Meetings 2017
Hoole History & Heritage Society Meetings - 2017
Tuesday January 17th
'The Ermine Hotel' - Speaker Ralph Earlam
Details of its landlords since 1636.
Wednesday February 22nd
'Hoole Allotments' -Speaker Linda Webb
It is 100 years since the Hoole Allotments behind Canadian Avenue were opened. The Society would be glad to see photographs of prize specimens, certificates and cups for the best kept allotment, newspaper cuttings listing prize winners at the Annual Shows, and even photographs of grandfather (and grandmother) working on their plot.
Thursday March 23rd
'Hoole Bank House' - Speakers Caroline Hamilton and Dave Rees
2017 is the Centenary Year of the founding of the Hammond School and the Society is working with the School on the history of Hoole Bank House whose records go back over 230 years, and which has had many interesting occupiers and uses. Hoole Bank House, now the Hammond School, was an Auxiliary Hospital during World War I. It has also been a national Respite Home for the Blind (St Dunstans), an outpost of Western Command in World War 2, and a YMCA.
Tuesday April 25th
'A Game of Two Halves - Football in Hoole' - Speaker John Evans
Local boy John Evans will recount his experiences of playing for Chester Football Club in the 1960’s and share his knowledge of some of the interesting properties in the area.
Wednesday May 24th
'Thomas Brassey, 1805 to 1870' - Speaker Doug Haynes
Known locally for the construction of Chester General Railway Station in 1848, Thomas Brassey was by then credited with the building of a third of the railways in Britain and by the time of his death, one in every 20 miles of railway in the world. He was born in Buerton, near Tattenhall and went to the King’s School. Douglas Haynes O.B.E. has researched the details of his life.
Thursday June 22nd
'By Canal and by Rail - a walking tour' - Guide Phil Cook
Join Phil Cook in Boughton to walk along Hoole Lane and hear about canals that were never built, how railways affected that part of Chester around Westminster Road Bridge and about the interesting buildings which appeared in Boughton in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Tuesday July 18th
'Hoole & Newton Conservation Area' - Speaker Linda Webb
An examination of Hoole & Newton’s current conservation areas with the opportunity to consider whether other areas of the district should be put forward for similar status.
2017 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Civic Amenities Act 1967, when Chester was already at the forefront of national developments in Conservation. Today, Hoole contains Hoole Road Conservation Area and part of the Chester City (City Road/Brook Street) Conservation Area.
Since 2011, Councils have been required to identify eligible buildings, features and structures considered to have local historical importance to the area, but which are not officially listed.
Members will begin the interesting task of finding out what heritage assets people think are important to preserve the character and heritage of the local area, not necessarily within the existing boundary of a Conservation area. They must be of special local value and need not necessarily be buildings - they can be structures or features, like a road sign or a local park.
Wednesday September 20th
'History of Dee House' - Speaker Tom Walsh
Its situation on the site of the Roman Amphitheatre often takes away from the story of Dee House. But detailed research by Tom Walsh reveals an intriguing story of identity and ownership of an iconic Chester building.
Thursday October 19th
'The Co-operative movement in Hoole' - Speaker Bob Thompson
Tuesday November 21st
'Hoole's WW1 Hospitals' - Speaker Dave Rees
We will be looking at the three hospitals in operation in Hoole during the First World War, Hoole Bank House, Hoole House and Chester War Hospital (otherwise the Workhouse/City Hospital), staff who worked there, stories of families connected to the buildings during the War and other individuals with a Hoole connection who supported the medical services during the War.
Tuesday December 12th
Annual General Meeting