Next meeting
11 February, St Mary’s Church Hall, 7.30pm.
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal: a talk by Tony Conder.
In 2027 it will be the bicentenary of the opening of Gloucester Docks and the Gloucester-Sharpness ship canal. Tony Conder will tell us the story of the canal and its people over its working life and into the modern age.
For 25 years Tony Conder was curator of the British Waterways Collection and collected objects from all over the canal system. In 1988 he opened the National Waterways Museum at Gloucester and in 1999 became curator to the Waterways Trust, taking the collection to national designated status. He is author of several books on the canal system. Now retired, he researches and gives talks to groups and societies and is part of the team preparing to celebrate the canal’s bicentenary.
Meetings 2024-25 season
Meetings are held at St Mary’s Church Hall, Eastbury Road, Thornbury. They begin at 7.30pm and last about 90 minutes, usually with a break for free refreshments (tea/coffee and biscuits).
Forthcoming meetings in the season:
11 March 2025
Coal Mining in the Bristol Area
Steve Grudgings
8 April 2025
Utilities in Thornbury
Meg Wise
13 May 2025
Cider Making in Gloucestershire
Andy Meller
Meeting reports
We have for decades prepared summaries of our talks, which have appeared in the Thornbury Magazine and elsewhere, and which collectively make up an informative and often witty record.
Those for the 2020 to 2025 seasons are now online. See the index here: 
More than 80 reports of older meetings may be found on our page on myThornbury:
We now have a new Facebook page. We aim to make it an entertaining and informative addition to our activities with a wide range of content. Visit, enjoy, comment, like, follow and return often!
Committee
These are the current committee members:
| Chair: | Gill Cox | |
| Secretary: | Ann Moore | |
| Treasurer: | John Brimacombe | |
| Members: | Viv Burney, Stan Morrissey. |
Your help needed
Because of recent retirements from the committee, we need more members to ensure that the monthly talks run smoothly.
If you would like to help, please tell the committee via our contact form or speak to one of us at the next meeting so we can tell you more about what we do.
We’re a friendly bunch, and more hands make light work!
Annual subscriptions
The membership subscription for the 2024-25 season is £12.00 or you can come as a visitor for a single meeting by paying £3.00 cash at the door.
To join and pay your subscription by bank transfer, contact our treasurer through the online contact form: . Or you can pay in cash at a meeting.
Our own history
We were created just after the Seond World War under the name of the Society of Thornbury Folk. Nearly 80 years and three changes of name later we’re still here. Read about our history:
Links
Follow us on Facebook
See our page on MyThornbury
Some other sites you may find interesting:
Thornbury and District Museum
Thornbury Roots
Avon Local History and Archaeology
Gloucestershire Local History Association
British Association of Local History
Keep in touch
If you have any questions regarding the Society or want to become more involved, then please do not hesitate to send us a message through our online contact form: