include one to support the publication of volumes of the Victoria County History to cover parts of Gloucestershire.

Details of the conditions and how to apply can be had from the Treasurer.

What’s On at Bristol Museums & Archives

Click for details of the exhibitions, tours, walks and other activities taking place in Bristol in future weeks and months.

Heritage events in Bath

Click for details of the exhibitions, tours, and talks taking place in Bath.

The ALHA Summer Walk at Thornbury, August 2019

Follow ALHA on Facebook

Photos

The photo of Chipping Sodbury market was found on the Facebook page entitled Chipping Sodbury Photographs. The photo of Stanton Drew Stone Circle is by Michael Day and is taken from flickr. The photo of the Netham Lock in Bristol was taken by the webmaster. Click on each photo to see a full-screen image.

The photo of the summer walk is by Jan Packer.

Avon Local History and Archaeology is a Registered Charity. No. 270930

This website was last updated on Sunday, October 6, 2019. If you spot any errors or omissions, please advise the webmaster.