Tape 001. Mrs Dorothy Ireland (nee Goss), sides 1 and 2

Tape 1 Mrs Ireland was born in 1894, and was interviewed on 25 November 1976. when she lived at 12 Chalks Road, Witham. She also appears on tapes 2, 3, 7, 33, 86, 90 and 97. For more information about her, see the the notes in the people category headed Ireland, Mrs Dorothy (Dolly), nee … Continue reading “Tape 001. Mrs Dorothy Ireland (nee Goss), sides 1 and 2”

22. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 1897

“May our Queen be still spared to us for some years to come, and may our town prosper, and good will and good fellowship be fostered among its townsmen, from generation to generation.” This was written by Witham solicitor Frank Postle Bawtree in 1897, at the time of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. I have a … Continue reading “22. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 1897”

11. The Festival of Britain in 1951

In June 1951, sixty years ago, there was a lot of negative talk about Witham’s forthcoming carnival. There were very few entries for the procession and for the competitions, and hardly any decorations were on view. But fortunately everything turned out very well in the end. Two days before the event, the Braintree and Times … Continue reading “11. The Festival of Britain in 1951”

09. The visit of Princess Louise to Witham in 1885

When Princess Louise visited Witham in 1885, it was not a major event on the world stage like the royal wedding of 2011. But in the town itself, it was the most exciting event for many a year. The  Princess, aged 37, was one of the daughters of Queen Victoria. She was a spirited and … Continue reading “09. The visit of Princess Louise to Witham in 1885”

04. Bonfire Night

The displays of Bonfire night were originally a demonstration against the Catholic Guy Fawkes and his “Gunpowder plot” of 1605. This acquired a special meaning in Witham with the visit in 1851 of the newly appointed Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Wiseman. He came to open the new Catholic church (then near the Catholic bridge). On 5th … Continue reading “04. Bonfire Night”