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Meeting dates 2022

Meetings back in the Barn

Friday 21st January, 7:30 pm.  Ann Smith: A Virtual Walk round Historic Shops in Reading

Friday 18th February, 7:30 pm.  Catherine Sampson: A Stroll through Berkshire’s Churchyards

Friday 25th February, 2:30 pm and 7:00 pm (ticketed).  Rain or Shine Theatre Company: Around the World in 80 days

Friday 18th March, 7:30 pm.  AGM followed by a talk from David Downs: Who Killed Arthur Oliver

Friday 22nd April, 7:30 pm.  Rob Wallace: The Thames Before Time

Thursday and Friday 2nd & 3rd June.  Exhibition of Purley on Thames during the Queen’s Reign, at the Barn

Friday 3rd June, timing TBC (ticketed).  Afternoon Tea and Vintage Fashion Show

Saturday 16th July, 7:30 pm (ticketed).  Rain or Shine Theatre Company: The Recruiting Officer

Friday 16th September, 7:30 pm.  Catherine Sampson: Royal Weddings

Friday 21st October, 7:30 pm.  Katie Amos: The History of Yeomanry House

Friday 18th November, 7:30 pm.  Jo Alexander-Jones: More than Biscuits, Beer and Bulbs: Reading’s other industries

Friday 2nd December, 7:00 pm (ticketed).  Rain or Shine Theatre Company: Sherlock Holmes and the Music Hall Mystery

Friday 16th December, 7:30 pm.  Christmas Party in the Barn.  Hot buffet and Christmas Quiz  🎄

Rain or Shine February 2022: Around the World in 80 Days

The Rain or Shine performance has been postponed from December to February, due to continuing restrictions in numbers in the Barn.

25th February 2022:  Around the World in 80 Days

There will be two performances: a matinee at 14:30 and an evening performance at 19:00.

Tickets are available direct from the  Rain or Shine website, or their box office line 0330 660 0541.

It’s 1872

The Nightingale has struck again!  The famous art thief has stolen three paintings from museums around London and is now attempting to flee the country for the safety of foreign soil.

At the same time, Phileas Fogg and his new valet Passepartout are attempting to go Around the World in 80 Days in order to win a bet of £20,000.

But is that just a cover story to hide the dastardly escape of The Nightingale?  That’s what Scotland Yard’s finest detective, Chief Inspector Fix, believes and he will stop at nothing to capture our heroes.

Join Rain or Shine Theatre Company for a knock-about adventure full of mishaps, tomfoolery, British stiff upper lip, curious camels and lashings of comedy!

Suitable for audiences from age 6 to 106

Extra meeting (on Zoom) July 17th 2020: Rob Wallace, Chalk Caverns and Commandos

There will be an extra meeting on Friday July 17th, as very few of us are going anywhere at the moment.

The meeting will be on Zoom again.  The Zoom session will open at 2:30 pm, and the meeting will start at 3:00 pm.  Please let Catherine know (chairman@project-purley.net) if you want to join the meeting, and she will send out an email with the link to those who have registered an interest.

Rob Wallace will give a talk on Chalk Caverns and Commandos – Reading underground.

Rain or Shine July 2021: She Stoops to Conquer

Rain or Shine Theatre Company  restarted performances for Summer 2021 with ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ on 23rd July 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the first big event in the Barn, but with the audience limited to 50, and the bar service table only.  It took some organising!

A few images from the event:

 

The performance was as good as always.

 

 

 

But setup was a bit of a headache!

 

 

Previous meetings

2020

18th December 2020, 7:30 pm  Murder Mystery Play ‘Family Fortunes’ by Shinfield Players.  This replaced the quiz previously advertised, which will be rescheduled to 2021.  Details

20th November 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Ben Viljoen: Purley Hall and the history of its landscape (on Zoom)

16th October 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Richard Marks: Bomber’s Moon (on Zoom)

18th September 2020, 3:00 pm  AGM, followed by talk by Catherine Sampson: Royal Women  (on Zoom)

17th July 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Rob Wallace: Chalk Caverns and Commandos (on Zoom)

19th June 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Mike Cooper: History of Tilehurst (on Zoom)

22nd May 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Debbie Kennett: DNA for Beginners (on Zoom)

17th April 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Catherine Sampson: Purley in Colourised Images  (on Zoom)

21st February 2020, 8:00 pm in the Barn   Talk by David Downs:  Do you know why you’re here?

17th January 2020, 8:00 pm in the Barn   Talk by Bill King:  Dad’s Underground Army

 

2019

13th December 2019, 7:30 pm
Christmas Party at the Barn

29th November 2019, 7:30 pm
Rain or Shine Theatre Company: Wind in the Willows

15th November 2019
Mike Cooper: Queues, U-Boats and useless mouths: Food in WW2

18th October 2019
Talk: John Leighfield CBE: Putting Berkshire on the map: From Gough to Google

20th September 2019
Talk: Clive Williams OBE: The Nabobs of Berkshire and their houses

21st June 2019
Barbeque

7th June 2019
Rain or Shine Theatre Company: As You Like It

12th April 2019
Dr David Peacock: Place names of West Berkshire

15th March 2019: AGM and Talk
7:30 pm: AGM
8:00 pm, Corry Starling: Mapledurham Mill

15th February 2019
Debbie Kennett: DNA testing for beginners

18th January 2019
Joy Pibworth: Jane Austen and the Thames Valley Austens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting dates 2021

Meetings back in the Barn from November 2021.  If we have to go back to Zoom, members who wish to attend should contact Catherine Sampson (chairman@project-purley.net).  A link and password to the meeting will be sent out in advance.

Friday 22nd January, 4:00 pm.   Dan Allen: The Battle of Maiwand.  Note earlier time than usual.  (On Zoom, session opens 3:30 pm)

Friday 19th February, 3:00 pm.  Dr John Evans: Caversham Court and its History.  (On Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

Friday 19th March, 3:00 pm.  Christine Wootton: It started with a letter from Colditz.  (On Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

Friday 16th April, 7:30 pm.  Simon Wenham: More than 3 men in a boat – the rise and fall of pleasure boating on the Thames.  (On Zoom, session opens 7:00 pm)

Friday 14th May (2nd Friday), 7:30 pm.  Bill King: The home front in World War Two. (On Zoom, session opens 7:00 pm)

Friday 11th June, 7:30 pm.  AGM, followed by a talk by Dan Allen: Women in the Victorian Army at 8:00 pm.  (On Zoom, session opens 7:00 pm)

Friday 23rd July, 7:30 pm.  Rain or Shine Theatre Company: She Stoops to Conquer.  In the Barn, tickets from Rain or Shine website or 0330 660 0541

Friday 17th September, 8:00 pm.  Joy Pibworth:  Reading in the time of Jane Austen’s school days. 

Friday 22nd October, 8:00 pm.  West Berkshire Museum Collections 

Friday 19th November, 7:30 pm.  David Downs: History of Reading Football Club (In the Barn!)

Friday 17th December, 7:30 pm.  Project Purley Christmas Party.   This year the usual bring-a-dish buffet is bring replaced with a curry night, with a choice of curries, naan bread, vegetable dishes and rice, with desserts or mince pies to follow. Members should still bring their own plates, cutlery, glasses and drinks.

Postponed until February 2022. Rain or Shine Theatre Company: Around the World in 80 days

Murder Mystery Play 18th December 2020 7:30 pm

On Friday December 18th at 7.30pm we are delighted to invite you to a Murder Mystery Play which will take place on Zoom.   This replaces the previously announced quiz, which will now be rescheduled for next year.

In a special performance, just for Project Purley’s members, Shinfield Players will perform “Family Fortunes”.  Guests are welcome if they will be on the same computer device.

The evening will last for approximately an hour and a half and will include a short break.  Obviously there will be a murder and after the crime has been discovered and you have had a chance to ponder the clues, everyone will have the opportunity to direct a question to the cast and to then, finally, to guess the name of the murderer.  I am sure there will be an opportunity for an informal natter before and afterwards.

Shinfield Players are kindly giving their services for free and instead, we will be making a donation from funds, via them, of £100 to Blood Bikes, Shinfield Players’ chosen charity of the year.  Blood Bikes are a volunteer-run charity who support the NHS by getting blood to the place where it is needed.  They have been going for over 50 years and the money I believe will go to the local Berkshire group.  Since Covid-19 reared its head, blood bikes have been in more demand than ever, but at the same time overnight their traditional fundraising avenues all but dried up – so they are a very worthy cause.

Please do come along with a festive drink and nibbles, if you would like to.

Meeting dates 2020

Meetings on Zoom:  Members who wish to attend should contact Catherine Sampson (chairman@project-purley.net).  A link and password to the meeting will be sent out in advance.

17th January 2020, 8:00 pm in the Barn   Talk by Bill King:  Dad’s Underground Army

21st February 2020, 8:00 pm in the Barn   Talk by David Downs:  Do you know why you’re here?

20th March 2020  AGM and meeting  AGM postponed, meeting cancelled due to coronavirus

17th April 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Catherine Sampson: Purley in Colourised Images  (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

22nd May 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Debbie Kennett: DNA for Beginners (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

19th June 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Mike Cooper: History of Tilehurst (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

17th July 2020, 3:00 pm  Talk by Rob Wallace: Chalk Caverns and Commandos (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

August:  Summer break

18th September, 3:00 pm  AGM, followed by talk by Catherine Sampson: Royal Women  (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

16th October, 3:00 pm  Talk by Richard Marks: Bomber’s Moon (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

20th November, 3:00 pm  Talk by Ben Viljoen: Purley Hall and the history of its landscape (on Zoom, session opens 2:30 pm)

18th December, 7:30 pm  Murder Mystery Play ‘Family Fortunes’ by Shinfield Players.  This replaces the quiz previously advertised, which will now be rescheduled to next year.  Details

Meeting dates 2019

The meeting dates for 2019 are:-

18th January
Talk: Joy Pibworth: Jane Austen and the Thames Valley Austens

15th February
Talk: Debbie Kennett: DNA testing for beginners

15th March:  AGM and Talk
AGM: 7:30 pm
Talk: 8:00 pm, Corry Starling: Mapledurham Mill

12th April
Talk: Dr David Peacock: Place names of West Berkshire

7th June
Theatre: Rain or Shine Theatre Company: As You Like It

21st June
Social: Barbeque

20th September
Talk: Clive Williams OBE: The Nabobs of Berkshire and their houses

18th October
Talk: John Leighfield CBE: Putting Berkshire on the map: From Gough to Google

15th November
Talk: Mike Cooper: Queues, U-Boats and useless mouths: Food in WW2

29th November, starts 7:30 pm
Theatre: Rain or Shine Theatre Company: Wind in the Willows

13th December, starts 7:30 pm
Christmas Party at the Barn