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Events

2010 Annual General Meeting

Valence House MuseumThe 57th Annual General Meeting of the Friends took place at Valence House Museum, Archives and Local Studies Centre, Dagenham, Essex, on Saturday 31st July. Members enjoyed a very successful afternoon, many travelling quite a distance to attend.

Our President, Lord Petre, chaired the business meeting. All Officers were re-elected and there are no changes to the committee. It is hoped to publish the report from the Archive Services Manager in a future edition of the Newsletter.

Guided tours of the new facilities and refurbished museum followed, given the limited time we could only have a taster of what was on offer. Many people agreed that a second visit would be needed to fully appreciate all the displays in the museum, and many hours could be spent searching the local studies material. The day finished with a delicious afternoon tea. Many thanks to all the staff at Valence House that made us so welcome.

Valence House officially reopened its doors on the 26 June after being closed since December 2007. The whole site has undergone a major redevelopment programme funded by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. A house has stood on the site since the 13th century, the present house dating from the 15th century, a Grade II* listed moated, timber framed building. It is the only surviving manor house in the Dagenham area.

New galleries contain an impressive array of artefacts, including the original Dagenham Idol dated 2250 BC, one of the earliest known representations of a human form, on loan from Colchester Museum. Other areas include an archaeology gallery, displays on Barking Abbey, social history in the area, a temporary exhibition gallery, a cinema room dedicated to local film archive, and a room exhibiting the renowned Fanshawe portraits.

A new single storey building houses the archives and local studies centre. The run down council depot which once stood on this spot has been swept away to create the new centre, and open up another part of the moat that surrounds the site. The centre provides a magnificent new research facility, local studies library, education room, café and shop area.


2011 Annual General Meeting

This year our AGM will take place at the Queens Hall, Halstead on Saturday 30th July 2011.

Halstead, situated on the River Colne, is well known for its industrial history. The industries have now mainly gone, but many associated buildings remain, including Townsford Mill, seen above. Built as a water powered corn mill in the late 18th century, converted for weaving by Samuel Courtauld in 1825.  The building now houses an antiques centre and restaurant.




© 2011

       
Friends of Historic Essex www.historicessex.org.uk