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The Badsey Society organize indoor and outdoor
events and exhibitions throughout the year.
Archaeological Field Walk
Outdoor events have
proved popular with members. One such event was when the South Worcestershire Archaeological Group (SWAG) along with the Badsey Society organized a field walk
on Martin Dore's ground at Upper Badsey. A group of around 20 enthusiasts took part on a sunny spring day on April 12th 2003.
The land was marked out in 20 metre squares, each individual square being allocated to a walker. The walker would then walk up and down the square collecting bits of pottery, coins, flint, etc.. These are known as 'finds' and would be put in a plastic bag which had been supplied to each walker by the field coordinator. Once the square had been completed the walker would hand-in the filled 'finds' plastic bag to the field coordinator. The walker would then be allocated a new square, and the process repeated.
As well as the field walkers there was also a metal detector. He would move around the field detecting objects buried beneath the surface of the soil. Also present was a 'diviner', his job was to find by the use of a hazel twig features which were not apparent to the eye, but below ground level. Usually these are water associated, filled in ditches, previous water-courses, etc.
The day produced a couple of Roman coins and a lot of British Romano pottery.
Book Launch
On Saturday 25th September 2004 the Society's second
publication was launched at Badsey First School. Around 200 ex-pupils and
guests attended. The book, Heads and Tales by Maureen Spinks, tells the
story of 150 years of education in Badsey. Now you can download an
illustrated pdf file (600k) of the Book Launch
Ceremony.
READERS’ COMMENTS ABOUT “HEADS AND TALES: A HISTORY OF BADSEY SCHOOLS”
From Valerie Harman, September 2004 (former School Manager 1976-1981 and parent of former pupil)
Congratulations on the launch of your very interesting and informative book on Badsey School and although I didn't attend Badsey School I am finding it compulsive reading. It seems almost unbelievable that the majority of the children in this country did not receive a formal education until the 1800s and no legal compulsion until 1870.
Dad thoroughly enjoyed the evening and will give him something to talk about for weeks to come. Quite a few people came and chatted to him, and I think he quite enjoyed the attention. Jim Brailsford's niece spoke to him and is hopeful that they can meet next Monday. I am sure there will be much talk about times past.
From Barry Moss, September 2004 (descendant of the first-known Badsey school teacher)
I would just like to say how much Linda and I enjoyed the presentation of your book launch on Saturday evening. I am also very much looking forward to reading “Heads and Tales” from cover to cover after dipping into it repeatedly since collecting it.
From Margaret Amos, October 2004 (former pupil 1930-1932 and daughter of former Headteacher)
I felt I must write to congratulate you on your wonderful achievement on the book on Badsey schools. I was really impressed by the tremendous research and by so many accurate details included in the book. So often in books of this type there is the odd but completely understandable inaccuracy that mars the total effect, but there is nothing like that here, at least in all that I have so far read. I am very pleased with the photos of my father and mother, which are exactly like them and will, I am sure, be much acclaimed by many former members of Badsey School.
It was nice, too, to read what you said about Mr Binyon, for as well as the respect and admiration we all felt for him, he was such a close friend of my father. He was at our house a lot, and I have many books (literature classics of course!) given for Christmas or my birthday, and inscribed with his small neat writing. Badsey was indeed lucky to have such a man.
From Pat Goldstraw (née Barnard), October 2004 (former pupil 1936-1943, former teacher 1952-1956)
I so admire the tremendous patience and hard work you have put in to writing “Heads and Tales”. As a village we should be deeply grateful for the lovely book which has recorded our school’s history.
From Lorna Howarth (née Bayliss), October 2004 (former pupil 1930-1936)
Just a wee line of congratulations on “Heads and Tales”. It is an excellent account of Badsey School’s more recent history. I recognise it as a “labour of love” and I imagine you must be feeling bereft – yet relieved – that it has finally been published and has received such a warm and positive response.
I enjoyed the launch evening very much. I was particularly excited to be able to tour round the school and to see such creative and imaginative work on display. The school is obviously maintaining the high standards which we of the older generation always associated with it.
From Joan Mason, October 2004 (wife of John Mason, the grandson of Mrs Elizabeth Mason, former Infant School Headteacher)
“Heads and Tales” arrived safely on Thursday. I have only skimmed through and then actually started reading yesterday. What a fantastically good job you have done – small wonder the research took so long. Plus the actual production is so good. It must be rare in these times to have generations of families who have attended/are connected with the school.
I was surprised that there were no photographs to be found by our family of John’s grandmother, Elizabeth (Bess) Mason. I thought John’s nephews might have had some for their mother but apparently not. I was very fond of “Granny Mason”, although I only met her when she was quite old – but even then she was interested in people and events. She had a Boots’ “A” subscription – I imagine you are too young to remember these. It meant she could have first call on new books; she also always knew what plays had opened.
I feel sure many many people are going to appreciate your book and you must feel well satisfied with a job well done – and possibly a sense of loss now it is finished and produced.
From John Jenkinson, October 2004 (owner of The Evesham Hotel; he opened the school summer fete as “Dennis the Menace”)
Received on a “Dennis the Menace” notelet addressed to Maureen Spinks, c/o Beryl the Peril, aka Liz Spencer.
Thanks for my inclusion in your Badsey School book. I was totally taken aback when one of the staff (former pupil) advised me! Talk about up to date! Out of curiosity, I looked in the index to see if any Jenkinsons had been pupils – no, but you’ve included me in the index as well! Thanks and menacing best wishes.
And in response to the author’s reply explaining more about his inclusion in the index:
Thanks for background - I'm just amazed you didn't index Gnasher!!
From Jean James, October 2004 (former teacher 1967-2001)
Many thanks for book. Congratulations! You did so much meticulous research, and yet it is very readable. From my point of view it also gives a good "feel" of the school.
From Brian Wells, October 2004 (former pupil 1947-1953)
Belated thanks for tip-off re book on Badsey School. Have bought copy from Spar shop and enjoyed it - brought back many memories as well as some family history I wasn't aware of. For example the fact that my aunt Edie Greening also won a scholarship to PHGS but decided not to take it up - or perhaps this was decided for her because of the family's economic situation. To add a little you may not be aware of; my mum Ivy Greening left her teaching post not long after it started, I think she couldn't keep order in the classroom and came near to a nervous breakdown. Anyway she left and became a secretary at the LBG for about 20 years before marrying John (Jack) Wells on 12 April 1941 after a 10-year engagement (!) and moving to the Wells family home at 13 Station Road, South Littleton. I arrived a year and a day later. By the way I'm still in touch with Mick Stephens (who also has a copy of your book) - some of us who started at PHGS in September 1953 still meet monthly on first Tuesdays at the Oddfellows in Evesham.
From Meryl Pratt, October 2004 (mother of former pupils)
Thank you for a wonderful talk at the launch. You’re so clear and speak so measured it’s easy to absorb the information. I learnt so much about the history of the school. Your son Jonathan was very polite and knowledgeable – a credit to you both. I had a wonderful evening, chatted to many people and made new friends. The school is like Aladdin’s Cave! I met the painter of the picture which was really nice to hear about how he planned it and told me his experiences. So hope you know, I’m sure you do, that those hours and hours of research were well worthwhile. Congratulations on a job very well done – pleasure to hundreds.
From Diana Southern (née Daffurn), November 2004 (former pupil 1938-1944)
I have recently bought your book "Heads and Tales" and must congratulate you on your wonderful work. The book is so very interesting. I was especially "chuffed" in finding my husband's name and also my own on the Honour Board. We had no idea this Board existed. Dave's mother, Ruth M. Cox (1918) also was awarded a free place to PHGS but was unable to accept as the previous year her father had met with a fatal accident and she also lost a brother the same week. Her mother was left with eleven children! By the way, the missing name for 1944 Head Girl was Pamela Harvey, daughter of Mr Maurice Harvey, Headteacher.
From Peggy Hancock, November 2004 (wife of former pupil Geoffrey Hancock 1934-1940)
Thank you very much indeed for my copy of your book, which was delivered through my letterbox (on my birthday!). It really is a wonderful book, and congratulations to you on getting it all together, it is so interesting, and I know you have put in a lot of hard work. I was also thrilled to note that our photo of about 1890 with Elizabeth Harris was the oldest photograph you have of Badsey schoolchildren. I only wish I could identify more of them.
From Susan Eckles, November 2004 (former pupil 1945-1946)
Thank you for the three copies of “Heads and Tales”. I am absolutely delighted to read about the school that I began attending on my fifth birthday (11.6.45). I knew that my sister Helen was mentioned in it and that my aunt and godmother, Hilary Crane, would have her letter featured (written when she was nine years), but what was so wonderfully surprising was to find a photograph of my mother, Vera Crane, at school with her two sisters, Zillah and Zena. Our mother died last year and this June past we sprinkled her ashes on our grandparents’ grave in Badsey churchyard (George and Amelia Crane). The photography on page 79 is the only photograph we have of our mother as a child. You can imagine how emotional I felt when I discovered it in your wonderful book. Therefore, all seven of us Eckles would love a copy of course. Please will you send me four more copies. Thank you so much. I am so enjoying this book and can’t tell you how grateful I feel.
From Betty Styles (née Wasley), November 2004 (former pupil 1921-1929)
I am very interested about your book of Badsey School. I was born in The Old House in Aldington in 1915 and of course went to Badsey School when Mr Amos was Headmaster, a very strict man. I married John Styles of Wickhamford, but he died of wounds at Alamein in 1942. I went back to live with my parents until they both died at the age of 90. I then sold The Old House and moved to Cheltenham. My brother was stationed in Maldon during the war and married a local girl. When she died, he sold his house and moved to a new block of retirement flats. When I came to visit him, I decided to buy the flat next door to him. He died three years ago but at 87 I felt I could not move any more and so I am still living in Maldon now at the age of 89. I know I will enjoy your book on Badsey School and look forward to reading it.
From Julien Kramer, November 2004 (Director of Educational Services, Worcestershire County Council)
“Heads and Tales” is immensely thorough and it is good to see not only effective research in practice but also a very robust attempt at developing and publishing the collective memory of the life of the school. With regard to the pictures, I am obviously delighted to find a small place in the book. I notice as well on page 143 that we have another interesting though mercifully former colleague being celebrated!
From Anne Frost, November 2004 (granddaughter of Christabel Byrd, former pupil 1906-1914)
Thanks so much for the Badsey books which arrived today. They're lovely, and I know that Mum will enjoy them. I'm not sure if she would be able to recognize Christabel from the school photos, but it will keep her occupied for a while attempting to!
From Brian Jennings in Zimbabwe, November 2004 (former pupil 1938-1944)
Today I collected your book on Badsey School from the post office. Thank you so much and congratulations on the work you put into it.
From Pamela Tymms (née Harvey), January 2005 (former pupil 1940-1944 and daughter of former Headteacher)
I’ve just been browsing through “Heads and Tales” which I borrowed from my brother, Richard Harvey. The book brought back many happy memories of my own schooldays there which I’d quite forgotten. My father, too, would be delighted that such a well-researched and enjoyable account of the school’s history had been written. He was very proud of “his” school and its achievements. I was the Head Girl to Brian Jennings, Head Boy in 1943-44. I’ve quite forgotten what our duties were!
Badsey, of course, was a much smaller and quieter village in the 40s than it is today, when most of the orchards and market gardens we roamed in are built upon. I remember Norah Smith seeing us across the end of School Lane – there was little or no traffic except for bicycles. We would linger by Dick Caswell’s forge to watch him shoeing horses, or watch the men crush applies in the cider mill which stood on the site of Wheatley’s garage in the High Street. Those of us who lived at the Pike or along the Bretforton Road would often play by the brook at Aldington. In the cold winters of the early 40s, the brook and pond froze over and both adults and children would skate. PC Haines, the local bobby, who lived at the Police house at the corner of School Lane cycled regularly round the village and kept an eye on the children as did many of the residents – so I don’t think we ran wild. Everybody knew who you were – even our dog was known as “Rag Harvey”!
I remember Mrs Howells very well. She lived in a cottage in Norton, near Pershore. Very few of us today would put up with her journey to work. She cycled to Pershore Station, took the train to Littleton and Badsey, then cycled on an ancient “sit up and beg” bicycle to the school, doing the reverse to get home. She sometimes had tea with us on a summer evening when we lived at Claybrook and my father taught at Blackminster School.
I don’t know whether you book mentions the County Library. During the war when Mr Amos was Headmaster, he asked my mother if she would act as a voluntary librarian on Thursday afternoons after school from about half past three to five. The County Library sent several large, heavy boxes of books for people to borrow. The boxes were changed every few months. This was a free service much enjoyed by people in the village, who otherwise had to pay to borrow books from Evesham public library; you had to live in Evesham to get books free or pay a subscription at Boots Library. Also there were few buses, often unreliable. I’m not sure how long the County provided this service but I’m pretty certain my mother still ran the library when my father first became headmaster in the ‘50s.
I also remember when my father first became Head, the garden between the main School building and the railings on School Lane was a shrubbery, many of the shrubs reaching to the classroom windows. An HMI suggested that the school should encourage the children to take an interest in gardening. My father was sceptical, given that most of the parents were market gardeners, but the shrubbery was cleared and laid out to lawn and flower-beds with tubs of spring bulbs planted by the children. I notice now there is an easy maintenance garden, more in the Japanese style!
From Alex Withnall, January 2005 (daughter of Margaret Moisey, former pupil 1919-1929)
Just to say thank you for letting me know about your book. We took my mother for lunch at the Wheatsheaf for her 90th birthday and also bought the book for her. She was absolutely thrilled to see a picture of herself in one of the school photos and one of her six sisters appeared in another plus several mentions of Nesta Moisey, a cousin. She has an amazingly clear memory of some of the teachers from the 1920s mentioned. Apparently, Mr Amos was very handy with the cane!
From Margaret Stanton, January 2005 (former pupil 1933-1938)
I have just been reading “Heads and Tales” and realise what an immense task it must have been to compile all these records. For your information, I thought you might like to know that the Head Girl 1935-36 was Mollie Collett and 1937-38 was myself. At that time, apart from collecting pupil attendance numbers, we also had to ring the handbell to indicate change of lesson, playtime, etc. I can well remember how, for some unknown reason, there were times when I couldn’t get the clapper to go the way I wanted, ending in a very jumbled clang! I was also responsible for filling in the room temperature on a wall chart twice a day.
I used to cycle from Hampton and if I was very wet on arrival, was allowed to sit in the boiler room to dry off. I am one of the netball group on page 90.
From J P Bayliss, January 2005 (son of Philip Bayliss, former pupil 1911-1918)
I saw your advertisement in the journal of the BMSH and I just had to have it as my father and grandparents lived in Badsey. My father, P F Bayliss, was in fact born at 1 Lime Street, Bengeworth, and family moved to Badsey later, and some time my grandfather, P J Bayliss, was secretary to Badsey Rovers FC and during World War II he was Mayor of Evesham. I am sure your publication will refresh my memory of names and put faces to those names that have been mentioned to me by my father.
Review by David A Hollick in “The Midland Ancestor”, Journal of the Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, December 2004
The first reference to a school in Badsey was in 1658 and it was probably that of John Sheppard who was granted a licence in 1662 but there is no record as to how long this school existed. By the mid-18th century, a Baptist school had been founded and on 1st November 1854, the United Badsey, Aldington and Wickhamford National School opened to pupils for the first time in a newly-erected building.
The research for this book has obviously been a labour of love and has taken some seven years to bring to fruition but the work, and the wait, has been well worthwhile. This is a very detailed and illustrated account of school life, social and sporting as well as academic, in the village over the years up to the present day. It also gives the reader an insight into the development of the school systems in England, as well as the complexities of the political and social pressures which teachers and staff have had to adapt to over time.
There are literally hundreds of names mentioned, pupils, parents, teachers and local residents which are easily accessed from a comprehensive index. This is undoubtedly a book that anyone with family interest in Badsey will find irresistible.
Review by Anne Bradford in “Worcestershire Local History Forum News”, January 2005
A most interesting and well-researched book covering the history of Badsey schools from the 17th century onwards. This 192-page volume has a detailed index of surnames and places and includes some useful appendices of head teachers, teachers, staff, managers and governors. Also, there are lists of names on the honours board and the war memorial. The book is well illustrated with many pictures of classes over the period. It is obviously aimed at the local population, but it must also be of interest to those people researching education in general.
Review in “Family Tree Magazine”, March 2005
Written by Maureen Spinks, this well-researched book charts the history of schools in Badsey, Worcestershire, from the earliest known school in the 17th century to the setting up of a National School 150 years ago.
HEAD BOYS AND HEAD GIRLS OF BADSEY SCHOOL – CAN YOU FILL IN THE MISSING NAMES?
Mr Frank Amos (Headmaster 1913-1944) introduced the post of Head Boy and Head Girl in the 1920s and gave the pupils chosen for the post the responsibility of a number of administrative duties. The Head Boy was responsible for ringing the bell, and had to go to the back door of the School House at 8.30 each morning in order to collect the key. He then opened up the school and rang the bell. Until 1930, this involved pulling the rope of the original bell in the bell-tower, but when this was removed because it was too dangerous, a hand-bell was used, which was placed on a ledge in the corridor, close to the original rope. When the original bell was still in use, there were two bells to summon children to school. “First bell” as it was known was rung at 8.45 am and sounded through the village and was a reminder to children that they should be getting to school. “Second bell” was rung just a few minutes before school was due to start at 9 am. The Head Girl’s duties included going to each class and writing down the numbers present.
The post of Head Boy and Girl lasted until 1981. In the post-war period, the post of Deputy was also created. No list of Head Boys and Girls survives at the school, but the following (incomplete) list has been compiled from information obtained from past students. If you are able to fill in any of the
unknown names, please email history@badsey.net.
1930-31 Frank FIELD, Unknown
1931-32 Unknown, Unknown
1932-33 Unknown, Unknown
1933-34 Kenneth ELLISON, Jean KNIGHT
1934-35 Unknown, Unknown
1935-36 Walter WARMINGTON, Mollie COLLETT
1936-37 Unknown, Dorothy COX
1937-38 Unknown, Margaret STANTON
1938-39 Bernard REDGEWELL, Jean SMITH
1939-40 Unknown, Unknown
1940-41 Roger SAVORY, Hazel LONGMORE
1941-42 David BRAZIER, Celia HARRISON
1942-43 David SOUTHERN, Pat BARNARD
1943-44 Brian JENNINGS, Pamela HARVEY
1944-45 Unknown, Unknown
1945-46 Unknown, Shirley EVANS
1946-47 Unknown, Unknown
1947-48 David ROUSE, Unknown
1948-49 Unknown, Unknown
1949-50 Unknown, Unknown
1950-51 David CASWELL , Unknown
1951-52 Martin MILLER, Unknown
1952-53 Michael STEPHENS, Josie SMITH
1953-54 BillieCHURCHILL/DerekHARWOOD, Margaret BROTHERTON
1954-55 Michael WELLS, Mary CHURCHILL
1955-56 Unknown, Unknown
1956-57 John NEWBURY, Maureen GREGORY
1957-58 Unknown, Anthea TAYLOR
1958-59 John HARWOOD, Diane HARTWELL
1959-60 Norbert TUCKER, Katie GORIN
1960-61 Clifford HARTWELL, Maureen LEWIS
1961-62 Christopher TUCKER, Rosemary TUCKER
1962-63 David STEWART, Mary BRABY
1963-64 Paul HARVEY, Margaret TYSZKOW
1964-65 Stephen TUCKER, Sara KITCHER
1965-66 Trevor SOUTHERN, Julia WILLIAMS
1966-67 Unknown, Unknown
1967-68 Ian HARDWICK, Jane GOLDSTRAW
1968-69 Unknown, Unknown
1969-70 Unknown, Unknown
1970-71 Unknown, Unknown
1971-72 Unknown, Unknown
1972-73 Unknown, Unknown
1973-74 Stephen EVANS, Diane BURFORD
1974-75 Unknown, Unknown
1975-76 Nigel CARELESS, Caroline BYRD
1976-77 Unknown, Unknown
1977-78 Unknown, Unknown
1978-79 Richard SMITH, Joanna BOWRING
1979-80 Stephen POTTER, Sarah SIMMS
1980-81 Sean WITHEFORD, Sally STRATTON
BADSEY FIRST SCHOOL 150TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION GUEST LIST
The following is a list of everyone that attended the 150th Birthday
celebration. The dates following the names are the years that they
attended Badsey First School.
Fred Mason 1915-1924
Jim Brailsford 1915-1925
Fred Roberts 1917-1928
Deric Anderson 1918-1926
Audrey New née Harrison 1924-1932
Leslie Hartwell 1925-1936
Doreen Moore née Ballard 1926-1936
Kathleen Parker née Norledge 1927-1931
Esme Dennick née Jelfs 1928-1938
Lionel Knight 1929-1938
Sheila Knight née Butler 1930-1936
Muriel Morcombe née Bird 1930-1939
Arthur Plant 1931-1938
Michael Barnard 1933-1939
James Dore 1933-1939
Mary King née Norledge 1933-1939
Charles Smith 1933-1939
Ivor Nailor 1934-1938
Adah Hemming née Willett 1935-1941
Celia Keyte née Harrison 1935-1942
Audrey Brown née Salter 1936-1942
Pat Goldstraw née Barnard 1936-1943
Norman Cleaver 1937-1943
Shirley James née Harrison 1937-1944
John Bird 1938-1944
Terry Sparrow 1939-1944
Dennis Knight 1939-1945
Emmeline Hughes née Sheward 1940-1946
Jane Keyte née Collett 1940-1946
Patrick Sparrow née Sparrow 1941-1946
Doris Harris née Willett 1941-1947
Leslie Stewart 1941-1947
Muriel Trotman née Willett 1943-1949
Mary Dore née Anderson 1943-1950
Jennifer Waters née Salter 1944-1950
Wendy Beasley née Tomkins 1945-1951
Mavis Keyte née Anderson 1945-1952
Eunice Shorthouse née Hall 1945-1952
Margaret Jordan née Brotherton 1948-1954
Ivor Martin 1948-1954
Marion Bubb née Salter 1949-1955
Brian Smith 1949-1955
Christopher Vince 1951-1957
Christine Malin née Stewart 1951-1962
Michael Wells 1952-1955
Judith James née Hartwell 1953-1959
Jennifer Tweney née Whiting 1954-1960
Penelope White née Vince 1954-1960
Will Dallimore 1954-1961
Carol Hall née Stewart 1954-1961
Annette Robbins née Hewlett 1955-1961
John Hall 1957-1963
Hazel Smith née Whiting 1957-1963
Susan Hall née Hewlett 1957-1964
Anne Morcombe 1958-1964
Elizabeth Spencer née Wheatley 1958-1964
Margaret Tyszkow 1958-1964
Elizabeth Dyer née Cleaver 1959-1965
Julie Byrd 1960-1966
Rebecca Courtney née New 1960-1966
Ian Hardwick 1962-1968
Denise Wood née Hewlett 1962-1968
Gill Dore née Smith 1962-1969
Jacqueline Smith née Vince 1963-1969
Kathryn Greenwood née Parker 1964-1970
Jackie Emms née West 1965-1971
Chris Smith 1965-1971
Carolyn Watkin 1966-1972
Elizabeth Hardwick née Goldstraw 1967-1973
Robert Grove 1969-1975
Helen Welch née Corbett/White 1970-1976
Tina Greenhill née Keyte 1972-1978
Sarah Bishop née Seabright 1976-1978
Carol Hundley née Beasley 1974-1979
Jeanette Nisbett 1974-1980
Karen Coldicott née Shorthouse 1975-1980
Will Dudfield 1975-1980
Sarah Harman 1975-1980
Joane Attwood née Anderson 1975-1981
Sarah Frascona née Fray 1976-1981
Claire Smith née Anderson 1977-1982
Gillian Tweney 1978-1983
Mandy Young 1989-1994
Natasha Frascona 1995-2000
Sammy Pearce 1995-2000
Naomi Welch 1995-2000
Former Staff and Others
Daphne Cleaver Former cleaner
Bet Benfield Former Lollipop Lady and Assistant
Sheila Young Former parent helper
Joyce Watkin Former teacher
Julie Williams Former teacher
Valerie Harman Former School Manager
Mrs Nailor Visitor
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REPORT ON THE END OF THE ENCLOSURE MAP PROJECT EVENING
ON SATURDAY 10TH MARCH 2007
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Thus quoted Badsey Society Chairman, Will Dallimore, when he welcomed everyone to a birthday celebration at Badsey First School. The special occasion was to mark the end of the two-year long project funded by Local Heritage Initiative to study Badsey and Aldington’s development since the time of enclosure 200 years ago when the first detailed maps of the parish were produced. He stressed, that, although it was the end of the project in terms of the grant money, in many ways it was just the beginning, because there was still so much more to find out about Badsey’s history.
Around 120 guests packed into the School Hall for the bicentenary celebrations. Committee members Ian Gibson and Neil Thould greeted guests with a glass of wine on arrival. Meanwhile, as guests mingled before the start of the programme, talented pianist, Linda Core, entertained guests with music from the early 19th century, which included music by Muzio Clementi (1752-1832), the Italian-born composer who spent the final years of his life in Evesham.
Will Dallimore then introduced Maureen Spinks, Project Manager. Maureen outlined some of the project findings and reminded people of the time two years ago when framed copies of the 200-year-old maps were unveiled. At the same time, a very 21st century perspective was brought to the maps, something that the Enclosure Commissioners and map-makers of 200 years ago could not have begun to dream about. Working in partnership with Worcestershire Archaeological Service, the maps had been digitised making it possible to view the historical maps in comparison with the modern-day Ordnance Survey maps. Richard Phillips thanked Maureen for her efforts in leading the Society in the project and she was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Lizzie Noyes.
Victoria Bryant and Maggi Noke from Worcestershire Historic Environment & Archaeological Service then spoke about their part in the project. Maureen thanked Victoria and Maggi for their contributions and said that it had been a pleasure to work with them over the past two years. And to ensure that they never forgot Badsey, she presented them with an Enclosure Map tea towel, designed by Ian Gibson.
 
Maureen then handed over to Richard Phillips, without whose expertise Badsey would not have such a superb village website, which must surely be one of the best of its kind in the country. Richard gave a very clear and concise demonstration of how to get the most out of the Badsey website, using Mill Lane as an example.
The evening’s talks were concluded with a presentation by Mike Lovatt about the bridges and water-courses in the village an amazing 31 bridges in the two parishes at the last count.
And then, the moment people had been waiting for, the cutting of the cake by special guests, Bernard and Mike Hewlett. Mike and Bernard are the only known present-day Badsey residents who are direct descendants of a landowner marked on the Enclosure Map. Their great-great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Ballard, owned what is now 5 Old Post Office Lane, as well as some strips of land where the Round of Gras is now situated. Ian Gibson, who designed the cake, produced a family tree to show their descent.
Guests were then free to wander round the exhibition which featured house history displays, over 300 aerial photographs of the village, and clips from the Society’s asparagus and forthcoming orchard DVD. Pupils from Blackminster Middle School and Prince Henry’s High School were available to offer assistance in viewing the Badsey website on the school’s computers.
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