Bill Curtis has now published four books on Westerham’s social and commercial history of
the nineteenth and early twentieth Centuries. In this Talk he gives us some insight
into how you might tell stories spanning that period of history. What references exist
today? There are minute books from various Societies and Institutions of the time
and we can glean snippets of news from our local hero of the day Charles Hooker,
who with great wisdom, produced his ‘Almanack’ from 1864 to 1951 and started the
‘Westerham Herald’ newspaper in 1882.
It’s a case of bringing together partially-told stories from a community that lived and
breathed the untold histories that have often been lost in the passage of time, or
were never actually committed to written word in a completed form.
There are hints and clues that must be spotted and absorbed and pieced together,
and with careful amalgamation of these elements, the story will often unfold to give
a concise picture of Westerham life during that period.
The reality is there is no-one alive to ask…
The Talk will commence at 8pm.